Friday, October 30, 2009

October 28, 2009 Quilt Guild Meeting

Kaylene greets all the members and guests.

Yogini presents the doorprize to winner Denise. Every member who is in the door before 4:00 pm and signed up for the doorprize is eligible to win. :-)



Welcome back, Pat Kernahan, leader of Qatar Quilters back when we originally formed. Pat is now helping Roberta with Events and Programs.


Lora is helping Carmen with the monthly focus fabric draw:


The Focus Fabric project had enough blocks this month for two winners:

And the block winners are Wendy and Lora!

Nora wins the Whiter Shade of Pale monthly fat quarter draw, and is presented her winnings by Sue Ross.

Next month - Chocolate and Licorice! (think fudge candy browns and black black licorice colors!)

Not only did the Quillow Makers come up with 10 Quillows for the Think Pink project to provide for breast cancer patients at Hamad Hospital, they also had a great time making them.

The backsides are as much fun as the fronts!
Evelyn invites us to have a group tour of a Qatar charity site where traditional handicrafts are taught and encouraged, and those with no source of income can earn a living wage:






Another fantastic Show and Tell, led by new guild member Diane, who found all the fabrics used in her vibrant Pineapple quilt in Saudi Arabia:


Wilma WOWs us with her Kimono quilt:


And her Christmas wall hanging:


Jean shows us her arm caddy, for keeping stitching supplies organized and stray threads stashed!
Kelly is wild about Texas with her new quilt:



And also shows us the FROG she made!


Lora has finished the Christmas focus fabric quilt in time for Christmas!


Lisa got "oooohs" and "aahhhs" with her Chicken/Rooster applique quilt:
Mahiran demonstrates her Jeans quilt:



We all want to know how Marya, a new guild member, made this lovely Autumn Leaves quilt. She says it is easy. . . do you believe her? Workshop, please, Marya!


Marya also did a birdhouse quilt for her daughter:
Sandy did this really cool Tool quilt for her grandson:


Lisa and Sandy did a fast and colorful nine-patch baby quilt together:


Yoghini shows us the new baby quilt she has made in sweet pinks and pastels:



We finally coax Julie to come out from behind her new one-block blue quilt top!

And then, the program. Roberta inspires and encourages us. "It's not that hard!" she says. "You only have to quilt one block at a time."


And she proceeds to show us how it is done. She makes it look easy.


Workshop! Workshop, Roberta!


"In no time at all you can have a quilt like this!"



"Or a crazy quilt! And this is how!"


She takes us step by step through the process:




The meeting over, we had time to visit and exchange information.


Reminder! Next meeting is November 18! We will have the viewing of the November Challenge pieces, and Mala will be visiting to sell us all those goodies we so desperately need for our quilting! Wooo HOOO!


2009 November Quilt challenge

Just a reminder…

The theme for the November 2009 Quilt Challenge is a “Specific Holiday Item”.


In other words, your submission can be a wall hanging, table runner, bed quilt, jacket, vest, etc. but it MUST be associated with a specific holiday, and the holiday must be identifiable from the object itself.


Green and red would not be thought of as Christmas…but if Christmas 2009 were embroidered somewhere on quilt then that would qualify.


Remember too, that FALL is not a holiday; Fall is a season. A wall hanging with bats and ghosts would be considered Halloween, and would qualify because we would all understand bats and ghosts to be associated with Halloween!


All entries must be quilted,. Binding is not required if the items do not lend itself to binding.


Each item must be appropriately finished…no incomplete projects, please.


Any specific holiday is acceptable, such as Halloween, Christmas, Ramadan, Kwaanza, Qatar Independence day, Earth day, etc.


Any color print or pattern is allowed.


Item may be pieced or appliqued, but is not required.


Traditional batting is not required, however, the item must be quilted, either by hand or machine.


There is not a maximum or minimum size.


ONLY ONE entry per person will be accepted.


Looking forward to seeing all the creative entries at the November meeting on the 18th!!!! (Reminder! Note that the meeting date has been changed) Happy stitching!!!


