Thanks to Frances Hafer and Tisha Harms and the rest of the programs committee for all the hard work getting these programs lined up.

We have some fun things lined up for the guild this year. Make sure you read the newsletter, or check the website, or check on social media. Start gathering your orphan blocks. Information will come soon.

We do need some people to come forward to help with education. In the past we worked several city events to showcase the guild. With Covid a lot of those activities have gone by the wayside. Also, because of Covid, we haven’t been able to teach quilting to young people. Now we are needing to restart our efforts. What can we do to help people learn about the guild and enjoy our craft along with us? Liz Beaty is the VP of Education and is needing a committee to set new guidelines. Please contact Liz or me if you are interested in this area.

Happy Stitching

Vicki Conley

My love for art began as a youngster. I explored papier-mâché, macramé, pastels, painting, stitchery and whatever else I could do with my hands. Art education seemed the route I would pursue until the ninth grade when an exceptional science teacher opened my eyes and heart to another direction. For the next eleven years I followed the dream of science to a Masters of Science degree in Physiology and subsequently worked in medical research. When my husband and I started our family, I quit work and enrolled in a pottery class. What began as a hobby grew steadily into a full time business. I established Pinon Pottery in 1982 with a home studio and in 2000 opened my studio/gallery, Pinon Pottery.

It has been the best career possible, allowing me to be an at-home mom who could be involved with scouts, home schooling, church and sport activities for our two girls, while at the same time developing a business doing what I love – throwing pots. My pottery is primarily functional, reduction stoneware that is oven, microwave and dishwasher safe. A mat blue glaze with a hand painted flower design has been a very successful pattern for many years, but my most popular pattern has a soft airbrushed, blue and white background with hummingbirds. Among fifty or so functional items are some unique pieces including a French butter crock, an egg separator, and microwave bacon cookers.

In 2003 I discovered quilting – beginning with foundation pieced wall hangings. After making a few traditional quilts, I started designing my own quilts and art quilts. I enjoy learning new techniques and using them to develop a quilt. My inspiration is taken from the natural world and I enjoy interpreting it both realistically and abstract.

I have recently retired from 40 years as a studio potter. I still own the gallery in Ruidoso Downs where I sell my work. I’ve been a fiber artist for about 20 years and am now also exploring surface pattern design. My work is strongly influenced by hiking and traveling through our national and state parks. My husband and I now travel extensively in our RV with our three dogs always looking for the next inspiration.

Pinon Pottery Studio and Gallery is located 3 miles east of the Wal-Mart stoplight on Hwy. 70, Ruidoso Downs, New Mexico.

Vicki Conley: From Photo to Imagination

You will learn how to simplify and combine photos into a graphic design both the old-fashioned way with tracing paper and with apps on the IPad. You will learn my turned edge machine piecing technique using Floriani Stitch n Wash stabilizer. Cutting apart the stabilizer to use as templates you will see how easy it is to turn the edges with glue stick. It is left in the finished piece giving nice body to the art quilt. You will also learn my fussy piecing technique using a gradation fabric. You can construct either a landscape or an animal. Bring plenty of photos.

Time: Thursday, February 10-11, 2023, 9:00am – 4:00pm (1-hour lunch)
Location: Best Little Retreat Center in Texas
7989 Beltline Road #168, Dallas, TX 75248
Workshop Fee: $90.00 ($45.00/day)

Mary Kerr

Mary Kerr is an award-winning quilter, teacher, speaker, author, and appraiser. She has been a professional in the quilt and fiber arts industry for over thirty years and brings her depth of knowledge and joy to the quilting community.

Mary says: I love all things old and cherished, not only in quilts but in all aspects of life; a deep faith, family relationships, life-long friends, old papers, and the stories of our past. I love sharing these with the current generations and keeping the past alive.

I have a passion for merging the vintage with modern to create pieces that will be cherished by all generations and bring our history out of the past. My current work marries my love of the vintage with the freedom to create in the way that makes the artist’s heart sing. I get my energy by taking pieces and scraps from yesterday and making them into new works of art. Each compilation quilt honors those who came before us and celebrates all that we are able to do and be today.

