I’ve been working on this quilt sampler using EQ8 for the VQG 2022 Quilt-Along.

• The quilt is approximately 61 x 61 inches.
• Blocks range from 24 x 24 (largest) to 2 x 2 (smallest).
• Various techniques are used in this sampler: piecing, foundation piecing, applique, templates.
• The theme of the quilt is “all things BC“. A log cabin set in the woods with pine trees, maple leaves, bears, owls, birds, flying geese under the starry night sky. There’s even the plant representing the dogwood.
• This will be a scrappy quilt.
• I will send out selected blocks throughout the upcoming months. Some months will have more than one block.
• Anticipated time to complete this is 12 months, but definitely work at your own pace.
• Post pictures in facebook groups as we work on this quilt-along.
• Block instruction, for piecing, foundation piecing, templates and/or applique, will be sent out via email.

So let’s have a ton of fun!  If you would like to join in, please send me an email.
—  Parm G.

From January to December we run the “Works In Progress” challenge (better known as WIP’s).  This is how it works:

• In January and February, members can register every quilting project that they started BEFORE January 1st of that year.  As many and as old as they like!!
• Cost is $2 per article.  As each one is finished it must be shown at a Show & Tell, where it will get an entry into the final prizewinning.
• New members throughout the year will have 1 week from joining to submit their list.
• Deadline is the December meeting, when the Winners are drawn for cash prizes.

** If someone really can’t get around to finishing an old project, or has extra squares leftover … they can consider donating to the VQG Blankets of Love Charity Quilts project!

Fabric Exchange:
Join our fabric exchange and use and share your batik fabrics. By sharing fabrics you’ll be able to make a scrappy quilt with lots of variety. The exchange will be an outdoor event where you can drop off, and at a second date pick up, an equivalent number of pieces. Please see the June 2021 newsletter for further details.

Stretched Star Quilt:
These instructions make a lap size quilt 49.5” x 58.5.

Use fabrics from your own stash and those you get from the VQG fabric exchange to make a “Stretched Star” Quilt from half snowball blocks as follow:

1. Cut the 2½” strips into 2 ½” squares (light neutrals).
2. For each block pick one of your 5” dark or medium batik squares and 2 of the 2 ½” lights.
3. On the wrong side of each of the 2 ½” squares mark a diagonal line in your preferred method.  For example, you can finger press across the diagonal or press with an iron.  Or you can mark a line with a pencil or a marker such as a Hera marker or fabric pen.  Some of you will be confident enough to eyeball the diagonal line.
   (Note: Often the right and wrong-sides of batiks are indistinguishable in which case you do not need to pay attention to which is the right and which is the wrong side.  For those batiks that do have a discernible right side you will need to take care to put right sides together.)
4. Place these marked squares on opposite corners of the 5” square, wrong sides together, and sew on the line you have marked.
5. Trim ¼” away from the sewn line and press towards centre (darker fabric). Your light/dark fabric placement will be the opposite of this illustration:
   
6. Make 99 of these 5” unfinished blocks.
7. Quilt Assembly: Arrange the blocks 9 across, 11 down all facing the same direction.  When you are happy with the layout sew the rows matching the intersections.
8. Border:  Add 5” cut (4.5” finished) borders.

Variations:
These blocks can be set in an X’s and O’s pattern by arranging the blocks in alternating directions.

For more variations see: Missouri Star Quilt TripX’s and O’s Projects with Jenny Doan

 Love  in the time of Covid

Paddy and Mary would like to issue a challenge to VQG members.  We would like you to make: 

•  A small quilt (18″ X24″) … Maximum size … can be smaller … if you wish.
• Depicting what you loved during this stressful time of COVID:  It can represent: a person or people whom you got (were forced) to spend time with in 2020, OR a favourite activity you found you had time to pursue (such as finishing off some UFO), OR maybe taking up sour-dough bread making, OR jig-saw puzzles, OR some other activity you were able to do while going through the past year.
• It must contain a plant, flower, fruit or vegetable or some form of vegetation  from at least ONE of the following: (a)  your home province, (b) a place where you spent a lot of fabulous time, OR (c) your homeland ( if you were not born in Canada).
• Finished Challenge pieces will be shown when we are able to meet again in person.
• Prize-winners names will be drawn that night.

Good luck and we are anxious to see what LOVE IN THE TIME OF COVID  looks like for you.
— Paddy M. and Mary B.

Open those bins, go through those piles, and search your closets.
Pull out all of your unfinished works.
Either donate them to the free table, or join us for the 2020 WIP Program which is now underway.

