March 2023

 Crescent Quilters meeting minutes

Location: In person meeting at Brella, upper level

Date: March 20, 2023

Time: 7:00 – 8:55 pm

Attendees: 26 members attended: Bea F., Bonnie R., Carol B. Carolyn S., Debbie W., Donna M., 

Elaine B., Gloria F., Helen V., Iris Z., Janet J., Jean H., Joan W., Linda Lee H., Lisa P., 

Lynne D., Lynne M., Lynne J., Mary Jo H., Monika M., Nicky A., Sharron G., Shelagh C., 

Sue S., Vivian C., Wendy W.

Minutes: Taken by Carolyn and distributed by Gloria

Before the meeting commenced, (6:30pm-7pm) members signed in, had a social chat time.

The meeting commenced at 7pm. The meeting was chaired by Gloria. Gloria welcomed everyone.

Lynne, our Brookswood coordinator gave an update. The three days of sewing at Brookswood will be 

March 28th, 29th and 30th

. Nine people have signed up so far. We can accommodate up to sixteen people 

per day. The cost will be $10 per day. Send Lynne an email if you wish to attend and let her know which 

days. If you sign up to attend and then can’t make it, please let her know in advance. If you hear that an 

email went out from Lynne about Brookswood and you didn’t get it please let her know. She will update 

her mailing list if there are errors. Lynne reported that Brookswood needs some major renovations to 

the lower level. More details to follow as they become known. Lynne suggested that we occasionally

invite quilting instructors for half day demonstrations at Brookswood days. Members voted yes, in favor.

An executive committee meeting is planned for April 3rd at Brella at 7pm. If you are on the executive 

committee, you will receive a reminder email. The email will confirm if it downstairs or upstairs.

An invitation was given to members to join the executive committee for next year. Many positions are 

becoming available. Susan has been the president for two years. If there is someone else who would like 

a turn at this position, please let her know. We need two people to take over programs. Marette has 

done it for two years already. We need someone to take over membership. Debbie has done it for two 

years. We need someone to take over door prizes. Nancy has done it for two years. We would like 

someone to take over Sharzees. Helen has done it for more than two years. Lynne M. has done 

Brookswood for many years. If someone else would like to take this over, please let her know. The 

people that will stay in their current positions are Jean for media/photos, Gloria for secretary, Carolyn 

for sunshine, Donna for community quilts, Elaine for treasurer, Mary Jo for taking shirt protectors to 

Brella. The executive committee makes many important decisions. Being on the executive committee

gives you a chance to be involved in making these decisions. 

Donna is still collecting community quilts to donate to residential care at Peace Arch. She took nine

quilts in recently, and received a thank-you email the same day she took them in. They are always very 

happy and very appreciative to get them. Let her know if you need batting or labels.

Next month’s meeting at Brella we will have a guest speaker via Zoom on the large screen TV. The name 

of the speaker is Bill Stearman. He has had many quilts in CQA quilts shows. He is an artistic 

improvisational quilter. His quilts have meaning and stories behind them. Come here about his journey 

and be inspired. Because he is presenting from Eastern Canada and there is a significant time difference, 

we will have the guest present near the beginning of the meeting. We will do business and show ‘n’ Tell 

after the guest.

Sew, Show ‘n’ Tell

Debbie W. --Sewing machine quilt with Kaffe Fassett fabrics, advent calendar, ½ square triangle project.

Gloria F. – Three flannel quilts. Two of them are community quilts, on larger one for herself. Made with 

fabric from the free table at Brookswood.

Elaine B.-- Table toppers including a Dresden Plate, one with small birds, and one in spring colors.

Mary Jo H. – A quilt she started for a baby, but the baby is no longer a baby.

Bea F. -- Red and Blue quilt for a teenage boy.

Janet J. –A Tell- showed a poster for her son’s slide show Ire & Ice. Tickets are available through her. In 

Langley K.P.U. auditorium March 21.

Jean H. – Showed her completed Covid Quilt from the Round Robin.

Members enjoyed a great presentation from our guest speaker of the evening, Jean Jones. Her 

presentation was quilting tips and tricks.

Some of the topics she covered:

How do you know if you need to pre-wash your fabric? Test fabric in a small jar with water and soap. 

She puts the test fabric in the jar together with a piece of white fabric. She then lets it sit for a couple of 

hours. She pulls out the fabric. If the white fabric is stained from the color of the test fabric, it is 

necessary to pre-wash your fabric. She buys small jars with lids in the dollar store to do the test.

Ironing tip—When ironing yardage, iron parallel to the slavage and you will not stretch or distort your 

fabric. 

Does it matter if you iron your seam allowances open or to one side? Yes, it does. Do what your pattern 

tells you to do. Your blocks will turn out a slightly different sized according to if you iron open or to one 

size. If you don’t follow pattern directions, your blocks may not line up as they should. She put some 

demonstration strips she made with identical pieces of fabric sewn together. One strip had the seams 

ironed to one side, the other had the seams ironed open. The strips were noticeably different in length.

Does the weight of the thread you use matter? Yes, it does. She demonstrated a sample of multiple

strips sewn together with two different weights of thread. She put them up on a design wall, and they 

were noticeably different in length.

Tip for cutting many strips of fabric the same size. Use glow line tape by Omnigrid on your ruler. It will 

save you time. You don’t have to look so closely at the marking of the ruler each time. This product is 

widely available in stores that sell quilting fabric.

Tip for cutting fabric—Use two rulers. One ruler is for measuring the fabric. Once you have the first ruler 

down, put the next ruler right up against it. Then make your cut. Once you have made your cut, just lift 

your fabric away. Another tip for cutting fabric. Putting a handle on your ruler helps you hold your ruler 

down with more pressure, getting a better cut. The type you can buy that are marketed for shower 

handles work great and are less expensive than the ones you can buy in the fabric store.

When cutting fabric, your cutting surface should be at a height where you don’t have to bend your back 

too much. Your table height should be high enough so that you don’t get back fatigue. It will be easier to 

get accurate cuts when working at a comfortable level.

Tip for ironing flat seams. Use a wool mat. Use a wooden clapper. Her favorite iron right now is an Oliso 

smart lift iron. She has had a Reliable iron in the past and like that one as well.

Tip for squaring up half square triangles. The block lock ruler is great for trimming them easily and 

accurately. The groove that goes diagonally across sits on your seam and it stays in place as you are 

making the cuts. They come in many sizes, but if you just get one of the larger sizes, you can use it for 

trimming any size by just turning it around. 

Tip for squaring up quilts. A laser light tool works great for getting your edge straight.

She had handy portable design walls in different sizes by Sheryl Ann. The frames are collapsible, and are 

similar to camping tarp poles.