It’s a fun time to belong to a quilt guild. I hope you are taking advantage of the activities we have for you. First off, our programs and workshops are top rated. We have opportunities for you to expand your quilt knowledge, enjoy activities with fun people and find out what is going on with the rest of the area quilters.

Next, and I hope this reaches you before show time, it’s time for the Dallas Quilt Show. That is always a fun excursion—seeing quilts from a number of nationally known quilters as well as quilts from very talented local people. (Dallas has a full house of vendors. So get your credit cards ready.)

Then we have guild activities set up for you to enjoy—sewing for others with the community organizations that we help support…helping to set up a new educational department…joining with others on various Zoom calls to learn new techniques…getting together for the guild retreat. And maybe best of all—a chance to see how to best put on our own quilt show. We have a very good reputation in the area of a well-run show. See how you can be part of that show.

In the near future we will start looking for a new slate of officers. It’s time for several of us to rotate off the board. If you are interested in being an officer and helping to lead the guild in the future, please contact me and let’s talk about the opportunity. Soon, I’ll let you know what positions are open. Get involved. Be part of the growth and development of this wonderful group of talented people.

Happy Stitching!

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.

The south has a rich quilting history, steeped in tradition and passed down through the generations. Join Mary Kerr as she shares some of the glorious designs, colors and patterns that are unique to that region.

Mary worked with 13 quilt historians, and they are thrilled to share quilts from 17 Southern institutions and more than 50 private collectors. Enjoy these uniquely Southern patterns and styles. Celebrate the history and those who have shared their time and talent.

Michele Markey

About Medina Domestic Arts Studio

Michele saw her first long arm in 2002 and vowed one day she would have her own long arming business. She got her wish when she retired from the oil and gas industry in 2009 to start her own quilting business AND fabric store. (Sometimes you should be careful of what you wish for!) After three years of running both businesses, she sold the fabric business to focus on the long arm offering custom quilting and embroidery, machine rentals, long arm and coloring fabric classes and custom digitizing. For the last 9 years Michele has been teaching classes both to groups and one-on-one in her studio, in quilt shops, quilt guild workshops and in private homes.

Fabric Painting 101 – The Elephant

Learn to Use Fabric Markers, Gel Pens, Paints and Inktense Pencils on this 16 Inch Doodled Elephant Block! Even if you don’t sew, if you can color in a coloring book you can color on fabric! Here is the best part of this class: you just show up! Michele will provide a block (for this class it will be a 16 inch block stitched out in black as seen above) and a coloring box full of her tools. You will learn several basic techniques on how to color on fabric as well as how to bling your block (if you so choose). When the class is done you will have a beautiful block to use in a quilt, pillow or on a bag!

Interested in seeing more fabric painting items? Check out www.medinadomarts.com for other blocks and coloring tools.

Instructor: Michele Markey

Time: Friday, April 14, 2023, 9:00am – 4:00pm (1-hour lunch)
Location: Best Little Retreat Center in Texas
7989 Beltline Road #168, Dallas, TX 75248
Workshop Fee:

Online – $47.00 (member), $57.00 (non-member)
Cash or Check – $45.00 (member), $55.00 (non-member)
Kit Fee: TBD

Intermediate Fabric Painting

Several years back while attending the Houston Quilt Show Michele met Sherry Rogers Harrison, another Innova quilter, who completely painted her wholecloth quilts. Intrigued, she took classes from Sherry as well as Linda Poole (another incredibly talented fabric painter). She was hooked! Since then, Michele has developed a niche – painting long arm and embroidery patterns (often redwork or lined designs). As more of her long arm clients saw the end product, they too wanted to learn how to color on fabric. So, she began to teach and developed a series of single and Block of the Month classes that range from beginner to expert as well as various price ranges. Her kits contain all the necessary tools to color each block and there are downloadable instructions as well as YouTube videos to complement each coloring block kit.