Denise Brokmeyer, Challenges Chair, laffnlady1307@yahoo.com

Sandy Kieschnick, Co-Chair, skieschnick@gmail.com

Wednesday, October 21, 2009

Quilt Library Books, October 2009

Many thanks to our Librarian, Georgina, for preparing this up to date list of books available in the Qatar Quilter's Library:



Title Author

Applique Designs Faye Anderson

Kaleidoscope Kaye Smith Ruth Ann Combs

Jacobean Rhapsodies Patricia Campbell & Mimi Ayers

Flowers of the States Sue Harvey

Color from the Heart Gai Perry

Grandma's Last Quilt Blanche Burekett White

Strips & Strings Evelyn Sloppy-Patchwork Place

Traditional Blocks Meet Applique Deborah J. Moffett-Hall-Patchwork Place

Stack & Whackier Quilts Bethany S. Reynolds

Laurel Burch Quilts-Kindred Creatures Laurel Burch

Triangle Tricks Sally Schneider-Patchwork Place

Designing Your Own Quilts Willow Ann Soltow

Weekend in Provence Linda Carlson -Linda Hohag

Perfect Patchwork System Marti Mitchell

Repiecing the Past Sara Rhodes Dillow

The Quilters Ultimate Visual Guide Ellen Pahl

Successful Scrap Quilts Judy Turner

The Nature of Things Sharlene Jorgenson

Combing through your Scraps Karen Combs

Mastering Machine Applique Harriet Hargrave

Patched Works, Inc. The Quilt Shop Trudie Hughes

Quilts from the Bible Oxmoor House

Pieced Borders-Complete Resource Judy Martin & Marsha McCloskey

Quilt Lovers' Favorites Better Homes and Gardens

Lone Star Quilts & Beyond Jan Krantz

Patchwork Gems Oxmoor House

Almost Amish Sampler Oxmoor House

Bears in the Woods Quilt Eleanor Burns

Borders Clip Art Leslie Cabarga & Casey Robbins

Sewing Savy Magazine Sewing Savy

Sofa Quilts & Pillows House of White Birches

Quilters Mix and Match Blocks Leisure Arts

Four Hour Quilted Gift Bags House of White Birches

Nickel Quilts The Patchwork Place

Complete Guide to Quilting Better Homes and Gardens

Simply Stars- Stars that Sparkle Alex Anderson

SkyDyes Mickey Lawlers

Star Bright Quilts Oxmoor House

Heirloom Machine Quilting Harriet Hargrave

Basket Quilt Show Rita Weiss

Fan Quilt Favorites Oxmoor House

Patchwork Magazine

RD Complete Guide to Sewing Readers Digest

Fun With "Mama Said" Susan Garman

Speed Quilting Nancy Ziegler

Bernina Quilting Brochures Berina

Sew and Go

Fill the House with Quilting Eileen Westfall

Celtic Pattern and info sheets

Gaudynskis Machine Quilting Guidebook Diane Gaudynski

First Time Quiltmaking Laudauer Books

American Quilts Creatively Pfaff Sewing Machines

The Hawaiin Coral Reef Coloring Book Katherine Orr

Curves in Motion Judy B. Dales

Machine Quilting with Decorative Threads Maureen Noble and Elizabeth Hendricks

Machine Quiled Jackets and Coats Nacy Moore

Firm Foundations Jane Hall and Dixie Haywood

Crazy Quilt Odyssey Judith Montano

Sashiko and Beyond Saikoh Takano

Beyond the Horizon Valerie Hearder

Quilt As You Go 2nd Edition Sandra Millett

Bargello Basics Shirley Libby

A New Slant on Bargello Quilts Marge Edie

Oxymorons Absurdly Logical Quilts Renegades Dianne S. Hires

Slice Up A Circle Angela Madden

Yvonne Porcela-Color Changing Hue C & T

Symmetry-A Design System for Quiltmakers Ruth B. McDowell

Beyond Log Cabin Kerry Gadd

Perspective Without Pain Phil Metzger

Art & Inspirations Ruth B. McDowell

Blockbender Quilts Margaret J. Miller

The Magical Effects of Color Joen Wolfrom

The Complete Book of Seminole Patchwork Beverly Rush with Lassie Witman

Quilted Sea Tapestries Ginnie Eckley

Mandala Quilt Designs Katie Pasquini

Fantasy Fabrics Bonnie Lyn McCaffry

Basics and Beyond-Hardanger Janice Love

Fabric Collage Quilts Joanne Goldstein

Fabric Mosaics Beesley and Boerens

Color Splash-Trip Around the World Piecmakers

