Introducing Your 2013 PMQG Officers!

Meet your new Guild Board Officers!

We're so excited to work with the guild this year! As a board we are trying to continue to make the meetings and special events fun and informational, and we welcome any ideas that members might have for us. To get to know your new board a little bit, we thought it would be fun to have an introduction for each board member, sharing a bit about our backgrounds and our personal goals and ideas for the guild this year. I'm including a picture of each board member and one of their favorite projects. Please come up and say hi to us at the meeting if we haven't met you yet (and also if we
have!)

President--Michelle Freedman

Hey It's Michelle here. I am super excited to serve as your board president this year. I am also a little nervous -- which is a good thing (I think!). As your president I am most looking forward to helping plan inspiring and educational PMQG meetings, activities and events. On a personal level I want to continue to work toward developing my own voice as a modern quilter.

While I have been sewing most of my life, I never thought of myself as a quilter. Then one summer day a few years ago I met Nancy Stoval and then later the same day I met up with Violet Craft - both of who suggested that I come to the PMQG meeting. Since it was the next night I went and was completely blown away by modern quilts folks shared at the show and tell. I signed up to be a member that night and have never looked back.

I wear many hats (possibly a few too many, but hey, who's counting!). I came to Portland from NYC where I studied design at Parsons (the Project Runway school.) After ten years of corporate design jobs I decided to shift to freelance design. I have had some fun jobs illustrating textiles, designing apparel, bags and graphic tee's and have designed a few shoes too. Lately I have been lucky enough to have some of my design projects in magazines. I also run Design Camp (designcamppdx): my blog, sewing, design and quilting classes and flickr bees. I also work part time at the Pendleton Woolen Mill Store running their embroidery machines and inventing things to make with their fabrics.

This year I'd like to start the process of developing bylaws for PMQG. I'd also like to help members connect socially, create sewing circles and build a strong community outside of our meetings. Additionally I'd like to come up with a way to create an ongoing dialog for us to discuss what modern quilting is and how we fit into and contribute to the greater modern quilting movement. Lofty goals, I know - but I think we are all up for the challenge!

Mary Ann suggested we tell you something silly or unusual. Well, When I asked my thirteen year old daughter what she thought that was, she said (without pause) "Mom, dad says you dance like Madonna!" I find that really hilarious since I can't even remember the last time I danced! Maybe we can hold the first ever PMQG dance club night and I can see if I've still 'got it!' Who's in?

Vice President--Mary Ann Morsette

I'm Mary Ann (never Mary!) and I grew up in Portland and went to Marylhurst University, where I received a B.A. in English Literature and Writing. I have three nephews that I adore and do daycare for, and I also work as a part time English tutor. I am a Moderator on Craftster so I spend a lot of time on that website, moderating the Quilting Board as well as the Bath and Beauty Board. Besides quilting and sewing, I also crochet and make soap, lotion, and many other kinds of bath and body goodies.

I never thought I would become a quilter. In junior high and high school I took home ec and looked at some quilting and did not care for the traditional basket designs I saw. A few years ago I realized that by using fabric I liked, the traditional designs weren't so bad, and I began to make a few quilts. Then my friend Kimberly Lumapas, who I met through Craftster, suggested I attend a PMQG meeting. I went to a meeting (the second one of the guild, I believe) and have been hooked ever since! I tend to make baby and lap quilts because I like to quilt them on my machine myself. I try to make several quilts a year for Quilts for Kids, and am on my sixth round of running a Mini Art Quilt Swap on Craftster.  You can find me on Craftster.org as MareMare, on flickr as maremare312, and blogger as SoapsbyMareMare.

I'm excited to come up with new blog content for the guild this year, and I want to meet new members and members I might recognize but don't know their names yet. I also am hoping to start new, fun conversations between members via our various social media accounts. I think another goal for all of us is to make new friends among guild members we might not know well (or at all), learn lots of people's names, and to help create sewing circles for our members so they have a quilty group to call home.

Secretary--Amber Wilson

Hi Everyone! For those that I haven't met yet my name is Amber Wilson and this is my 2nd year as a member of PMQG! I was first introduced to the quilting world by Jen Bailly when I vented to her about the lack of modern (affordable) bedding for kids, to which she replied "Why don't you just make your own?" I thought, "Oh, yeah, I can do that!" This was followed by a trip to Fabric Depot, a little color guidance, many many questions and even more forwarded tutorials to my email. I'm so glad Jen patiently guided me through this process, as I feel I've finally found my creative voice in sewing and modern quilting in particular!

