We are pleased to be participating in some new outreach quilting projects. Please check out our Outreach Projects page for new projects.  Contact Marlene or Trish if you need more details.

In light of the COVID restrictions, we are embarking on an exciting adventure - 
We have partnered with Laurie Johnston, owner of Stitcherie in Petrolia to coordinate a "Mystery Quilt" program starting in October specifically for TVQG.  
​Please go to our Workshop page for the details.

Members are encouraged to join our guild's private Facebook group. In Facebook, search TVQG - Members and if you are a member of the Thames Valley Quilters Guild request to join. Yvette Glynn administers the site and will give you access.  Then look at the photos of our members creations and other posts of interest, then post some of your own projects. It's a great way to stay connected and informed. It is a closed group.
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As with many other organizations having to adapt to the realities of dealing with the COVID19 virus, our guild will no longer meet until it is safe to do so.
Hope everyone stays well and continues to quilt and somehow stay connected to one another during this time.

Today’s presentation was by Laurie Johnson, a "stand-up comedian" from Stitcharie in Petrolia. We were captivated from the start when she told of applying for a job at Fabricland with no sewing experience. The presentation began with two wall hangings made for a guild challenge, one of which had to be monochromatic. It was an excellent example of “value” with good movement from dark to light.
There were sampler quilts, the quilt the dog chewed a hole in and a lot of quilts featuring techniques from Marti Michell.  Laurie confessed to not liking sampler quilts but then found them useful for teaching new techniques. Her samplers with interesting colours and settings were lovely. Laurie often makes quilts without borders. She is not bound by tradition which is probably why she is partial to Marti Michell patterns.  Free Marti Michell demos are given at Stitcharie on the first Wednesday of the month. There are also many other classes available at the store. Visit here for more info.
This was an entertaining, informative and concise presentation. Coffee time murmuring confirmed “a good time was had by all.”
Laurie is pictured below along with some of her quilts.

The morning concluded as we enjoyed the talents of our members in Show & Share:

There are many caring and compassionate women in the Thames Valley Quilters Guild. One of them is Marlene Stewart. Marlene makes sleeping bags and sleeping mats for the homeless who are cared for by The Unity Project here in London.  Today Marlene shared the methodology for making these with the guild.
 
When the homeless decide to sleep, they continue to wear their coats and boots so these bags must be larger than normal, 7 feet long and very wide.  They are utility quilts made from clean, used, no-cost fabrics.

Marlene also makes sleeping mats.  These are 6 foot 6 inches long with rows of 6 inch pockets stuffed with quilting scraps.  A 1 inch space is sewn between each of these pockets.
 
People give Marlene fabric yardage which can be used for the outer layer of these projects. Waterproof fabric is especially welcome.  Sometimes Marlene goes to retailers like Lens Mills where she can find a bargain and buy a whole bolt for a great price. The quilters in our guild and their friends contribute bags of fabric and batting scraps to be used in the stuffing.
 
Marlene’s involvement in this project began when she had an appointment to meet someone at The Unity Project office and witnessed a young girl sleeping on the floor with only a sheet. The sight touched her deeply and to date Marlene has now finished 53 sleeping bags and 73 sleeping mats.
 
Thank you for taking this on Marlene and inspiring us with your energy and generosity.  To find the pattern for the sleeping bag, go here.

This morning we enjoyed four demonstrations from guild members, all on an eco-friendly theme. Barbara Loomis demonstrated fabric microwave bowls, Maria Van Moxmeer showed us how to make handy cutlery pouches for travelling or picnics, Yvette Glynn shared her recipe for making a great homemade spray baste and Deb Owens showed us how to make reusable paper towels. With such excellent instructors, we learned a lot and enjoyed the relaxed atmosphere of moving from one group to the other.  All of these demonstration instructions can be found on our Instructions and Tips page here.

Others were busy too, such as Ellen signing up members for other events and Kathie overseeing our refreshments.

And last but not least, we enjoyed seeing the talents of our members during our Show & Share time: 

On this cold wintry morning, guild members eagerly listened to Laurie Palmer as she demonstrated the method for making the beautiful block pictured above - "Chop Chop Block."  Several members brought sewing machines and some tried their hand at making the block, while others worked on personal projects. 
Ladies enjoyed the refreshments, worked on personal projects, visited with one another and made good use of the library.
On another note, the Executive and Coordinators met together to  discuss issues and upcoming plans, making it a productive and enjoyable morning all around.
Find the instructions for Laurie's Chop Chop Block here.

The morning began with our president Jannet sharing a Flying Geese technique.  Then, with our scheduled presenter cancelling due to illness, the morning continued with a great Show and Share from our guild members.  66 members and 2 guests were present and we all enjoyed the talents of our fellow quilters.
This was followed by a leisurely refreshment break - a wonderful Wednesday morning to start the new year!
Enjoy looking at our work below: