The Riyadh Quilt Guild

December Holiday Celebration

2012-01-07T13:36:00.004+03:00

Christmas is the time for coming together with family and friends to enjoy friendship, laughter and good food with the added joy of receiving and giving gifts.
Ladies and their guests arrived at Seder Restaurant and many entered in to the party spirit with decorated Santa hats as well as the reindeer antlers to share the festive table. Traditional food was enjoyed, especially “Aunt Florrie’s” pudding cooked by Bernice, and the yummiest chocolate mousse many of us have ever tasted made by Janet, as well as the Saudi champagne. Thank you.

Amelina (Siti’s daughter) was a delightful little elf taking the Christmas stocking to the ladies to choose their gift number. She added a spirit to the evening of how Christmas is so linked to the innocence and open joy on children’s faces at this festive time. The Secret Santa gifts were beautiful and the photos tell the story. Indeed the Guild has many talented ladies and there were many “oohs and aahs” along with “please you have to teach that technique in a workshop”!!!!!!! Marisol also showed us her finished embroidered 12 days of Christmas wall hanging - that is staying on her wall!

Happy Holiday Season to All

2011-11-29T13:47:00.010+03:00

November Meeting

Our November Meeting opened by welcoming several guests and two new members! We didn't do an official count this time, but we've added even more nationalities to our membership. Who knew quilting was so international!

Japan Quilt Update - Our quilts are off to Japan and in the hands of those who need them. Please visit www.quiltsforjapan.ca to see photos of the efforts to provide quilts to the survivors of the tsunami.

Workshops - Since the last meeting, there were two workshops offered by Joy - Fabric Folding and Magic Squares.

December Meeting Update - Our December Meeting will feature a holiday dinner and a Secret Santa Gift Exchange. Members should email Janet if they want to go and haven't signed up already.

Door Prizes - It was an exciting night for Marisol - she won twice! Janet was our other lucky winner.

Fabric Swap

Don't forget to start working on your Challenge Quilt. The theme is 'Sister, Sister'.

Block of the Month - Ten participants brought in their folded fabric blocks. The embellishments were great! Its fun to see how quilters are bringing their crochet and beading skills to their quilting! Cindy and Alice were the winners of the BOM prizes this month.

Show and Tell was amazing this month! Just take a look at the pictures!

Sashiko - Joy gave another wonderful lesson, this time on Sashiko, a Japanese style of quilting. Block of the Month participants will receive some sample patterns to try this new technique in their quilts.

Trick or Treat Meeting

2011-11-02T13:19:00.009+03:00

It was our Happy Halloween Guild Meeting this month! We welcomed two guests and one new member. Our guild continues to grow!

The quilts we donated to the King Faisal Pediatric Cardiac Hospital were greatly admired and appreciated. They are in the process of being hung behind glass to keep them fresh and beautiful for years to come.

Quilts for Japan: We sent 22 quilts to Japan!! They have arrived safely and will be distributed in November.

Guild Quilt: Each guild member should make a 5" unfinished block with their name, country and the year they joined the guild. These are being made into a quilt to celebrate our membership. Its looking pretty sad right now with only about ten blocks! I think we're too busy making quilts for other people!

The door prizes went to Renate, Joy and Judy. Shirlee was the lucky winner of the Trick or Treat prize!

Workshops: We've got lots of workshops on offer this month. Joy is offering one on fabric folding on November 24. Mari is giving a workshop on a 30 Block Sampler in Jan/Feb. February will also see Griselda offering a workshop to make a Magic Square Handbag and Yvonne will teach hand embroidery in March.

Fabric Swap this month had six participants with Oriental themed fabric. Abeer won the extra Trick or Treat gift bag. Just a reminder if you would like to participate that all fabrics must be good quality, 100% cotton fabric. Please pin on a note saying if it has been washed or not.

Block of the Month - We had 18 participants bring in their crazy patch blocks. Crystal won the draw for some pre-made labels.

Challenge Quilt: The theme for the year is "Sister, Sister".

Shopping: We'll be taking a trip to Al Khobar . Thanks to Bernice and her husband for making the arrangements. Be sure to sign up and pay at the next meeting if you want to attend.

Show and Tell: The show and tell was held earlier in the meeting this month, which gave us more time to admire the beautiful work our members have done.

The program for the evening was Quiltigami. Marisol, Griselda and Joy worked very hard to teach us how to do fabric folding. Most members were able to participate and come away with at least two almost finished blocks. There are books in our guild library if members want to learn more about this simple, yet very effective technique.

Finally, our December meeting has been moved to December 18 and will be combined with a Christmas dinner. Details will be available soon.

We have extra canvas catch-alls/organizers for sale, 40SAR.

September Guild Meeting

2011-10-03T19:54:00.021+03:00

Welcome Back! It was lovely to see everyone after a long summer away, and hear the buzz of excitement as we begin a new year with the Guild.

We began with introductions of the new extended board members and our newest Guild members. Welcome Jane, Shirlee, Alice, Marina, and Joy! As people were introducing themselves, we realized that the members of the Guild represent at least 12 different nationalities (and that the Kiwi's are slowly taking over!!).

Congratulations to Siti, Janet, and Frauke for winning the first door prizes this year!

A few reminders... If you still haven't made a quilt block for the members quilt, please remember to bring yours in. The block needs to be 5 inches unfinished, include your first and last name, where you are from, and the year you joined the Guild. Also, if you have any quilts for the Pediatric Cardiology Clinic and the King Faisl Heart Institute, please bring them in to the next meeting. Here are some wonderful pieces that will be donated to decorate the hospital and hopefully keep up the spirits of the children.

