Open Sew
Bring whatever quilt or sewing project you’d like to work on. Or, just relax and socialize with your quilty friends. The Guild will provide the normal irons and extension cords.
Bring a sewing project and enjoy the fun and conversation. Don’t forget your Show and Share.
I am an author, educator and descendant of Gee’s Bend (Boykin), Alabama and the
granddaughter of Gee’s Bend quilters, I am proud to continue to share the story of how
this small town in rural Alabama made its mark in the art world, Their magic with a needle
and thread can be found in museums such as the Smithsonian and the Metropolitan
Museum of Art. Their work has also been featured on postage stamps and most recently
in Target’s 2024 Black history month collection.
Guests are welcome for a $35 fee.- Cash or Check Only.
Hiroko Fukawa -A Chat Among Friends
Join Hiroko Fukawa for an informal chat among friends, where she will show her work and share her inspiration and techniques. She is a local Connecticut quilter who creates modern designs based on classic quilt patterns.
*** Guests are welcome for a $35 fee. Checks or cash only. ***
Guests are welcome for a $35 fee - Cash or Check only
Cindy Grisdela Workshop (Zoom) - Improv Puzzle
Sponsored by CCTMQG
Create Improv Log Cabin blocks in a variety of sizes and put them together into a unique composition–like a jigsaw puzzle. There’s no measuring or precise cutting and each quilt will be unique. We will discuss color choices and using simple design principles to create an original dynamic composition.
Basic sewing skills and a sewing machine in good working order necessary. Confident beginner to advanced level.
Fee for Members: $30 Registration opens August 1, 2025
Fee for Non-Members: $35 Registration opens September 15, 2025
Check or Cash Only
Maximum of 24 participants
30-minute break for lunch
Contact Marcia for payment information.
Note: this is a Zoom workshop - learn from the comfort of your own sewing room!
The month we will be having a F.A.R.T. to the Quilted Ewe located at 37 Greenwoods Road in New Hartford, CT. This is located about 10 minutes from our meeting location in Canton. They have a big, bright beautiful shop. This is a members only event.
June Social at Leslie’s House
59 Barbourtown Road in Canton Center
Beginning at 6 pm on June 8th.
It's the perfect time of year to sit outside, enjoy great food, and mingle with creative friends old and new.
Please bring your favorite Potluck dish, serving utensils for your dish, and a chair. The Board will provide bottled water and lemonade. No alcohol please. The Board will provide drinks.
Don't forget to bring your Show and Share. Look for our CCTMQG yard signs, which will direct you to parking.
In the event of bad weather, we will meet at the Canton Community Center at 6 pm. We will send out an email and Instagram post by 12 pm Monday if we must meet indoors.
Please contact Leslie if you have any questions.
June Social at Leslie’s House
59 Barbourtown Road in Canton Center
Beginning at 6 pm on June 9th.
It's the perfect time of year to sit outside, enjoy great food, and mingle with creative friends old and new.
Special Event: CCTMQG Quilt Challenge - Inspired by Art
Members will present their quilted item rerpesenting an aspect of visual art.
Please bring your favorite Potluck dish, serving utensils for your dish, and a chair. The Board will provide bottled water and lemonade. No alcohol please.
Don't forget to bring your Show and Share. Look for our CCTMQG yard signs, which will direct you to parking.
In the event of bad weather, we will meet at the Canton Community Center at 6 pm. We will send out an email and Instagram post by 12 pm Monday if we must meet indoors.
Please contact Leslie if you have any questions.
A Korean textile technique called Pojagi will be introduced and demonstrated. This will be a workshop to help you start your own Pojagi. Please bring your sewing machine and sewing supplies. The best fabrics are solids or batiks for this process.
The Infinite Grid
Join Ivy for an open discussion on the ways to use the GRID to implement the ideas you might dream about. What do we see when we look through the grid? How do we express what we see?
She will talk about a few fine art paintings and her quilts to explore the importance of freedom and shapes.
We are all full of creative ideas, we just have to figure out how to access them.
There are so many talented people in this group. Let’s think of ways to translate ideas into fabric.
