March 2018 Meeting Minutes

March Meeting minutes are posted!  Check under the Meeting Minutes Tab.

Omaha MQG March Meeting

Our March meeting will be Tuesday, March 6 at 6:30pm at AccuQuilt (8843 S. 137th Circle in Omaha). Doors open at 6pm to come early to socialize with fellow members. Our program will be "Confused Ramblings of a Disorganized Quilter" by our own Kristina Morrow. Through her trunk show, she will "allow" others to learn from her mistakes - lessons she learned when she made each quilt.

We will also have a brief business meeting, show & tell, a raffle and door prizes, and collect donations for Youth Emergency Services. Visitors are always welcome, so bring your friends!

We will meet this Saturday, March 10 from 10am until 2pm at the Swanson Library (9101 W. Dodge Road). Bring your sewing machine (or hand sewing project), basic sewing supplies and a project to work on. An optional project will be making 18" x 18" quilted pillow covers for the Junior Modern Quilt Guild of Broward County (Florida). They are making and distributing pillows to those affected by the recent school shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School. You can read more about their outreach project here.

We hope to see you at both events!

Rescheduled February Omaha MQG Meeting

The thought of no Omaha MQG meeting in February was unbearable, so we've rescheduled!

We'll be meeting in the auditorium of the New Cassel Retirement Center at 900 N. 90th Street (between W Dodge Rd and Western on the west side of the road). You can enter either through Main Entrance off circle drive or through the Auditorium entrance off of the North Parking Lot. If you go in main entrance they will ask you to sign in. It will be the same meeting we had planned for last Tuesday, just a different day and location. We hope to see you there!

We're also having our February Sew Day this Saturday, February 10 from 10am-2pm at Swanson Library located on the southwest corner of 90th & Dodge. Bring any project to work on and stay for all or just part of the day!

February Meeting Cancelled/Postponed

We are probably being overly cautious but have decided to cancel/postpone our meeting scheduled for tonight (Tuesday, February 6). With the time the snow is scheduled to start, rush hour and the roads may be a mess and it's probably best that everyone stay home and stay safe!

February 2018 Omaha MQG Meeting

The February meeting is right around the corner! Join us on Tuesday, February 6 from 6:30pm - 8:30pm at AccuQuilt (8843 S. 137th Circle in Omaha). We'll briefly discuss the survey results and invite members to share some of their 2018 quilting goals. The program will be "What is Modern Quilting?" by Stephanie Jacobson. Bring a modern quilt or two to share so members can identify the modern elements after the presentation. Doors open at 6pm, so come early to socialize. We hope to see you there!

We have a new feature on the blog...a page of local quilting events. Check back often to see what quilting events are going on in Omaha and the surrounding communities. We also have a guild calendar of Omaha MQG meetings, sew days and other guild-sponsored events. As meeting programs are set, details will be added to the calendar.

Meet Our Members: Michaele Dorn

Say hello to the lovely Michaele!

Michaele is a retired nurse. In addition to sewing, she gardens, cooks and enjoys astronomy. As a child, she sewed on a treadle machine with her grandmother. The two would draw patterns on newspaper and sew doll clothes with scrap fabric. Here is my interview with Michaele. 

How long have you been an OMQG member?

I joined OMQG in 2015 as a beginning quilter and sewing enthusiast. I felt very welcomed by the group and inspired that the members brought works in progress for show and tell. The members were encouraging to each other. 

How often do you sew or quilt?

I set up a studio sewing space in the house so I can start things and work on them at will.  I am there at least five times per week. Spending this time has helped me learn some piecing techniques and focus on a project. 

Any quilting fails? Areas you wish you better in?

I am learning constantly so everything I try is skill-building and interesting so no real failures.  A sense of humor comes in very handy in my projects. There are so many opportunities ahead for success! 

What is your best advice for a beginning quilter?

Learn the basics of pressing, measuring and cutting with accuracy, use good fabric and concentrate on learning to be consistent with piecing a quarter-inch seam or scant quarter. 