Many ladies were extremely busy this summer creating beautiful quilts to send to Japan in response to the tsunami this past year. Many families in need will enjoy these just in time for the winter season. Thank you all for your generosity!

It's a new year, which means there's a new Block of the Month project! Mairsol, Joy, and Griselda have worked very hard this summer creating an innovative BOM quilt. The them this year is: Quilting Around the World!

The challenge: 7 months, 6 regions of the world, 7 blocks, and 8 techniques. Each block must be 8 1/2" unfinished, and the ENTIRE QUILT must be completed by the May Guild meeting (including backing, binding, and label).

Here's a taste of what this challenge has in store for us this year:
1-Victorian England: Crazy Quilt
2- Panama: Reversibile Applique Mola
3- Hawaii: Hawaiian Quilting
4- Japan: Fabric Folding Quiltagami
5- Fabric Manipulation: Tucks
6- USA/Europe: Chicken Scratch/Teneife/Norway Embroidery
7- Japan: Sashiko
8- India: Toran Border

Even if you aren't participating in the BOM, the demonstrations during the meetings throughout the year will teach the techniques of all of these exciting places from around the world.

Another fun challenge facing the Guild this year is the actual Challenge Quilt! The theme this year is "Sister-Sister." The theme this year is open to personal interpretation, as reflected in the international membership of the guild. The judging this year will be threefold: to evaluate the merit of each piece entered into the show, to choose a winner, and to encourage education for trying new techniques. This can be a literal or figurative interpretation of the theme... anything goes!

Fabric Swap time! The fabric swaps this year will center around the BOM. For October, the swap will be Japanese themed. Please make the fabric 100% cotton and mark if the fabric has been washed or not.

Finally, the meeting came to a close with show and tell of some amazing quilts.

Summer Sewing

2011-06-29T17:41:00.006+03:00

Reminder for Summer Sewing
Quilters and crafters are meeting in the Quilting Room every Tuesday 10am-4pm until the finish of the summer holidays. The ladies are happily stitching away on their projects enjoying a laugh, sharing skills, lunch, and coffee breaks.

UFO Challenge
Quilters are nominating and writing down projects to finish over the summer. A prize (value maximum SR25) is put in the basket for every nominated project. On completion a prize is drawn as a “reward” for completing the project. The UFO criteria is that it has been “untouched” for several months/years. Take the opportunity to bring out that long forgotten, too hard project and bring it along for support to finish it, and reward yourself when it is completed.

On Tuesday 21 June three quilters randomly “picked and stitched” 40 x 2 and ½ inch strips to make “strippy” quilts for people affected by the devastating earthquake in Japan. Also there is a request for bags in various sizes for use in school and etc:
41 across X 30cm high
16" x 26"cm
27" x 32"cm
24" x 20"
17" x 21"

Next Members' Meeting will be Sunday, September 25, 2011 at 7pm.

Riyadh Quilt Guild's AGM

2011-05-30T14:53:00.022+03:00

The annual general meeting of the Riyadh Quilt Guild was held in May this year. The organizing committee outdid themselves. The quilts were beautifully displayed and the meal was wonderful.

The Guild was honoured to welcome members from the Zahra Breast Cancer Association. Over the last couple of years, members of the Guild made a log cabin quilt and tickets were sold to raise funds. The Zahra Breast Cancer Association was the recipient of those funds and members were there to accept.

The annual general meeting is also where the Challenge Quilts are displayed and prizes are awarded to the talented winners. The judges reported that this year, the judging was even more difficult than usual and recommended some changes to the way the Challenge will be organized in the future. Congratulations to all of the winners! Your quilts are just beautiful!

The finished Block of the Month quilt tops were also displayed. In September, each block of the month participant purchased a kit including a white-on-white background fabric, a feature fabric and a selection of green fabrics for the year-long project entitled "How Does Your Garden Grow." Each month, block of the month participants were given a pattern (or two) for blocks for their quilts. Many of the programs during the year taught techniques required for constructing the blocks. Look at how different they all are!

During the AGM we had to say farewell to our current president, Judy, and celebrated her hard work for the year. We'll miss you Mother Hen!

Before we passed the torch to the next president, Yvonne, we also celebrated and thanked those board and committee members who served the guild throughout this year. Thank you for all of your hard work and your committment to the Guild.

The Guild is involved in several other service projects and quilts for those were also displayed at the AGM.

These quilts were made to be donated to the disaster relief in Japan. Please remember to make additional quilts over the summer, as these will be sent off in September.

Thank you all so much for a wonderful year! Don't forget to keep quilting this summer, and we'll see you in September!

Upcoming May Guild Meeting

2011-05-16T16:03:00.001+03:00

Where do the days go? Where has the year gone? It does not seem so long ago that we were beginning our 2010 – 2011 Quilt Year and now this is our last meeting of a very busy and successful year. I do hope that you have all enjoyed it. Our May Quilt Meeting is less than one week away on the 22^nd at our regular venue and will be in the gym / restaurant. As usual we promise another lovely evening for you all.

It will, of course, be our Annual General Meeting and end of year dinner. Do you have your dinner tickets for yourself, family and friends? Tickets costing SR90 each are still available from Judy or Yvonne but do hurry as we need to have the final numbers by 18^th May. We shall still have the door prizes draw to begin our evening and the fat quarter fabric swap too. The theme this month is Cup Cakes so bring any novelty fabric that has cakes, cherries, fruit, plates or anything else you can think of that will make a fun swap.