You must show your completed item(s) at a Show and Tell during the year (2020) to be eligible for the draw in December.  Full details are in the February newsletter.

Loretta R.

I usually have a song playing in my head as I go about my day. Right now as I write this in late November, the song is Singing in the Rain. (I wish it was Blue Skies Smilin’ At Me). Some members of my family love the rain and call themselves children of the rain forest. I just want to go back to bed and pull a quilt over my head. Oh well, it’s Vancouver where we say “at least we don’t have to shovel it” and “we don’t tan, we rust!”. Our Guild challenge for 2018 is our Quilt Show Challenge and it’s about rain.

SINGIN’ (AND QUILTIN’) IN THE RAIN: Choose a song about rain. It must have the word “rain” (or rainy, raining, etc.) in the title. I found 205 songs about rain on my computer in 5 minutes. (Here’s a list of just a few.) Even if we all did Purple Rain, each of us would make an original and interesting piece.  Make a small quilt that represents your interpretation of the song or just the title. The outside perimeter or circumference cannot exceed 120” but it can be any shape. You must use at least one embellishment and the colour yellow has to appear somewhere on your piece. We need that glimmer of bright colour to brighten up the dark days.

Andrea G.

It’s time for a new challenge!

The aim is to complete as many UFOs as possible by the December meeting.  They can be big or small, simple or complicated. Register as few or as many as you like.  You don’t have to bring them all in for registration, but come up with a name for each project and sign them up.  Each month bring any completed projects for show and tell or to a member of the Challenge Committee to have them marked off.  For each completed project you will get your name put into the pot. At the December meeting there will be a grand prize draw.  The more projects you complete the greater your chance of winning a prize.

For anyone who missed registering it’s not too late.  You can fill in the form at the June meeting.

Thanks,

Kate G.

At the September meeting members will be able to select one of 22 “themed” fat quarters.  The rules of the challenge are:

• The fabric given you is the BACK of the piece you are making.
• Your project cannot be smaller than 18″ by 18″, but it can be up to the full size of your fat quarter if you do not want to cut it.
• It has to have a front, batting and a back.
• You must add a bird somewhere.
• It would be nice if you put a binding on it but you might be using the piece in a larger quilt so you don‘t have to.
  

  Runner-up

Challenge Winner

We will show off our amazing challenge mini-quilts, tote bags or whatever you have made at the Christmas meeting and there will be prizes.

Andrea G.

With the 2015 Quilt Show coming up quickly it’s time to put your mind to entering the Challenge. This year we want to limit your choice of colours and send your creative juices in the direction of design and form. Read over the rules, set out below and get going; most of all, have fun.

• The quilt may be any shape but the perimeter measurement must be no greater than 72”
• There must be three layers: top, batting, backing
• The colours black and white must dominate, however you may add one accent colour.
• The name of this accent colour must start with the first letter of one of your names e.g.Louise Geraldine Vandergrass = lemon or green or vermillion.

QS 2015 – Challenge Winners

As with other quilts, entry forms for the Challenge are required, however accompanying photographs are not required. As in previous shows, all Challenge entries will be displayed together in a separate area of the show with a voting box adjacent. Votes will be counted and prize winners identified before the end of the show.

Marje L.

To Start – design a main block that will be the centre of your own Round Robin. It can be any shape, any block, colour, or a medallion…. anything!

• Round 1: Whichever colour in your main block there is the most of, in Round 1 you have to use less of this colour. Whichever colour in your main block there is the least of, in Round 1, you have to use more of this colour.  If, however, your centre block has many fabrics (scrappy), first round is more of the lighter value and less of the darker value or vice versa. Or, if your block is equal light and dark (log cabin), then go with one or the other (i.e., less of the light and more of the dark in Round 1).
• Round 2: Corner triangles – see http://quiltville.com/onpointmathpf.html
• Round 3: It has to be three-dimensional (that can be applique, embellishments, buttons etc.). Can be any width you want. I also don’t see any problem with your adding your embellishment to a previous row instead of doing a new row. It’s up to you, it’s your project.
• Round 4: “It’s Hip to be Square”. This round has to be made of squares, any size and as many rows as you wish, but they all have to be square.
• Round 5: Add two floater strips. Frame your piece with two strips,one 1/2″ and one 3/4″ finished. 
• Round 6: “Wind Under Our Wings”. This round has to have either pinwheel blocks or star blocks and they must finish 6″.

QS 2015 – Stay At Home Round Robin quilts

Please bring in your project to date to the June Guild meeting. It can be in any state of construction. If we have enough people perhaps we can do a little exhibit at the quilt show in October! We hope you have had fun doing this little wacky Challenge.

Janet M.