Bargello Quilts Margie Edie

Faces and Places Images in Applique Charlotte Warr Anderson

Bargello Tapestry Quilts Marilyn Doheny

Color Wash Workbook Shirley Libby


Sew Crazy Alice Kolb

Threadplay Libby Lehman

Foolproof Curves Barbara Barbara

Curved Strip Piecing a New Technique Marilyn Stothers

Mirror Manipulations Gail Valentine

Teach Yourself Machine Piecing and Quilting Debra Wagner

Colorwash Quilts Diedre Amsden

The Visual Dance Joen Wolfrom

Paper-Pieced Curves 8- Quilt Projects Jodie Davis

Weave It, Quilt It, Wear It Mary Anne Caplinger

Maple Leaves Marilyn Doheny

Quilt Toppings Melody Crust

Fat Quarter Quilting Sue Penn

Tessellation Quilting Christene Porter

Follow the Dots Joan Segna and Jayme Crow

Batiks & Beyond Laurie J. Shifrin

Quilt Your Favorite Photos with patterns Betty Alof

Thread Magic Ellen Ann Eddy

Memory Quilts in the Making Leisure Arts

The Quilting Bible - Photo guide to Quilting Creative Publising

Rings That Bind Cheryl Phillips

Stunning Angleplay Quilts Margaret J. Miller

Rhapsody Quilts Ricky Tims`

Karen K. Stone Quilts Electric Quilt Co.

Flowering Quilts Kim Schaefer

French Braid Quilts Jane Hardy Miller

Stellar Journeys Gail Garber

Vintage Style Quilts Flora Roberts

Caliente Quilts Priscila Bianchi

Kids Start Quilting Alex Anderson

Ocean Waves Nancy J. Martin

Baltimore Beauties & Beyond Elly Sienkiewickz

Feathered Friends Jette Norregaard Nielsen

Monday, October 19, 2009

Karabaa: Mumtaz Tailor and Bombay Silk




If you want to shop on Karabaa, you better go now! Most of the shops are disappearing, making way for the Heart of Doha project.

Bombay Silk has silk fabrics imported from India, and upstairs many ready-made clothes, some of which are cotton and beautiful, cheap enough to cut up and use for quilts. :-) Or - challenge yourself to quilting something special using these gorgeous fabrics. You can stabilize them with stabilizer from the Mumtaz Tailor, who is just across the street and around the corner from Bombay Silk. He has zippers, threads, scissors, interfacings, stabilizers, buttons - and things you never knew you needed.

He also has a guy who will embroider Hajj towels for Christmas gifts, English name on one end, the Arabic equivalent on another. Makes a unique and welcome gift.

Resources: The Two Major Fabric Souks in Doha


Many quilters who come to Doha wonder where to buy fabrics. You will find some shops in the Suq al Waqif, with parking spaces and restaurants nearby, and sometimes you can even find cotton in these shops. You never know!

Your best bet when shopping for quilting cottons are the Souk al Asseiri and the Souk al Dira'a (sometimes called The Marble Souk, for it's marble floors). Above the map is a photo of the Souk al Asseiri, some people call it the red and white building, some people call it the building with pillars. It is mis-labled on the map, so I put a blue marker where it really is. The Dira'a souk is where the red marker is.

The big problem in this area is parking, especially now with the huge area under construction. Many people park across Grand Hamad at the Suq al Waqif and cross Grand Hamad and walk to these souks. My secret is to go early in the morning - like around 8:30. There is almost always a spot, and you get in and out before it gets too hot. You can also ask for the "first customer" discount. ;-)

Batting (wadding) is always a problem. Many quilters stock up while home for the summer. Some buy polyester batting from upholstery shops. Jarir bookstore used to carry batting, but hasn't had it for a long time now. Classic Quilts in Dubai usually has batting, and now there is a budget airline from Qatar to Dubai.