How is your garden growing? How is your BOM coming along? Remember the pieces just have to be stitched together as it does not have to be finished. How is your Challenge Quilt progressing? Are they handed to Judy, Yvonne or Evelyn yet? Please hurry to get them handed in now. Please don’t forget to bring any other work for our ‘Show and Tell’

Do you have your lucky draw tickets for the Log Cabin Charity Quilt yet? The final few tickets, at SR50 each, will be available at the Guild Meeting when the final draw will be made. Who knows who has that lucky ticket? We all want it of course!

Finally please remember to return your borrowed books, dvd’s and magazines as the library is closed over the summer recess and all items must be handed in.

See you all on 22^nd and ‘Happy Holidays’

PS. 2^nd VP monthly tip: If anyone is in need of help over the recess, please email us and we shall be more than willing to help, as we do not want to see anyone stuck at any time

April Guild Meeting

2011-04-29T21:06:00.002+03:00

During this month’s meeting, the Guild squeezed into the quilting room on a warm Easter Sunday. We welcomed Rae and Alia as guests, and Rae was one of the four lucky winners of the monthly drawing, along with Londi, Sharon, and Marisol.

The Annual Guild Meeting (AGM) is next month, on May 22nd, and we’re gearing up to get ready for that. Just 3 weeks left before Challenge Quilts are due, Bernice found an adorable pattern for some hen centerpieces, and dinner tickets are now on sale (and must be purchased soon!). For those of you who are making a Challenge Quilt, please hand them in to Judy, Evelyn, or Yvonne by May 16th. Sponsors for the Challenge Quilt prizes include Zamil’s, Bernina, Classic Quilts of Dubai, and Seder Village. It’s not too late to start, so get those machines going!
If you would like to go to the AGM, please purchase your tickets by May 15th. Dinner will be held in the gym, which is the temporary restaurant. If you have the time on May 22nd, please volunteer to help set up the dinner meeting, as it’s quite a bit of work to get the room looking beautiful. If you can volunteer your time, please email Yvonne or Judy.

Kerri finished binding the Opportunity Quilt, and it is gorgeous! There are still a few tickets left, so get your soon.

The Fabric Swap this month was a Jungle theme, full of stripes and spots. Next month will be Cupcakes Galore! Who doesn't love cupcakes… those with icing, sugar, or more? Bring in your favorite cupcake fabric to swap with one another (and a cupcake or two to share). Remember that all fabric needs to be a fat quarter (18” x 22”).

As the year wraps up, you need to look through your books and magazines for anything from the Guild’s Library. If you have anything out from the library, it needs to be returned at the AGM or it will need to be paid for. The new Guild committee will be looking into purchasing new books or DVD’s over the summer, so if you have any suggestions, send them in.

Marilyn is still collecting quilts for the Children’s Hospital, like the cute one below. Any size or shape is welcome to make the halls of the hospital more colorful and comforting.

Last month another worthy cause was brought forth, and that was to support relief efforts in Japan. Various members of the Guild have contacts for delivery, and we hope to have them sent off in September. Summer is the perfect time to create something beautiful and comforting to the people affected by the Japan disaster. If you don’t have time to make a quilt, students in Japan are in need of bags for school. See examples of the bags below, and specific details for sizes will be sent out later. Please send a picture of you and a letter along with your quilt or bag for the September Guild meeting.

Time for a few other reminders and notices: There is a new notions and sewing shop that is opening, called Joy’s Shoppe. The Guild is still asking members to create a 5” unfinished block for a Guild Members Quilt. Please include your first and last name, your country, and the year you joined the Guild. Finally, the Guild needs volunteers to join the executive and coordinators board for next year. Please contact Yvonne or Judy if you are interested in serving on the board. Remember, we need your help: no board, no Guild!

Our gardens are almost complete, and this month cheerful yellow daffodils were growing. The drawing winner for the BOM this month was Galdys! In other BOM news, four members brought in their Block of the Month unfinished blocks to help brainstorm ways to lay out the final quilt top. Everyone was split into groups and used the design boards to play around with the layout. It was amazing to see the gardens come to life, and the differences in each. See some examples below for some ideas for yours. Remember, your BOM quilt top needs to be finished by the AGM.

For our program, Janet entertained us with a fast-paced, fun, and informative presentation on quilting basics. Three different ideas were presented: pinwheels, flying geese, and Bargello With a Twist (by Maggie Ball). Who knew how many ways a pinwheel could be positioned to create such a variety of blocks!? Janet also shared how to create a flying geese block with only one stitch! Finally, we learned how to simplify a Bargello quilt with fewer fabrics to create something beautiful. To top it off, Janet showed us her gorgeous quilt using the methods she shared with this Guild.

To wrap up the evening, we had a handful of Show ‘n Tells. See what people have been up to below!

April Meeting Update

2011-04-18T13:18:00.001+03:00

Our April Quilt Meeting is not far away and is on 24th at our usual venue. Judy may be away on vacation however Yvonne will be taking the meeting, and once more we have a packed agenda for you all. Our fabric swap theme this month is Jungle Fever. Do you have any animal print fabrics in your stash? Bring some in to trade for a different animal, but beware we may end up with a zoo full of animals!

Well how are your gardens growing? Can see your garden? All these sand and dust storms around at the moment, and the rain too, means that seeing is not always believing what we do see. How is your Challenge Quilt progressing? If anyone is in need of help, please let us know and we shall be more than willing to help, as we do not want to see anyone stuck

We have two training sessions at this meeting. The first will be with Janet and is called ‘clever shortcuts’. The session is another HANDS ON so please bring needle, thread, scissors and pins and she will show us some quick and easy shortcuts to try during the long vacation. The second session is again HANDS ON and is to help us design our BOM quilt layout.

