Volume 1 Issue 10

Your go-to source for quilting camaraderie, tips, and insights, as well as upcoming Joyful and Merry Quilting Events and Courses!

1. Patchwork Puzzlers!

How much quilting trivia do you know? Today's questions are about basic quilting terminology!
Answers to the questions are listed at the end of the newsletter!

1. What is the main difference between "Foundation Piecing" and "Paper Piecing" in quilting?
   A) Foundation piecing uses fabric as the base, while paper piecing uses paper.
   B) Foundation piecing is done by hand, while paper piecing is done by machine.
   C) Foundation piecing uses larger fabric pieces, while paper piecing uses smaller fabric pieces.
   D) Foundation piecing is a modern technique, while paper piecing is traditional.
2. What does the quilting term "Stippling" refer to?
   A) Creating a quilt with small, uniform stitches
   B) A technique of sewing random, meandering lines without crossing over
   C) Applying small appliqué pieces to a quilt top
   D) Using decorative stitches to enhance the quilt’s design
3. In quilting, what is a "Y-Seam" and where is it typically used?
   A) A seam sewn in a Y-shape, often used in joining hexagons
   B) A decorative seam used for quilt borders
   C) A type of seam used in machine quilting
   D) A seam created using foundation piecing techniques
4. What does the term "Squaring Up" mean in quilting?
   A) Ensuring the quilt edges are even before binding
   B) Adjusting the quilting stitches to align properly
   C) Trimming quilt blocks or the quilt top to the correct size and shape
   D) Balancing the colors and patterns in a quilt design
5. What is "Echo Quilting," and how is it executed?
   A) Quilting in concentric circles to create a ripple effect
   B) Quilting parallel lines that follow the shape of an appliqué or design element
   C) Quilting using metallic threads for a shiny effect
   D) Quilting random, non-overlapping lines 

2. Merry Moment

Sometimes a Merry Moment lasts longer than a moment. Sometimes it can last for an hour...maybe two...maybe more! Today I had a merry moment that continues to give me joy long after the initial merriment!

Every year in July I have the privilege of taking about 200 beautiful handmade quilts, blankets and afghans to the 4-H Memorial Camp in Monticello IL. It is at this beautiful facility that “Camp Corral” is held.

Camp Corral offers recreational programs at camp facilities across the country designed specifically to empower America’s military children to make connections, build coping skills, and increase self-confidence. Summer Camp is offered to children (ages 8 to 15) of wounded, ill and fallen military service members and veterans.

I have been handing out blankets since 2013 at Camp Corral, so this is our 12th year. Each year I meet the children attending Camp Corral and personally give them a hug of comfort and security through the gift of a handmade blanket. When quilts and blankets are given to charity, due logistics and privacy issues, we rarely see who takes home these handmade treasures.

But one day during the year – at Camp Corral – 7 of us (blanketeers) are given the privilege of handing out Project Linus blankets to some very special children. We place the blankets on tables in the park shelter and then help the children carefully and meticulously select their personal favorite. We always laugh when we see a parent of a particular branch of the military try to coax their child to select a blanket representing mom or dad’s branch of service...and the child selects his or her favorite instead! They touch the fabric, look at the patterns and styles, wrap the blankets around their shoulders to “test them out”, and FINALLY make a decision as to which will become their own.

The thank yous from the campers, the parents and the siblings of campers are so heartwarming – it gives us the emotional fuel to plan for next year’s campers and get started on making another years-worth of quilts, blankets and afghans. It was a wonderful day...a joyful experience...and truly a privilege to be involved. It was a merry moment I will treasure for an entire year...until we return next year! 

 …I’m always trying to be joyful, but I will always be Mary! 
 

3. A Joyful and Merry Quilting Thank You!

I demonstrated a new pattern at our Night Owl Quilting Hangout! It is approximately 64” x 64” and called “Tied Up in Circles." Thank you to those of you who supported Joyful and Merry Quilting by purchasing the pattern! Your purchases help us to continue offering free patterns, quilting tips, and product reviews. If you’re interested, you can watch the video on our YouTube channel Live Stream and you can purchase the pattern at www.joyfulandmerryquilting.com/owl

If you would like to watch the tutorial, here’s the link: 
Tied Up In Circles - YouTube Live Tutorial 

4. Quilting Secrets, Fixes, and Tips

(If you have a quilting tip to share in our newsletter, please email it to [email protected].)

Carrie suggested the following DIY option to the pressing bar: “I love using the strip stick (pressing bar) to open seams. I made my own with some finishing wood trim from Home Depot, fabric and batting. Added a hook to one end so I can hang it up above my pressing station. Great tool! Recommend it to everyone.” 

5. Product Picks

After our ruler handles discussions, we have had two suggestions for ruler handles to make our cutting experience a little safer and a little easier. 

• Mea suggested the following handles for rulers. They are clear so she said they are easy to see through, hold well, and can be easily removed. Here’s the link if you’re interested: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B017DL3CJY/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie= UTF8&th=1
• Regina has been using the following handle from Harbor Freight for years and recommends it: https://www.harborfreight.com/bath-grip-safety-handle-with-indicator-59817.html

6. Merry Musings Mailbag

This section of our newsletter is a comment by one of our subscribers to one of our YouTube videos.

Shelley had a question about snowballing:
Shelley was struggling with keeping the corners of her snowball blocks uniform and accurate. Here is her question: “Do you have tips on sewing "snowballs" on corners? I have another WIP that calls for inch and a half squares sewed and trimmed on each corner of a five inch square, keeping the unfinished piece at 5 inches square. I am ready to throw in the towel! No amount of squaring the block corrects the hypotenuse of the snowball if not exactly placed and stitched.” 

My Answer:
Hi Shelley, Actually I do have a YouTube video on snowballing a block. I demonstrate two methods in the video. I prefer cutting the corners and then adding the triangles. It's really easy and there's a formula in the video to help you figure out the dimensions. Here's the link if you'd like to take a look: https://youtu.be/b9glXm6bEqo 
Good Luck and let me know if you have any questions!

Shelley's Reply:
Oh, Mary, Thank you so very much! I tried your "cut and sew" method this morning. While, for me right now, this procedure is more time-consuming, the completed block awards me with a much more accurate square, and significantly less frustrating and disappointing! The 45° points on the snowball Triangles evenly match up with those on the adjacent blocks. Hallelujah! Even resurrected memories of what I learned in high school geometry, 60 years ago 😃 Wishing you a great week ahead and joyful stitching! 

7. Quilting Tips, Tutorials and Ask the Quilter!

This section of our newsletter is dedicated to the Tuesday YouTube Quilting Tips Videos and questions asked and comments made by our subscribers. If you have any additional positive suggestions to add to the conversation, please comment! We’d love to have your insight.

This was a comment on our “How to Keep Your Sewing Machine in Place and Decrease the Noise” YouTube Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TeEJmM9Yos4

“I have a brother embroidery machine that I took to the sewing retreats. I was embarrassed at how much noise it created vs the other machines. I got the madam sewing pad and it cut the nose down so much. Thank you so much for the learning videos. I went to a quilting class 2 days ago and talked about you. I even showed the ladies and teacher the technique you showed on pressing with the pen solution."

Here is the link to the Pressing Marker video:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VlEfbD_HQLI&t=487s 

8. Joyful and Merry Quilting Course News, Previous Hangout Topics and Links, Night Owl and Daytime Quilting Hangouts Schedule

Quilting Course News: Registration for our quilting courses “Beginning Quilting: From Novice to Confident Quilter” (for quilters who are just learning about this great hobby/art and would like to learn more) and “Aim for the Stars” (for quilters who are confident beginners and ready to tackle the next level of quilting) are both closed and currently in session. If you would like to be added to the waiting list for either course, please email [email protected] and we will notify you when registration opens again. Both are fun courses and great learning experiences. More courses are coming, and I would love to have you join in. Keep watching the newsletter for details.

Night Owl Quilting Hangout and Daytime Quilting Hangout Schedules with links to previous hangouts:

Previous Hangout Links:
Wednesday, July 3 at 11amCDT Topic: Martelli Templates and Pressing Marker Substitutes
Monday, July 8 at 10pmCDT Topic: Tied Up in Circles Quilt Block
Wednesday, July 17 at 11amCDT: Triple Triangle Triad

 Upcoming Night Owl Quilting Schedule: 
Monday, July 22 at 10pmCDT 

Upcoming Daytime Quilting Schedule: 
Wednesday, August 7 at 11amCDT

9. Shop Hops, Quilt Shows, and More

If you have a local shop hop, quilt show, or another quilting-related event that you would like to share, please email [email protected] one month prior to the event and we will include it in this section of our newsletter.

EUREKA MONTANA QUILT SHOW: This is an Annual Outdoor Quilt Show held since 2005. It’s always held on the first Saturday in August. Submitted by Jolene Myers.
Time: 9 am - 4 pm
Admission is FREE
Hundreds of quilts are on display and line our Main Street through town
For more information go to: www.Eurekaquiltshow.com

PACIFIC INTERNATIONAL QUILT FESTIVAL: This festival will take place at the Santa Clara Convention Center from July 24-27 with vendors, classes, quilts and more. Submitted by Cindy VanHoy.
For more information go to: https://www.quiltfest.com/upcoming-shows-and-events/pacific-international-quilt-festival/

BIENNIAL ANDERSON AREA QUILT SHOW: Friday, July 19, 2024 and Saturday, July 20, 2024
Time: Friday 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., and Saturday, July 20, 2024 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Place: Anderson Sports and Entertainment Center located at 3027 Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd. in Anderson, SC, 29625.
Daily entrance is $6 plus applicable taxes and fees. Visit our Facebook page @Anderson Area Quilt Show for more information.