The month we will be having a F.A.R.T. to the Quilted Ewe located at 37 Greenwoods Road in New Hartford, CT. This is located about 10 minutes from our meeting location in Canton. They have a big, bright beautiful shop. This is a members only event.
From Linda:
Although I made my first few quilts starting in 1975, my journey as a scrap quilt quilter actually began in 1977. Looking back, little did I know at the time that a quilt I started that year held many predictions of my future journey as a quilter in general. Since 1992 I have completed 242 quilts. My earliest quilts were made prior to the invention of the rotary cutter and the advent of longarm machine quilting. My favorite quilts are scrap quilts, but I also appreciate and have made reproduction, art, applique, and modern quilts. I have taken workshops with Bonnie Hunter, Edyta Sitar, Jane Sassaman, Victoria Findlay Wolfe, Jane Davila and Elin Waterston, Karen Eckmeier, and many others over the years. I belonged for many years to the West Hartford Quilters and Quilters West chapters of the Greater Hartford Quilt Guild and Women Against the Grain (Art Quilters). I am currently a member of the Farmington Valley Quilters and the Granbees quilt guilds. I consider myself very fortunate to have worked at Sew Inspired Quilt Shop in Simsbury, Connecticut for the last 17 years, which allows me to keep current with quilting trends and to share my knowledge and passion for quilting with others.
*****Guests are welcome for a $35 fee. Cash or Check Only *****..
We will be having a CCTMQG sewing day at the Quilted Ewe in New Hartford on Saturday, February 1, 2025, from 9:15 am to 3:45 pm.
Amenities include irons and ironing stations, cutting stations (bring your own cutting tools), design walls and a lunchroom with a refrigerator. There is plenty of space with great lighting and the opportunity to browse the shop.
The cost is $15.00 (non-refundable) and is payable in advance to the Quilted Ewe. Registration is open - just go to the Quilted Ewe website and click on the February 1st Open Sew Day.
If you have any questions please contact Patty or Pam
We look forward to seeing you there.
January is our annual meeting.
We will approve the revised Bylaws, and Marcia will be giving the Treasurer's report.
After the official meeting, we will have an Open Sew and Show and Tell with the first quilt you made and how you started quilting.
The new Board will begin January 1, 2025
Leslie Perry - President
Pam Weaver - Vice President
Karen Carvalho - Secretary
Marcia Horan - Treasurer
This month is our annual December social with Friends, Food and Fun!
Rather than a swap this year we will be asking everyone to make a 12 1/2 inch unfinished star block which we will use to make a quilt for our Community Outreach Program. Fabric and star design are up to you and you are welcome to make more than one block.
We will be having potluck appetizers, desserts and beverages and playing our favorite Quilters game - LCR. You will need one fat quarter of each of the following so Shop your Stash - Solids, Low Volume and Brights - solid or print. . Please roll your fat quarter and secure with a rubber band or tie with fabric or string for easier passing during the game.
Scrappy Snacks
Learn about how to play with color and pattern with low-stakes commitment. Timna will demonstrate how to dig through your scrap bag to make stripey mini circles. Each circle is its own color study but will play well with others so you can turn them into a larger project. Be careful though, these circles are like potato chips – addictive and you will want a whole handful.
*****Guests are welcome for a $35 fee. Cash or Check Only *****
Please note the date of this event has been changed from November 11th to November 18th.
We will be having a CCTMQG sewing day at the Quilted Ewe in New Hartford on Saturday, November 2nd, from 9:15 am to 3:45 pm.
Amenities include irons and ironing stations, cutting stations (bring your own cutting tools) , design walls and a lunch room with a refrigerator. There is plenty of space with great lighting and the opportunity to browse the shop.
Members Only
The cost is $15.00 (non-refundable) and is payable in advance to the Quilted Ewe. Registration will begin in October - just go to the Quilted Ewe website and click on the November 2nd Open Sew Day.
If you have any questions please contact Patty or Pam
We look forward to seeing you there.
Make a quilted item inspired by Visual Art -- be it a painting, line drawing, sketch, sculpture, mural, photograph, etc.