We will have our usual door prizes and show and tell of BOM pieces and any other work you have been doing. Finally can you please bring a small plate of goodies to eat, share and enjoy.

See you all on 24th

PS. 2nd VP monthly tip: Before packing any remaining batting away from a completed project, measure it and write the size on the wrapping. You can see at a glance what sizes of batting you have left for the next projects you may be doing without having to unravel any packages. Saves time and helps keep the batting clean.

March Guild Meeting

2011-04-04T13:03:00.010+03:00

Members were happy to gather together in the Quilt Room this month. Despite being a bit squished, everyone was thankful to be there. The first item up for discussion was what we can do to help people in Japan. After a lengthy discussion, it was decided that members can make quilts of whatever size, shape and style they like and bring them to the meeting in September. At that time, we'll sort out a way to get them to Japan.

Another charity project the guild is working on is donating quilts or blocks to the Pediatric Cardiology Clinic at the King Faisal Heart Institute. Marilyn is heading this project. Several members donated finished quilts and some unfinished blocks that Marilyn will make up into quilts to be displayed at the clinic and to brighten up the treatment rooms.

Tickets went on sale for the Opportunity Quilt! Tickets are 50sr each and only 100 tickets are available for sale. Money raised from this project will be donated to the Zarah Breast Cancer Association. Evelyn donated an envelope of money that she has collected for this cause over the past year. She also donated her pink ribbon quilt.

Here's Marilyn marking off the numbers sold. Tickets will be available at the April Guild Meeting as well. If there are any left, the last ones will be sold at the AGM Dinner.

It must have been a busy month for members because only two people brought in finished blocks this month! The folded fabric fuchsia blocks and the paper pieced blocks are just adorable!

This month, the block of the month is a paper pieced daffodil. Next month, the last month will be a pieced pansy and the filler blocks.

Workshop - Evelyn is offering a Tumbling Blocks workshop on April 28th.

The Fabric Swap this month was Notions in a Jar. Look at these lovely fabrics!

Next month will be Jungle Fever. Bring in your animal prints to swap!

Challenge Quilt - The guild is hoping for lots of participation in the Challenge Quilt Show. Quilts are due to Evelyn or Judy on May 16, so you still have time. The theme is Log Cabin. Your quilt needs to be at least 100 inches around and have at least one log cabin block. Lets get quilting! Quilts will be displayed at the Annual General Meeting and Dinner, where family and friends can come and admire the beautiful quilts. Tickets for the AGM Dinner are 90SR and will be on sale at the April guild meeting ONLY.

The Program of the evening was offered by Evelyn who showed us a remarkable new product called "Texture Magic". This fascinating product shrinks your fabric and gives it an amazing texture. The possibilities are endless and this product can definitely add some depth and texture to your quilts.

Show and Tell is always our favourite part of the evening. Look at the beautiful work our quilters can do!

March Meeting

2011-03-20T14:27:00.000+03:00

Our March Quilt Meeting is just one week away on 27^th at our regular venue and as usual we promise another packed agenda for you all.

We shall have the door prizes draw to begin our evening. The fat quarter fabric swap theme this month is Notions Jar Quilt so bring any novelty fabric that has candy, fruits, bugs, cookies, buttons, or anything else you can think of that will make an interesting swap. How is your garden growing? How is your Challenge Quilt progressing? If anyone is in need of help, please let us know and we shall be more than willing to help, as we do not want to see anyone stuck. Please don’t forget to bring your completed BOM pieces and any other work for our ‘Show and Tell’

Our training session subject title is ‘Why Not Get All Puffed Up?’ Surprised with this title? Well we all are and Evelyn is keeping it a well-kept secret until the night. You will have to come along on Sunday evening to find out for yourself what it is and watch and learn.

We are also selling lucky draw tickets for the Log Cabin Charity Quilt, which was discussed last month. Tickets, at SR50 each, are only available at the Guild Meeting in March, April and May. Who knows who will buy that lucky ticket? We all want it of course!

The library will be open as usual to return and then borrow books and magazines. Finally can everyone please bring a small plate of goodies to eat, share and enjoy.

See you all on 27^th

PS. 2^nd VP monthly tip: Measure, measure again, stand back and consider… are you cutting on the right line? Check again and then cut.

I should have done this last week when doing my BOM pieces because I have found that you cannot stick your seam allowances back on when you cut them off. OOPS - Oh dear.

February Guild Meeting

2011-02-28T15:41:00.006+03:00

Our February Guild Meeting was very well attended with several guests! Unfortunately, we had to sadly say goodbye to Nikki who has been a guild member for many years. She will be missed as she goes off to new adventures.

Marilyn displayed some beautifully embroidered blocks that she is going to make into quilts to be displayed at the new Cardiac Children's Care Center here in Riyadh. The project is still in its beginning stages. Marilyn is happy to accept finished quilts with a children's theme, in any size, as well as blocks that she will assemble. She is also happy to have help with the sewing!

Several quilters brought their block of the month blocks to share. The gardens are growing beautifully!

This month's Block of the Month will be paper pieced bugs! For those of you who love this technique, well, here's another chance to practice your skills.

Challenge Quilt- its the log cabin. You still have time to get started. The Log Cabin pattern is not too difficult, so get sewing! It only needs to be 100 inches around the edge! There will be some wonderful prizes! Quilts need to be completed by around May 15th. Exact date will be announced closer to the deadline.

Yvonne gave another wonderful program on fabric folding! It was a hands-on session so everyone enjoyed getting out their needles and thread. The results were amazing!

