Looking for Game ideas? Click here. Publicity Ideas are here. These are program ideas for your guild meeting. If you have any other suggestions, please use the form at the end of...
After serving a year as President of our local quilt guild, I now know how hard it can be to keep things new and interesting. New ideas for programs, group projects, and charitable giving, whether big or small, seem to be hard to come by. I am not sure why, I know there are lots of busy guilds out there! I decided to start a page on my blog to keep a running list of program, project and charity ideas for quilt guilds.Feel free to use the ideas! Also, PLEASE send me information if you have participated in anything that would be good to list here. Ugly fabric challenge This one was a lot of fun for everyone. It ends up being a great program and charity project all wrapped into one. Before the meeting - A month before the meeting: announce to your members and print in your newsletter as well - "everyone bring in at least one yard of the ugliest quilting fabric they can find in their stash." At the meeting Show and Tell - have everyone sit in a circle. First, have a show and tell about the fabric. WHY IN THE WORLD DID YOU BUY THAT FABRIC???? WHAT POSSESSED YOU? This part is a lot of fun and laughs. Next you are going to do a fabric swap of a different kind! Have everyone pass their piece of fabric to the person on their right. Each person should tear the piece of fabric they just received in half (bring a pair of scissors to the meeting, as some fabric is hard to start a tear.) Place one half of the torn fabric in their "stash" under their chair. Pass the other half to the right person on their right. Tear the piece you just received in half. Place half in your "stash", pass the other half. (Each person should now have two new pieces of fabric in their stash.) Tear the piece you just received in half, pass one piece and put the other in your stash............. Keep repeating this process until the fabric goes all the way around, or it gets too small (one-inch squares) to tear. Everyone now has a new stash of ugly fabric! Hmmmm.....what should we do with this? Now for the charity portion of the program.....our guild makes doll quilts for Christmas gifts for needy children. My challenge to the guild was to make a doll quilt (or two) using their newly acquired fabric stash. The challenge was that they could add anything they wanted to the stash, but they must use the entire stash! We had a great response to this. It boosted the number of quilts made for the charity and we ended up with some great show and tell items that people made from the ugly fabrics! Everyone was amazed at what you could do with such ugly fabric! If you use this idea, I would love to hear about it! I would enjoy seeing your photos.Remember, if you have an idea to share - please do! If this is your first time visiting my little home here in blogland, be sure to take a look at my free patterns page, by clicking on the free patterns tab at the top of this page.
Looking for Game ideas? Click here. Publicity Ideas are here. These are program ideas for your guild meeting. If you have any other suggestions, please use the form at the end of...
Add life and connection to your quilt guild meetings with these 14 helpful ideas. Just in time to plan your 2024 program.
Hi there! Recently I've been thinking back on some fun swaps and challenges I've participated in over the years (online and through my local quilt guilds) so I thought I'd share about some of them here in case you're in need of some ideas. I'm always on the lookout for new, fresh swap/challenge ideas too so I'd love to hear your ideas at the end of this post! You can break swaps up into 2 different categories: fabric swaps and block swaps. Sometimes block swaps can be a bit tricky (especially if you're the OCD type and are worried about block sizes finishing correctly). Maybe I'm a little bit this way, so I tend to participate in fabric swaps more often than block swaps. That way you can you can exchange with your friends but you have more control over the finished product. FABRIC SWAP IDEAS Here are a few ideas for fabric swaps: 1. First, plan a year's worth of monthly themes (ie. January - Winter, February - Hearts, March - Green, April - Swirls, May - Flowers, etc.). Have 12 people sign up to participate. Each month everyone brings 1 fat quarter that matches the theme for the month and puts it in a basket as they walk into the guild meeting. After all 12 fqs are in the basket, draw one of the participants' names to win those 12 fqs. The next month, everyone still contributes their fq's but the previous winner(s) names do not go into the draw to win. Each participant will eventually win a fat quarter bundle at some point throughout the year. You could call this a Fat Quarter Frenzy Fabric Swap. Encourage the participants to take no more than 12 months following their win to make a project with their 12 fqs. [example of a red, white and blue Fat Quarter Frenzy Fabric Swap bundle] 2. Choose a theme (ie. low volumes, tiny florals, Disney, etc.). Have as many people that would like to participate bring a fat quarter, a 10" square, a 5" square or a 2-1/2" x WOF strip for each person participating. This is a nice way to get out of your comfort zone or simply get a good assortment of prints