BATTINGSUPERSALE.COM: If you are interested in learning more about batting and quilting tools and how to make the best choice for your current project, Lyn Heilman can help! Lyn owns battingsupersale.com and in addition to GREAT prices and EXCELLENT service when it comes to batting, she also offers monthly lectures and classes on batting. Go to www.battingsupersale.com and click on “Lectures and Classes” for information.

• “What Needle Should I Use?” by Rhonda Pierce Schmetz is an upcoming FREE class. The date is yet to be determined, but you can register on Lyn’s website and she will notify you when a date has been set.

10. Joyful and Merry Community Quilt Guild Corner

The Joyful and Merry Community Quilt Guild will open registration again on August 1st and we would LOVE to have you in our guild! Registration details will be forthcoming. GET ON THE WAITING LIST HERE! Here's the latest guild news and reminders:

NEW GUILD NEWS

GUILD MEETING SHOW AND TELL: If you have something to “Show and/or Tell” at our July 18th Guild Meeting, please send a good quality photo(s) to [email protected] before July 17th and I will add you to the schedule. It’s difficult to show our quilts at our live Guild Zoom meeting, due to lighting, space, etc., so we will screen share the photos and then call on the guild member submitting the photos to give us the details during the meeting. Don’t be shy! We would love to share in your joy as you show share your creativity with the guild! Photos must be submitted in advance just to make sure we have enough time allotted for those members who will be sharing. I’m sure we all agree that being able to show our quilts “up close and personal” via Zoom is something unique to our guild. I will look forward to receiving your entries for our next meeting!

FREE Layer Cake Friendly Pattern: Tied Up in Circles. This pattern is free and has been emailed to guild members. Again, FREE PATTERNS are a few of the many perks for being a Joyful and Merry Community Quilt Guild member! Enjoy!

JULY HOLIDAY SCHEDULE:

• July 18th: Guild Meeting 11amCT
• No sew-along in July: see you in August!

AUGUST SCHEDULE:
Since August has 5 Thursdays, we’re scheduling the August meetings as follows. There will be no meeting the last week of August. Don’t forget to register for the Zoom, as always. Links will be available on our Guild Resource Page as soon as they are scheduled. You will also be emailed with the links as well.

•  August 1 – Guild Meeting 7pmCT
  • August 1 – Guild Membership opens with a limited number of places available - CLICK HERE to get on the waiting list! (or tell your friends to get ready to join!)
  • August 8 – Training Videos Released
  • August 15 – Guild Meeting 11amCT
  • August 22 – Extra Guild Meeting Sew-a-Long

SAMPLER BLOCKS OF THE MONTH CHALLENGE: 
The Sampler Blocks of the month - Block #4: “Heart Block” and Block #5: “Pinwheel Block” have been added to our Guild Block Library, and training videos are now available for both in your Guild Resource Page under JULY.

*GUILD REMINDERS*

CALENDAR:
Just a reminder – all of the Joyful and Merry Quilting Community Guild Meeting Zoom Links are available on the Guild Resource Page of the joyfulandmerryquilting.com website. You MUST register ahead of time in order to participate in the meeting, by clicking on the link.

EXTRA GUILD MEETINGS:
Our next “EXTRA” guild meeting will be held at 7pmCT on August 22nd. Chat opens at 6:30pmCT. We will be working on our Outdoor Oasis Picnic and Beach Quilt. Your assignment is to have completed all the steps through Page 6, Point #4. We will begin to add our rectangles to our two-patch pieces. (There will be no Extra Guild Meeting in July) 

JOYFUL AND MERRY QUILTING COMMUNITY CARE CORNER: 

This will be a spot in our newsletter for members to share their needs and concerns, whether they're related to health, personal challenges, celebrations, etc. It will be a place where we can support and care for one another, share joys and struggles, and provide encouragement to each other regardless of our beliefs or backgrounds. We want it to remain a place of inclusivity while still fostering a sense of community and support within the guild. In this spirit, let’s turn our attention to those in our community in need of some extra support right now:

We don't have any submissions for our Care Corner this week. If you would like to post in our Community Care Corner, simply send your "Community Care Corner Request" (on sentence) to [email protected] and I will post it in the newsletter. You can post it anonymously or add your name - totally up to you.

RECORDED MEETINGS:
Please keep in mind that our recorded meetings will only be available for 3 months or until we run out of room on our Zoom Account, whichever comes first. So, if you missed a meeting, be sure to watch the recorded version ASAP, so you don’t miss out.