The meeting ended with show and tell! Quilters have been busy this month!

February Newsletter

2011-02-16T10:23:00.004+03:00

AN UPDATE FOR OUR FEBRUARY MEETING

An ex member of the Guild is selling off her stash and will be at the meeting and set up in the corridor between 6.00pm and 7.00pm with a table full of goodies.
So who will be first to get the bargains??? And please bring some change in your purse!!!

Our February Quilt Meeting is just around the corner on 27th either in the Quilt Room, the Nursery, or the regular Function Room. Watch out where we will be, as where ever we are we promise another packed agenda for you all.

We shall have the usual door prizes to begin our evening. The fat quarter fabric swap theme this month is ‘Tropical breezes’ and any fabric with trees, forests, leaves or plants on will make an interesting swap. Sounds bit like our BOM theme – ‘How does your garden grow?’ How is your garden growing? How is your Challenge Quilt progressing? If anyone is in need of help, please let us know and we shall be more than willing to assist. Please don’t forget to bring your completed BOM pieces and any other work for our ‘Show and Tell.’

Our training session will be “Fabric Flowers in Origami” to make flowers for our BOM garden or any other garden. This will be another HANDS ON programme so please bring needle and thread, pins and scissors and three squares of fabric scraps each about 6 inches in size.

We shall have the library to borrow books and magazines and finally can you please bring a small plate of goodies to eat, share and enjoy.

See you all on February 27th

PS. 2nd VP monthly tip: Hold onto the selvedge edges you trim from your fabrics when you begin cutting your next project. They make excellent plant ties for tall flowers when tied to stakes and fence posts. Great support against the winds we have in our part of the world. Oops another gardening topic!!!

January Guild Meeting

2011-01-28T09:42:00.010+03:00

Happy New Year!

January's meeting was held in the preschool at Seder, due to a devastating fire in December. Although the venue was a little tight, the quilters were happy to come together once again to share some delicious treats and talk about quilting.

The meeting opened by welcoming two new members, Karen and Bronwen. The lucky draw had three winners.

There was lots of excitement about the bus trip to Al Khobar. It was a huge success and members and friends, alike, were thrilled with their purchases. Al Zamil's generously donated sewing kits to the guild members. Everyone who went on the trip, and some of those who weren't able to go, are looking forward to going again some time in the future.

There will be three workshops coming up.

Free Motion Quilting
February 14, 2011
9:30 - 12:30
100sr

Star Tablecloth
February 28, 2011
50sr

Here's a photo of the Star quilt workshop that was held in January. What a great project!

Tumbling Blocks Quilt - three week program
Sundays from 9am-12pm or from 5 - 8pm.
Dates to be announced once we see if there is enough interest.

Please write to riyadhquiltguild@gmail.com to register for these workshops.

This month's fabric swap featured I Spy fabrics.

Challenge Quilt: Let's get going! Only 10 members said they were working on something! The theme is Log Cabin and what could be a more versatile way to express your inner quilter? The quilt show at the end of the year will be a success with lots of quilts. So, lets get quilting!

Block of the month: This month the block was quite detailed, so only three members actually finished it. But, the work is spectacular! We all look forward to seeing more finished blocks next month.

Next month's blocks are Trailing Jasmine and Snail's Trail.

The quiz this month was a quilting word scramble, which proved tricky! Lots of groans and laughter as we all heard the correct answers.

Guild Banner - All guild members can make a 5" finished block for our guild banner. Each block should have your name, nationality and the year you joined the guild. Look at these beautiful blocks!

The guild sadly said goodbye to two longstanding members, Eva and Viv. Eva and Viv have both contributed to the guild for years and helped many members improve their skills and learn new techniques. We wish them the best as they move on to new adventures.

Our program for the evening was taught by Yvonne who introduced us to the technique of quilt as you go. She showed us a variety of techniques and tricks for this useful method and showed some beautiful quilts she had made using this method.

January Newsletter

2011-01-16T20:21:00.000+03:00

We are just into the 3rd week of 2011 however I shall still say ‘Happy New Year To You All’

Our January Quilt Meeting is not far away and is on 23rd in either the Quilt Room or the Nursery, a changed room owing to the big fire on the compound last month. We may be a little squashed but we will still have time and space to enjoy ourselves and at least we are able to meet. Many thanks to Seder Compound staff overcoming such a disastrous end to last year.

Once more we have a packed agenda for you all. We shall have the usual door prizes. The fabric swap theme this month is ‘I Spy’ and any novelty fabric such as animals, toys, cars or fruit will make an interesting swap. Please don’t forget to bring your completed applique BOM pieces and any work you have been doing over the holidays for our ‘Show and Tell’

Our training session will be with Yvonne and she will be taking us through further ideas on the Challenge Quilt subject of Log Cabin design to tempt you to start working on your Challenge Quilt if you have not begun it yet.

We shall have the library to borrow books and magazines and finally can you please bring a small plate of goodies to eat, share and enjoy.

Plans are well in hand for our trip to Al Khobar to visit Zamils fabric & craft store, Bernina sewing machine shop and the Desert Designs shop. We are going on 20th January and we still have a few seats available on the bus. Please contact Yvonne if you would like to join us for a super day out.

See you all on 23rd

PS. 2nd VP monthly tip: Running out of space for all your recently purchased fabrics? Well then, throw away your husband’s DVD’s & CD’s from the rack. The cute holes will hold your fat quarters really well.

December "Boxing Day" Guild Meeting

2011-01-01T17:44:00.016+03:00

The holiday season is in full swing, and many of us have travelled for the festive season. However, quite a few of us still came to the Boxing Day meeting and had lots of fun.

