Cindy Templeton displays her beautiful quilt made using a simple machine applique technique. She taught this during ‘Quilt University.’
The Feb. 9 meeting was a different format for Desert Threads members. Four experienced members set up tables to demonstrate different techniques. Members rotated every 15 minutes to a different topic. Diana Jones explained different battings and when and why you would use them. Mary Platt showed two different techniques for making half-square triangles, including one that makes no two squares the same. Ann Finocchiaro showed English Paper Piecing in a way that avoids having stitches show on the front side. Cindy Templeton showed a technique using wash away stabilizer to do machine applique. All members enjoyed the morning of learning.
The March 9 meeting will be a social mixer focus so we can get to know each other better. We are a new quilting group and adding new members every month. Members should bring a favorite quilting tool to share information about why they like it and how it is used. Everyone is encouraged to bring a project they made to ‘brag’ about.
Desert Threads is a chapter of the Arizona Quilters’ Guild (AQG). This year AQG will have a quilt show. There was no show last year due to COVID-19 restrictions, so we’re excited to be able to display quilts for the public to view this year. Quilts will be displayed by Chapters from all over the state. There will be 300-plus quilts on display, vendors, and educational lectures. The show theme is ‘Kaleidoscope of Quilts.’
The AQG Quilt Show is March 24 through 26 at Mesa Convention Center, 201 North Center Street, in Mesa. Hours are Thursday 5 to 8 p.m., admission $5; Friday 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.; and Saturday 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Admission is $10 for AQG members and $15 for general public.
The Desert Threads Chapter meets the second Wednesday morning every month (except summer) from 9:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. in the Ceramics Room (A8) in Cottonwood at Sun Lakes. We welcome anyone interested in any aspect of quilts and also from outside of Sun Lakes. We have frequent “Sew Days” when members gather to work on projects together, have classes, or make quilts for charities.
Desert Threads is a chapter of the Arizona Quilters Guild, which offers many free virtual lectures and low-cost classes on a variety of quilting topics. Accomplished and well-known teachers from around the world have classes available for members. For more information, see www.arizonaquiltersguild.org or send an email to [email protected].