Issue 19: The Joyful and Merry Quilting Newsletter

Sep 19, 2024

Merry Moment 🥳

I usually try to schedule my week so that I’m not overwhelmed with more work than I can handle on any particular day.

This week was no different—until a glitch hit me hard: a sore throat (not terrible, just uncomfortable), followed by a stuffy nose (nothing debilitating—just annoying), and then, out of the blue…laryngitis! I completely lost my voice. Not just a little bit—completely. No calling the dog, no singing with the radio, no continuous "quilt talk" (mostly one-sided) with my husband, and no chit-chat with anyone at all. 

I love to talk. I love to talk about quilting! I look forward to our YouTube Live Chats, Zoom visits, meetings, and videotaping the next course lesson or quilting tip. I had no idea how much of what I do depends on my voice. It turns out, a lot—almost everything!

So, what did I do? I went to my sewing room. I cut some fabric, sewed some seams, finished a quilt top, organized my scraps and wrote a pattern. I also followed everyone’s helpful healing advice: regular cups of lemon, honey, and ginger herbal tea, Ricola throat lozenges, and Tylenol. I’m tired of the silence, but grateful for quilting. It always seems to fill the gap when something’s missing, and that brings me joy!


I’m always trying to be joyful... but I’ll always be Mary!



Patchwork Puzzlers! 🤔


For a new quilter, there are many essential tools that help make a “first-time quilter’s” experience 
that much more enjoyable. Do you know what these quilting tools are used for and why they’re so important? Answers to the questions are listed at the end of the newsletter!

1. What tool is most commonly used to ensure straight, even cuts when preparing fabric for quilting?
A. Rotary Cutter
B. Fabric Scissors
C. Needle Threader
D. Seam Ripper

2. What is the purpose of a self-healing cutting mat in quilting?
A. To prevent fabric from slipping while cutting
B. To protect the surface underneath and extend the life of rotary blades
C. To iron small pieces of fabric
D. To hold pins and needles safely while quilting

3. What is a common tool used to remove stitches when a mistake is made while sewing quilt pieces together?
A. Rotary Cutter
B. Sewing Gauge
C. Seam Ripper
D. Quilt Basting Spray

4. Which tool is used to press seams flat after sewing quilt pieces together?
A. Pressing Marker
B. A wooden pressing stick
C. Iron
D. All of the above.

5. Which tool is useful for holding multiple layers of fabric together without leaving pin holes, often used in binding?
A. Straight Pins
B. Quilting Clips
C. Thimble
D. Bias Tape Maker

JOYFUL AND MERRY COMMUNITY QUILT GUILD MEMBERSHIP IS NOW OPEN WITH LIMITED SPACE AVAILABLE

We’d LOVE to welcome you to our Joyful and Merry Community Quilt Guild! Imagine joining a warm, global community of quilters who support, inspire, and learn from each other every step of the way. Our guild is a virtual quilt circle where everyone is valued, from beginners to seasoned quilters. With twice monthly meetings, special guest speakers, a block library, free patterns, and fun sew-alongs, there's always something exciting to be a part of. Come join us—we can't wait to meet you!
Learn more here:
https://www.joyfulandmerryquilting.com/guildreopenreplay



A Joyful and Merry Thank You! 🥰

Thank you so much to Janice Heighway for the $1.99 'Thank You' on the Mitering Corners Quilting Tip video, as well as to Deb Dietz and Estelle Saltzman or their $5 donations during yesterday's Daytime YouTube Live! Your kindness is truly appreciated—thank you!

 

Quilting Secrets, Fixes, and Tips 

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

The following comment was made by KateM in response to our “What is Hiding in your Rotary Cutter” video: Just found this by chance and boy am I happy! I had all my rotary cutters out to go to replace all the blades. But after I followed your directions, I think you saved me a boatload of money! Thanks!

My response: Isn't that just the craziest thing? I couldn't believe what I found! Thanks for watching! 

If you haven’t watched the video, click here rejuvenate your rotary cutters without spending a dime:
Click Here to Watch Now

 

Product Picks and Tips 👍

As a Project Linus Chapter Coordinator and Board member, we prioritize the safety of the children who receive our quilts. Recently, we've had incidents where straight pins were accidentally left in quilts. To prevent this, we encourage volunteers to use quilting clips instead. They are visible, easy to remove, work well, and eliminate the risk of injury. If you haven't tried quilting clips yet, I highly recommend them—they're affordable, convenient, and much safer, and no one gets “stuck” when they’ve been left behind!

