Agave Quilters Guild

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Programs

November 2024:

Jennifer Johnson is the new owner of A Quilter's Oasis in Mesa since December 2023. Jennifer and her husband, Luke, purchased the store from former owners Kathy & Bob Reynolds who operated the store since opening it in 2005. Jennifer had been an employee there for nine years. At our November meeting, Jennifer provided insights into selecting the right needles and thread. She used visuals of giant 3D printer-generated needles to show the differences. The top stitch needle has the largest eye with a long groove above the eye which holds and protects the thread from friction with the fabric, which dulls the needle, and it is also sharper than the universal. The quilting needle has a blunt tip and can result in more thread breakage. Microtex needles are thinner and sharper than top stitch needles. She also talked about different thread weights which are based on the number of strands of a particular length equivalent to one gram of weight. Her favorite combination is the 80/12 top stitch needle used with 50 weight Aurifil thread. Jennifer gifted attendees with a travel-size pack of rinse-free “Soak”, good for handwashing quilts (also for use in HE machines).

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October 2024:

Karen Fisher of Karen Fisher Art Quilts in Tucson was our October speaker. Karen presented her program "Yes! We are all artists!" Karen made her first granddaughter’s quilt in 2002, and loved the process. With a lifetime of making art, plus decades of sewing, she created her own vision of quilting. As she began winning awards, she discovered she preferred traditional fabric construction for her original work. She has won multiple awards, both local and national, over the years. In 2012, her book Easy Grid Quilts was published by AQS. She has had work in several magazines, and currently had two quilts touring with the HERStory exhibit, which premiered at the 2017 Houston Quilt Festival. In 2018 two of her quilts were exhibited at Houston Quilt Festival: Dear Paula, With Sincere Thanks, and Medieval. She is currently the president of the Tucson Quilters Guild. Using an assortment of her own quilts, she led us through multiple ways of defining the BIG QUESTION: What is Art?, and helped us find our own fit along the spectrum.

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September 2024:

Due to a long and overwhelmingly hot summer, many snowbirds delayed their return trips to Arizona. Who can blame them? Since we had a smaller group we did not schedule a speaker. Instead, we again played Quilter's Strip Poker which is always enjoyed by members since one lucky person at each table goes home with a brand new jelly roll. Several members shared their summer accomplishments for show and tell.

 

 

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June - July - August: Happy Summer - no meetings were held!

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May 2024:

We had a smaller group in May due to most snowbirds traveling north in April and consequently, did not have an outside speaker scheduled. Instead, we played Quilter's Strip Poker and oh what fun we had! In this game, jelly roll fabric strips are used instead of poker chips. Everyone managed to stay fully dressed and one lucky player at each table went home with a brand new jelly roll!

 

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April 2024:

For our program this month instead of a speaker, members held an in-house garage sale by members. Tables were set up and several members brought in sewing related items they wished to sell while other members "shopped". After all was said and done, it was quite successful. There was everything you might need available and for a very good price. The guild also celebrated its 29th birthday with cake and recognized current members Cindy Banna and Sue Jordan who have been members since 1995, the year of the guild's inception.

 

 

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March 2024:

Our guest speaker was Helen Frost, International Speaker. Helen is a quilt maker, author, teacher, and magician. Her program was absolutely entertaining. Helen began quilting in 1972 and started teaching in 1974. Those were the exciting days of discovery and innovation. She and her mother, Blanche Young, developed new, strip-pieced methods for making traditional designs including the Lone Star, Sunshine & Shadow, and Nine-Patch. Their books on these subjects were bestsellers. The title of Helen’s presentation is THE QUILTER'S MAGIC SHOW: LOTS OF TRICKS FOR BETTER QUILTS. Is perfect patchwork an illusion? Add these techniques for precise cutting, easier matching, and efficient pressing to your bag of tricks. Learn the secret behind ripple-free borders and great bindings. Get terrific ideas for improving your quilt and enjoy some magic tricks too!

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February 2024:

Kelly Grant of Kelly Grant Designs presented her Trunk Show and Batik Fabric Designing & Manufacturing slide show in February. Kelly designs batik fabrics and presented a very engaging slide show program highlighting her trip to Bali where she went behind the scenes to learn more about the ancient art of batik. The wax-resist dye process originated on the island of Java in Indonesia by family groups who carefully guard their designs and methods. They dye fabric in 50-yard lengths. We learned that true batik fabrics are those that have been stamped with wax. Two other types are color wash (single color) and hand dye (multiple colors). Over time, all three methods have come to be labeled as batiks. Minimal shrinkage and lovely colors make them a favorite choice for quilters. 

 

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January 2024:

The Whimsical Workshop, LLC is a full-service design studio and retailer led by Heidi and Matthew Pridemore. They specialize in bright, fun quilt patterns, fabric, fabric kits, books and licensing. Today's lecture is titled "How Do They Come Up With Those Ideas?" Ever wonder what it’s like to be behind the scenes, creating patterns for major fabric companies and magazines to share with the world? In this lecture, Heidi walked us through this process from her experienced and unique point of view. Heidi’s approach to design focuses on a variety of techniques meant to inspire you as you work on your next project. This lecture includes a trunk show of some of Heidi’s best-known projects! She designs a large number of project sheets featuring fabric lines from national companies, such as Andover Fabrics, Blank Quilting, Studio E, Timeless Treasures, Westminster Fabrics, and Windham Fabrics. She also designs quilt patterns for a variety of popular quilting magazines, such as Quiltmaker, McCall’s Quick Quilts, The Quilter, and Quilts. In addition, she has completed five books.

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