Some ideas:
Choose:
+ a particular piece of art or artist
+ a certain element of the art or artist's work, i.e., colors, lines, shapes, motifs
+ a specific type or school, i.e., Impressionistic, Cubist, Surrealist, Pop, Bauhaus, Minimalist, Abstract, etc.
+ from ancient to modern to contemporary art
For this particular challenge, we are not choosing quilters for our inspiration.
Our big reveal will be at our June 2025 meeting
If you cannot make our June meeting, please share when next you attend after June 2025.
Back by popular demand Mary will be presenting her Orphan Block workshop.
Dig through your own orphan block box or, better still, share other people’s orphans! This is a great opportunity to share your extra blocks with other members. We’ll shoot to make a 24” x24” finished block that you can take home or contribute to a charity quilt. NO stress, ONLY fun.
Orphans are blocks that might have been test blocks, or things that you tried and realized that you don’t want to make a whole quilt like that after all, or things that came out the wrong size, or you ran out of the right fabric—whatever.
Between now and September—save your orphan blocks! Go through your stash and put them all in one place, and let them get happy together.
Also at this meeting, we'll do our WHAT WAS I THINKING stash swap! Do you have fabric, books, or supplies that you no longer need? Bring them for others to scoop up. You wouldn't believe the great stuff this guild gives away!
The Guild is looking for quilts and quilted items to be entered into the Berlin Fair this year. Please consider entering some of your beautiful quilts, bags, and wall hangings into this year’s fair. We’d love to have a large showing of quilted items from our Guild to showcase the talents of our amazing members. Ribbons & prizes are awarded for 1st, 2nd, and 3rd place.
Debbie D’Angelo will collect all items at the August or September meetings, and drop them off for judging at the fair on Wednesday, September 11th. She will pick the items back up at the fair on Sunday, September 15th, and return them to members at the October meeting.
Debbie will provide entry information for the fair as soon as its available. Participants can also go directly to the Berlin Fair website and register there.
More details to follow. Feel free to contact Debbie with questions.
Polaroid/ photo blocks with Betsy
Take some of your favorite material and make them into Polaroid photo quilt blocks! You can use white or ivory material as your photo frame, with dark grey or black material to create the shadow, and finishing off with your choice of background color.
Lighter colored background fabrics work better as they enhance the shadow effect.
There will be a couple of different size blocks you can make to create either a stand alone block for a bag or pillow or create slightly smaller blocks to combine.
People can also bring extra center squares (the photo part of the block) to share so we all have more fun options to choose!.
Polaroid block materials:
1 - fussy cut 2.5” center square for your “photo” (finished block = 7.5”)
white or off white material:
2 - 1” x 2.5” strips
1 - 1” x 3.5” strip
1 - 1.5” x 3.5” strip
Background fabric:
2 - 2.5” x 4”
2 - 2.5” x 7.5”
If you would like to make a Polaroid square with a shadow:
1 - fussy cut 4” center square (finished block = 8.5”)
white/off white material
2 - 1” x 4” strips
1 - 1’ x 5” strip
1 - 1.5” x 5” strip
background material:
1 - 1.5” x 1” piece
1 - 1.5” x 5” strip
1 - 1.5” x 7” strips
1 - 2” x 8.5” strip
1 - 2.5” x 1” piece
1 - 2.5” x 7” strip
shadow material (black of gray):
2 - 1” x 4.5” strips
And a couple of extra fussy cut 2.5” or 4” center squares to share!
We will be having a CCTMQG sewing day at the Quilted Ewe in New Hartford on Saturday, July 20, from 9:15 am to 3:45 pm.
Amenities include irons and ironing stations, cutting stations (bring your own cutting tools) , design walls and a lunch room with a refrigerator. There is plenty of space with great lighting and the opportunity to browse the shop.
Members Only: Quilted Ewe will offer a discount on purchases made during the Sewing Day.
The cost is $15.00 (non-refundable) and is payable in advance to the Quilted Ewe. Registration will begin in June - just go to the Quilted Ewe website and click on the July 20th Open Sew Day.
If you have any questions please contact Patty or Pam
We look forward to seeing you there.