without having to purchase all of them. In 2017, I participated in an online swap of tiny floral fabrics. We were told how much fabric to buy, how to cut it to yield the necessary number of pieces, the hostesses shipping address and when to have it shipped to her by. She gave very specific instructions and rules and made sure there would be no duplicates. Then the host of the swap divvied them all up and shipped bundles of 42 assorted tiny floral 10" squares to each person. A small fee was necessary to help cover return shipping. Here's the beautiful bundle of fabrics I received: 3. Present each swap participant with a beautiful photograph featuring an inspiring color scheme. Have everyone return the following month with enough fat quarters (or whatever predetermined size pieces of fabric) that features one of the colors pictured in the photograph. They should bring the same amount of fqs/pieces of fabric as there are swap participants. The assortment of fabrics they receive in the end should be a fun representation of the photograph (it could be surprising, depending on what colors people chose!) Note, we did this swap in my local quilt guild. Everyone decided beforehand that they wanted to make my Fall Flowers quilt so after divvying up the fqs we also gave them the pattern. They chose their own background fabric and made their own quilts but the Fall Flowers were made with fabrics from the swap. [Image by Lulie Wallace via The Jealous Curator] Block Swap Ideas Here are a few ideas for block swaps: 1. Choose blocks that have some room for squaring up, such as these heart applique blocks. We swapped 1 large heart and 2 small hearts with each person. See THIS post for more details. Or these Plus Blocks. Click HERE for the free instructions (excuse the note at the beginning about how many we were to exchange, etc.). There are so many more blocks out there that allow for trimming down. But, you can swap blocks that don't allow room for trimming too. Any block will work really, I just find that no matter how much you stress using an accurate 1/4" seam allowance, without fail there will be some blocks that end up too small or too big. So it's just my personal preference to swap blocks that allow for trimming. (With that being said, I have seen many beautiful quilts that were the result of a swap and even if points were cut off in the making you can't really tell in the end unless you look close.) 2. Choose a block pattern for the swap. Have each participant give a colorful scrap of fabric (for inspiration) and the required amount of background fabric of their choice to each of the other participants (given in a ziplock bag with their name on it). Then each participant makes a block (or two) using fabrics that coordinate with each persons fabric scrap and gives it to them the following month. That's what we did for these Spool quilts: [Sassy Stitchers circa 2013] More info about these Spools quilts can be found in THIS post and THIS post. 3. Try learning a new technique together (such as paper piecing) and then swap the finished blocks. One night, we each learned how to make a set of identical half square triangles. We asked that everyone use 1 red and 1 cream fabric for their set. At the end of the night, we put them into piles and were able to take a couple of each of the different fabric combos. We went home with a scrappy assortment of HSTs. HERE is a similar pattern to what we used to make the HSTs. I ended up making this flag quilt with mine: Guild Challenge Ideas 1. This next idea was a challenge to try new blocks and test our creativity! Together, our small guild, picked out several blocks we liked from the book, Around the Block with Judy Hopkins. Then we each went home and made the blocks in our own time and in our own color scheme. We put them together however we liked and shared them later in the year. It was fun to see how different everyone's quilts turned out. Here's mine: [More details about this quilt can be found HERE and HERE.] 2. The Mystery Bag Challenge. I learned about this idea from my grandmother many years ago. She had done it in her quilt guild and I passed the idea on to my quilt guild. Put two crayons in a small paper bag and seal it shut. Make enough bags as there are participants in the swap. Let each person choose a bag. The challenge is they have to make a quilt using some shade of just those two colors (they can also add in black or white if they desire). This challenge helps quilters get outside of their color comfort zone and it's also fun to see the inspiration colors turn into a quilt (tell them to hang on to their crayons to show with the finished quilt, down the road). The next swap my little quilt group is doing is a 4-Patch exchange using 3" bright/low volume squares. I'm excited to get making! I'd love to hear your ideas for guild swap/challenge ideas. Have you done anything creative in your group? Please share in the comment section below. Thanks for stopping by today!
Hey Gang, we’re playing with color! Join us for our Color Inspiration Challenge, inspired by Anna Maria Horner. Since so many people are social distancing and sewing at home, here’s another o…
Looking for Game ideas? Click here. Publicity Ideas are here. These are program ideas for your guild meeting. If you have any other suggestions, please use the form at the end of...
