The Founding and History of NWA MQG

March 18th Presentation

We had a fantastic March meeting where founding members Therese Ramsey and Hazel McFall (pictured above) gave a memorable presentation and trunk show recounting our guild's founding story.

A summarized version is below:

Therese had been a member of the Kansas City MQG which was led, in those early days, by Jacquie Gering in a quilt shop in Overland Park in 2010.  In her words, the excitement [of modern quilting] was palpable in that group!   However, after moving back to Arkansas in 2010, the local quilting community, at that time, could not provide the same level of energy and inspiration that she so dearly missed from the KCMQG. Therefore, in 2013, she set out to create a modern guild right here in NWA (and we're all so glad she did)!  The first meetings were held in the upstairs room of the Rabbit’s Lair quilt shop in downtown Rogers with an estimated attendance of 28 members.  Today, our guild proudly boasts a roster of 72 members as we continue to uphold Therese's original vision of an energized fellowship of quilters who inspire, challenge, and support one another.

To Therese and all the founding members who have forged the way for our guild, thank you!!

NWA MQG at QuiltCon 2025!!  

February  19th - 23rd

This year's QuiltCon was definitely one for the record books!  A whopping 13 members made the trip to Phoenix, AZ to represent the Northwest Arkansas Modern Quilt Guild!  Members are pictured above, showing off our QuiltCon Community Challenge Charity quilt.  This quilt was created as a collaborative effort by guild members during an improv round-robin, led by committee head Katrina Allen.  The proceeds from this quilt will benefit a local charitable organization.

February 18th we welcome Sarah Goer

 

 

Creating a Scrappy Slab (Lecture/Demo) virtual meeting on Zoom

Get your scraps out of your scrap bin and into a project! In this lecture/demo, Sarah will demonstrate her techniques for building a scrappy slab from scrap fabrics of any size. In addition to show and tell about numerous projects using these slabs, Sarah will outline a variety of ways for you to use scrappy slabs in your quilting. You will leave this lecture/demo ready to sew your own scrappy slabs at home.

Sarah Goer is a former middle school math teacher turned quilt teacher who is primarily inspired by geometry and architecture and loves bold, vibrant, saturated color. Much of Sarah’s work is created from a perspective of “planned improv,” working from a set of rules she creates for herself. In workshops, Sarah guides students to learn a set of parameters for their quilt design and decide when to follow or break their rules. All Sarah’s classes are taught from a perspective of creativity and curiosity, encouraging students to take what she’s taught and feel free to put their own spin on it. You can find Sarah's work on her website at www.sarahgoerquilts.com.

To join us check your member email or contact us at nwamqg@gmail.com for more information. 

January Recap: Inspiring Times with Fiber Artist Dani Ives

Our January meeting was nothing short of inspiring as members enjoyed a special program featuring local fiber artist and world-renowned "painting with wool" expert, Dani Ives. Dani shared her artistic journey, techniques, and passion for creating stunning felted paintings using wool. Her work blends nature, animals, art, and fiber in a unique and captivating way, leaving us all in awe of the possibilities within this medium.

Following the program, members had the opportunity to dive into a Color Study Needle Felting Workshop, where they experimented with wool, color blending, and texture. It was a hands-on, creative experience that sparked joy and artistic exploration. Everyone had a great time learning a new technique and creating their own small felted pieces.

A huge thank you to Dani for sharing her expertise and inspiring us with her artistry! It was a wonderful way to kick off the year with creativity and community.

Close up view of some of the pieces by our members:

Thanks again Dani!

October 15th - Everyday Stitches Jennifer Dick and Trish Price from Kansas City Program ($10 guest fee)

October 16th - Tinsel Tree Quilt Workshop taught by Jennifer and Trish of Everyday Stitches Details and sign up link.

September 17 - Samatha Krebsbach Program, Laser Cutting in Modern Quilting

September 18th - Quilted Shoes Workshop with Samatha Krebsbach. Details and sign up link.

May 21-22, 2024 - Cassandra Beaver (The (not so) Dramatic Life) Program and Workshop

So excited to have Cassandra Beaver visiting from Ohio to lecture and teach us a workshop. Visitors are welcome for $10 lecture fee. Contact us for workshop sign up links.

Cassandra is a mostly-modern quilter, pattern designer and quilting educator based in west-central Ohio. She holds a BFA in Painting and Theatre Design and an MFA in Scenic Design. Her award-winning quilts have been in more than 50 shows, numerous publications, and four of her quilts reside in the permanent collection of the National Quilt Museum in Paducah, Kentucky. Cassandra’s designs and patterns use traditional and/or foundation paper piecing techniques to create dynamic and unique quilts that are inspired by nature, architecture, and art.

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Trunk Show/Lecture May 21, 6pm-8pm ($10 non-member fee)

Trending: Seeing and Developing Patterns in Your Quilting Practice

Approximately 45-60 minutes

How do you develop a quilting style? Do you even need to? What elements of your quilting come together to make your personal aesthetic? Inspiration sources, color choices, shapes, and quilting style all play a role in making our quilts a reflection of who we are. Throughout this trunk show, you will see the recurring motifs and patterns in my quilts, how these patterns create a body of work, and start recognizing the trends in your own quilts. This is an excellent trunk show choice for Modern groups and guilds.

