February 2024 Meeting Recap

 

The February meeting highlighted Gadgets & Gizmos from our members.

Rosalind Carr brought a wicker silverware basket that holds various quilting tools. She showed pouches to hold rotary cutters and suggested buying bamboo skewers to use as a stiletto for those that may tend to lose track of their tools. 

Deb Ebke showed how she uses various lengths of pool noodles to help sandwich and spray baste her quilt sandwich. She also brought along her thread stand and magnetic bowl that helps wrangle pins or anything else that needs kept in place.

 Kate Honeyman brought a bodkin that helps with turning fabric pieces.

Vicky Bedell brought her Hold It Precision Stiletto. Silicone tip helps keep fingers away from the iron.

Thom Meyer brought a tub full of goodies that he has made. There were seam rippers that could reverse to hold a stiletto, chain for hanging around the neck, thread stands, yarn holders, and various sizes of block trimmers that lock onto the seam to help with placement. 

Jeni Kuszak Ehlers showed the results of a laser cutting tool that could be used for patterns requiring heavier fabrics.

Mary Sedlak showed her clapper that is used right after pressing a seam to help set the seam flat.

Sara Kenny brought in her Stripology ruler that helps with very accurate cutting of strips.

Mary Dittenber had the Hold It precision stiletto and a bodkin (I think?).

Janeese Olsson brought in the Glow Ruler that helps you see the measurement lines better.

June Pederson demonstrated an around the neck book light that was bendable so that the angle could be adjusted to aim the light at any height.

Elisa Salas showed us her zippered tool case that is great to grab and go, along with her hera marker for those places where you don't want to mark with chalk or a pen.

Sheila Green will wrap scrap fabric around a mallet and secure with a rubber band so she can use it to flatten seams that maybe can't be ironed or just need that extra bit of encouragement.

Lora Yardley brough a folder that she made that has a pocket for storing a small cutting mat, a pad of paper and sheet of sandpaper to help with drawing.

Jennifer McKitrick showed how she converted a cardboard tube and some scrap selvedge into a holder for her binding to keep it organized as she stitches it onto a quilt. She also uses a silverware holder for tool organization, and gets in a bit of a workout using a weight to help hold down the longer rulers when cutting fabric.

Nancy Goff  demonstrated how to use the Acorn Easy Press Pen that helps flatten her seams. 

Bee Loomis brought a soap stone marker (I think? Please correct if it is something else!).

Three raffle prizes were drawn for at the meeting. Prizes won by Lora Yardley, Deb Ebke and Thom Meyer,

Deb Ebke showed her strippy "O" quilt, backed with old curtains.

Vicky Bedell showed her round robin bee quilt.

Meeting Announcements: Nancy G.

• 2024 Dues.
• Sign-up to volunteer for National Quilting Day.
• March Meeting: Jan Sears – Quilt Judging Potpourri: Send questions about quilt judging to Sheila.
• Spring Retreat April 5-7.
• Maximalism Challenge Due in April – 20” - 40” width.  No other restrictions.
• Victoria Findlay Wolfe Class. May 4th, 9-12.  Full.  Money donated to IQM.
• Feed sack Exhibit: IQM exhibit May 15 – July 27.  We have 34 quilts submitted.
• We are planning an exhibition at the Lux in September with a focus on Maximalism.  We would show the quilts from the challenge along with others we have or will make that fit that criterion.  It will be possible to offer quilts for sale.
• We have two Community Outreach quilts that need to be donated or raffled.  
• Suggestions: C. J. Hollings auction, Habitat for Humanity, Cedars Home.  
• Members are encouraged to post more suggestions on Facebook community page, and we will discuss at next meeting.
• Officers will look for list of suggestions generated for last donation.
• This will be too late for an auction or raffle National Quilting Day 2024.
• Members voted in favor of an Ice Cream Social in the July rather than the Christmas Party.  We hope to have this in July in conjunction with the exhibition of our feed sack challenge quilts at IQM.
• Exec Board meetings are open to all.
• Omaha MQG has spots available in Carol Lyle Shaw Zoom workshop. (March 9)
• Joe Cunningham with be at National Quilting Day.  A link to his webpage is provided on Facebook.

Retreat Report: Mary D.

• Spots are still available.
• It will be fun!

Gadgets & Gizmos - all members.