Last Christmas, the group made Holiday Patchwork Forest Blocks. Even though I didn't win the Block Lotto, I was still excited to make my own Modern Christmas Tree Quilt! Let me show you my quilt and explain how the Block Lotto works. Check it out!
Quilt Guild Challenge Bundle Roll Of The Dice Quilt Challenge Idiom Quilt Challenge Memory Quilt Challenge Color Wheel Quilt Challenge Crumb Quilt Challenge Save money by buying all five of these games in a package. Digital downloads make life easier, NO SHIPPING and you get it immediately! **Please note- this is NOT A PHYSICAL PRODUCT, therefore, there will be no returns accepted. Make sure your computer is able to download these formats before purchasing. These files are strictly for personal or small business use in creating any physical products. Please do not share or recreate or resell this product.
Creating Great Guild Programs I’m often asked how to make guild meetings more exciting by offering programs that get everyone involved. The Programs Committee for my Guild came up with a fabulous idea and I’m sharing it here with you. This challenge could be used by a Modern Quilt Guild OR by a Cottage Group … Guild Program Ideas: Challenges! Read More »
If you enjoy the craft of quilting, or if you are just looking to get into it, a quilt guild can be great place to start. There are lots of benefits to joining a quilt guild or at least connecting with a quilting community. When you have a hobby like quilting, it is all the more rewarding to work and share the art with others who carry that same passion. Learn further, as we discuss what a quilt guild is and if joining a quilting guild is for you!
Utah Quilt Guilds - UT quilter groups listed by city so you can find a quilter near you. This information is direct from guild members.
Saskatchewan Quilt Guilds - SK quilter groups listed by city so you can find a quilter near you. This information is direct from guild members.
I don't know about you; but if you are the leader of a quilt guild it can be taxing sometimes to find icebreaker-style activities and or...
Spark creativity with your guild members with one of these 15 quilt challenge ideas. Then plan a show to display their work.
Hi there! Recently I've been thinking back on some fun swaps and challenges I've participated in over the years (online and through my ...
We think it goes without saying that a big component of retreats is FOOD!
The April Meeting will take place on Tuesday, April 27 at 6pm CST. We are excited to welcome our guest speaker Charles Cameron, an engineer by day and a quilter anytime else! This presentation is f…
Want to learn new quilting skills? Need inspiration? I've got a program for that! (and I love working with guilds, shops, and groups) I'm currently booking ONLINE/LIVE programs for guilds, groups, and conferences —late 2024 — see general descriptions below. Should you have any logistical /technology
We are currently in the process of organising our bi annual quilt show, and one of the things that we have to decide upon is an idea for our...
At our last Guild meeting, Lee Chappell Monroe presented “Tips of the Trade”. We all learned something new, or were reminded of something we had seen before. It was a good presentatio…
Hi there! Recently I've been thinking back on some fun swaps and challenges I've participated in over the years (online and through my local quilt guilds) so I thought I'd share about some of them here in case you're in need of some ideas. I'm always on the lookout for new, fresh swap/challenge ideas too so I'd love to hear your ideas at the end of this post! You can break swaps up into 2 different categories: fabric swaps and block swaps. Sometimes block swaps can be a bit tricky (especially if you're the OCD type and are worried about block sizes finishing correctly). Maybe I'm a little bit this way, so I tend to participate in fabric swaps more often than block swaps. That way you can you can exchange with your friends but you have more control over the finished product. FABRIC SWAP IDEAS Here are a few ideas for fabric swaps: 1. First, plan a year's worth of monthly themes (ie. January - Winter, February - Hearts, March - Green, April - Swirls, May - Flowers, etc.). Have 12 people sign up to participate. Each month everyone brings 1 fat quarter that matches the theme for the month and puts it in a basket as they walk into the guild meeting. After all 12 fqs are in the basket, draw one of the participants' names to win those 12 fqs. The next month, everyone still contributes their fq's but the previous winner(s) names do not go into the draw to win. Each participant will eventually win a fat quarter bundle at some point throughout the year. You could call this a Fat Quarter Frenzy Fabric Swap. Encourage the participants to take no more than 12 months following their win to make a project with their 12 fqs. [example of a red, white and blue Fat Quarter Frenzy Fabric Swap bundle] 2. Choose a theme (ie. low volumes, tiny florals, Disney, etc.). Have as many people that would like to participate bring a fat quarter, a 10" square, a 5" square or a 