Happy to announce that the 2023 Plano Retreat at Tanglewood Resort on Lake Texoma is just a few weeks away. Starting Thursday Feb. 16 at 10am – until Sunday afternoon at 3pm on Feb. 19. Four days of time away, sewing, visiting, eating and sleeping at a resort about an hour’s drive away. A Bones Table of your fabric, notions, etc. that you are ready to pass along, a sale of your priced items, and stretching exercises are in the plans. A little time to make blocks for community service leaves lots of time to work on your unfinished projects. Bring your projects, sewing machine, thread, and have a great four day getaway with friends you have and a chance to make more friends! Just dreaming about days with no meal planning, cooking, cleaning, laundry, etc. and being pampered and productive sewing.

The cornerstone pieces of the show puzzle are in place! The judges and many vendors are secured. We just need quilts and volunteers (plus a million little things).

Feb 20 – 22, 2023. The mini-quilt gurus have made an offer too good to refuse. Kaye Dunn is offering her expertise, patterns, and books, creative juices, and insight as to what sells all for the good of the guild. She will be at the Best Little Retreat Center on Feb 20, 21, and 22 from 9 am to 2 pm. No charge or appointment needed. Drop in and consult with Kay if you are stuck; or wonder if your quilt could be just a little better. Take advantage of this generous offer!

The judged show registration will open in March. Deadline is June 9. Now is the time to create and construct your top.

Quilt angels play a critical role in helping show attendees and keeping the displayed quilts clean and safe. One observation from last year was we needed more quilt angels. They get to wear a precious apron! We need a head angel—someone to recruit more volunteers—think girl scouts, neighborhood association, church group—and coordinate positioning during the show. Optimally, this is a role for co-chairs to share the duties; we’d love to have two volunteers.

Quilts of Valor

By Evelyn Cheek

The Quilts of Valor Mission: To cover Service Members and Veterans touched by war with comforting and healing

At our last meeting we had four patriotic quilt tops and backing picked up by generous ladies to be quilted and returned for binding and label to be added. Thank you, Thank you, Thank you to those who have donated their time, talents, and long arms – Julie C, Pam, Carolyn C, Evelyn C, Diane C, and an anonymous donor. (As well as the person who donated behind the scenes and I didnt get your name!)

Sometimes our machine is in working order and sometimes it’s in the ‘hospital’ for months. Diane C (Thank you Diane!) has made numerous quilt labels for us and her machine is on a break right now. Would you be willing to make a few? (Up to six are needed at this time.) We’d like to have a dozen on hand. TEXT me with your name at 214.415.4496 and I’d be glad to answer your questions. See label pic.

Browse the community service table and have a look at the new 2023 QOV block. The pattern is on the QOV website at www.QOVF.org and is available to print. For some of us it’ll be a welcomed challenge. For others it will be a piece of cake to make a few individual blocks using your own fabric for us to send to the national offices of QOV in South Carolina. Remember a scant quarter inch is your best friend! Several quilt tops have been turned into QOV and we’ve also graciously received quilts that are completely finished and meet the QOVF.org requirements. Click on the following link to read requirements and read up on news. www.QOVF.org

Those comforted with quilts as of  December 31, 2022:

Last Month – 2,371 

Year to Date – 33,349

 Lifetime Total – 336,061

**Worker Bees – Third Thursday on Zoom – Sharon McGinnis**

We are buzzing with excitement to start this new group! Held via Zoom on the 3rd Thursday of each month. Due to retreat starting on February 16, our next meeting will be March 16th at 6:30 pm. This small group is a great fit for anyone with time available in the evenings. This group will include ANY type of quilting activity—piecing, hand quilting, machine quilting, embroidery, you name it. The name of our game is friendship and fellowship around our virtual quilting circle. Contact Sharon McGinnis at sharon.mcginnis@verizon.net to be added to the roster and a Zoom link will be sent out a day or two before each meeting. Any questions can also be directed to Sharon at 972-467-5799.

Sew Happy Quilters – Aurora Chancy

We meet at Sam Johnson Senior Center corner of 75 and 16th Steet on 1st Thursdays and 4th Tuesdays 9:00 to 4:00. We are a sit-n-sew, so bring your favorite project and enjoy the fellowship! Contact Aurora Chancy achancy@msn.com

Pieceful Organization – Sarah Krauss & Jeanne Vogel (Now we meet twice a month!)

