Letter from the President

By Linda Neal

What a great first Zoom meeting! We had great participation and I have received lots of positive feedback. Thank you Diane Poor for being our Zoom moderator. It was so great to “see” everyone and visit–even if it was only on my iPad. Quilting is such a social activity, and I have really missed all of my “quilty” friends.  

As we enter August, I thought we would be counting down to Quilt Plano 2020. Never in a million years did I think my first year as guild President would be learning to navigate Zoom, leading board meetings on Zoom, and trying to figure out how to keep the guild running while we all “shelter in place.” Don’t even get me started on sewing masks…. The crowning glory was that Quilt Stores were considered “essential businesses” and could remain open when many businesses were forced to close. As quilters, we already knew that quilt stores were essential. Now it’s official.

As much as I hate staying home, I will admit that I have loved every minute I have spent quilting. Three weeks ago, I added the “Elevate” computer to my Gammill. I have been quilting Community Service quilts like a crazy person. Who knew it could be so much fun??!! It’s amazing to me that even a plain top can be made beautiful with a simple edge to edge pattern. I have tried all different patterns so I can see how they “stitch out.” I am just about ready to load number 50- it’s unbelievable how fast a computerized machine can quilt. I get some housework done while the rows are stitching. Maybe someday I will quilt some of the finished tops that have been aging in my closet. But for now, the guild has tons of tops that need quilting. Never a dull moment.

Have a great month everyone and stay safe! I hope to see you on Zoom at the next guild meeting. If you haven’t tried Zoom–give it a try. It’s very easy to navigate. Send in your pictures for show and tell. I know lots of UFOs are getting finished! And if you need a new project–Guild Activities has a link to two beautiful table runners. Happy Stitching!

Quilt Plano 2020 Raffle Tickets

By Donna Petrick

It’s almost time!! We need to sell as many tickets in the next two weeks as we possibly can. Those who want to be in attendance for the drawing are certainly welcome to attend. We will meet on the parking lot, east side of the Plano Event Center, under the trees. Drawing will be at 3:30 on Saturday, August 8th as stated on our tickets.

Thank you to those of you who have returned your stubs and bought more tickets. If you need more tickets to sell, please let me know. We can make arrangements to meet.

As an additional note to community service, City Place has been in need of larger lap quilts as they have taken in a number of teenagers during this time. We delivered 22 larger quilts with pillowcases this past week. But that took most of that size quilts that we have ready. 

Programs

By Jeanne Smith

Hello, my fellow quilters! How I miss you all! Our last quilt meeting via Zoom was the next best thing to meeting in person. It was a great experience and to actually see friends’ faces and to hear your voices was wonderful.

I am pleased to announce that each guest speaker that was scheduled for the Fall has agreed to present his or her guild lecture via Zoom:

• September – Leo Ransom
• October – Carmen Geddes 
• November – Katie Pasquini Masopust 

At our September Zoom guild meeting, Leo Ransom will conduct a presentation. Leo is so well known for his outstanding quilt portraits. He belongs to the Sherman Quilt Guild, right up the road in Sherman, Texas. Leo has won awards as a mixed media artist and as a quilt artist. He states, “My most prized win is my “1st Place victory” in the Master’s Art category of the Dallas Quilt Show in 2018.”

Quilt Plano 2020/21

By Donna Petrick

I will certainly miss seeing all of you at the quilt show this year. But there is always next year and we will plan on a really great show then.  Later this year, Joan Hammett and I will set up a Zoom meeting for the show committee to discuss plans for 2021.

If you are interested in being on the show committee, please contact me so that I can add you to our list. Not sure what committee openings we will have, but we are sure to have some. Working on the committee and at the quilt show is a great way to meet guild members and make new friends.

Community Service

By Dolores Williams and Valerie Salter

I want to again give many thanks to everyone that turned in quilts and other Community Service items in June.   Our charities are starting to accept items and are in need.  Thanks to our generous members, we were able to deliver 62 quilts, 73 pillowcases, 47 cuddles and 5 baby caps.

The charities we donated to this month are:  The Samaritan Inn, Advocacy Center, Children’s Hospital, and the City Place. 

It feels good to be able to help our community again.