2-1/2" x WOF strip for each person participating. This is a nice way to get out of your comfort zone or simply get a good assortment of prints without having to purchase all of them. In 2017, I participated in an online swap of tiny floral fabrics. We were told how much fabric to buy, how to cut it to yield the necessary number of pieces, the hostesses shipping address and when to have it shipped to her by. She gave very specific instructions and rules and made sure there would be no duplicates. Then the host of the swap divvied them all up and shipped bundles of 42 assorted tiny floral 10" squares to each person. A small fee was necessary to help cover return shipping. Here's the beautiful bundle of fabrics I received: 3. Present each swap participant with a beautiful photograph featuring an inspiring color scheme. Have everyone return the following month with enough fat quarters (or whatever predetermined size pieces of fabric) that features one of the colors pictured in the photograph. They should bring the same amount of fqs/pieces of fabric as there are swap participants. The assortment of fabrics they receive in the end should be a fun representation of the photograph (it could be surprising, depending on what colors people chose!) Note, we did this swap in my local quilt guild. Everyone decided beforehand that they wanted to make my Fall Flowers quilt so after divvying up the fqs we also gave them the pattern. They chose their own background fabric and made their own quilts but the Fall Flowers were made with fabrics from the swap. [Image by Lulie Wallace via The Jealous Curator] Block Swap Ideas Here are a few ideas for block swaps: 1. Choose blocks that have some room for squaring up, such as these heart applique blocks. We swapped 1 large heart and 2 small hearts with each person. See THIS post for more details. Or these Plus Blocks. Click HERE for the free instructions (excuse the note at the beginning about how many we were to exchange, etc.). There are so many more blocks out there that allow for trimming down. But, you can swap blocks that don't allow room for trimming too. Any block will work really, I just find that no matter how much you stress using an accurate 1/4" seam allowance, without fail there will be some blocks that end up too small or too big. So it's just my personal preference to swap blocks that allow for trimming. (With that being said, I have seen many beautiful quilts that were the result of a swap and even if points were cut off in the making you can't really tell in the end unless you look close.) 2. Choose a block pattern for the swap. Have each participant give a colorful scrap of fabric (for inspiration) and the required amount of background fabric of their choice to each of the other participants (given in a ziplock bag with their name on it). Then each participant makes a block (or two) using fabrics that coordinate with each persons fabric scrap and gives it to them the following month. That's what we did for these Spool quilts: [Sassy Stitchers circa 2013] More info about these Spools quilts can be found in THIS post and THIS post. 3. Try learning a new technique together (such as paper piecing) and then swap the finished blocks. One night, we each learned how to make a set of identical half square triangles. We asked that everyone use 1 red and 1 cream fabric for their set. At the end of the night, we put them into piles and were able to take a couple of each of the different fabric combos. We went home with a scrappy assortment of HSTs. HERE is a similar pattern to what we used to make the HSTs. I ended up making this flag quilt with mine: Guild Challenge Ideas 1. This next idea was a challenge to try new blocks and test our creativity! Together, our small guild, picked out several blocks we liked from the book, Around the Block with Judy Hopkins. Then we each went home and made the blocks in our own time and in our own color scheme. We put them together however we liked and shared them later in the year. It was fun to see how different everyone's quilts turned out. Here's mine: [More details about this quilt can be found HERE and HERE.] 2. The Mystery Bag Challenge. I learned about this idea from my grandmother many years ago. She had done it in her quilt guild and I passed the idea on to my quilt guild. Put two crayons in a small paper bag and seal it shut. Make enough bags as there are participants in the swap. Let each person choose a bag. The challenge is they have to make a quilt using some shade of just those two colors (they can also add in black or white if they desire). This challenge helps quilters get outside of their color comfort zone and it's also fun to see the inspiration colors turn into a quilt (tell them to hang on to their crayons to show with the finished quilt, down the road). The next swap my little quilt group is doing is a 4-Patch exchange using 3" bright/low volume squares. I'm excited to get making! I'd love to hear your ideas for guild swap/challenge ideas. Have you done anything creative in your group? Please share in the comment section below. Thanks for stopping by today!
