Chat and Sew
Just you, your project and your quilting community! Talk about happiness!
Bring your machine and a project, or hand work if that is your groove.
New and beginning quilters are all welcome!
This is a free event open to Guild AND Community Members
Bring a sack lunch, if desired.
Questions: marie@randomacts.info
Open Sew Day - South
Bring your machine and a project. Or hand work if that is your groove.
Bring a sack lunch, if desired. A microwave is in the room if you need it.
Digitize and Embroider Appliqué using the Brother Scan 'n Cut
In this class, you will complete one appliqué block using your Brother Scan 'n Cut, Embrilliance software and embroidery machine. The block is completely done by machine, and the results are precise and impressive!
The block is "inspired by" Lori Holt's Granny's Garden - a free pattern from Lori Holt of Bee in My Bonnet Co. If you want to complete the entire quilt, you will need to purchase her Sew Simple Shapes (not needed for the class).
In order to have a successful class experience, it's important to have at least a working knowledge of your Scan 'n Cut, Embrilliance software and your embroidery machine. The class will not teach basic applications on any of these platforms.
AAQG member Stacey Napier will teach the class. Stacey has been quilting for the last 15 years and started venturing into using various sewing technology tools to assist in her block making.
Sample block:
Class Fee: $ FREE Supplies Fee: $15
Required Supplies:
Your $15 kit will contain the materials needed to make one block, including fabric, Heat 'n Bond Lite, handouts and printed appliqué pattern.
You will need to bring:
Brother Scan N Cut - with Brother Workspace software installed on your computer. You will need a scanning mat and a low or standard tack mat - if you don't have a scanning mat, you can use the instructor's.
Laptop computer with Embrilliance Essentials and StitchArtist Level 2 or 3 installed.
Embroidery Machine with at least an 8x12 hoop if you want to complete the block (6x10 hoop if you want to partially complete the project).
Embroidery thread in coordinating colors. Stacey will bring some thread that coordinates with the kits or you can bring your own assortment
Stabilizer - SF 101 (fusible light mesh) or equivalent to stabilize the block and a light or medium tear-away to hoop the block - whatever brand you prefer.
Travel Iron
Basic Embroidery sewing supplies (needles, bobbin thread, bobbins, scissors)
USB Memory Stick
Don't forget the power cords for Scan 'N Cut, computer and embroidery machine.
Join us for an inspiring evening of creativity and community as we celebrate the art of scrap quilting!
When: September 8, 2025 Doors Open: 6:00 PM | Meeting Begins: 6:45 PM
Get ready to be amazed by the incredible ingenuity of our guild members! Our September meeting transforms into a vibrant mini quilt show featuring stunning scrappy quilts created from the creative challenge that began in February. From organized masterpieces with unifying themes to delightfully chaotic "anything goes" creations, these quilts prove that scraps can become spectacular works of art.
YOU decide the winners! Cast your vote for your favorites in two exciting categories:
Whether you've been working on your scrappy masterpiece since February or you're coming to admire and vote, this promises to be an evening filled with inspiration, creativity, and the joy of seeing scraps transformed into treasures.
Entry Form
(Click link above)
In-Person Location: Westminster Presbyterian Church 3208 Exposition Blvd, Austin, TX 78703
Virtual Attendance: Join via Zoom
Come celebrate the magic of turning scraps into art - see you there!
Guest Lecturer: Mary Fons
Doors open at 9:00am; meeting begins at 9:45am.
Showstoppers: Masterpiece Quilts From The US and UK
When Mary was invited to lecture at the Festival of Quilts in England in, she crafted this lecture for the occasion. Showstoppers is full of fascinating information and history, but honestly, this presentation is all about the eye-candy. Mary has packed as many of her favorite-favorite quilts from the US and the UK into this lecture as she possibly could, all for your viewing pleasure. From humble to fancy, simple to ornate, weird to weirder, and often just plain pretty, this quilt show has it all, celebrating the connections and creativity of quilters on both sides of the pond. This lecture debuted in 2022 to a standing-room-only crowd at the Festival and is a favorite of Mary’s to share.
Please bring your Show 'n Tell pieces to share at the meeting
Doors open at 6:00pm; meeting begins at 6:45pm.
We Need To Talk About Bertha (The Greatest Quilt Treasure Hunt of All Time)
Few stories in American quilt history are as captivating as that of Bertha Amelia Meckstroth (b.1875-1960). From roughly 1930-50, Meckstroth created 180 iconoclastic quilts she called her “sculptures in cloth,” arguably the original art quilts. Extraordinarily beautiful and utterly original,these silk and cotton masterpieces featured reverse applique, trapunto, and flawlessly executed quilting, and often included text and strange iconography (such as bats and spiderwebs.) But Meckstroth’s life was both triumph and tragedy: In her will, she stated her remaining 89 works be kept together after her death and she had saved $70,000 to aid in their stewardship. Without an executor, however, her will was ignored. Meckstroth’s life’s work was scattered to the wind. In this must-see lecture, Mary Fons shares her extraordinary findings after two years of deep research into this fascinating story, including new biographical information on Meckstroth from primary sources; never-before-seen written and photographic documentation, and — you guessed it — the locations of a number of the missing quilts. We Need To Talk About Bertha received a standing ovation from the sold-out crowd at QuiltCon 2024.
Zoom Call Link: https://us06web.zoom.us/j/85204812698?pwd=WDA2cHc5Zmc2aGhnWTliYmtpcmR1dz09
Call for Zoom Show 'n Tell: For those attending by Zoom, if you have a Show 'n Tell, please send a photo to president@aaqg.org by noon, seven days before the meeting. Please limit entries to 2. Photos received after the deadline will be included in the next monthly meeting Show 'n' Tell deck. For those in-person, please bring your Show 'n Tell pieces to share at the meeting.
Austin Area Quilt Guild is a 501(c)3 non-profit organization. P.O. Box 5757, Austin, TX 78763
