News from the Library Corner

We hope you are staying healthy and practicing social distancing. Hopefully your time at home includes some fun sewing.  If you are cleaning and organizing your sewing space, please feel free to donate to the ACQ book fair any quilt books you no longer need. 

I Hope you were impressed as much as we were with the April Zoom Meeting.  Who knew how amazing technology can be in this time of staying safe at home.  It was great to hear Sherri Lynn Wood’s presentation and seeing her great quilts.

If you are interested in modern quilts, here are few from our library:

A Modern Twist by Natalie Barnes

In this book Natalie Barnes discusses the role of color in quilt design and presents instructions for thirteen quilting projects using various color combinations for quilts and home accessories.

 

Zen Chic Inspired: A Guide to Modern Quilt Design by Brigitte Heitland

“Quilter and interior-design expert Brigitte Heitland shows you how to use the unique colors and decor elements in your favorite rooms to inspire quilts that will be right at home.

• You don't have to be an interior designer to make a modern quilt that's the highlight of your living space--Brigitte explains it all.

• Get instant inspiration with 12 patterns ranging from simple piecing to clever applique and patchwork projects.

• Packed with photos of styled rooms with easy-to-understand color palettes for foolproof fabric selection.”

We would still love to get your input for new books that should be purchased for the library this year. We are looking for suggestions for recent books (published in 2019 and 2020).  Please email your suggestions to Mary Rogers (mary.c.rogers@outlook.com) and Ann Roman (annroman8858@icloud.com).  We will keep you posted of our progress.

Library Reminders:

• Each month we feature a small selection of our library books for our members to peruse and check-out before the program meeting.  This selection changes each month.

• A complete list of the books in the ACQ Library is available on the ACQ website by title, author and subject.  Find the Library section on the Members page. If you are interested in a particular title, please contact Mary or Ann.

• Books can be checked out for up to 2 months.  

• Please be sure to return books in the marked basket at the library table at the back of the room.

• If you are a new ACQ member you may not realize that at monthly meetings several members donate quilting magazines.  These are free to members, so please be sure to check out the selection.  These are located on a table close to the library table. 

Submitted by:  Ann Roman and Mary Rogers

On one of our beautiful, sunny days I took the opportunity to photograph the raffle quilt at Cook and Washington Parks near my home.  June and I plan on using these photos to promote online sales of the raffle tickets.  We are still planning on selling tickets at the Shop Hop in August; the Denver Sewing show has been moved to August 20th to August 23rd, 2020 at the Denver Mart; and the Holiday Market (Denver and Colorado Springs) in November/December.

For anyone who wants to purchase raffle tickets, please send a check, a stamped self addressed envelope, self-stick return mailing labels, your email and phone number. 

 Arapahoe County Quilters
PO Box  5357
Englewood, CO 80155

Quilt from Jen Dietz: Finally finished—a fabric portrait of my little man in his favorite color—ORANGE! Started in February at the ACQ workshop with Lea McComas, I finished stitching and binding it!

What are you making during your time at home? Are you finishing UFOs or starting new projects? Join our Virtual Show & Tell:

• post photos on Instagram or Facebook
• add #ACQShowAndTell (the capitalization does not matter) to your captions

You may also share your photos directly in ACQ’s private Facebook group, ACQ Community (members only).

Post and follow the hashtag #ACQShowAndTell: it's the best way right now to show what you’ve been working on and to find inspiration from other guild members. 

Browse these links to see what else has been posted:

https://www.facebook.com/search/top/?q=%23acqshowandtell

https://www.instagram.com/explore/tags/acqshowandtell/

By now you know how to join Zoom and how to set up to look good, now let's make sure you know how to navigate the features of Zoom. 

More help troubleshooting audio problems.

See you online soon!

It’s easy to use, but we want to make sure your experiences at the Virtual Guild Meeting and Workshop are successful. If you've never used Zoom, see Joining Zoom for the First Time.

Device. For the best experience, we recommend you use the largest screen you have. It will be the best front row seat you’ve ever had at a guild meeting.  While Zoom certainly works on phones, it will be a smaller screen and will feel more like you’re sitting toward the back of the room. If you're on a phone or tablet, turn it to landscape mode to move into a middle row.

Connection. Use the best Internet connection you can. See this article for technical details. (https://wiki.millersville.edu/display/instructdocs/Improving+your+Zoom+connection)

Lighting. Try to have lighting low in front of you so that your face is well lit. Overhead lights will cast shadows on your face. 

Camera. Have your camera close to or slightly above eye level. If you are using a laptop you may wish to set it on top of books or boxes. 

Earbuds. It can be helpful for those who are attending if you use headphones or earbuds—this helps to eliminate background noise and distractions. 

