Pacific Piecemakers Quilt Guild
Bits & Pieces
May 2002 -- Volume 7, Issue 5
Jeri Taylor, Editor
MARK YOUR CALENDARS!
May 17,
12:30 p.m., Community Center [webmistress'
note: This meeting postposted til June. May is an A.I.R.
workshop, 9:30 to 3:30, with business meeting at approx. 12:30.]
We’re in for
a real treat this month, so don’t miss this meeting. Giselle
Shepatin will speak at our guild meeting, show slides and some of
her fashion creations, and sell textiles that she has gathered
from around the world. (Check out her website at
www.giselleshepatin.com)
At age eleven
Giselle Shepatin completed her first design project -- a dress
for her older sister's trousseau that she stitched by hand from
seven yards of muslin and French lace. Today, she is best known
for the distinctive handwovens she creates in her San Francisco
studio using exotic yarns she selects from around the world and
often hand dyes. Arresting texture and color mixtures are
Giselle's signature.
But design is
only part of what Giselle does. She also oversees the work of
numerous craftspeople who execute her concepts, manages the
complex requirements of a growing business, and travels worldwide
in search of unusual materials.
Come and meet
this strong, creative, fascinating woman who uses fabric, color,
and texture in ways that will inspire you!
MAYDAY… MAYDAY… MAYDAY
This month we are
sending out a "MAYDAY" signal. Please bring your
items for the ART in the REDWOODS BOOTH and deposit them in our
donations box. We have 47 items donated so far. We will need at
least 500 items to fill our two booths for two days. If you have
not signed up yet, please call or email Donna Blum at 785-3625
or Dblum77@AOL.com. Let her know what you plan to donate. She has
bitten all her nails off and is working on her toes…….
A Special thank you to all the talented people who
have donated such beautiful items so far.
[Webmistress' note: The following workshop will be held at our May meeting. Giselle Shepatin will be our speaker on June 21st.]
June 21st
(9:30AM to 3:30 PM) Plan to
attend our fun workshop and Guild meeting. Bring your machine and
bag lunch. We have several fun, quick projects that can be
completed during the workshop.
New AIR
Projects directions and photos are on our website. Check
them out! If you have a clever idea that you think will sell
well, bring a sample and directions to the May meeting to share
with the guild members.
A REMINDER!
Our website can be found at
www.pacificpiecemakers.org. Email to the group should be
addressed PPQG@lists.mcn.org.
MACHINE QUILTING CLASS REDUX
Anita Kaplan will
teach a two-day machine quilting class on two Wednesdays in July,
the 24th & 31st. The class is for beginners and those who
want to review their skills. It will be good preparation for the
Intermediate class being taught by expert Kathy Sandback in June
2003. Sign up by calling Gualala Arts, 884-1138. The fee is $40.
Call Anita if you have questions.
QUILT
SAFARI INFO AND PREVIEW
by Anita Kaplan
Eighteen people
have signed up to go on the quilting safari in June, and there’s
room for more! You won’t forgive yourselves if you
miss this one — and it’s not too late to sign up!
Give me a call!
The highlight, of
course, will be our visit to the San Jose Quilt Museum of Quilts
and Textiles, which is featuring the work of Jane Burch Cochran
and Terrie Hancock Mangat. The artists cover subjects
as large as war, as universal as love and loss, and as mundane as
the rituals of daily life. At first glance, the art works
produced by Cochran and Mangat would appear to fit into that
broad category of art known as mixed media. Yet, they are quilts.
They are pieced together from bits and pieces, saturated with
meaning and steeped in the narrative traditions of American
painters as well as American quilt makers.
We will have a
private guided tour of the artwork by the exhibits director, and
a discussion of the quilts with the executive director of the
Museum.
But there’s much more! We’ll replenish our stashes with a 20% discount from Bay Area quilt shops, enjoy terrific meals at selected restaurants, and of course spend two days in close companionship with several of our sisterhood of quilters. Don’t be left out!