Zig Zag Table Runner with Karen C
Pattern by Missouri Star Quilt Co. Pattern Link
19 x 44 ½”
A fun quick project using charm squares that will use a good mix of colors!
The rows are stitched in diagonal rows of 5 blocks and you can easily change the length by adding or subtracting one or more rows of 5.
Tip: If you want a longer runner, add more rows. Each additional diagonal row of 5” squares will add about 6 ¼” to the length.
Materials
32 – 5” assorted print squares or charm pack
1 ½ yards of backing fabric
24’ x 48” rectangle quilt batting or same size of your runner
Click on the Missouri Start Zig Zag Charm Square Runner video for more information.
We are pleased to announce that the annual guild retreat will be taking place Thursday, June 20th through Sunday, June 23rd at the Trinity Retreat Center in Cornwall, CT. It is a beautiful, peaceful location along the Housatonic River with comfortable rooms and a spacious sewing space. There are walking paths, outdoor seating areas and Donkeys!
Retreat is full.
We are excited to once again announce that the Farmington Valley Quilt Guild is sponsoring Connecticut Hang-A-Quilt Day June 15, 2024. It is the perfect open air quilt show! I am sure our guild members and friends will be excited to display their quilts. This event is a wonderful way to have an open air quilt show without any work on your part.
59 Barbourtown Road in Canton Center
Beginning at 6 pm on June 10th.
It's the perfect time of year to sit outside, enjoy great food, and mingle with creative friends old and new.
Please bring your favorite Potluck dish and a chair. The Board will provide drinks. Don't forget to bring your Show and Share. Look for our CCTMQG yard signs, which will direct you to parking.
In the event of bad weather, we will meet at the Canton Community Center at 6 pm. We will send out an email and Instagram post by 12 pm Monday if we must meet indoors.
Please contact Leslie if you have any questions.
Due to construction in the Multi Purpose Room our meeting has been moved upstairs to Room D
Lecture - Two Questions, Many Answers: Building My Quilt Repertoire
When people look at my quilts, they often ask two questions: Where do you get
your ideas? And, How do you make it? In fact I ask myself the same two
questions over and over with each quilt I make. The questions don’t really
change over time, but my answers change and develop with each piece I make.
In this talk I illustrate two different answers to the question: where do you get
your ideas? And I illustrate four different answers to the question: how do you
make it?
Lee Sproull is one the the founding members of the Northampton MQG. For more information about Lee visit her website.
Artist Statement
I make abstract art using quilt-making tools, materials, and methods. I paint with
solid color fabric that I cut and sew into large swoops and forms. I create
pointillist texture by combining small pieces of printed fabrics embedded within
larger compositional forms.
A quilt, most simply defined, is three layers of cloth sewn together. My work
explores ideas about the layered constructs of perception and meaning. I work
in black and white to show the layered interplay of lines and shapes, figure and
ground without the distraction of color. I work in color because color adds its own
vocabulary of emotion to perception and meaning.
I live in the woods in western Massachusetts with long views of the Connecticut
River Valley. My work is inspired by the colors and figures that surround me.
Branches are a continuing fascination, both as figure and as metaphor. They
represent choice points, pathways, alternatives, divergences. Much of my recent
work embodies concepts and shapes of branching.
August 2021
We welcome guests for a $35 fee.
Due to construction in the Multi Purpose Room our meeting has been moved upstairs to Room D
Artist Statement:
“I’ve always struggled with the Minimalist Movement by the Modern Quilter. While I appreciate the designs and negative spaces created, I’m a “More is More” kind of gal in all my art! I love vibrant colors with whole works of art to be full of color and design.
This year, Quiltcon created a Maximalism category for the 2024 show. I thought this would be a great opportunity to push myself outside of my comfort zone. My inspiration was sent to me by my daughter.
I enjoy multimedia art, mark making and doodling as a way of relaxation. My daughter challenged me to try to use this image as a guide. This image spoke to me as it contained a lot of mark making and zen like doodling. I challenged myself by only using fabric in my stash and no floral prints.
My presentation will be more about my process rather than a “hands on” experience.
