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DOQ has two ongoing projects to support the families of infants who are hospitalized. Links to the patterns and directions can be found below. Please bring completed dolls to the regular DOQ guild meetings. The first project is making small therapy dolls to give to children whose baby brother or sister is in the hospital. The simple stuffed dolls can be used to explain what is happening to the baby, and be held and cuddled by the older brother or sister.  Therapy Doll Pattern The second project is making snoedels for premature infants. The first  Snoedel was created by a Dutch woman inspired by the birth of a friend’s premature infant. The Dutch word “snoedel” means “snuggle”. The mother (or father) keeps the snoedel close to there skin where they absorb and retain their scent. Then when held or placed near a newborn or infant the scent is slowly released to comfort the baby.  Snoedels are used in the NICU to minimize infant stress, comfort parents, and to continue the baby/parent bonding process when babies are separated from their mothers following birth and placed in incubators.  Snoedel Directions

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 – You have drawn two paint chips. The exact colors on your chips must be used in your quilt, as much or as little as you want, but they have to be in there. (And no fair swapping colors because you don’t like yours, or don’t think the colors you drew go together – that’s why it’s called a challenge!) Please hang on to your chips so they can be displayed with your completed quilt. – This is the first time our guild is trying this so something in your quilt must be a first for you (first time using green, first time to hand appliqué, first embellishments, first time making a Lone Star using 1⁄4 inch diamonds, etc., etc.) – No one side, or the diameter, can be longer than 48 inches. – Have fun! Quilts are due at the October 2015 meeting.

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Roxane Lessa has been teaching since 2008, and loves to share the joy of art quilting. She is an award winning art quilter who has exhibited in many shows, including Houston International Quilt Festival, Tactile Architecture, In Full Bloom, and PAQA South shows. She continues to explore new ways to use the fiber medium to create art and share with her students. She also has a weekly blog that shares new work, videos, tips and techniques, and upcoming exhipits, www.blog.roxanelessa.com You can see her work at www.roxanelessa.com. She lives and works in Raleigh, has 2 daughters and a lazy studio cat.

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Susan Brubaker Knapp, will present a one-hour digital slide show and trunk show based on her book, Point, Click, Quilt! This lecture focuses on tips for taking better photographs, and then turning them into art quilts. This is an inspirational and detailed look at her process: tracing the photo; enlarging the line drawing; using it to trace the fused applique pieces for the quilt; creating a positioning overlay; and then cutting, positioning and fusing the pieces before thread sketching and quilting. A trunk show of pieces from the slideshow and additional work follows, and questions are welcome. Susan started quilting as a hobby, but turned into a passion and a business. She now teaches nationally and internationally, hosts “Quilting Arts TV,” and has produced numerous patterns, two books, and four workshops on DVD. She grew up in Mt. Lebanon, Pa., a suburb of Pittsburgh, and earned her B.A. in English at Allegheny College (Meadville, Pa.) and her M.A. in journalism at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. She now lives near Charlotte, N.C., with her husband, Rob, and two daughters. Susan loves traditional hand quilting and needleturn appliqué, but has embraced innovative machine techniques. She started making art quilts in 2005. …

November Program: Susan Brubaker Knapp – Point, Click, Quilt! Read more »

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Members of DOQ participated in the St. Peter’s Love Quilt Project last year. The St. Peter’s Love Quilt Project was developed to give quilts to orphan children in South Africa who have lost their parents to AIDS. Art squares are created by children in schools, church groups, scout troops, etc., to depict their messages of love to the orphan children. Quilts using these squares are made by volunteers in the local area and beyond. The completed quilts are collected and sent to orphaned children in South Africa by St. Peter’s Episcopal Church in Arlington, Virginia. See more pictures of the quilts in our online gallery.

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Online blog highlight: Moda Bakeshop Looking to use up that spare jelly roll or charm pack? Or are you looking for a quick 120-minute Christmas gift? Check out the Moda Bakeshop at http://www.modabakeshop.com Moda Bakeshop features “recipes,” or patterns and tutorials that feature Moda precuts, including charm packs, jelly rolls, layer cakes, honeybuns… However, any precut package can be used for these patterns. There are a variety of projects available, ranging from table runners to bed-sized quilts, and the designs feature all different kinds of fabric, as recipes come from literally hundreds of “chefs,” or contributors. And if you have a great precut pattern, you can become a Bakeshop Chef too! Online resource feature: Flickr Photo Pools Flickr is an website where you can store and display your photos for others to see. But Flickr isn’t just for artists, or stowing your vacation pictures; many people post high-quality photos of their work for others to admire. There are also special themed photo pools, some which have amassed thousands of projects. To see a list of photo pools, look at the online resources database on the website. Visit flickr.com today to explore! Find us on Pinterest for more ideas: http://pinterest.com/DOQuilters/ Have any …

Online Resources – November Read more »