Background. Prep the background that will be visible behind you--let’s see lots of favorite quilts! 

And here's a video that shows how some of these affect your set up—it's especially good to see how different light affects how you look: How to Look Good on Zoom.

Be sure to also see the post Finding Your Way Around Zoom.

It’s easy to use, but we want to make sure your experiences at the Virtual Guild Meeting and Workshop are successful. This post is for those who've never used Zoom. Be sure to also see Setting Up to Look Good on Zoom and Finding Your Way Around Zoom.

How to Join Zoom 

You may join Zoom from your computer, tablet or phone. There are more features and a larger viewing screen from your computer. 

You will get an email with a link to the Zoom meeting.  Click on that link. 

If this is your first time using Zoom, you will get a prompt to download the app. Download and install the app. Plan for extra time for your first Zoom meeting. 

Zoom will bring you into the meeting.

You may need to make selections along the way for your video and audio. 

• You can say yes to video.
• For audio you’ll want to select ‘computer audio’ or ‘internet audio’ as your option. 

If you get to the meeting and your video and audio are not working, look for the toolbar:

1. Computer--mouse to the bottom for the toolbar to appear. If you have a red bar over the microphone or camera, click on them to turn them off.  
    

2. Tablet or phone--tap on the screen and the toolbar will appear at top or bottom. If you have a red bar over the microphone or camera, click on them to turn them off. 

3. If you are unmuted (no red line), and still can't talk you may need to click on that triangle next to unmute and make sure that your internal or system microphone is selected. 

Also here's a video you may find helpful if you'd prefer to watch.
Joining a Zoom Call for the First Time.

You’re in! Say hello!

Be sure to also see these two posts:

• Setting Up to Look Good on Zoom 
• Finding Your Way Around Zoom

Greetings from ACQ President Terry Chase. Here's what Arapahoe County Quilters is planning for our virtual connections in April, 2020 since we can't meet together.

Links mentioned in the video:

April 16 • 6:30 pm  MDT • April Guild Meeting with Guest Speaker Sherri Lynn Wood

April 17-18 • 10 am - 3 pm MDT • April Workshop with Sherri Lynn Wood

Zoom Practice Sessions

Face Masks: Making Face Masks for Front Line Workers

ACQ Member Director (members only: sign in with your password to access)

It’s easy to use, but we want to make sure your experience at the Virtual Guild Meeting and Workshop is successful. Here are three different opportunities for you to practice Zoom and say hello to some other ACQ members. 

Register for one or more of these times (free) and we’ll send you a link before the meeting. You should be able to use your computer, tablet or phone. Viewing on your phone will be small. 

• Tues 4/7 11 am to 12 pm: Hello ACQ 1—pop in to say hello and learn how zoom works for the virtual guild meeting and workshop. Sign up.

• Thurs 4/9 6:30 pm to 7:30 pm: The Wanna Bees—if you’re not in a bee but you want to check in with other ACQ members—pop in to say hello and learn how zoom works. No commitment, but perhaps some will want to continue meeting regularly. Led by Mary Papich, ACQ Beekeeper. Sign up.

• Tuesday 4/14 6:30 pm to 7:30 pm: Hello ACQ 2—pop in to say hello and learn how zoom works for the virtual guild meeting and workshop. Sign up.

Does Your Bee Want to Use Zoom? If you’re in a bee and would like to learn more about hosting a Zoom meeting, let June know. We’ve already got several bees who are meeting this way and they’ll all enjoying this chance to check in and spend time with each other.

We sure hope you're doing well during these upside down days. We have an update for you on the Virtual Wedge Curve Improv Workshop with Sherri Lynn Wood on April 17-18.

NOTE: Details will be available later this week for ACQ's Virtual Guild Meeting on April 16.

Our Wedge Curve Improv Workshop with Sherri Lynn Wood has gone through its own improvisation. Sherri is excited to partner with ACQ to host her first live-stream online workshop. 

This is an amazing opportunity to learn from a national level speaker at the affordable rate of only $40 for two days of instruction and interaction. 

Invite Sherri into your sewing space and spend two days with her and ACQ on April 17-18. Please invite your quilting friends to join you in this creative opportunity.

Find the complete workshop description and registration on ACQ's website.

Register for the Workshop

In these challenging times I needed something to make me laugh. This is not such a stretch for a quilter but it is time to try a new block. For me this was Wonky Star Block. There are so many free tutorials to view. My favorite is Jenny from the Missouri Star Quilt Company. She shows large and small.

I have a good start on my next quilt to donate. I do not know when we will each other again, so I wish you hours of good quilting. Please remember we will see each other again and I look forward to sharing donated quilts with people in our community.

Sheila Clark
Charitable Quilts Committee
sheila-clark@comcast.net