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Workshop May 22, 9:30am ($35/ member plus the cost of the ruler($30-40) or $50/ nonmembers plus the cost of the ruler ($30-$40). Ruler to be purchased directly from the instructor.

Piecing Full Circles

3 Hour Workshop

Take your curved seams to the extreme by going full circle! During this class you will piece a top for a pillow or mini quilt using a Classic Curves Ruler with a twist!

Prerequisites: The ability to consistently sew an accurate 1/4″ seam allowance

Supply List: available with sign-up payment

Quilt Show - Online Quilt Auction

The online auction is open now!  A beautiful piece of modern quilting can be yours!  Our members have rolled up their sleeves and pushed their creativity to the limit in this show's auction - The Birthstone Challenge!  Participating guild members were challenged to design and create a one-of-a-kind mini quilt using only the color of their birthstone and a limited amount of neutral color.  Check out the awe-inspiring results and bid on your favorite!  Also included in the auction are a selection of other quilty, member-made items that you are sure to love!

Auction link:  NWAMQG Online Auction

The Amazing Dee Bushrod visits NWAMQG!!!

Our guild hosted a very special guest speaker this month!  The fantastically talented Dee Bushrod of Pixel Quilts came by to give a wonderful presentation at our monthly meeting.  She showcased many of her extraordinary quilts and quilt dresses, regaled us with delightful stories, and gave us a sneak peak at her upcoming endeavors!!  Dee also taught a workshop the following day in which members created a wall hanging of her most recent pattern Cherry Blossom!  

A Fun Time Out in Bentonville at Market @ Record

     Members had a blast this past Saturday showcasing the quilting talents of our guild!  Member volunteers proudly displayed our Raffle Quilt and Birthstone Challenge Mini Quilts so that Market patrons could admire and appreciate the art of modern quilting.  Members also sold raffle tickets, handed out postcards for our upcoming All Modern Quilt Show (April 19-20) and online auction, and had a fantastic time with our youth engagement activity!  This was most certainly the highlight of the entire morning!  Children had so much fun creating their very own quilt blocks using fun colored fabric shapes glued to a coloring sheet.  We will most definitely be using this activity again in future events!

Just look at all those happy faces on these cute little future quilters!

    A great big thank you to all of our amazing members for volunteering their time and talents to make this a very special outreach event for our guild!

Outreach Event February 17th: Market @ Record in Bentonville

 Come join us for a morning of fun!!  On Saturday, February 17th, from 9 am - noon we will be hanging out at the Market @ Record located at 104 SW A Street in Bentonville.  Do you have questions about modern quilting?  Our dedicated members will be on site to answer all your questions.  Have you ever seen modern quilting in real life?  If not, you will be able to feast your eyes on amazing, locally made examples of modern quilting!  On display will be our gorgeous Raffle Quilt and a selection of mini quilts that will be up for auction at our All Modern Quilt Show in April.  Raffle tickets will be available for purchase and only cost $5/ticket!  More information on our Raffle Quilt can be found on the Quilt Show page at the top menu.  

This Beautiful Raffle Quilt can be Yours!

Member made mini quilts will be on display 

        

So come by and say hello, buy some raffle tickets 😉, and shop all the local goodies from the Market booths!  Have littles to entertain? No problem!  We will also have a supervised youth activity!  We can't wait to see you there!!

NWAMQG 2024 Community Quilt!

 This year the QuiltCon 2024 Community Outreach Challenge issued a theme of symmetry and a set colorway as depicted below.  Participating groups could use any interpretation of symmetry they desired and could only incorporate colors from the designated selection (as few or as many as they wished).  

The NWAMQG Community Quilt Committee rolled up their sleeves and got to work!  The final design "aimed to capture the essence of our community here in Northwest Arkansas, where cycling currently plays a significant growing role in our local culture.  The Razorback Greenway serves as a unifying thread, spanning 40 miles and offering a tapestry of world-class arts, culture, and recreational opportunities for people from diverse backgrounds.  The wheels in the design symbolize rotational symmetry and mirror the unity found along the trail.  Each of the background blocks, showcasing a scrappy design, was skillfully crafted by our dedicated members."  Please admire the gorgeous quilting completed by member Sonja Koch which creates a beautiful texture resembling topographical elevation lines.  This lovely piece of NWA will proudly hang at QuiltCon 2024 in February!

New Board Takes Over on September 1st

 The following officers will take over their board positions on September 1st:

President - Brina Smith

Vice Presidents - Elizabeth Ray & Christina Lee

Treasurer - Sheena Johnson

Secretary - Tessa Davis

Thanks to the following committee members who will continue to serve:

Membership - Jeanie Allen
Charity Programs - Toni Fenton and Kathy Collins
Quilt Show Chair  - Tessa Davis
Social Media - Leeanna Walker
Retreat - Jeanie Allen