While my Quilt was not selected for the exhibit, I was very happy with the final piece.”
Karen will be giving us a presentation on her inspiration and design process. Afterwards we will all have the opportunity to try doodling our own quilt designs.
Supply list:
Paper- at least 8/12 by 11 or larger
Pencils ,pens, markers - anything you want to draw with.
Guests are welcome for a $15.00 fee.
Please join us for a CCTMQG sewing day at the Quilted Ewe in New Hartford.
Amenities include irons and ironing stations, cutting stations (bring your own cutting tools) , design walls and a lunch room with a refrigerator. There is plenty of space with great lighting and the opportunity to browse the shop.
The cost is $15.00 (non-refundable) and is payable in advance to the Quilted Ewe. Registration will begin March 4th - just go to the Quilted Ewe website and click on the March 23 Open Sew Day.
The month we will be having a F.A.R.T. to the Quilted Ewe located at 37 Greenwoods Road in New Hartford, CT. This is located about 10 minutes from our meeting location in Canton. They have a big, bright beautiful shop. This is a members only event.
Quiltcon 2024 is in Raleigh, North Carolina and will be here before you know it!! Click on the link for show information Quiltcon 2024
This month we will be making blocks for the Trinity Retreat Center quilt(s). They have been very kind and accommodating to the guild during our retreats and would like to present them with a thank you gift.
They have also dropped the occasional hint that a quilt for their living room would look nice.
The guild will provide the fabric. This is a very simple improve style block that will be fun to work on.
Please bring your sewing machine and necessary supplies.
This month we will be celebrating our 8th year with our traditional cupcakes made by Rebecca and two door prizes.
Members will also be sharing their 2023 Bucket list projects along with our monthly Show and Share. This is also a great time to start your 2024 list!
Charity quilts will be available to hand sew labels on. If you have any finished quilts for either Quilts for Foster Children or the Cove Center charity please bring them to the meeting. The Cove Center needs 76 (twin size) quilts by April and we hope to have enough to meet their need. They are put on the campers beds prior to their arrival and are taken home by the children.
This month is our annual December Social.
This year we will be having a Yankee Swap along with a block swap.
Yankee Swap instructions:
No gag gifts.
Can be handmade or purchased.
Value between $20 - $30.
Does not have to be quilt related.
We will be having appetizers, desserts and beverages and playing our favorite Quilters game - LCR. You will need one fat quarter of each of the following - Solids, Boy themed and Kaffe Fassett. Please roll your fat quarter and secure with a rubber band or tie with fabric or string for easier passing during the game.
Aurifilosophy
From the thread makers of Aurifil… a program designed to unlock the mystery of thread, educate the masses, and help all users achieve brilliant results! Sheri, a certified Aurifilospher, will present a fun and informative presentation and trunk show of her award-winning quilts that will increase your knowledge of thread, tools, uses, and tips. Exclusive Aurifil resources and swag for attendees included!
This is a members only meeting.
We will be having an open sew day at the Quilted Ewe in New Hartford, CT on Saturday October 28th from 9:15am - 3pm. We thought this would be a nice way to get together for some extended sewing time without interruptions at home. It will be a great opportunity to work on (or start) any holiday projects you may have - and be able to shop for fabric!!! Open Sew includes classroom use and a 6 foot table to work on. Ewe will need to bring your own sewing machine and rotary cutter. Classroom amenities include design wall, irons, ironing boards and cutting station.
The cost is $15.00 per person and pre-registration is required through the Quilted Ewe website. Please note the Quilted Ewe does not give refunds for cancellations.
Please note the date change to the 3rd Monday.
2024 Guild Officer introductions take place this month.
In preparation for our December swap Debbie will be teaching an ugly sweater block. Members can decide how to use the block - mug rug, small wall quilt, banner…..
You will need to purchase the pattern from Full Bobbin Designs prior to the meeting. This is a downloadable PDF pattern.
The block comes in three sizes, 8, 9 and 10 inch.
For the 10 inch block you will need:
6”x7” fussy cut main piece
2 1/2” strip for sleeves
Fat quarter for the background