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Online blog highlight: the Free Motion Quilting Project Looking to machine quilt your project, but need fresh ideas for what designs to use? The Free Motion Project, started by Leah Day as a year-long blog with a design-a-day and has evolved into a database of 400+ free motion quilting designs. The blog gives the option to sort designs by skill level and family design type, as well as chronological and alphabetical order. Click here to see an example of Leah’s tutorial on her design Underwater Rocks. Online resource highlight: the Missouri Star Quilt Company  The Missouri Star Quilt Company is an online one-stop shop for quilters of all experience levels. Their website features an online fabric, pattern and notions store, a blog containing project ideas and inspiration, a quilter’s forum, and finally, a myriad of useful video tutorials. All of these resources can be accessed from the main website, but the tutorials can also be found on YouTube:

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Bibby requested that we share some online resources for those of you who would like to try your hand at Shibori Dyeing–the artistic medium of our September speaker, Kevin Womack. Shibori dyeing, which is kin to the popular technique of tie-dyeing, is a type of fabric dyeing in which the cloth is twisted, compressed, or wrapped in a certain way that produces a design after being immersed in fabric dye. One of the more well-known forms of shibori is called Arashi shibori, in which fabric is wrapped around a pole to give a distinctive design. Here are some helpful online shibori tutorials:  DIY Shibori, from Erica at HonestlyWTF Step-by-Step instructions for four shibori folding techniques from Design Sponge Step-by-Step form Dharma Trading Company. For resources on dyeing techniques, books, and supplies, check out the Dharma Trading Company online store! 

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Looking for online inspiration? Look no further! We are compiling online resources in a Google Document that can be accessed here. Do you have a resource you’d like to add? Would you like access to edit the document? Email Annelise at ahgorensek@gmail.com  

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SEPTEMBER BLOG FEATURE Material Obsession by Kathy Doughty. A native of the United States who began quilting after relocating to Australia, Kathy’s blog, shop and  website feature vibrant, colorful quilts and patterns. Although she lives in Australia, Kathy’s sites feature quilt-alongs, as well as online quilt patterns. Find her here: www.materialobsession.typepad.com ONLINE RESOURCE FEATURE Sew the perfect binding! Many of us (myself included) have been taught binding techniques, only to forget them when the time comes to bind. Fortunately, the internet contains a myriad of binding resources. Some helpful YouTube videos include: “The Ultimate Binding Quilt Tutorial” by Missouri Quilt Co “How to bind a quilt: 6 simple steps” by Heirloom Creations “Quilting Tutorial: Worry Free Bias Binding” by The Quilt Patch Find helpful step-by step picture-based tutorials at: www.cluckclucksew.com/2013/01/machine-binding-tutorial.html and www.sewmamasew.com/2013/01/machine-quilt-binding-tutorial/ Find us on Pinterest for more ideas: www.pinterest.com/DOQuilters/ Have any cool websites or resources you’d like to share? Is there a topic you’d like me to research and share? Contact Annelise at ahgorensek@gmail.com

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The Viewers’ Choice awards from our quilt show were presented at the September 15th meeting. It was a difficult choice with many quilts receiving votes. Overall Viewers’ Choice: Grace’s Zoo Friends by Nan Lee Runner Up Viewers’ Choice: Starry Night by Suzan deSerres and Barbara Wallace Children’s Donation Challenge: Caterpillar by Mary Ed Williams My Favorite Story Challenge: The Kiss by Irena Rindos To see all the quilts from the show visit the “Stories in Stitches” Gallery. Gift certificates donated by local quilt shops were presented to the winners. The contributing shops were Thimble Pleasures, Cary Quilting Company, Wish Upon a Quilt, and Elegant Stitches. Thank you to the shops for their generosity, and special thanks to Julianne and Roberta at Cary Quilting Company for their help in obtaining the Children’s Donation Challenge fabric.

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“Splash of Color” Quilt, Wearable, Textile, and Fiber Art Show Hosted by Cabarrus Quilters Guild, October 3 & 4, 2014. Friday, 9-5:00 & Sat. 10-4. Admission $6.  Free parking. http://www.cabarrusquiltersguild.org

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The National Quilting Association, Inc., a nonprofit organization run by quilters for quilters, was founded in 1970 by seven women in the Washington, D.C., area. The organization was established to create, stimulate, maintain, and record an interest in all matters pertaining to the making, collecting, and preserving of quilts, and to establish and promote educational and philanthropic endeavors through quilts. Members receive a subscription their quarterly magazine and monthly email newsletter, and have access to free online patterns. When you join be sure to enter our chapter number NC612. Website: www.nqaquilts.org

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Lily Kinross-Wright will be teaching a beginning quilting class on Saturday, September 27th, 2014 from 10am-4pm. Students will complete two placemats with the option of learning the basics of free-motion quilting. The pattern and class will be FREE. This is a great opportunity to learn the basics and see how much fun quilting is! You do not need to be a member of the guild, but we will be offering a special pro-rated membership fee of only $20 for the remainder of 2014 for anyone who joins at the class. The class will be held at the New Hope Fire Department Hall at 4012 Whitfield Rd, Chapel Hill, NC. To sign up please email Lily directly at lilykw@gmail.com. Lily will host a special pre-class at Thimble Pleasures on Monday, September 22nd at 6:30pm. She will go over fabric selection, tools, and machines.

