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 noon, 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. |
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May 8, 2019: Rita Verroca - Travel Through Quilt History, 10 AM to Noon in Harlow Hall
In this one-hour lecture/ trunk show Rita will give you an insight into different time periods of American quilt making, from its humble beginnings as utilitarian necessity to it’s glorious statement of a Baltimore Album Quilt. Rita will explore on the basis of her quilts, various aspects of the art of the American quilt and quilt making. Rita will explore the history and versatility of patterns, the development and use of color in fabrics and find meaning in the artistic expression of quilters, which characterized the lives they lived.
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Multilayered with nature inspired details, Rita uses ombres and printed fabrics to give her delicate roses and flowers a three dimensional effect. Baltimore Album stitchers used many different fabrics, each piece carefully selected and purposefully chosen for a desired effect. Rita teaches needle turn appliqué. In this class Rita focuses on stitching techniques for both novices and advanced quilters. Students will have the opportunity to learn all the basic appliqué skills: basic stitch, perfect points, inverted v's and valleys, reverse appliqué, and skinny stems and split leaves.
To turn under a seam allowance with the help of a pin or needle requires a left hand- right coordination. Find out how to move your hands, how to pin correctly and how to position your stitch to achieve a masterful blind stitch. Learn how to turn under your seam allowance to master smooth curves, inverted v's and sharp points without any frays or unwanted noses.
Furthermore Rita will discuss the tricks and techniques of choosing solid and printed fabrics that will enhance the design, shading, and dimension of a pattern. Rita will also demonstrate how detail inking and embroidery can further enhance your work. |
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May 22, 2019: Sit and Sew: Quilt Top Construction, 10 AM - 3 PM in Community Room Or bring your own sewing work and enjoy the company of your fellow NeedleChasers. |
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June 12, 2019: Lauren Kingsland - Improvisational Quilts Inspired by Gee's Bend, 10 AM to Noon in Harlow Hall
In 2002, quilts made in the tiny African-Amreican community of Gee's Bend, Alabama, toured major art museums of the country and the place of those quilts in culture changed. Hear the story of the exhibits, the long history of the community and its unique guild-making traditions.
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June 26, 2019: Sit and Sew: Community Service Cutting Day, 10 AM -3 PM in Community Room Bring your favorite rotary cutter and ruler. We’ll provide the lunch, the fabric and the directions. |
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July 10, 2019: Sit & Sew: Baste-A-Quilt and Pillowcases Day: 10 AM in Harlow Hall Contact Debbie Lamb-Machanic for a time slot for basting. Pillowcases for Interfaith Works Women's Center: The need is great and their appreciation of our prior delivery was just amazing. So, we will be sewing up as may cases as possible for this Women’s Center. They serve as many as 70 women a day and have frequent turnover so lets see if we can provide some bright and beautiful new additions to their lives. Or bring your own sewing work and enjoy the company of your fellow NeedleChasers. |
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July 25, 2019: Day Trip - Quilt Odyssey, Hershey, PA 8:30 AM to 7 PM Join us on a fun get away to the 20th Anniversary Quilt Odyssey Show in Hershey, PA. Please note that the date is a Thursday and will replace the regular Wednesday meeting. We will leave the Church parking lot at 8:30 and take a luxury coach (bathroom, wifi included) to the show’s front door. No waiting in line – you will get your pass before leaving the bus. Upon arrival, you will be able to plan your own itinerary. There are 4 restaurants on site, a wonderful display of quilts to enjoy, and a large vendor hall, all on one level. The return departure time will be 4:00 with an estimated church arrival time of 6:30-7:00. The cost is only $35.00 and includes the bus and admission to the show! |
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| August 14, 2019 | Summer Camp - Wool Embroidery |
| September 11, 2019 | Arlan and Pat Christ - Pennsylvania Dutch Quilts - The Love of Color |
| October 9, 2019 | Polly Mello - Quilts That Go Bump In The Night |
| November 13, 2019 | Lisa H. Calle - Trunk Filled with Anything but Junk - Also, an afternoon workshop on machine quilting with rulers |
| December 11, 2019 | Holiday Luncheon |
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!