STARZ… STARZ… STARZ
Since the
inception of the Guild, it’s been our tradition to make
quilt squares for the outgoing president which she can piece into
a memento of her year of service. Janet Sears has decided
on a star quilt, and if you want to contribute, here’s the
info:
Any kind of star
block in either 4, 6, 8, or 10 inches finished size (which means
4 1/2, 6 1/2, 8 1/2, or 10 1/2 square). Warm colors work
well for stars, but the brightest, warmest colors would be best
for the smaller size stars. Her background will be from
very pale, almost white, blues and pinks at the top through blues
and turquoises in the middle, to dark purple at the bottom.
If you have the
book Friends Forever, Quilting Together, look for the quilt
called "Starring My Friends" which was Janet's
inspiration.
MAY HAPPY BIRTHDAYS
4—Charlene Younker
13—Rainie Pauter
17—Joyce Gaudet
23—Sharon Simon
25—Nita Green
30—Donna Auguste
31—Sylvia McKinney
GUILD GLIMMERS
by Linda Warnock
Ever
wonder how a serrated grapefruit spoon could be used in quilting?
Or how to make a ribbon rose for appliqué? Or how to stack
and whack fabric to make a wonderful geometric design? Five
“artists in residence” offered answers to those
questions and many, many more during the Guild’s April
workshops.
From
a practical perspective, Jo Dillon’s Tools of the Trade
discussion included handouts defining handy tools from marking to
pattern making. Those of us who thought we already had
every tool of the trade were surprised to find more, and
their sources. Marilyn Limbaugh demonstrated how to stack
and whack to make big, striking abstract blocks. Anita
Kaplan broke away from her house-moving day to demonstrate the
continuous- binding technique — a valuable and time-saving
lesson that visually improves your finished quilt.
I
learned how to make a ribbon rose and embroider a crazy quilt
design in Barbara McNulty’s quilt embellishment, embroidery
and beading session. Barbara brought wonderful examples of
the different techniques, including some of her finished projects
and several provided by Judith Jones — inspiration to those
of us who are experimenting with those aspects of quilt making.
And speaking of inspiration, Mary Austin provided examples of
Sashiko. In addition to providing actual hands-on materials
for students to experience, Mary spoke also about its history,
varaiations in the way the art is used, types of threads and
fabrics she uses.
This
workshop was invaluable to many of us, providing insight into new
or improved ways to enjoy our quilting experiences. Thanks
to all the artists for the time and effort put into your
preparations and presentations.
NEW MEMBER INFO
Dana Smith, P.O. Box 1452, Gualala 95445, 8
Feb.
884-3848, danabird@shocking.com
FROM THE PRESIDENT
by Paula Osborne
When I heard
Donna Blum’s urgent plea for more items for our AIR
booth, my mind flashed back some 14 years to the first letter
home from my son in college. It was to his sister,
inheritor of the family teenmobile, his beloved car. The letter
was brief and to the point, in big, bold letters: Dear Amy,
OIL = GOOD. Love, Chris. Donna’s plea strikes me as an
equally simple equation: MORE = BETTER. More finished
projects, the sooner the better. Ideas are flowing, intentions
are good, but finishing is the hard part. So let’s aim high,
and start now. Don’t wait for the June workshop—grab one
of those great ideas Donna’s been collecting, and get to
work! MORE projects mean BETTER sales. MORE enthusiasm
means BETTER finished projects. You get the picture.
A THANK YOU NOTE
To the members of
the Pacific Piecemakers Quilt Guild: I wish to express my
sincere appreciation for the donation of a plaque, in Doris Buck’s
memory, for the Gualala Arts Memorial Benches. She so
enjoyed quilting and the friendship with so many wonderful women.
In her name, I thank you!
Don Buck
LIBRARIAN’S
REPORT
In the last few
months, we are fortunate to have had some wonderful books donated
to our growing collection. They are now shelved and waiting
to be used. In addition to those given us, I have purchased
two books: Plaids and Stripes by Roberta Horton, a
wonderful "idea" book with good basic directions
for the less experienced, and Ruth McDowell's latest, Pieced
Vegetables. This one is perhaps not for beginners,
but many of the blocks look do-able and certainly fun.
You may go
to our web site for the catalog of all Guild books, but there are
more. Mary Austin gave some wonderful quilt books to the
Art Center and they are shelved in the same section.
Please come and
use our library: take home books -- and return them (make a copy
of a project you are considering).
I welcome
suggestions.
Ann Graf