Looking for guild activities and games that are actually enjoyable? Look no further! Here is my list of favorite games and activities for quilt guilds to enjoy!
A new challenge at our quilt guild this year is, "Quilter's Soup!" We were given the 'recipe' and a canning jar at our first guild m...
Swap Fabric Placement Challenge June 2022-November 2022 We hope all members will take advantage of this challenge to learn more about how Value, Contrast, Volume, and Scale of their fabrics affect the appearance and, perhaps, success of a quilt. Guidelines: Participants will select ONE of the three quilt blocks presented by the Challenge Committee- Easy, Moderate or Advanced. These can be found in the member drive in the Swap/Challenge folder or you can right click on your selected block below. Then save to your device. Then, taking the four fat quarters from our Inspiration Swap OR four fat quarters of their choice, make THREE (or four, if desired) of the block pattern selected from those four fabrics but SWAP the placement of the fabrics in each block. These can be found in the member drive in the Swap/Challenge folder or download from above. These blocks will be due at the November meeting where we will showcase the results for all to appreciate. Blocks may be presented unfinished OR finished as desired, e.g. table runner, mini quilts, charity quilt. This is not a competition, but there may still be prizes! Below are instructions on piecing quarter square triangles. These are also located in the member drive or you can save to your device by right clicking the image and choosing the save option.
Quilt Guild Challenge, Idiom Quilt Challenge, Quilt Retreat, Quilt Club, Printable, Digital Download, Quilty Cobb Great challenge for quilt guild or retreat Digital downloads make life easier, NO SHIPPING and you get it immediately! **Please note- this is NOT A PHYSICAL PRODUCT, therefore, there will be no returns accepted. Make sure your computer is able to download these formats before purchasing. These files are strictly for personal or small business use in creating any physical products. Please do not share or recreate or resell this product.
Here is a page full of ideas for games and activities that you can do at your quilt guild meeting. Your quilting group will have fun!
Michigan Quilt Guilds - MI quilter groups listed by city so you can find a quilter near you. This information is direct from guild members.
We are currently in the process of organising our bi annual quilt show, and one of the things that we have to decide upon is an idea for our...
We were recently nominated to be chairs for the raffle quilt committee of our local guild, The Empire Quilters Guild. The guild makes a group raffle quilt each year to raise money for the quilt show they hold every other year. Last year they used Tula Pink’s 100 Modern Quilt Blocks, and almost everyone that [...]
Quilt Guild Challenge, Crumb Quilt Challenge, Quilt Retreat, Quilt Club, Printable, Digital Download, Quilty Cobb Great challenge for quilt guild or retreat Digital downloads make life easier, NO SHIPPING and you get it immediately! **Please note- this is NOT A PHYSICAL PRODUCT, therefore, there will be no returns accepted. Make sure your computer is able to download these formats before purchasing. These files are strictly for personal or small business use in creating any physical products. Please do not share or recreate or resell this product.
Looking for guild activities and games that are actually enjoyable? Look no further! Here is my list of favorite games and activities for quilt guilds to enjoy!
At the first meeting of each year, we are given a challenge to be ready for our yearly quilt show in the spring. This year it was Mother Goose, which is shown in a previous post. The year before we each drew a playing card and had to do a wallhanging to depict that card. This was another challenge in an earlier year and I think I called this one "Flying to the Fiesta" which referred to the subject of the challenge. Can't remember the specific challenge but I did this wonky log cabin hanging. There were always so many fun, really cool wallhangings that the members came up with. Wonder what the one will be for this coming year? (Click to enlarge)
Creating Great Guild Programs I’m often asked how to make guild meetings more exciting by offering programs that get everyone involved. The Programs Committee for my Guild came up with a fabulous idea and I’m sharing it here with you. This challenge could be used by a Modern Quilt Guild OR by a Cottage Group … Guild Program Ideas: Challenges! Read More »
Here is a page full of ideas for games and activities that you can do at your quilt guild meeting. Your quilting group will have fun!
I don't know about you; but if you are the leader of a quilt guild it can be taxing sometimes to find icebreaker-style activities and or...
Looking for Game ideas? Click here. Publicity Ideas are here. These are program ideas for your guild meeting. If you have any other suggestions, please use the form at the end of...
Looking for Game ideas? Click here. Publicity Ideas are here. These are program ideas for your guild meeting. If you have any other suggestions, please use the form at the end of...
