Meetings
We warmly invite members of the quilting community to attend our program meetings. All visitors will be required to pay a fee of $5 at the door. The guest fee may be applied towards a membership fee that day. We meet the 2nd Wednesday each month, coffee at 9:30, meeting from 10 AM - 12:30, at the North Chevy Chase Christian Church, 8814 Kensington Parkway, Chevy Chase, MD 20815 (click here for directions.) Workshops require registration in advance of the event.
| Winter Weather Policy. NeedleChasers follows the lead of the Montgomery County Public Schools: if school is cancelled, our NeedleChasers meeting for that day is also cancelled. If the schools have a delayed opening, our NeedleChasers meeting will take place at it's regular time. |
Our Next Meetings.......|
August 28, 2019 : Sit and Sew - Whew! It is time to catch up. 10:00 AM-Noon |
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September 11, 2019 - The Christ Collection - "Pennsylvania Dutch Quilts - The Love of Color" 10:00-Noon Harlow Hall If you are attending our July bus trip to Hershey, you may get a small taste of Arlan and Pat Christ's vast collection of historical quilts. This husband and wife team have made it a life mission to collect and preserve historical quilts (all with a sense of humor). The late 1800s and early 1900s explosion of bold colors and designs were captured by the Pennsylvania Dutch in their quilts. Their folk art and love of color, including cheddar, will be the focus of this lecture. During this period, the Pennsylvania Dutch developed their own unique style with the use of bright color combinations. Sunglasses are optional! |
 
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September 25, 2019: Sit & Sew - Artisan Boutique Kick Off for the 2020 Quilt Show! 10 AM-Community Room LUNCH PROVIDED "The" Village Bag is so named because it reminds us of the Bohemian bags with a vaguely Asian influence popular during the 60's in The Village (NYC). Roomy, sturdy, and made in linen for a slouchy look or lined with Devocil to stand up on its own, these are a MUST HAVE for your array of totes. The Reversable Roll Up Tote is a perennial favorite. Friends consistently wheedle/ask/hint for new bags each year! They are a breeze to make and a great gift! Sign up early to reserve a kit. |
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| NOTE: A DATE CHANGE HAS BEEN MADE DUE TO YOM KIPPUR OCCURING ON OCT. 9. October 16, 2019: Polly Mello - "Quilts That Go Bump in the Night" 10:00-Noon Harlow Hall Prepare yourself for a walk down the dark side of quilting, with quilts and ephemera from the infamous collection of Polly Mello. You will see Mourning quilts, Coffin Drapes, Quilts of Presidential Demise and Assassination, Quilts with Creepy Critters: snakes, spiders, alligators, etc., Tragic Events from the Headlines (Titanic, the Lindbergh kidnapping), Celestial Phenomenan, and Polly's favorite, Creepy Crib Quilts. You will see old AND new quilts. See quilts you will not see anywhere else. Happy Halloween! |
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October 30, 2019: Sit & Sew - Artisan Boutique 10 AM Community Room - Lunch provided PLEASE NOTE: THIS IS THE FIFTH WEDNESDAY OF THE MONTH "Pop Up Pouches" will be the "it" item in your holiday gift giving pantheon. These adorable and EASY to make pouches are not only practical, but fun to make. You'll work with attaching zipper pulls and flexible foam as a bonus. Zip Mesh Bags - made of pet mesh in an array of colors and sizes these simple to make items are fabulous for corralling any number of carry along items from gold balls and tees to charge cards and scissors. Key Fob Wallet - everyone will be sporting these fantastic mini wallets on their key chains! Consisting of a zippered pouch and a snap-closed slot it is the PERFECT size to carry a credit card, cash and whatever other valuables you need when out walking, jogging or running to the quilt shop. Key Fobs - Felted Wool and fabric. Match them up to your Key Fob Wallet or just make one to flag your scissors or rotary cutter. Bet ewe can't make just one. |
