Clay Center Piotique Quilters Guild: September - A Night with a Graphic Artist

Susie brought her light box in so that the ladies doing the BOM could copy any last blocks.

Carol decided to change out two of her blocks with a different pattern.

Jenell tried to copy on the table and ended up going to the window so she could see better.

Ruth Ann brought in the Community Service Quilt that Donna J. had quilted and the ladies got busy sewing down the binding. Jan J. offered to finish up any areas that were left.

Wool and embroidery ladies worked on their projects.

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Guest Speaker for our program was Mary Jo Arnold from Abilene, on

"ART QUILTS"

Mary Jo was one of 8 kids and though her mother never had time to quilt, she did have time to help Mary Jo learn to sew and before long she was making her own clothes. She graduated from Chapman High School and got her 2 yr degree in Salina that would now be called Graphic Arts. From working at Russel Stover's in Kansas City, to touching up photos, and designing ads for Alco, Mary Jo put her degree to good use. At Alco, in the beginning they had 6 artists working in her department, but as computers became more a part of designing when she left in 2006, they were down to 3 artists.

Mary Jo moved to Ottawa to help her daughter by taking care of her 3 and 1 year old while she finished her education. In 2008 she started recycling denim into bags and pillows.

Then in 2009 she went to an Annual Quilt Show and was "bitten" and joined a guild. In 2010 when the Challenge came up in her guild and she was free to DESIGN her own quilt - well the rest is history.

"Contact" is an idea from the 1997 movie by the same name. Click here to check out what the film was about.

This was Mary Jo's start on her pattern, click on picture to have it come in larger.

"Down on the Farm" has a little bit of everything - paint, dyes, color pencils, thread painting. The Zinnia's on the bottom have 3 painted and 3 pieced.

"On the Map" was from a challenge about picking a state and then make a quilt depicting something there.

Check out the Lizards tail - it spells out Arizona.

Brenda Wayne of Ottawa does Mary Jo's quilting.

"Out of this World" not only captures the system we live in, the sun is also a sunflower for our state.

One of the ladies asked if she ever won with her quilts. And she does, though one judge did not like the border fabric in this quilt, too busy.

In 2015, the guilds challenge was to take 20 - 2 1/2" squares and incorporate into their entries.

"Meet the Featherton's" has Mary Jo's squares in the feather 'eyes', bouquet and in the flowers in the borders.

The story of Beatrice Flock marrying Bertram Featherton - AFTER a notarized by Lucy Law prenuptial was signed, was a hilarious story. But then Peacocks are not known to be monogamist.

Next challenge was a 2 color - Mary Jo came up with "Card Play".

Wow on the applique on this one.

Even the back is in 'character'.

"The Spell Caster" with Hazel the cat is kind of creepy, yet WOW!!!

"Prowling for Treats" was a pattern for the cat, but he looked too lonely and where was he going to get treats? So Mary Jo designed the back ground to give him a place to go.

Some times you buy too much of one fabric, so if you see some Halloween type fabric popping up here and there - Mary Jo likes the holiday and still has some left over fabrics to use.

This one has pumpkins in a 9 patch block called "Jack in the Patch"

Paper piecing made this mini keep all of it's points.

More Halloween fabric.

Think this one was called "Tricksters".

Did not catch the title of this one; however, the squares on the outside was the object of the class and Mary Jo put in the tree to complete it.

Little better view.

This is a picture of her house. Lots of applique in this one

and Mary Jo did the quilting.

Dandelions almost pop off this quilt. Made with netting and a bead on each holds them away from the quilt back.

Mary Jo went all out with this turkey and then realized it wasn't the right size

for this quilt. So back to the drawing board and she got two for the price of one. As you can see, she simplified the turkey that went into this quilt. She also added flowers and vines to make the pumpkins stand out more.

This was a quilt started in 1945 by her mother and her aunts. It was falling apart, so Mary Jo took it completely apart and started using the tulips in this top you see now. She put in a few new flower petals and still has tulips left over.

Thank you so much Mary Jo for a wonderful Program. Sure makes you want to do a little more in our own challenges - really inspiring.

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Show and Tell was very inspiring also.

Frances made this Bulls Eye quilt out of scraps.

We kept at Frances till she gave us a mini "class" on it.

10" square, 8" square cut into a circle, 6" square cut into a circle, and a 4" square cut into a circle. Sew all the circles onto the 10" square, don't worry if they are not perfect circles. Then cut them apart into quarters and put them back together all mixed up.

Great job Frances, in the class and in the quilt.

President Dixie is finishing up her Happy Halloween wall hanging

and her Attic Window quilt. This uses a panel that you cut up and sew back together. Someone at her reunion will have the chance to win this for their very own.

Jane has another grand child on the way, parents do not want to know what it is, so asked Jane to use purple in this quilt.

The back is great also.

Jeanet H.'s sister finally got to come up and stay a few weeks and the ladies are spending some time quilting. Here is her version of a disappearing 9-patch / tossed 9-patch.

Did not catch the words, but think Janet made this bag.

Few weeks ago, Frances B. did a demo at the Miltonvale Tootlefest regarding rug twining. Jenell had brought her loom in and helped with the hands on part. Hated to see what was started just sit there, so Jenell finished it and brought it in for us to see. This is using the mirroring technique.

Jan J. 's quick curve ruler is getting a work out. What a beauty and love those colors.

Ruth Ann J. got a pattern with 12 different months of ideas. She decided that it needed more and added the scrappy "stash" border. No she doesn't need more "stash", we asked. hahaha

Cindy K. decided that she needed to use up the 6" charms that she had collected through the years with the guild. (Our guild used to have a charm exchange with a theme and everyone brought in one charm and then a name was drawn to take all charms home). Cindy had cut them down to 1 1/2" squares and used them as leaders and enders. Before long she had enough to make this quilt. Wow, look at the hidden pattern.

(Just found out that Cindy's quilt has 2,880 squares - or is that 28, 080 squares, rats, now I forgot. Either way it is a lot.)

Lisa had this beautiful quilt to show us combining wool and Japanese taupe. Click here to go see similar type of fabrics that was used for the squares.