Tuesday,

March 26, 2013

Maria Elkins

1:00 p.m.

Trunk Show

7:00 p.m.

Protecting Quilts

Come to play and do some charity sewing at the same time!

The DMAQG Community Giving Charity Sewing Day is Saturday, March 16th, from 9:30 - 4:00. Join us at the West Des Moines Library, 4000 Mills Civic Parkway.

Bring your sewing machine, basic sewing supplies, and a sack lunch (otherwise fast food options are near). We will have the fabric to sew, cut, or iron, depending on your interests that day. Stay the day, or come and go as you need. See you there!.

Karen Macon

 mariaelkins.com

Maria Elkins has been using a sewing machine since she was nine years old. She created her first quilt in 1984 when she was expecting her first child. In 1996 she created her first original art quilt, "In Answer to Prayer," in which she used her husband as a model for the warrior angel. The quilt went on to win Honorable Mention in the National Quilt Association's 29th Annual Quilt Show in 1998.

Maria has since won numerous other awards for her quilts. She also writes articles for Quilting Arts magazine and is a national teacher and lecturer.

Programs

Tuesday, March 26, 2013

West Des Moines United Methodist Church

8th & Grand, West Des Moines 

1:00 p.m.: Trunk Show

Come and see a trunk show of Maria's quilts.

7:00 p.m.: Protecting Quilts

Learn about Lost Quilt Come Home, its history, and various ways quilters can help ensure that their quilts will be returned should they ever be lost or stolen.

Wednesday, March 27, 2013 -- 9:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m.

Fused Appliqué Portraits -- View Supply List

Suitable for all skill levels including non-quilters, no artistic ability is required! (You actually don't even need to be a quilter to take this class. The finished portrait can be framed instead of quilted.) Focus will be on manipulating a digital photograph to create a fused appliqué pattern. Students need to email Maria a picture two weeks prior to the class so she can prepare it before the workshop.

Thursday, March 28, 2013 -- 9:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m.

Perspective for Quilters -- View Supply List

Learn how to design two-dimensional quilts that look three-dimensional. This workshop will teach how to use color and position to give art quilts and even traditional quilts a feeling of depth. You'll learn to draw convincing cubes, houses, architectural and landscape elements, as well as many optical illusions and then turn your drawing into a flat quilt with the appearance of depth and volume.

Registration and location information for these workshops appears in the article "2013 Workshops" below. 

Welcome to the Des Moines Area Quilters Guild Newcomers Group. The group was formed in 1999 for the purposes of allowing new members to learn how the Guild functions, to meet other new members in a smaller setting, and to learn how to form or join a "small group." Newcomers is open to members who have belonged to the Guild for less than one year. Eleven newcomers attended our February meeting, but I know there are more of you out there.

Please plan on attending the next Newcomers Meeting on Tuesday, March 19, 2013, from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. The meeting is held in Room B of the Urbandale Library at 3520 86th Street in Urbandale. This month Terry Holt will dazzle us with all of the details of the upcoming Spring Retreat. Liz Noonan, a physical therapist and quilter, will present our program, "Tools for Healthy Quilting."

Please bring one or two of your quilts for show and tell. Are you having problems with a quilt? Bring it and we'll discuss solutions. I'm forecasting no snow so plan on joining us!

F.Y.I. The library does not allow outside food or drink in the meeting room.

Mildred Agena

Deb York

Program Chair

P.S. I'm looking for volunteers to help hold up the quilts for speakers and during show and tell. If interested, please send me an email at yorkcovp@aol.com. Thanks! 

Registration

For any workshop, you may mail in your registration form along with your registration fee to Deb York, 28187 Prospect Ave., Adel, IA 50003. We will also be taking reservations at our meetings on the fourth Tuesday of each month. If you have any questions you can email Deb at yorkcovp@aol.com or call her at 515-993-4539 (home), 515-240-7653 (cell). 

