Modern Quilting Joy

I can't believe I posted last January my goal of posting one time per month, but I actually have posted NOTHING since.  My new modern quilting exploration turned into a full-blown obsession that occupies my every non-working moment, in addition to exploding into every room in my house, including errant threads, pins, fabric bolts, books, magazines, and UFOs (now I know it stands for Unfinished Objects).  So that's my lame excuse, so I'll try to do better.

So, highlights of the year - or the tale of my addiction.

Craftsy class introduction to Jaquie Gering became my gateway drug to the world of modern quilting so I started stalking the blogs of modern quilters.

Some of what I made last year, and some pictures from our meeting.  I'll give details later, but now I'm off to the meeting tonigh!

 Queen Size quilt

 Fireworks for the Veenkers

 Falling Upward for Beth

 Baby quilt for teacher based on books by Roal Dahl

 Loving Lyla

 Journeys baby quilt on design wall

Bird on a wire (made 3 in different colors)

 Ruby's Walk (my dogs sitting blanket)

Joyful Path (baby blanket)

Quilt Emporium, local quilt shop owner, gave me a flyer for a trunk show by Alissa Haight Carlton, the founder of the Modern Quilt Guild.  "You should come. You would love her work."  So I bought her book, made a modern quilt, went to the show, took pages of notes on the movement that is still so new.  On fire, I began experimenting (most of it bad), making and making and making.

Now when you have a desk job, and quilting becomes your obsession, it isn't great for the cardivascular system, so I will need to add that to my do-better this year list too.

Then the QE owner invited me to a secret meeting over the summer to discuss founding a Valley Modern Quilt Guild, and we did. Somehow I heard myself volunteer to be the Vice-President alongside the other much more experienced and inspirational people in the room.  We planned all summer, then in September had our first meeting with over 40 people in attendance.  In one meeting we outgrew the QE store back room, so my dear friend who is a principal of High-Tech High Los Angeles offered to host the meetings in her beautiful school. Our October meeting burst into color with 50+ attendees and new members, a quilt challenge, showcase, and basket give-away.

I've attended two Sew-Ins (I didn't even know what that meant three months ago), and now I want a Featherweight Sewing Machine. How cool is this protable machine?!

Tonight is our November meeting, and I'm still in awe of the women and men that create and make for those they love. I can't wait to see what they have created.  I can't wait to learn some of what they know.  I can't wait. I can't wait. I can't wait.