Monday, January 13, 2014

JANUARY 2014



2014 began the year with a new moon. This hasn’t happened in 19 years so quilters know this will be a special year. New moons represent the beginning and what better way to begin the Pueblo West Quilters with a new leadership, a new agenda, and a new blog writer?
It’s cold, bitter cold, outside and no one wants to go to a meeting, at night, in January. It’s not a good time to be on the road – although the roads were dry – or to be lugging massive, bulky items to a meeting only to haul them home again. And the meeting itself. Where’s the fun? The holly jolly? The ??? Seriously, where are the Keystone Cops when you need them?
Never fear, the Cactus Kilter Quilters are here! I don’t know if the 2014 Pueblo West Quilters Board did it intentionally (I think they did.) but I got suckered into the hilarity, thinking I was only trying to help. Note to self: Don’t be fooled or tricked again. That’s how I wound up writing this blog! Remember the word “No”?
You ever see the Keystone Cops? Have you seen them disguised as quilters? You haven’t? Then I recommend attending the Pueblo West Quilters Guild monthly meeting because a Cactus Kilter Quilter will always show the comedic side to quilting. And you never know who the Cactus Kilter Quilter will be… she could be … you.
But I disgress… Quilting is a serious business and the Pueblo West Quilters Guild is serious.
Take for instance the new board, individually and as a group, they’re confident, fun, happy, joyful people. Some could say serious and responsible. They have, after all, volunteered to lead us this year so that’s a serious commitment. Oh? You want to meet them? Okay.
The 2014 officers are Helen Cherry, President; Cheryl Eaton, Vice-President; Linda Coursey, Secretary; and Chris Megan, Treasurer. If you really want to meet them, you can find them every 1st Monday of the month keeping order between the serious quilters and the – yep, you guessed it – the Cactus Kilter Quilters.
Helen whipped-stitched the “business-side” of  the evening to a fast, secured, perfect binding closure. A $2 cap/person for the in-house drawings and 1 gift/person/evening are the major changes of our drawings. One person “won” in two categories and had to decide if she wanted her 1st gift or the unknown 2nd gift.
The Cactus Kilter Quilters did their best to confuse the meeting with their antics of distributing the rest of the drawings. Bringing laughter into the quilt business ensured a fun-filled night. Now, I’m not naming names because it would be easy to say it was the Board’s antics that got the meeting off to – let’s just say don’t miss February’s meeting because a Cactus Kilter Quilter can pop up anywhere! It wasn’t the Board’s fault! Remember, sucker me???!!! I, along with others, brought internal exercising to the event… I’d even like to say I’m sorry for my unintentional comic relief because I was serious. I’m a serious person. But in hindsight, I’m the perfect fall guy, I mean, quilter, because I fall for it every time. Note to self: Stop falling. Just ignore them. Although if laughing is the only way I’ll exercise …
A couple new addendums will be the tipster and the membio. Yes, I made up that last word. The tipster: A handy quilting tip added to the bottom of the monthly agenda page. A member will give a tip to Helen before she prints up the agenda – I’d say within a week after the meeting, email her with next month’s “PWQ Monthly Tip” (indicate the month too) in the email’s subject line. If she doesn’t get the tip in a timely manner, … well … you know those Cactus Kilter Quilters … If they have to provide a tip, it might not be pretty!
Membio. Unsuspecting members will be randomly called to introduce themselves at each meeting. Here’s your heads-up so be prepared. We want to know the how and why you became a quilter and what kinds of quilts you make and how many UFQs you have and, and, and … Be courageous and tell us about yourself.
Speaking of letting the stuff out … or … keeping it in …
Pillowcases. Did you know that if you change your pillowcase every day while you’re ill, you can reduce your illness faster? All those germs accumulating will be gone! And you’ll rest easier because one tends to plump the pillow every time a pillowcase is changed. Ohhhh, the comfort of a fresh pillowcase…… but that’s not what happened at the meeting.
