Modern Guild Strips - the quilt I didn’t win!

Kelly decided that the lotto block for the Modern Guild would be a 6.5 x 18 inch strips made of neutrals from black to light grey. It needed just a sliver of color in each strip.  It was a very popular block that a lot of people wanted to win.  I made two strips.

And still didn’t win.

So I decided to make my own.

I started sewing the strips on Tuesday.




Made more on Thursday.

And more on Friday.


Last night I began to sew the strips together.


I love the subtle bits of color.  As I sewed strips, I came up with some variations in the pops of color that was non-traditional.......if you can call this at all traditional.

We went to Hammond today to meet Patsy and Stacy......and talk about the aliens kidnapping people in the National Parks.

So I won't be going to any National Parks any time soon., right?

Baton Rouge Modern Guild Meeting

We shared some great quilts last night.  Not all were modern, but hopefully we are working on that.

One of my pet peeves is when there are more Traditional quilts at the meeting than there are Modern quilts.   There really needs to be a separation of modern and traditional, everything in its place.

When we started the Modern Guild we wanted to separate ourselves from traditional quilting found at the other 6 or so guilds in the area; we wanted a place for the Modern quilting ideas.

I happen to do quilting in both Modern and Traditional methods but share membership in both Modern and Traditional Guilds.  Sometimes the two lines cross, I do admit that.  And there are times when you can "modern up" a traditional pattern quite nicely.

It really concerns me that the Modern Guild is going to swing into the typical "Traditional with Some Modern Quilts" I see in all the other guilds now.

If the work that is being done by the members is anything indicative of the show and tell last night, this is exactly the way it is going.  And don't get me wrong, it was beautiful.  And most of the members share Modern roots with me and have done many Modern Quilts over the years  Perhaps there are new members who are unaware of what makes a Modern Quilt modern as opposed to traditional.  Maybe the answer is education.

I wonder how other modern guilds deal with this issue.

Anyone out there in a Modern Guild who has seen this phenomenon and worked through it?




I understand too, that the quilts themselves have changed over the few years Modern Quilting has been around and defined.  In the early days, it was easy to decide what was Modern and everything else was Traditional.

 But now there is no clear cut look to a Modern quilt. Right?

So how do we always know?  I guess we need to decide that through informative education and decision making.

And deciding what we are willing to look at as Modern, Traditional and Art Quilting.

Something to think about, since I personally saw both of these quilts at QuiltCon.

Chocolate Chipolte Bacon Beignets and Cambodian Art

 This morning we had breakfast at Batch 13 (Chocolate Chipotle Bacon Beignets) and headed to the Cambodian Art Sale.

It was part of the Mission from the Methodist Women who travel there monthly bringing supplies to the school they support.  Lots of had embroidered purses, back packs, jewelry and hand dyed scarves.  I bought a fish purse and some bead bracelets.  Frank gave
them the rest of the $20 as a donation.  I can see some Christmas presents down the road!

Later at home, I told Frank he had to take care of all the dogs
.  That meant I could have uninterrupted time in my studio without having to let dogs in and out.  I could concentrate and complete my thoughts.

I got so much done in the afternoon.

I finished the first round on the Cotton Robin and packaged it up for mailing off to Christa in Virginia.

I got the Modern Robin round finished up and boxed for the meeting on Monday.

I did the Lotto Block for Remember Me for the April Meeting.

I did the Lotto Block for the Modern Guild meeting for Monday night.

I did an improvisational piece for my Fiber Exploration Group this month.







 I passed out some letters like E, T, H, I, L and O.

I asked the members to use those letters as inspiration and use the shape  to

create a piece for the next meeting.

I am really happy with what I have so far on my project.  Being
able to work improvisationally is incredible.  You start out with an idea.  I work with a What If...... style.  What if I add this color....yes or no.  What if I add white......oh no!

I wanted a cityscape.  Then I wanted to add a factory to my piece.  I guess I am into factories since I have one in my blue jean road piece as well.  

I kept trying to add white into the mix and it kept kicking it out!  After looking at it for a while on my design wall, I may be able to add some in by doing a ladder grid under the last row of grey.  I can try it a bit in the next day or so.

Sawyer is sick, so I get to have him tomorrow.  So long planned day........

Modern Guild Night

My favorite guild is the Modern Guild.  No charity projects, no long business meetings, no huge crowds.  Just lots of information, projects for show and tell and great programs.  I learn something every time I attend a meeting.

We exchanged the Modern Robin for the last time.  Now we embellish, quilt and bind it; in other words, finish it up.

The one I ended up with is small so I may do something unusual with it.  Just warning you!

Daisy, not the quilt shop owner but the other one, did a fabulous program on paper piecing.  She makes her own patterns, something I have no patience for.

Here she is with her airplane......oh yes! I am in love!

Now I need to dig out my Fight 370..............







This afternoon I took the bottom two branches, the smaller blocks and turned them around. the one with the triangles is the old one, the one on the right is new and improved. 



And I wanted to show you a beautiful passion flower from the yard of a friend.  We had dinner there over the weekend.   The vine was covered with these alien looking flowers!

Pat's Article

Pat Van Burkleo - Modern Quilting
Pat took over for me as President of the  Baton Rouge Modern Guild this year.

I don't know if he  mentions it in the article, but he designed and printed the fabric on Spoonflower.

He is an amazing quilter!

Michael Miller Challenge

It still needs to be quilted, but here it is.

Can you tell what it is?  And who is holding it? 

Frank is holding it, of course.  (Dr. Gorgeous was busy practicing his best sewing up stitch for Wednesday.)