Getting to know the Memphis Area Modern Quilt Guild
An interview with Meghan Murphree, President
Please tell us about your quilting guild!
The MAMQG is the Memphis chapter of the Modern Quilt Guild, which is an international organization. The big picture mission statement is below, and I think it definitely speaks for us locally too.
Our mission is to support and encourage the growth and development of modern quilting through art, education, and community.
The big MQG was formed in 2009 by a bunch of Flickr users in Los Angeles who didn't see themselves and their work reflected in other quilt guilds. The Memphis chapter was formed in 2013, and we've already started planning our 10th-anniversary celebrations! What started as a small group of people meeting in people's homes is now a thriving group of more than 50 active members! We've got a very active Facebook group as well. It’s open to both guild members and “stitchy friends,” and a great place to find out our latest news.
Where does your guild meet?
Generally, we meet at the main branch of Memphis public Library on Poplar, but with covid, our upcoming activities are less regular. We encourage people to join our Facebook group for updates.
Day/time of regular meetings:
2nd Sunday of the month at 2 pm
How modern or traditional are the quilts your guild typically creates?
Rate your guild on a scale of 1 to 5
(With “1” being “Traditional just like I learned” and “5” being a “Totally Modern Vibe”)
We’re a 4 - most of what you’ll see is fairly modern, but that’s a pretty broad umbrella! We have members who love ultra-modern minimalism, and others who love modern traditionalism. (Here’s a great article on the MQG site explaining this!) We never discourage quilty friends from showing us their makes, even if they’re lower on the modern scale. We’ve all made gifts for friends with different tastes than our own!
Do you have service projects your guild has worked on?
We make baby quilts and deliver them to the infant/toddler floor at Le Bonheur every year. We also choose annual projects for groups we believe in. This year, we're working on a quilt for the Memphis Library, where we meet. We’re also working on one for the St. Columba retreat center, where we have our retreats. In the past, we've made quilts for Habitat for Humanity, the StreetDog Foundation, and more.
How to join - The Facebook group is open to everyone! To become a member of the MAMQG, visit the FAQ page on the website below: https://www.memphisareamqg.com/faq
Request to join the Memphis Area Modern Quilt Guild Facebook group HERE
About Meghan
Pictured above
How many years have you been quilting?
More than 20 years.
Tell us about your experience level with quilting
I started quilting as a teenager, working on very traditional projects with my mom and grandmother. My Girl Scout gold award project was actually starting an old-fashioned quilting bee, and a number of friends and family helped me make a bunch of quilts for kids with disabilities in an overseas orphanage.
What are your favorite projects to work on?
I do a little garment sewing, but mostly I love to make oversized lap quilts that I can quilt comfortably on my domestic sewing machine.
What machine do you use the most?
I have a Bernina 440QE that is my daily driver, but I also have a collection of vintage sewing machines that I LOVE.
What's your favorite fabric company/brand?
Eep! That's so, so hard - my favorite designer is Amy Butler, but as she's retired, I've got a lot of other loves now! Rifle Paper, Kaffe Fassett, Ruby Star, Sally Kelly, Alison Glass, and Riley Blake.
Describe the type of fabric you regularly buy
All of It! Lately, I'm into buying fat quarter bundles of full collections and then supplementing with other things. My stash is huge but doesn't necessarily represent who I am as a quilter NOW, so I'm trying to work through some of the old stuff and replace it with things I really LOVE.
What kind of suggestions do you have for us at The Sewing House?
LOVE your shop! The most common thing I hear from our members about local shops is that we like seeing new things - and that’s sometimes hard to find! It's so great to visit The Sewing House and continually see NEW collections from our favorite companies and designers. Many fabric designers have a huge following and it's always exciting to see their new collections IN PERSON! If a store's fabric inventory tends to be the same all the time, it's really hard to get excited. That's why we're really pleased with your new shop! Quilters love to FEEL the quality of fabric and find inspiration by experiencing new patterns and color combinations. We love UNIQUE fabric finds! Keep the inventory fresh and we're happy!
Calling all quilting guilds and sewing ministries!
If you’d like to have your quilting guild or sewing ministry featured, please use the contact us form here on the website. We’ll send you an easy-to-fill-out Google form to help gather information and learn more about you and your group. We can reach out for photos and additional questions and post a spotlight feature!
Many thanks,
The Sewing House team
Thank you to Meghan Murphree, President of MAMQG (pictured second from the left, holding up the left side of this beautiful quilt). We enjoyed learning more about your guild!