A little about me: By day I stay home and take of my kids, Amani who is 6, and Grae is almost 4. I'm hoping to start the EMT/Paramedic program at PCC this fall and be a certified Paramedic by the time they're both in school full time. 

Modern Quilting is fascinating to me and I LOVE to 'deconstruct' traditional blocks to make them modern. Negative space is my friend. If I'm not sewing you might find me trying any other number of crafts. A few that have stuck are knitting and card-making, and one I've yet to try my hand at is painting. One hobby most people don't know about is archery. It's challenging but I find it calming. 

As the 2013 secretary my goal this year is to meet at least 3 new and new-to-me members at each meeting and help the board in any way I can! A personal goal is to feel more comfortable with public speaking :) 

I love seeing what all of the members make and feel so inspired on a daily basis! If you want you can find me on Flickr under my username (and soon to be blog) AGypsiSoul. Looking forward to seeing you all at our January meeting!!

Treasurer--Anne Whiting

I began sewing when I was about 4 years old and first thing I ever made was a heart-shaped pillow out of purple dinosaur fabric with lace around the edges!  My tastes haven't changed at all.  The pillow won a blue ribbon at the fair!!  I was really proud.  I still am.

The first quilt I made was for my American Girl doll in 3rd grade.  I loved quilting from the very beginning. My favorite part is the piecing - I love joining fabrics together from my stash because they all have a unique story and it's so fun to see all of those stories come together.  I quilt because I love it.  I love fabric, I love creating, I am scrappy, I love making it work when I have to, I love when "mistakes" turn into beautiful surprises, and I love all of the stories and emotions that speak to me when the quilt is all done.  No one else knows all of those stories.  It's like journaling in hieroglyphics.  Except better.

I'm especially in love with the Rainbow Fire Drill quilt I made using Elizabeth Hartman's pattern in her new book, Modern Patchwork.  Not only do I love the design, but I love it because I think the colors and scrappiness of it are truly me. 

 Programs Director--Kimberly Lumapas

Hi!  I'm Kimberly and I have been a quilter for 6 years now.  I am a mom of 3 little ones and have been married for going on 16(!) years.  I studied Fine Arts in college and was a portrait photographer for years before we decided I would stay home with the kiddos.  I still do pictures on the side occasionally but sewing has become my first love.

I have been sewing off and on since I was in Middle school.  I became a quilter because my sister in law did.  We were sharing my mother in law's old Kenmore machine.   My sister in law learned to quilt from some friends and she thought I might enjoy quilting too.  She taught me what she knew and bought me a little quilting starter kit.  That's all it took and I was hooked on quilting!  Well here we are six years later and she hasn't sewn a stitch in over 5 years, and I am still going.  Last year when they moved, she passed on all of her sewing stuff including my new favorite scissors!

I have to be honest and say that I don't consider myself a true "Modern Quilter". *gasp*   I feel what I make is contemporary and reflective of the current trends in quilting.  To me, modern quilting is more of a self expression and more improvisational than what I make.  I once heard the term "contemporary traditionalist" and I think that is a more accurate description of my quilts.  

I first heard about the MQG movement the same way a lot of people did, through Elizabeth Hartman's blog, Oh Fransson!  She mentioned that a Portland chapter might be starting up.  I was also reading BettyCrockerAss at the same time and contacted Jen Carlton Bailey for more details on the PMQG.  I really loved the idea of connecting with people local to me who made quilts that looked more similar to mine.  Until that point I had only met very traditional quilters.  While I absolutely respect the talent that goes into creating every type of quilt, I was really looking for something that might be more applicable to my situation..

I have been a PMQG member since its second meeting and I am currently the Programs Director for the guild.   I look forward to bringing our guild some fun and interesting programs this year.  I am really hoping that we might be able to bring in another national speaker.  (I have a dream wishlist!)  I also want to help our members find a way to get connected to each other.  Quilting is such a social activity, it's way more fun to do it with friends!  ;)

You can find me on Flickr 

http://www.flickr.com/photos/26031424@N04/

 Or I am on Instagram as PerfectionNotIncluded

L-R: Michelle, Mary Ann, Amber

 

L-R: Anne, Kimberly

Look for another post in the next few days introducing the new Guild Board Members--new positions that were added this year!

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