December is a month for celebrations and here at MAQ, we do it right. Join us for our annual Christmas potluck luncheon and enjoy along with us as we celebrate the season.

'Twas three weeks before Christmas and all through the place, the quilters did party with style and grace . . .

The room was hung with quilts, some finished just in the nick of time, and some from back in the day.

The attire was festive,
as seen here with Ardy Tobin and Trish Morris-Plise.

The food, as always, was overwhelmingly bountiful as well as delicious.  It's obvious we are women of many talents!

We had a rousing quilters' version of "The Night Before Christmas" as we passed gifts from hand to hand each time the word 'quilt' or 'quilter' was spoken.

And quilters being quilters, there was much to Show and Tell.  Michelle Pearson shared a quilt begun in Brenda Gael Smith's Serendipity Circles workshop at PIQF.

Trish shared a quilt she's made as a Christmas gift for her granddaughter (shhhh, don't give the secret away!)  The center panel is hand-embroidered and the border is courthouse steps created from coordinating fabrics.  One lucky granddaughter!

Linda Siska shared a technique she learned from Esterita Austin during her Iridescent Painted Irises workshop at PIQF.  Esterita developed this technique in order to transfer paint onto fabric.  A base coat of metallic paint, such as Lumiere, ensures that the paint will transfer easily from the silicon coated parchment paper on which it is painted to the sheer organza.  After the base coat is laid down, any kind of paint, colored pencil, marker, or pastel can be layered over top creating the desired effect.  The parchment paper is then covered with a layer of Mistyfuse, a layer of organza, and another layer of parchment paper.  The sandwich is ironed together, allowed to cool, and peeled apart.  The paint adheres to the back of the sheer fabric with little loss of color or detail.

Karle deProsse sported a UFO turned into a sweatshirt jacket.

Claudia Rourke brought in a Freddy Moran inspired quilt that featured freehand cutting.  Freddie's assertion that 'color is joy' is certainly evident in this bright quilt.  The "Barnyard Pets" quilting motif was done by Karla Rogers.

Pat Gillings brought in some of her pine needle baskets to share with us.  But that wasn't all . . . 

she also shared some fabrics she had printed out at Spoonflower.  This one started out as Pat's own photographs, manipulated in Photoshop, then printed on chiffon.

And lastly, Pat shared fabric she had created in a multi-stage process.  First, she poured acrylic paint and pouring medium on canvas.  Then she took a photo of the canvas, Photoshopped the picture, then had it printed on satin.  She says the satin is difficult to work with and next time she would probably try silk.

Julie Broughan shared the goldwork she has been doing.  She took an online Facebook class in Byzantine embroidery taught by Yulia Artemeva and created this collection of stitches.

Carole Rossi shared her most recent quilt, "Whales."

Ginny Lee brought a couple of quilts that have been made for the "We Care'" organization to donate to children affected by the Camp Fire.  She sparked a conversation on ways that we can help.  "We Care" is providing kits for these quilts -- available free of charge at Ben Franklin.  There is a continuing need for fabric donations, especially for fabrics suitable for boys.  High Hand Nursery is taking monetary donations -- and posting on Facebook about how the money is being used.

Another quilt for Camp Fire victims.

Ginny Lee also told us how she had used acrylic paints and pouring medium (such as Floetrol) to transform glass ornaments.  She finished the ornaments with a clear coat for protection.

Jane Haworth showed us fabrics she had printed at Spoonflower on cotton-linen fabrics.  Some featured old family photographs . . .

and some were reproductions of her own quilts.

Robin Hart created a painting of a lighthouse, had it reproduced on wrapped canvas, and added lighting for special touch. 

Pat Nelson shared a favorite book on artistic inspiration, Creative Authenticity by Jan Roberts.

Kate Grant has been spending her time weaving while healing from a broken hand.  Under the guidance of her teacher, Eileen Lee, she created these two pieces -- "Broken" . . .

and "Holstein."

One last thing before we go.  An older painting by Robin Hart is featured in this month's edition of the Smithsonian's "Air and Space" magazine.  The caption reads: "What fascinated Robin Hart about Apollo missions was 'the contrast between the lifeless sphere of the moon and our Earth, which was so full of life.' With 'Luna Victoria,' a 34- by 32-inch triptych painted and airbrushed with gouache and acrylic, she expressed the 'human presence' she believed the astronauts carried with them to an alien world."

I hope you enjoyed this celebration of art and talent and camaraderie as much as we did.  Happy holidays to one and all, and a Happy New Year!