We welcomed returning members, Nour, Elkie and Abeer to the meeting, as well as our newest member, Viv Poy. And to start things off, the door prizes were given to 3 lucky people: Tatyana, Viv Eal and Crystal.

The shopping trip to Al Khobar and Zamil’s on Thursday 20 January is now on, so members please book a seat and invite a friend. The Guild is committed to the a bus to Al Khobar as full payment has been made and there is no refund.

The Librarian reported that the new books and DVD’s are being well used by members.

This month’s fabric swap was “Winter” and well reflected the ice and snow our world is currently experiencing. Next month will be “I Spy” fabrics: How about bringing in a few of your I-Spy fabrics to swap with a few people and have enough for an I-Spy quilt? Any childrens novelty fabric, such as animals, toys, cars, or fruits will make an interesting swap. Here is an example of an eye spy quilt, brought to the November meeting:

How is your garden growing in the Block of the Month? The appliqué blocks are challenging and large but all the month of January awaits for their completion. Both are applique blocks that give you the chance to embellish with bees, dragonflies, etc. Those who complete the BOM for January will be in the running for and applique pressing mat.

Secret Santa
The “Secret Santa’s” had been very busy in the weeks (and the last) days before Christmas. As members unwrapped their gifts there were many “oohs and aahs” on the discovery of their present contents. Beautiful fabrics, numerous tools for patchwork, Santa bags, a chatelaine, and Christmas wall hanging were among the gifts that delighted the members. The wonderful spirit of Christmas was shared.

Refreshment Break
True to the theme of the meeting members bought their “box” of leftover goodies from Christmas Day, plus some freshly baked goodies to share. Another mini feast was enjoyed.

Presentation by Evelyn
Boxing Day is not Boxing Day without a box, so Evelyn had us folding paper and card to make boxes. This idea came from Bernice who is in the UK, but prior to leaving she persuaded an “elf” (Evelyn) to show us how to make the boxes. There was a little confusion sometimes– what “fold” is that and how can I turn that to there to make that shape for a box. However, under Evelyn’s expert tuition we made boxes, a star and were given a little packet of paper and card to make more boxes, and instructions from Bernice too. You can use any kind of paper, greeting card (and fabric bonded with “Heat and Steam”) to make a box. Evelyn challenged us to make the small, small boxes she proudly showed us, but we shall see at the next meeting if anyone accepted the challenge. Thanks, Evelyn!

Show and Tell finished off the evening .The diversity of skill and work was again well displayed. From Evelyn’s workshop came the beautiful star cloths from Crystal and Marisol; Judy, Yvonne and Crystal with their Block Holders from Viv’s workshop; coffee cup holders from Crystal; a beautiful blue batik quilt from Nour, a traditional needle turned appliqué wall hanging made in Egypt, and finally our very skilful machine embroider Gladys with a collection of Christmas motifs.

At the meeting closed President Judy thanked all for coming, our presenter for a fun time with paper and card, the Secret Santa’s and the “boxes” of Christmas food. A special “thank you” was extended to members who made “heart” blocks for the Pike River Miners quilts. An email from the New Zealand coordinator acknowledged our gift of 57 blocks to the total of 6000 blocks that had been received by the Guild from quilters all over the world, along with 50 other quilts and 30 quilt tops- “Today, I had blocks from England, the Netherlands, Scotland, Australia, Riyadh and Canada as well as NZ. Who knew there was an international quilt group in Riyadh (Saudi Arabia)? They sent me one of their guild badges which features a camel - a bit different from NZ badges!” This is truly a reflection of the caring spirit in the international quilt world.

Coming up; Shopping Bus to Zamil on 20 January 2011 – make a booking to the Guild email: Riyadhquiltguild@gmail.com. Payment is due 10 January. Please see Blog for full details of the trip.
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Evelyn has offered another great workshop on Thursday January 6. It is the free-motion quilting class. Information has been sent out via email and on the Blog, and to sign up, please RSVP the Guild email.

Next Meeting: 23 January 2011 at 7pm. (Please note that January has 5 Sundays, so it is NOT the last Sunday of the month)

December Newsletter

2010-12-16T19:18:00.001+03:00

Oh me, oh my. Are there still more holidays to come??? We saw the Hejra New Year in last month and the Gregorian New Year in soon. We have Christmas Holidays in a couple of weeks. This is all wonderful, many schools are closed allowing teachers and children alike to take vacations and travel home or abroad. BUT where does this leave our quilting time??? Oh me, oh my.

Our December Quilt Meeting is not far away and is on 26th at our usual venue. Once more we have a packed agenda for you all. The fabric swap theme this month is Winter Wonderland with snowflakes, snowmen or winter scenes. Brrrrr

Our training session will be with Evelyn and will have a holiday feel about it. The session is another HANDS ON so please bring scissors for cutting paper, ruler, eraser and pencil etc. Puzzled? Well come along on Sunday and see what its all about.

We shall also have ‘Secret Santa’ gifts for those who would like to participate. We will have our usual show and tell. Finally can you please bring a small plate of goodies (left over food from the previous day?) to eat, share and enjoy.

Hands up all who have completed the applique BOM pieces. Is anyone having problems with them? Please contact the Guild through the Blog and someone will phone with assistance for you. Please do not be stuck.

Our next workshop is on Free Motion Quilting on 6th January. Evelyn is the tutor and names are being taken with fees collected at the December meeting.

Plans are well in hand for our trip to Al Khobar to visit Zamils fabric and craft store and Desert Designs shop. We are going on 20th January but please watch your emails for further details to register and pay your fare.