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November 13, 2019: Lisa H. Calle - "Trunk Filled With Anything But Junk" 10:00-Noon Harlow Hall Come spend a little time with Lisa Calle, the Bernina Ambassador and Award Winning Quilter! With her humor and down to earth attitude, she will share with you her personal and professional quilting journey. Lisa illustrates how she has earned renowned success from her initial piece using a 3/8" seam allowance to her latest quilt that won awards at the Houston International Quilt Festival. As you gain insight on Lisa's amazing craft and her 3 step Divide and Design method, any hesitation you have regarding the patience or talent for quilting will quickly disappear. So if you doubt whether or not you can quilt with pride, Lisa will give you the confidence and knowledge needed to start. |
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November 13, 2019: Lisa H. Calle "Rulers for Rookies" Workshop - 1:00-4:00 Harlow Hall So you're not ready for the major leagues when it comes to working with rulers, no worries. Be ready for three full hours of ruler action. This workshop is a comprehensive hands-on class incorporating not only straight edges and circles BUT some of the other Quilter's Groove Rulers as well. Regardless of whether you've never touched a ruler, or feel that your skills can use a little coaching, this class is for you. Lisa will coach her team of "temporary rookies" while working on an Ohio Star quilt block panel. She will have you putting your rookie days behind you and feel like you are ready for the pros! NOTE: You must have a machine in good working condition and a correct machine quilting foot. The cost of the workshop is $30 plus a required $25 kit (Preprinted panel, batting, and backing included. Rulers will be provided for workshop use.) There is a 20 person limit on this workshop. Registration IS OPEN! Click here for the registration form. |
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December 4, 2019: Sit & Sew - Artisan Boutique - NOTE CHANGE OF DATE 10AM - Community Room Gifts Galore for the Holidays! |
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December 11, 2019: 11:00 Holiday Luncheon and Del Ray Pop-Up Shop Start thinking now for our Ultimate, Over the Top, Best Ever Show and Tell! We ask each member to bring your favorite quilt to show. This can be a quilt with sentimental ties, your first quilt, a vintage quilt, one which you are especially proud, or the last one you have completed. Only you know your favorite. (And don't tell us quilts are like children and you can't pick. We know.) We will call up tables while we are eating our delicious potluck. We will move this along so everyone has a chance, so plan on being brief with your remarks. Del Ray Fabrics will have their "always a favorite" pop-up shop and we will be collecting for the Capital Area Food Bank. |
LOOKING AHEAD.... NeedleChasers' meeting line-up for 2020
| January 8, 2020 | Demo Day - Using precuts |
| January 22, 2020 | Artisan Boutique Sit & Sew |
| January 29, 2020 | Community Service Sit & Sew |
| February 12, 2020 | Maria Rogers - Quilting in Japan |
| February 26, 2020 | Artisan Boutique Sit & Sew |
| March 11, 2020 | Karen Fricke - Embellishments on Quilts/Dollmaking workshop |
| March 25, 2020 | Artisan Boutique Sit & Sew |
| April 1, 2020 | Quilt-a-Thon NOTE:? This is the 1st Wed. of the month due to the Jewish Holiday on the 8th |
| April 22, 2020 | Artisan Boutique Sit & Sew |
| May 13, 2020 | Julia Graves - Color Exploration |
| May 14, 2020 | Julia Graves - Shimmering Triangles |
About Our Other Programs........
"Brown Bag Meetings"
- Informal gatherings held directly after the scheduled meetings.
- May tie into the subject of the program or can be an independent topic of interest.
- Past brown bag opportunities have been demonstrations of techniques, discussions of quilting questions, and sharing commentary on quilting DVDs.
- We are always open to new topics to explore.
- Members are encouraged to bring a "brown bag" lunch if desired.
"Wee Bees"
- 1st Wednesday of each month benefiting various not-for-profit organizations.
- See Community Service page for further details
"Sit-and-Sew Bees"
- Generally held the 4th Wednesday of each month
- Meet in the community room at NCCC Church from 9:30 am to 2 pm.
- Sit and Sew - Members come to work on a project of their own or Community Service Projects or just join in for some caffeine and calories!
- “Boutique Bees” specialty meetings where techniques or projects for the Artisan Boutique are constructed. Members wanting to sit and sew on their own projects are ALWAYS welcome!