Lisa Mollenhauer demonstrated the Hot Dog Pillowcase. I mean, a pillowcase hot dog. Wait! That wasn’t it. Oh yeah, the hot dog style pillowcase. ‘Cept I don’t recall ketchup or mustard…. Seriously, donating fun pillowcases to people in crisis is a way PWQ brings comfort to our community and abroad. (The Wounded Warrior quilts are delivered in their own pillowcase so I’m thinking they travel all over the world once a WW graduate gets their quilts.)
But I digress. Again… Pillowcases. The duvet for your head.
Lisa demonstrated how to roll the fabric into a tube, (all neat and tidy – if someone’s watching. Or, you can cram it into the tube if you’re at home, alone.) to doing a Eleanor Burns’ quilt birthing, to creating the French Seam.
Tip: If you find threads sticking out of the French seam, stitch a slightly wider French seam. Who’s to know except you and your machine? If you keep the Cactus Kilter Quilters locked out of your room, they can’t spread rumors.
Going the extra step (making French seams) is a two-fold reward: tangled, raveling threads are caught within the seam so there’s no thread fight with the pillow, and the finished, sturdy product given to a child is not just a pillowcase but a vital tool for their next adventure. Who knows if a pillow, a bundle of clothes or a toad will wind up in this pillowcase.
If you want the directions, come to the next meeting, otherwise, check it out at TheCraftyGemini’s http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TAomYjHzUQk
(I recommend making a 3/8” or ½” French seam instead of trimming to 1/8”.)
February’s Block of the Month Drawing, bring your London Square BOMs: Dark Purple & beige/tan and dark blue/white for the Wounded Warrior blocks.
The London Square Block: 8”x8” finished, 8 ½” x 8 ½” unfinished block
Dark Purple/Blue: one 7”x7” block, four 3" X 3" blocks
Beige/ White: one 7”x7” block, four 3" X 3" blocks
Good directions. (But this makes a larger block size.)
2014 LUV Quilt is 60”x60” using sixteen 12”x12” Bento Box blocks. The Cactus Kilter Quilters struck again during the demonstration to the point where I got involved only to confuse things even more. Who knew they did it deliberately? And they were soooo sneaky about it too! I’m telling you, you miss so much by not attending the meetings! Anywhoooo, the directions to creating this masterpiece will be at the meeting but if you’re whining, I mean, wanting to do it now, check out
Remember, LUV quilts will be given to people in crisis so make crib to full size quilts. You don’t need to use the Bento Box Pattern to create a LUV quilt. Use another pattern or design your own, just keep those quilts squared up or those pesky Cactus Kilter Quilters will tusk-tusk. Seriously, while making your quilts, think about how you’d feel if you were on the receiving end. So make them with kindness and love in your hearts. (And if they’re a little wonky, I’ll handle the Cactus Kilter Quilters because, you know, sucker me…)
If you’re enjoying this blog, not able to join, but still want to participate, you’re more than welcome to make pillowcases &/or LUV quilts for people in need. Last year PWQ covered floods, tornadoes, fires, the abused, and wounded service women and men who protected others with 89 quilts. You can contact us via email link off to the right side of the page. We can meet if you’re in the Pueblo area or give you an address to send your pillowcases and quilts. Oh and include a LUVbio (A membio but a bio about you because when we showcase the quilts and pillowcases, we’d love to tell the members about you!)
Looking to be quilt-spired? Join us on February 3rd, 7 pm, at the Majestic Baptist Church in Pueblo West for a night wrapped in warmth … because you just know … if Punxsutawney Phil sees his shadow and returns to his hole, he’ll predict six more weeks of cold, bitter, winter weather and if he doesn’t see his shadow, Phil will predict an "early spring”. Slushy, soggy, wet weather.
I’ll make a prediction of my own … the Pueblo West Quilters will bring marvelous quilts and quilt-related items to Sew N Share on February 3rd. We do love to cuddle up in our quilts, while creating them or snuggling with a quilting book and hot chocolate.
Keeping me stitches crooked,
Cactus Kilter Quilter