See you all on 26th

PS. 2nd VP monthly tip: Spare scraps of batting make wonderful ‘bubble wrap’ around your treasured holiday decorations when you are packing them away until next year.

Holiday Season has started! November Guild Meeting

2010-12-05T17:45:00.002+03:00

The holiday season is in full swing, and many of us are preparing to gear up for travel and Christmas. Still, many of us will be here, enjoying each other, quilting, and the fine weather Riyadh is finally giving us.

We welcomed two guests to the meeting, Ximena and Bronwin; as well as our newest member, Vivien. And to start things off, the door prizes were given to 3 lucky people: Marisol, Yvonne, and Crystal.

Interested in a shopping trip to Al Khobar and Zamil’s? The Guild is planning a bus to Al Khobar, tentatively planned for Thursday, January 20th. More information regarding sign-ups and pricing will be sent out soon.

The Librarian reported that the new books and DVD’s have arrived and are now available for check out. Check them out at our next meeting!

This month’s fabric swap was Blues of the Sky. Next month will be Winter Fabrics: snowflakes, snowmen, snow scenes, etc. As you work on your holiday gifts, keep an eye out for fabrics that you could share at the December meeting.

Thanks to Evelyn’s hard work and beautiful free-motion curly-q quilting skills, the Log Cabin Opportunity Quilt is almost finished! The only thing left is the binding, which will hopefully be finished soon. This large quilt is a result of the efforts of 20 guild members from 3 years ago. The donated fabrics echo this year’s push towards incorporating a variety of color into our quilts. As of now the Guild is still deciding where it will be placed to make the biggest difference.

The garden is growing quickly in the Block of the Month. Yet again we had a display of gorgeous and vibrant flowers for those members making their BOM gardens. There will be no BOM for December, but not to worry, the 2 blocks for January are challenging and large! Both are applique blocks that give you the chance to embellish with bees, dragonflies, etc. Instructions hasve been sent out electronically. Those who complete the BOM for January will be in the running for and applique pressing mat. Instructions for the January BOM has already been sent via email. The lucky winner in November for the BOM drawing was Kerri, who received a bobbin of silk applique thread and applique needles.

Quiz time! This month our knowledge of names of quilt blocks was tested and boy was it ever! Many members managed to make it through the first round, but only 1 remained after the 2nd. Congratulations to Marisol who won the Mother Hen’s egg!

We had two programs presented: Methods for Making Bias Strips, and Yo-Yo’s. Judy started off by show 2 different ways for making bias strips, useful for making curved stems. The first was the “Sew and Flip” method, and the second was using a freezer paper template on top.

The second program was presented by Yvonne. This fun hands-on lesson showed us how to make yo-yo’s which resulted in a cute snowman- perfect for the winter season!

Show and Tell finished off the evening with some fully finished quilts from Gladys and Janet, a finished “One Block Wonder” quilt top from Crystal, and gorgeous paper-pieced flowers and birds from Viv.

Coming up: Guild Christmas Dinner will be held on December 12th at 7pm. Please RSVP to the Guild email: Riyadhquiltguild@gmail.com by December 9th. See email for more detail.

Evelyn has offered two great workshops: December 16th a Christmas star table cover and/or tree skirt, and in January a free-motion quilting class. Information about both classes has been sent out via email, and to sign up, please RSVP the Guild email.

Next Meeting: The December meeting will be held on December 26th as a “Traditional Boxing Day.” Boxing Day theme programs will be given, and a Secret Santa will be held for those who would like to participate. Secret Santa participants are asked to bring in a wrapped quilting themed present (either store-bought or hand-made), costing no more than SR50. Members are also asked to bring in Christmas dinner leftovers to keep with the Boxing Day theme.

Workshop - Free Motion Quilting

2010-12-04T17:42:00.004+03:00

This workshop is suitable for both beginners and advanced quilters.

TUTOR: Evelyn Mock

WHEN: Thursday 6 January 2011

TIME: 9am - 1pm

WHERE: Quilting Room

COST: 100SR - payment on the day

Minimum of 5 persons, maximum of 10 persons

This workshop will enable you to DISCOVER and LEARN about:

How to prepare and arrange quilting pieces
Free motion quilting techniques and patterns
How to achieve the best machine quilting stitch
Hints, tips and tools for best quilting results
Workshop will include some samples to use on the day. Personal equipment list to bring will be provided.

To make a booking please use the guild email: riyadhquiltguild@gmail.com

Bookings close 30 December 2010. Payment can be made at December meeting.

Workshop - Star Tablecloth/Tree Skirt

2010-12-04T17:37:00.003+03:00

This workshop will enable you to make a beautiful Christmas decoration or gift.

TUTOR: Evelyn Mock

WHEN: Thursday 16 December 2010

TIME: 9am - 1pm

WHERE: Quilting Room

COST: 100SR - payment on the day

Minimum 5 persons, maximum of 10 persons.

Personal equipment list to bring on the day will be provided.

To make a booking please email the guild: riyadhquiltguild@gmail.com

Bookings close 10 December 2010

November Guild Meeting Update

2010-11-17T15:55:00.001+03:00

North, South, East, West
But here in Riyadh our quilting is the best.

Hajj and Eid are upon us and Thanksgiving is close. Schools are closed, many husbands are off work and families have left the city for vacations. Fortunately our Quilt Blog still keeps us in touch. Where- ever you may be at this time I hope that you are well.

Our November Quilt Meeting is not far away and is on 28th at our usual venue. Once more we have a packed agenda for you all. The fabric swap this month has the title ‘The sky’s the limit’ How many colours does the sky have? Blue, gray, white? It all depends on the weather???