Across the street from the Dira'a souk is one of the Al Rawnaq stores; this one has all kinds of notions, yarns, buttons, fake jewelry, etc, but most are not a very high quality.

Saturday, October 3, 2009

Qatar Quilters Start New Quilt Year with a Bang!

There's a lot of preparation that goes on in the background to keep the Qatar Quilters smoothly moving forward. Following our Chair, Kaylene's request that all committee members arrive a little early to get set-up for the September meeting, the fun began . . .

Georgina and Rosanna arrive first to haul in all the Qatar Quilter's library books and set them up for quilters to peruse and check out.


Soraya gives guidance to all her Membership assistants - she had already printed out information on all prior members to speed the procedures. Fifty renewals and 18 new members - an astonishing turn-out for our first meeting of the year!


Lisa readying the Charitable Works display with Quillows - be sure to sign up for the workshop on October 22.
Carmen totally sold out of the first focus fabric challenge - look at those colors! Someone is going to have an amazing quilt. Have you made your 12.5 (unfinished) inch block yet? ;-)

Early arrivals get through the line first and have a chance to visit and relax! Yogini reminds us that every member that gets in the door before the 4:00 start time is eligible for the door prize drawing!

Kaylene, our fearless leader, bravely welcomes a room full of eager quilters, and makes us all really glad we're there.

Yogini draws the door prize . . .

Lisa and Tammy encourage us all to help with the Think Pink efforts supporting Breast Cancer patients at Hamad Hospital. The October 20th workshop will teach a group of 12 quilters how to make the Quillow (quilt and pillow combined) and another workshop will be held as more quilters step forward.







Denise goes over the requirements for the Holiday Challenge Quilts due in November (the meeting will be November 18 so as not to compete with Thanksgiving and the Eid al Kebir travellers). A complete list of requirements will appear in the Newsletter. Must be visibly related to a holiday - any holiday - and must be quilted.

And now - the section you have all been waiting for - a most impressive Show and Tell:

Georgia's Quilted Christmas Panels

Yogini's Dog Print Quilt:












Evelyn displays Thread Painting and encourages us all to spend some time on our machines practicing this skill



One of Evelyn's most recent baby quilts



Evelyn's Baby Crazy Quilt





Soraya's "Raggy-Quilt-As-You-G0-Thingy"



Soraya's Quilt-as-you-go-4-Patch




Soraya's Third Quilt-as-you-Go



Kathleen's quilt for her daughter; her daughter chose the colors




Georgina's Vegetable Quilt hanging

And below, Georgina's Eco-Bag, folded and full-size:




And her stunning Cherries Quilt:








Quilters gasped when Sue showed her Women's Fashions quilt




Marilyn used a technical word I didn't catch to describe her technique for this exquisite pulled-thread embroidery.




Lora's going to be a grandmother! This is her Toile baby quilt - but that's not all! She has been working on embroidering a layette for the lucky baby!




Natthawan had a very productive summer, including this Cheddar and Red Quilt, another Texas Quilt she gave as a gift, and a Paper pieced Red and Black Quilt:





Peggy shows her Friendship Squares quilt:


Kelly made a T-shirt Quilt!
And finally stopped building on her Heart Sampler quilt - also technically her first quilt - and she finished it!

Kelly's quilt for Ashley!

Wilma shows her gorgeous Christmas hanging:


Joan showed her newly finished photo-quilt:

Joan Y. showed her beautiful hand-quilting on this quilt:

Jean shows her quilted South African animal panels:
And a set of Sri Lankan embroidery panels:
And Ingeborg says she is having a lot of fun working on her Grandmother's Garden, traditional English hand-piecing, and is in no hurry to finish, but wanted us to see her progress.
Well Done! Well done, Qatar Quilters! You've created some wonderful quilts, but best of all - we can see you're having a lot of fun!