Location 

All workshops are scheduled to be held at West Des Moines Christian Church at 4501 Mills Civic Parkway in West Des Moines. To get there from Interstate 35, exit at Mills Civic Parkway, exit 70. Turn east onto Mills Civic Parkway and drive about 0.9 of a mile. The West Des Moines Christian Church will be on the north side of Mills Civic Parkway. We will meet in Building #3 which is the one closest to Prairie Life Fitness. (If the July workshops are held elsewhere, you will be informed.) 

March: Maria Elkins

Information on the March workshops appears in the March feature article above. 

April: Pat Sloan

patsloan.com

Wednesday, April 24, 2013 -- 9:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m.

Tidbits of Handwork -- View Supply List

This handwork class will show you different ways to approach relaxed appliqué. Add a bit of wool to the project, big stitch it as she shows you how 'thread matters,' and then end the project with a running stitch binding technique.

Thursday, April 25,2013 -- 9:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m.

Easy Machine Appliqué -- View Supply List

Learn all of Pat's tips for making soft fusible appliqué! In class you will create a sample to test your stitching. She walks you through each step of the appliqué process, from cutting to getting a great size blanket stitch on your machine.

May: Rachel Clark

rdkc.com

Wednesday, May 29,2013 -- 9:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m.

Monster Purse

Students will use Rachel's Monster Purse pattern to create a really big purse, or a smaller one, or a quilt. The pattern contains directions for all three, as well as directions for a portfolio sized purse, and students can make the item that they prefer using a paper-pieced feathered star template.

Thursday, May 30,2013 -- 9:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m.

Nigerian Appliqué

Students will create a small quilt or wall hanging using Nigerian figures and design and the technique of Nigerian appliqué, which is a reverse appliqué technique. Rachel will supply some fabrics and designs. Students may alternatively choose to use Rachel's vest pattern and the Nigerian appliqué designs included with that pattern.

June: Susan K. Cleveland

piecesbewithyou.com

Wednesday, June 26, 2013 -- 9:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m.

Piping Hot Curves - Macaroni -- View Supply List

Add piping to curves and avoid curved piecing! This technique is wonderful for traditional curved patterns and great for contemporary designs. In class, students will learn to make perfect piping and add that piping to the lively, curvy macaroni block.

Thursday, June 27, 2013 -- 9:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m.

Prairie Point Pillow -- View Supply List

Learn to use heavy decorative thread through the needle to embellish prairie points. Then make perfect prairie points, and use a variation of foundation piecing to accurately piece many prairie points into a 14" pillow.

July: Barbara Shapel

barbarashapel.com

Wednesday, July 24, 2013 -- 9:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m.

Art of Machine Quilting -- View Supply List

In this beginning level quilting workshop, students will learn proper basting techniques, which machine needles to use with specific thread, and the differences between the various quilting threads that are currently on the market. We will then work on a practice sampler and learn how to stitch over a dozen free-motion quilting stitches.

Thursday, July 25, 2013 -- 9:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m.

Spotted Owl

Students will practice the thread painting stitches Barbara uses all the time to add depth and dimension to her fiber art pieces. Topics to be covered include what thread to use and when, the order of quilting, using a hoop, outlining, machine needles, and transferring images to fabric.

October: Pam Buda

heartspunquilts.com

Wednesday, October 23, 2013 -- 9:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m.

Practice What I Preach

This is a hands-on lesson of the techniques covered in Pam's lecture "Secrets of Professional Quilters ~ Revealed!" The skills taught in this class will be used each and every time you quilt! Each student can try many new piecing techniques as well as perfect a variety of pressing techniques.

Thursday, October 24, 2013 -- 9:00 a.m. - noon

Friendship Blooms

Learn several techniques for sewing hexagons. We'll construct two simple seven-hexagon flower blooms, covering the fundamentals of English paper piecing, the basics of working with wool, and the finishing techniques for this folky 12" x 17" wall hanging.

Thursday, October 24, 2013 -- 1:00 - 4:00 p.m.

Star Strings Pincushion

Learn how to paper piece a wonderful Star Strings Pin Cushion as you learn the fundamentals of foundation paper piecing with Pam's helpful tips and tricks. Knowing how to paper piece will give you a skill that will open up new opportunities in your quilting adventures as wonderful, glorious blocks can be mastered by paper piecing!