Our training presentation will be with Judy and Yvonne and they will be taking us through the steps of making bias stems and yo-yo’s. The session is another HANDS ON so please bring needle, thread, scissors etc.

We will have our BOM show and tell and a show of other pieces too I hope. Finally, can you please bring a small plate of goodies to eat, share and enjoy?

Hands up all who have completed the paper pieced BOM pieces. Well done!!! Is anyone having problems with them? Please contact the Guild through the guild email: riyadhquiltguild@gmail.com and someone will phone with assistance for you. Please do not be stuck.

Hands up who may like to enjoy a pre Christmas Dinner ahead of the holidays. Hands up who will be at the Boxing Day meeting on Sunday 26th December.

Hands up who is interested in our next workshop on 2nd December to make a block or craft carrier. Names are being taken for this event and fees will be taken at the Nov meeting. It may be a hand made Christmas gift for someone perhaps? Please enroll via the guild email: riyadhquiltguild@gmail.com

See you all on 28th

PS. 2nd VP monthly tip: Any day spent quilting - is a day well spent.

Workshop - 15" Block/Craft Carrier

2010-11-06T16:46:00.003+03:00

This is a beautiful way to store the finished blocks for your quilts.

TUTOR: Viv Eal

WHEN: Thursday 2 December 2010, 9:30 am - 12:30pm or stay until finished

WHERE: Quilting Room, Seder Compound

COST: 100SR - Payment at November Meeting (28 November)

Minimum of 5 persons, maximum 10 persons

TUTOR WILL PROVIDE:

Instructions
Foam Core Board

Pre-cutting instructions will be given after payment for workshop at the 28 November Quitl Guild meeting

PARTICIPANTS WILL PROVIDE:

1/2 meter of focus material
1 1/2 meters of accent material
sewing machine with a regular foot and zipper foot
thread, rotary cutter, scissors and other sewing tools
fastener (i.e. magnet, velcro or ties) Ties are included in the instructions.

To make a booking please email riyadhquiltguild@gmail.com

Happy Halloween! October Guild Meeting

2010-10-31T12:58:00.005+03:00

Membership continued to grow at our October meeting! Two new members were welcomed and presented with membership pins and cards. Remember, those cards may be useful if you're having trouble getting in the gate!

Bernice made a lovely fall bouquet to grace the front table for the meeting.

Committee reports were given. Weekend workshops and the trip to Al Khobar were discussed again, and suggestions solicited. Marisol was pleased to announce that, thanks to Bernice, we have nine new quilting books and two new DVD's to add to our library! Titles will be on the blog shortly.

The theme for the fabric swap this month was Blue Skies. Look at those lovely fabrics!

The Block of the Month is proving to be very popular! Nine participants completed their blocks this month! Each month that participants bring in their completed blocks, their name is entered into a draw for materials or tools that will be useful in completing this quilt. This month Yvonne won a 1/4 inch ruler for paper piecing. The new blocks for this month will be paper pieced. There will be a block with three flower pots and a palm leaf. Copies of the pattern were distributed at the meeting. Remember to make a photocopy before you start sewing!

May will be here before you know it! Get started on your Challenge Quilt! More information about the Challenge Quilt can be found on this blog.

This month we had a Quilting Quiz! It was tough competition and really challenging questions!

Our Tip of the Month is: Coming soon!

Finally, we had a Paper Piecing demonstration. Kerri gave a hands- on, introductory lesson on the sew and flip paper piecing technique.

Finally, we had our show and tell. What lovely quilts!

So, How Does Your Garden Grow?

2010-10-19T09:13:00.002+03:00

Well, I am typing this message at my home in UK where my garden is slowly closing down and going to sleep for winter. I have seen misty, moist mornings, followed by wonderful sunshine through the afternoon and fabulous sunsets in the evenings. Leaves are falling off the trees so its time to walk through them making rustling noises. Fantastic.
My 'virtual' quilt BOM garden is yet to be started. Shame on me do I hear you all say? Well, how is your 'virtual' BOM garden progressing?? If you have completed your September BOM pieces, please remember to bring them to the meeting on Sunday 24th for us all to see.
The October Meeting will be full of fantastic goodies again and we have a great demonstration in store for you all. We shall be learning paper piecing skills (as practice for our BOM) and this will be a HANDS ON DEMONSTRATION.

Please bring scissors, pins, needle and thread, notebook and pencil for Kerri's tips and instructions on paper piecing and to work on the kits she has made up for us.

See you all on Sunday evening.
Bernice
2nd VP

PS2nd VP tip: If life throws you scraps . . . Quilt!

Applique Workshop - The Basics and Beyond

2010-10-16T08:44:00.000+03:00

When: Thursday, 28 October, 2010 9:30 - 12:30
Where: Quilting Room, Seder Compound
Cost: 100sr - payment due at October Guild Meeting

The workshop will enable you to DISCOVER and LEARN about:

HOW TO PREPARE AND ARRANGE APPLIQUE PIECES
TURNED-EDGE TECHNIQUE, FREEZER PAPER METHOD, STARCH METHOD
HOW TO ACHIEVE THE PERFECT APPLIQUE STITCH
HINTS, TIPS AND TOOLS FOR BEST APPLIQUE RESULTS
SKILLS FOR THE NOVEMBER BOM APPLIQUE
HOW TO GET PERFECT CIRCLES
Will include a SAMPLE KIT TO USE ON THE DAY (personal equipment list to bring on the day will be provided.

For further information, contact Nour or Yvonne.