 



Merry Musings Mailbag 💌

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

The following is a comment from Dianne about rulers: Thanks Dianne!
“I saw a comment where they were talking about rulers and why some have that extra half inch. Here is the reason: Many rulers have that extra 1/2” along the left and bottom edges to factor in the 1/4” seam allowance when squaring up your blocks. For example, if the finished size of your block is to be 9” when sewn into your quilt, you’ll have to square it to 9 1/2” to account for the seam allowance. The extra 1/2” on the left and bottom help with that."



Quilting Course News

The Foundation Piecing Course: Pumpkin Parade!  OPEN FOR PRE-ENROLLMENT: Are you ready to take your foundation piecing to the next level and create an adorable quilt just in time for fall? This course begins on September 23, 2024! CLICK HERE TO PRE-ENROLL and see what it's all about. Remember – guild members receive a 15% discount on all courses and patterns in our Joyful and Merry Quilting store!


Beginning Quilting: From Novice to Confident Beginner:
 
If you are a beginning quilter or a self-taught quilter and are curious about this course, please go to joyfulandmerryquilting.com/beginner and watch the video. I would LOVE to share my quilting knowledge and expertise with you. I have been quilting for 30+ years and “trial and error” was the primary way I learned how to quilt. With this course, you can skip the “trial and error” part and join with me as we explore the world of quilting together. Click on the link above for information about the course as well as instructions on how to register!


Our Aim For the Stars course, for quilters who are confident beginners and ready to tackle the next level of quilting, will begin open enrollment soon! You can get on the waiting list here: Aim For The Stars Waiting List

 

 

Night Owl and Daytime Quilting Hangouts Schedules with Links to Previous Hangouts

Previous Hangout Links:
Monday, September 9 at 10PM CDT:
Let's Take a Spin Block Challenge

Wednesday, September 18 at 11AM CDT:
Quilting without a Voice using the Bloc-Loc Strip Set Ruler

 

 

YouTube Live Schedule: 

Night Owl Quilting Hangout
Monday, September 23 at 10pmCDT

Daytime Quilting Hangout
Wednesday, October 2 at 11am CDT

 

 

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.

ALL NEW ENGLAND SHOP HOP
September 1-October 31, 2024
https://allnewenglandshophop.com

BOISE BASIN QUILTERS
September 27—September 28
10am – 5pm, Expo Idaho, Boise

The Boise Basin Quilters’ Guild (BBQ) is a non-profit 501(c)(3) established for the purpose of promoting awareness, education and the preservation of the quilting arts. The Boise Basin Quilters Quilt Show is the largest quilt show in the state of Idaho and the Guild's largest source of fundraising. Over 300 quilt entries in 20 categories are expected with judging provided by certified professional judges. Having professionally certified judges at our show brings it to a distinct level. A mecca for vendors, several will offer brief hands-on demonstrations of their products. The Gift Garden, featuring hand made quilts and other related items, is hugely popular and offers a variety of items in perfect time for holiday shopping. A quilt made by guild members will be raffled and presented to the winning ticket holder on Saturday afternoon as the show winds down. A Quilts of Valor® Ceremony is also a featured special event. The entire Expo Center falls silent as the National Anthem is heard when the Honor Guard presents our nation's flag. For those attending the ceremony, there is rarely a dry eye in the house. More information can be found on the Guild's website: https://www.boisebasinquilters.org/ 
Click 
on the “Quilt Shows” tab for additional details about the show.

MOUNTAINS TO OCEAN FALL SHOP HOP 2024
October 17-20, 2024 Maine Shop Hop 
CLICK here for more details:
https://boltfabricsmaine.com/2024/06/29/mountain-to-the-ocean-fall-shop-hop/

SEW YOUR HEART OUT
2024 Jacksonville Florida Quiltfest
September 19-21, 2024
https://www.visitjacksonville.com/events/jacksonville-quiltfest-quiltfestjax/

STAR STRUCK QUILT SHOW presented by Keystone Quilters
NACQA Judged Show
Quilt Registration is open to the public. Deadline is September 3, 2024
Finland Mennonite Church
1750 Ziegler Rd.
Pennsburgh, PA
October 11-12, 2024
www.keystonequilters.org
or call 610-282-0651