WEBSITE MONTHLY TABS:
Once we move into a new month, we will have a tab that will take you to the archived files from previous months…just in case there’s something you want to review. Depending on how often our members access this feature will decide the length of time the previous months will be available. We hope you enjoy this feature!

GUILD MEETING TIMES AND MISSED MEETINGS:
We want to make sure you take note of this information. We are still having members access the meetings at the wrong time, and accidentally missing out on the guild and quilting fun.

TIME ZONES: Please keep in mind that our Guild Meeting Times are listed in CENTRAL DAYLIGHT TIME. If you live in another time zone, make sure you double check (and triple check) the guild time and then adjust it to accommodate for your time zone. We continue to have members join our guild meetings an hour or two early or an hour or two late and in the process, miss the actual meeting. The meetings are recorded, but if you want to join the meeting LIVE, please make sure you have the guild time adjusted to YOUR particular time zone. 

CHAT SESSIONS: If you have time, please join us half an hour before our guild meetings for our Guild's Community Chat sessions: 6:30pm CDT for evenings and 10:30am CDT for daytime meetings. This is such a fun time getting to know each other and I hope you’ll join us when you can. Please note that entering before the designated time strains our recording time allotment, so we have instituted a waiting room where members will be admitted to the meeting once the host is there and the chat session opens.

JOYFUL AND MERRY COMMUNITY GUILD FOUNDING MEMBER CHAT FORUM: 
We have been enjoying our Community Chat Forum! It's a great alternative to Facebook, where all guild members are included in the chat. Here's how to get to the Chat Forum (or you can click here):

1.  Go to the joyfulandmerryquilting.com website

2.  Click on your “LIBRARY”

3.  Click on the “JOYFUL AND MERRY COMMUNITY QUILT GUILD FOUNDING MEMBER” 

4.  Click on “FEED” and you will be taken to the Chat.  You can post pictures, questions, comments, etc.  It’s a great place to get to know our Founding Members and share our love of quilting!  

EMAIL PREFERENCES: 

Important: Guild Membership is Non-Refundable
Please do not mark any guild emails as SPAM or unsubscribe from them. Since this is a virtual group, email, Zoom, and our website are the primary ways to stay involved. Unsubscribing or marking emails as SPAM removes you from the email list, and by law, we cannot reverse this action. 

Some members who have marked our emails as SPAM or unsubscribed have requested a refund, which we cannot provide. All information sent via email is also available on our website's resource page. If you prefer not to receive emails, you can still access all guild information, links, patterns, etc., by visiting joyfulandmerryquilting.com and clicking on “Library,” then the Guild tab. 

Some members still experience issues with not receiving emails. The most common problems are unsubscribing, your email provider sending our emails to your spam folder, recipients marking emails as SPAM, or using different email addresses for the guild and newsletter subscriptions. Please email [email protected] if you continue to have issues with email and we will do our best to help you remedy the situation. 

Please be very careful with emails from joyfulandmerryquilting.com through our Kajabi email service. If you no longer wish to receive them, simply delete them. Do not unsubscribe unless you intend to. By law, we cannot re-add you to our email list, and you will no longer receive any correspondence from us. If you label our emails as SPAM, your email address will be permanently removed from our list. 

Additionally, if you forward our emails and the new recipient clicks Unsubscribe or marks them as Spam, your email address (not theirs) will be removed from our list. We understand mistakes happen, but some cannot be corrected. Please be careful. Thank you!
 

That's it for this newsletter! Have a joyful and merry week of quilting!

ANSWERS to this week’s PATCHWORK PUZZLERS:

1. Answer: A) Foundation piecing uses fabric as the base, while paper piecing uses paper.
   ▪ Explanation: Foundation piecing can use either fabric or paper as the base onto which fabric pieces are sewn, while paper piecing specifically uses paper. This technique provides accuracy and stability for complex patterns
2. Answer: B) A technique of sewing random, meandering lines without crossing over.
   ▪ Explanation: Stippling, also known as meandering, is a free-motion quilting technique where the quilter sews random, non-overlapping lines. This method adds texture and stability to the quilt without drawing attention away from the quilt's design.
3. Answer: A) A seam sewn in a Y-shape, often used in joining hexagons.
   ▪ Explanation: A Y-seam is a technique used to join three pieces of fabric that meet at a single point, creating a Y-shape. This is commonly used in patterns involving hexagons or diamonds, such as the Lone Star quilt pattern
4. Answer: C) Trimming quilt blocks or the quilt top to the correct size and shape.
   ▪ Explanation: Squaring up involves trimming the edges of quilt blocks or the quilt top to ensure they are the correct size and perfectly square. This step is crucial for accurate assembly and alignment
5. Answer: B) Quilting parallel lines that follow the shape of an appliqué or design element.
   ▪ Explanation: Echo quilting involves stitching parallel lines that mimic the contour of an appliqué or quilt design, creating a "halo" effect that emphasizes the shape and adds texture