Little Houses This month we continue our 10th anniversary festivities by sewing house blocks - because it takes a village to sustain a quilt guild for a decade.   My inspiration is the Global Village Quilt from Gwen Marston’s book “A Common Thread”.  Made up of house blocks sewn in a riot of different colours and prints, they come together to create an eye-catching quilt.  Fabric requirements You will need four different prints for the house block.  No solids please.  Bold, colourful prints are encouraged! From house print cut:   1 - 6.5” square ..read more

 Number 10 This month we tackle the number 10.  Inspired by last month’s program on colour presented by Tara Faughnan, we will use only solids.  Also inspired by Tara, I’ve chosen a colour that I’m not drawn to and rarely use for the background - brown.  This block finishes at 10” square. Fabric requirements Background - any shade of brown solid Contrast - any solid of your choice From the brown background cut: 1 - 3.75” x 6” 3 - 1.25” x 9” 2 - 1.25” x 10.5” From the contrasting solid cut: 2 - 2” x 6” 2 - 2” x 6.75” 1 - 2” x 9” Assembly: Use a ¼” seam throughout. &nb ..read more

Raspberry Kisses  For this month’s block, I reached into the Ottawa Modern Quilt Guild archives, and pulled out a favourite of mine from the winter of 2019.  That year Alison Harle, inspired by a tutorial on the Wooden Spool Quilt blog, offered us a block with a raspberry coloured cross at the centre. The cross or “X” fits our 10th anniversary theme perfectly.    Fabric Please use two different low volume fabrics for the background, and a raspberry coloured fabric for the cross. For the Centre Block cut: 4 – 2 1/2″ background fabric squares 2 – 2 1/2″ cross fabric s ..read more

 Scrappy X String Block This month’s block is adapted from the String Block in “Quilt Improv” by Lucie Summers.  It is made up of four units sewn together so that the diagonals of each unit meet to form a white “X”. For this block, you will need a cardboard square cut 6 ½” to use as a guide. Fabric: An assortment of blue strips in a variety of prints and solids, ranging in width from 1” to 2.25”. Four 1.5” x 10” solid white strips, for the centre diagonal of each unit. To make one unit: Place one white strip along the diagonal of the cardboard square. Cut 2 blue strips (or “stri ..read more

 Another Ten Piece Block In keeping with our tenth anniversary theme, here is another block made up of ten pieces of fabric.  For this block, I dug into the Ottawa Modern Quilt Guild Block of the Month archives, from 2015-2016.  I have changed up the colours. Cut 2 - 2.5” x 12.5” strips of white Cut 2 - 1.5” x 12.5” strips of white You will also need additional 2.5” strips of white (see below) Cut 3 - 2.5” strips of 3 random lengths (less than 10” long), in any shade of green or pink solids or near solids (tone on tone or fine prints that read as one colour from a distance).&n ..read more

Fall Themed Tunnel Block This month’s block is inspired by Rachel Hauser’s Tunnel Block Tutorial on her blog, Stitched in Color.  I have resized it, but kept her idea of monochrome blocks, moving from dark to light in the same colour as the block is stitched. Colours - I’ve taken my colour inspiration from the fall leaves.  Choose red, gold, orange, or yellow for your block.  You will need four fabrics in only one colour to form a gradient from dark to light.  Solids are fine, or near solids and simple prints.  The block is sewn in 4 layers with the darkest coloured ..read more

 Block Of The Year - The X Block This block is inspired by the Cross Block from “Quilt Improv" by Lucie Summers. For the background fabric - choose a colourful print - no white, cream, beige, grey or black. For the X - any shade of grey solid From the background print cut - 1 square 6.5”x6.5”  From the grey solid cut - 2 strips 1.5”x10”   Cut the square in half on the diagonal.  You now have two triangles.   3.  Centre the long side of one triangle (right sides together) on the long side of a grey strip.  The strip is longer than the triangle (on ..read more

We're getting ready for our biggest and best year yet -- OMQG's 10 year anniversary! Our first meeting is on Monday, September 25th. We can't wait to share all we have planned for the coming year!  Sneak peak: Retreat in November  Tara Faughnan lecture and workshop Sarah Goer workshop More sew-in days 10 year anniversary activities! Sign up for a membership ..read more

For our last BOM of the year, we're going to be making a Slash and Dash block inspired by the San Diego MQG. It was one of their blocks that they made charity quilts out of. Since there were no instructions, I've written out my own version. I've included a few inspiration images from the San Diego MQG. The colours of this block are cream, pink, and lime (light green). The dash part is a solid cream colour and the side/background are to be pink or lime (light green). Both parts are to be different fabrics. I've included some colour inspiration/ideas.  To make these, you can make ..read more

As mentioned at our April meeting, we are doing a Favourite Colour Mug Rug Swap with the PEIMQG this summer! 20 members of the PEI MQG have signed up so we need approx. 20 participants for an equal swap. Specifications: The only information you will receive (and they'll receive) is your partner's favourite colour! No bigger than 6'x6". Can be square, rectangular, circular, etc. Once signups start coming in, Jenn will email you with a partner colour! Please bring your finished Mug Rug to the June OTTMQG meeting! We will need first and last name, email address (to distribute swap info ..read more