Thank you, Michaele. This is great advice!

It's all about perpective

I'm always fascinated by how our attitudes affect our work. I've been guilty of sabotaging a quilt because of my attitude about it as I began. Thinking something won't turn out right, thinking it's too simple or too difficult or not special enough, those pre-conceived ideas can definitely change the overall result of our work. Here is an interesting example of how false perceptions can greatly alter an image.

https://youtu.be/F-TyPfYMDK8

Meet Our Members: Beth Salistean

Everyone, Beth. Beth, everyone. 
Now that introductions are out of the way, let's learn more about Beth. 

Beth Salistean lives and works in Omaha. She has a son at Creighton Prep, a rescue dog named Snickers, and a cat named Birdie. She got into quilting in her early 30's with her sister, aunts, and cousins.  Her sister, Chris Juliano, is her sewing partner in crime. She's been a member of OMQG since January.

Tell us about the first quilt you made. 
My first quilt was in High School for Art class.  I fell in love with the process and it took me about 10 years to come back to it.  It was a pretty small quilt and done in fabrics I would never pick out today.  But I am glad for the experience because of how much I enjoy quilting today.

How would you describe your style? What are your influences? I would describe my style as modern.  I enjoy light, bright, and cheery.  I am influenced by the fabric.  I try and let it tell me what would make it look best.  I also stalk Instagram and Pinterest for ideas.

How often do you sew/quilt?  I usually sew on the weekends.  

What is your proudest quilting moment?

My proudest quilt moment is probably a recent mini quilt I finished for a swap on Instagram. What I had pictured in my head actually translated into the fabric. Now I need to make one for myself :)

What inspires you right now? Any goals or new challenges?

Right now I am inspired by the swaps on Instagram.  I have signed up for a few and hoping I can make all the deadlines. I want to challenge myself creativity and that is one of the reasons I joined the OMQG this year.

What is your best advice for a beginning quilter? Only rule I would follow is the 1/4" seam allowance the rest can be fudged.

Thanks, Beth! Here is a sample of Beth's work. You can see more of her work if you follow her on Instagram at @bsalistean

Meet our Members: Brooke Erickson

Everyone, say hi to Brooke!

Tell us a bit about yourself: I am a Mom with a wonderful family, a terrific husband, and a couple of dogs that really fill my days.  One of the best things I ever did was work in a quilt store. I met so many lovely people and made some fabulous friends. I have been a member of OMQG for 2 years am always inspired every month- if only there was more time!

Tell us about the first quilt you made: The first quilt I ever made was a "puff" quilt.  Each square had layers of flannel and polyester batting in them so they looked like little biscuits and then they were sewn together.  They were so soft!  My son could have cared less about it but my friend's daughter wore out 3! Including my sons!  Boys-I tell you!

How would you describe your style? I would have to say that my style is definitely more modern than anything else.  I really like the negative space for quilting. Oh to have the talent of Angela Waters!

Any quilting fails? There are lots of quilting fails. Part of the growing process. Sometimes when quilting, my head and hands don't speak the same language.  I have learned to be careful when making that bold thread choice- sometimes it bites back. 

Inspiration? Collages.  I am fascinated with Laura Heine collage quilts and am working up to creating my own.....someday. 

What is your best advice for a beginning quilter? My best advice for a beginning Quilter would be to ask questions of everyone. Utilize those quilt shops!  We all have an opinion or a way of doing something that just may click for you. 

Thanks, Brooke!

July Meeting

Just a reminder that our July meeting will be Tuesday, July 11 at 6:30pm at AccuQuilt since the first Tuesday of the month falls on July 4. We will be swapping 1 hour baskets. You can purchase the pattern (it's only $1!) here on Craftsy. The more members that participate the more fun it will be. Remember how much fun we had swapping mini quilts white-elephant style at our December meeting?

Don't forget to bring your show and tell donation items for Youth Emergency Services. We hope to see you there!