We will have another drop-off, pick-up day on August 8th.  The Quilt Show Committee will be drawing the winner of our raffle quilts on the 8th so Community Service will join them for the pick-up, drop-off day.  We will be at the Plano Event Centre, 2000 E. Spring Creek Pkwy. Plano, TX 75074.  (Where we would normally have our quilt show).  We will be under the trees on the east side of the center, from 2:30 to 3:30 pm. 

We will have quilts that need binding and quilt kits and pillowcase kits to give out.  We will take in all the goodies you have been working on for community service.

Guild Activities

By Leigh Knox

Happy Birthday to all our August guys and gals. Hello, August in Texas! Yep, it is hot.

I hope you are enjoying your summer and are enjoying the table runner(s) activity. If you need the patterns, they are up under activities on the website.

Stay cool and stay hydrated. 

Membership

By Sue Rentz and Karen Edmondson

It was wonderful to see so many members at our first Zoom guild meeting. It was hard to get an exact count, but we estimate that there were 65 members present. We were glad to be able to award several door prizes after members signed in to Chat, and we used a random number generator to make the awards. The winners were Donna Petrick, Terry Reisinger, Michael Davison, and Judy Johnson. Our prizes were graciously given by Quarter Squared Quilts, Stitchin’ Heaven, Box Car Quilts, and Against the Grain.

• John Worley  —  8/1
• Susan Berger  —  8/3
• Jamie Moilanen  —  8/3
• Emma Guillen  —  8/5
• Linda Bartley  —  8/5
• Beth Swiatek  —  8/6
• Cindy Skarin  —  8/6
• Lorraine Morse  —  8/7
• Renee Baron  —  8/8
• Ivy St. Charles  —  8/9
• Pam Carroll  —  8/11
• Marty Anderson  —  8/13
• Mary Bishop  —  8/13
• Tracie Williams  —  8/13
• Ginger Murphy  —  8/14
• Linda Sullivan  —  8/14
• Pat Wiant  —  8/14
• Virginia Hauer  —  8/16
• Pam Wingate  —   8/18
• Lynne Fritsche  —  8/19
• Deb Putman  —  8/21
• Marcia Harwood  —  8/21
• Marinetta DeMoss  —  8/22
• Mary Ellen England  —  8/22
• Mary Lidster  —  8/22
• Lut DeMeulder  —  8/23
• Mary Frances O’Neil  —  8/25
• Sandie Griego  —  8/25
• Dorthy Guillen  —  8/26
• Christine “Chris” Cessnun  —  8/30
• Diana Collins  —  8/30
• Elizabeth Arellano  —  8/30

Stocking and Pet Beds Report

By Martha O’Grady

Not much to report on with our stockings as I am sure that most of you are making masks at a feverish pace. Isn’t it lucky that we finished the stockings before all of this started?

If anyone would like to come by my house and pick up stocking kits, call me. Tell me how many you need, and any interesting details that either could or could not be reported here. Let me know which.

As we continue to do our part in facing this historic pandemic, it is easy to begin to have tunnel vision and to think of only what we, ourselves are experiencing in our own little microcosm. Here is a picture of some of the soldiers serving in the Middle East. Note their restrooms in the background, port-o-lets, yuck!  We think that it is hot here, but in some places where soldiers are, it is much hotter. Any of y’all who are veterans know some of what these brave folks face every day. Thanks to each of you for everything you have done to support this ministry. Also, notice that their masks do not match. That tells me that they have been the recipients of the generosity of folks just like you!

Here is the latest from Soldiers Angels: Since the start of the pandemic, the army has dispatched over 50,000 soldiers to states across the country to help build hospitals, support hospital staff, delivered food, even managed nursing homes and other facilities.

So, let’s have some happier news. Little Patrick is now 4 months old. I am not the least prejudiced when I say that he is the cutest baby of all time!

I have been working on one of my “bucket list” items, also known as a golden UFO (one more than 10 years old). I had made all of the arcs a few years back and then got busy with other projects. When it surfaced in the churning black hole that is my sewing room, I realized that some of my little trapezoid-shaped wedges were now rotten. After ripping and tearing those out and remaking the arcs, I had quite a pile of small useless pieces of fabric, enough to fill a pet bed. Well, not quite, but that is where they went. After a couple of days of work, I was where I thought I had been when I opened my tub.

All of this is to make a point. When working with older fabric, make sure it is still good BEFORE you sew it into something! If it turns out that the piece is not good anymore, it can stuff a pet bed!

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