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There will be a half hour mini-class before the guild meeting on September 15, 2014 from 6:30 – 7:00 at St. Thomas More Church / DOQ Meeting Room. The class will be taught by Brenda Matthews, Joan Jones, Ruth Roberson, and Hedi Andres. Different methods will be shown for sewing hexagon pieces for quilts or hexies (samples at http://thehexieblog.blogspot.com/)

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Kevin Womack is a textile artist living in Lynchburg, Virginia. In 1986, Kevin was introduced to quilting by his maternal grandmother. Having always loved the legacy of family quilts, he decided to have her teach him the tradition. Over the years, Kevin studied with many accomplished textile artists and developed a love for hand dyeing and patterning fabrics with surface design techniques. His experiments produce a line of unique fabrics and clothing that he exhibits and sells. To see more of his work visit www.KevinWomackArt.com

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The Tarheel Quilters Guild and the Cape Fear Botanical Gardens are co-sponsoring a judged quilt show on 2-5 October 2014 in conjunction with the “Garden’s” 25th Anniversary and 11th Heritage Festival. They are accepting quilts with floral/forest theme. There is no entry fee and there are no restrictions on when (what year) the quilts were made. Please see their website: www.tarheelquilters.org for particulars.

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Time to get your quilts ready for the show. Quilt turn-in is at our regular guild meeting — Monday, August 18. All quilts must have a label with the quilt’s name and your name and address (email or street). If your quilt is being judged you need to cover the label by pinning or basting a piece of fabric over the label so that the judging is anonymous. Also, all quilts over 2 feet wide must have a 4 inch hanging sleeve. Have you ever dreamed of owning your own little fabric shop full of beautiful quilting fabrics, patterns and notions too? Vernett Zimmerman of “ABC Quilting with Nana” has a cute store tucked away on Webb Avenue in Burlington. She will speak to us after the quilt take-in, about the trials and tribulations of owning a quilting shop. Please join us and bring your questions for Vernett.

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St. Thomas More Church “Friendship Hall”  from 9:00am to 3:00pm Come spend a few hours sewing with friends. You may choose to work on any project – including ongoing charity quilts. We will also have fabric available for organizing (cutting & bundling) for future charity quilt projects.  The big requests recently have been for children’s quilts.  Please bring your usual sewing supplies. If you have an iron and ironing board that you can bring – please bring that as well. Please bring a dish to share for lunch. Ice Cream will be served at 1:00 – come join us even if you aren’t planning to sew.

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Our program for Monday, July 21 will be presented by Amanda Murphy of “Amanda Murphy Design.” Amanda is a fabric designer for Blend Fabrics and her lines include Topiary, Holiday Bouquet, Bonjour Mon Ami, Bella, Veranda, Swiss Chocolate and Ambrosia. Her fabrics combine shapes from nature in a variety of scales with a playful modern twist. Amanda teaches machine embroidery and applique for Craftsy and has a book out entitled “Color Essentials: Crisp and Vibrant Quilts.” She also blogs and designs patterns. She lives in Charlotte, NC. Visit her website at Amanda Murphy Designs

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The John C. Campbell Folk School in Brasstown, NC offers weeklong and weekend classes year-round in traditional and contemporary art and craft, music, dance, cooking, gardening, nature studies, writing, storytelling and photography. Talented instructors teach both novice and advanced adult students. The 300-acre campus’ natural setting provides a beautiful backdrop for fun and creative learning. To request a free course catalog or register for a class, call 1-800-FOLK-SCH or visit www.folkschool.org. John C. Campbell Folk School – Bringing Folks Together Since 1925

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These are not just your Grandmother’s String Quilts! String Quilting has a colorful history and can create exciting elements when mixed with traditional patchwork shapes! String quilts from small to large will fill the listeners with ideas and inspiration to dig into their own stashes and sew up a storm of strings! Quilts from Scraps & Shirttails, Scraps & Shirttails II, Adventures with Leaders & Enders, and my latest book, String Fling will be featured. DOQ members please wear your nametag and sign-in. Non-DOQ members fee for the lecture is $10.

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We will be selling tickets for our raffle quilt at the Raleigh Sewing and Quilt Expo. To volunteer at our booth contact Karen. For more information about the show visit http://sewingexpo.com/RaleighNC.aspx

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May will be small group presentations on finishing your quilts for the show. Bev Metz and Sarah Porreca will demo two different techniques for binding. Susan DeSerres will demo blocking your quilts so your quilt will be flat and straight. Judy Corley-Lay will demo making and attaching a sleeve. Labels for your quilts will also be demonstrated by Evelyn Judson. Each demo will have its own table and members will move between tables to see the various items. This is a tradition before our quilt show and even experienced quilters may come away with a new trick or two!