CELEBRATING THE QUILT presented by Illini Country Stitchers
October 4-5, 2024
Friday 9am - 5pm, Saturday 9am - 3:30pm
Savoy Rec Center
402 Graham Drive
Savoy, IL
https://www.illinicountrystitchers.com

FORT DODGE, IOWA AREA QUILTERS
"Inspirations from the Heart"
Saturday, October 12, 2024 9am-5pm
Sunday, October 13, 2024 10am-4pm
Webster County Fairgrounds, Fort Dodge, IA
https://www.facebook.com/FDAQG

 

 

Quilting Deals, Products and Savings 💰

Some great deals to check out!

BATTINGSUPERSALE.COM: For some GREAT batting deals - go to www.battingsupersale.com and check out today’s specials!

 

Joyful and Merry Community Quilt Guild Corner✨


Would you like to join a wonderful community of quilters from all over the world? We would LOVE to have you as a member of our Joyful and Merry Community Quilt Guild! Registration has officially reopened - get all the details and registration info here:
https://www.joyfulandmerryquilting.com/guildreopenreplay

The vision of our community quilt guild is: "To create a warm and inclusive virtual space where every member feels valued. We believe in fostering a positive and supportive community, free of judgment, where quilters of all levels can come together to learn, to share, and to grow.”

We have 
two meetings each month, special speakers, a block library, a chat forum, training videos, free patterns, sew-alongs, live Zoom quilt chats and more!
The Joyful and Merry Community Quilt Guild will open registration again on August 1st and we would LOVE to have you join our guild.
https://www.joyfulandmerryquilting.com/guildreopenreplay

Here's the latest guild news and reminders:

NEW GUILD NEWS: Guild members receive a 15% discount on all patterns and courses on our website. Go the the Guild Resource Page for the code!

GUILD MEETING SHOW AND TELL: If you have something to “Show and/or Tell” at our Guild Meeting, please send a good quality photo(s) to [email protected] before September 30th (for our October 3rd meeting) 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!

SEPTEMBER SCHEDULE: 
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.

September 5: The recording for our Guild Meeting featuring 
Caroline Embleton presenting "The Panguitch Quilt Walk" is now available on our Guild Resource Page.
September 12: Block Training Videos Released by 5PM CDT
September 19: Guild Meeting at 11am CDT: New (free) pattern release and tutorial: Variation on Mary's Triangles: "Mary's Triangles in Motion"
September 26: Extra Guild Meeting Sew-A-Long

Guild Membership officially re-opened last night with a limited number of slots available! Please invite your friends to join us! An email will be sent out today with replay and registration details.


SAMPLER BLOCKS OF THE MONTH CHALLENGE: 
The Sampler Block of the month, Block 8: "The Big Dipper" and Block 9: “King's Crown Block” have been released and added to our Guild Block Library, and the training videos for blocks 8 and 9 are available on our Guild Resource Page! You are welcome to make the block using the PDF, but if you would like step-by-step instruction, you will need to wait until the 2nd Thursday of next month when the training is available.

*GUILD REMINDERS*
 The following is general information that is posted in each newsletter as a helpful guide and resource for our guild members.


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 7pm CDT on September 26th. Pre-Meeting Chat opens at 6:30pm CDT. Bring a project to work on! If you're working on the Outdoor Oasis Picnic and Beach Quilt, you're welcome to work on it or pick something else! It's totally up to you!

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:
Our most recent guild meeting has been added to the Guild Resource Page. 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.comwebsite
  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!
  5. If you would like to offer your support for any of our guild members listed in the Community Care Corner, you are welcome to do so in our Chat Forum.

  

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!

All of our archived Joyful and Merry Quilting Newsletters can now be found in the Blog Section of our website! Many have requested a place to access all previous newsletter releases. Head over to https://www.joyfulandmerryquilting.com/blog and you'll find them all as they're released! The weekly newsletter is released on Thursdays.

 

ANSWERS to this week’s PATCHWORK PUZZLERS:

1. A. Rotary Cutter
2. B. To protect the surface underneath and extend the life of rotary blades
3. C. Seam Ripper
4. D. All of the above
5. B. Quilting Clips

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