If you are feeling “abode overload,” we will: relieve clutter, stress, struggle and feelings of being overwhelmed. We are Zooming on the 3rd and the 4th Wednesday’s from 1:30-3:30 pm using the inspiration from a workshop we attended. Organization will change your clutter and chaos to start the day fresh with your stuff organized. Less chaos leads to more productive quilt making. Please contact pickincotton26@verizon.net for an invitation.

Free Motion Quilting Bee (we actually sew during the meeting!) – Monica Hendewerk

Our meetings have been a huge success. It turns out that Zoom blocks out background noise, so we can sew and chat at the same time! Monica or one of the other members provide some designs to practice on a small sandwich which you can choose to use or not. The designs are sent out in advance and include step by step instructions, with both beginner and intermediate designs. A number of us generally “doodle” on paper first, and then sew. Some people do the designs that have been sent out, others do their own thing. We have beginner beginners all the way to advanced members of the group. We also share our samples and ask/answer questions. Meetings are on the second Monday of the month, from 1:00 – 3:00 (or longer sometimes!). Please contact Monica so that she can send you the Zoom link if you are interested. mhendewerk@gmail.com (713) 569-8798

Hand Applique Small group – Linda Neal

We meet the first Monday of each month at 10:00 on Zoom. If you are interested in joining our hand applique Zoom group, please email Linda Neal (lindanealmck@hotmail.com) for the link.

English Paper Piecing Small Group – Linda Neal

We meet on the third Tuesday at 10:00 on Zoom. Whether you are new to English Paper Piecing or a pro, we would love to have you join our group. Our group is informal and fun!! For a link, please email Linda Neal (lindanealmck@hotmail.com) for the link.

Hoop It Up Bee – Donna Petrick

The machine embroidery group meets the third Thursday each month on Zoom. We talk about problems or successes we might have had in using our machines as well as having show and tell. We are open to all levels of users. If you have an interest in machine embroidery, please join us. Email me petrickdl@outlook.com so I can send you the Zoom invitation.

Featherweight Fellowship Groups – Jeanne Vogel

Singer Featherweight sewing machines make happy owners as we sit and sew. We share tips for caring for the machine, our best notions, and have several members experienced with problem-solving both machine and quilting problems. If you work, join us on a Saturday! When we share a lot of tips and tricks we follow the meeting with an email to those attending. Those who have not previously notified me, please email at pickincotton26@verizon.net to get the invitation to join the Zoom meeting.

Chicks with Feathers—3rd Saturdays Zooming 1-3pm — or in person at Sam Johnson Recreation Center at 401 W 16th St. Plano, TX
Fourth Friday Featherweight Friends—4th Fridays @ 1-3pm on Zoom or in person meeting at Best Little Retreat Center in Texas all day.

Membership

By Mary Alice Caffarel

Our membership keeps growing, as we are up to 306 members as of January 23. Please welcome any newcomers and reach out to others you may not know as well. Friendships are what make our guild so enjoyable.

We still are in need of Nine-patch blocks. Directions can be found on the website under ACTIVITIES/ NinePatch. And you don’t even need your password to get there. Note that the colors do need to read as a solid from a distance. You can bring completed blocks to the Membership table during any monthly meeting.

Please take advantage of the small groups that we currently have meeting. Many are on Zoom and open. Just email the contact person so they can forward you meeting time information and links, if needed. Because we have a number of newer members that are interested in small groups, we will concentrate some efforts on possibly setting up new groups later this spring.

Happy Birthday to all our members celebrating in February.

2 – Jan Agee
2 – Judy Losey
3 – Stacey Jarrett
4 – Tisha Harms
4 – Sharon Umphred
5 – Rosie deLeon-McCrady
5 – Barbara Pepin
7 – Grace Culbertson
9 – Nadine Darby
9 – Deborah Nordgren
11- Linda Neal
18- Lisa Griggs-Stapleton
19- Julie Cohagen
21- Azenath Wright
22- Julie Schaefer
24- Aspen White
25- Terri Anderman
25- Cynthia Weisz
26- Valerie Schlake
28- Kelley Morrison

Quilters Guild of Plano, Inc.

Letter from the President

Programs

February Guild Meeting – Thursday, February 9, 2023

Workshop

March Guild Meeting – Thursday, March 9, 2023

Plano Quilt Guild Retreat

Quilt Plano 2023

Community Service

Quilts of Valor

The Quilts of Valor Mission: To cover Service Members and Veterans touched by war with comforting and healing