Instructor: Michele Markey

Time: Saturday, April 15, 2023, 9:00am – 4:00pm (1-hour lunch)
Location: Best Little Retreat Center in Texas
7989 Beltline Road #168, Dallas, TX 75248
Workshop Fee:

Online – $47.00 (member), $57.00 (non-member)
Cash or Check – $45.00 (member), $55.00 (non-member)
Kit Fee: $65.00

The annual Quilters Guild of Plano’s retreat was held Thursday, Feb 16 – Sunday the 19th at the Tanglewood Resort on Lake Texoma. Those 4 days and 3 nights were full of sewing, laughter, games, catching up with old friends, and making new friends. From the initial feedback – the 54 members who attended had a wonderful time. Some “left over quilts” from last year’s retreat were completed and many new quilt tops were started and completed during the week-end. What a productive group! Look for pictures on the website.

There were opportunities to visit the 8th floor of the Whiskey Tower to see a beautiful view of Lake Texoma. Sunsets from the 8th floor are spectacular and there was an opportunity one night to participate in karaoke in the bar. It was quite a happening. My great thanks to the other members of the committee that made it a success: Jeanne Fletcher, Diana Florence, Sara Lindsay and Linda Sullivan.

One item was left behind. If you can name it, you can claim it.

The publicity effort is launched. Raffle tickets are selling. Remember guild members are encouraged to sell $20 worth of tickets (24 tickets). Pick up yours at the next meeting. The mini-quilt auction needs more minis!

In 2022, we sold show admission tickets online for the first time. It was a big step for the Plano Guild, which was well received by our guests, and we jumped over the hurdles without any crashes. This year, we are taking a bigger leap forward with online entry registration. Many of you mastered the process for the Dallas Show. Watch for our registration link to “go live” mid-March. If you aren’t computer confident, no worries. Before the Guild April and June meetings, we will help you with the registration between 5:30 and 6:30 pm. At the May meeting, we will help you from 5:30 to 8:00 pm. No appointment needed. Just email a jpg file picture of your quilt to showchair@qgplano.org before you leave home. Remember to bring the quilt dimensions.

As part of an online entry registration, the mailing is being discontinued, along with the $1 mailing fee. Watch for an email in late June/early July with instructions on when to drop off and pick up your quilt(s).

Another new process in 2023 is that we are encouraging early registration. There is no entry fee for member entries received by 9 pm on Thursday, May 11 (the guild meeting date). The entry fee for non-members is $15. (The entry registration will close from 9 pm to midnight on May 11, 2023.) Between May 12 and June 8 (the next guild meeting date) the entry fee increases $20, or $20 for members and $35 for non-members. Entry registration closes at midnight June 8, 2023. As before, your quilt does not have to be finished at entry, just a picture-ready top completed.

Why all the changes? To make the show run as smooth as clockwork, without abusing our volunteers. A whole lot of work happens between the close of registration and the opening of the show. The registration team checks all the entries, prints the layout books, and sends the quilters personalized confirmations with drop off/pick-up details. The layout of the quilts is determined. If we have any extra space, the vendors on the waitlist need enough time to gather inventory and make arrangements. Ribbons get ordered. The set-up team puts together the jigsaw puzzle of what rod combination to use with each quilt. The entries, vendors, and mini quilt donors are added to the program, which is proofed, re-proofed, and sent to the printer. And those are just some of the tasks based on entry registration.

We can’t wait to see the beautiful quilts you are making! Keep quilting.

Guild Activities

By Michael Davison

It’s time for a super fun class in May! It’s all about Orphan Blocks with MJ Fielek. This class will help you clean your stash of all the leftover blocks, half-square triangles, four-patches, and all the unfinished projects from classes you’ve taken! You can use embroidered linens, old blocks, etc. You will work with value, not color. This is a good quilt to use all those fabrics that you do not like the color. Points don’t matter; if a block does not fit, add a strip or just cut it down in size. When the quilt is finished, quilted and bound, you will then dye it to a color of your choice.

The Leftovers quilt is designed to use all the strips that we cut after each project intending to make a quilt out of them. We just sew all strip sizes together in a unit and slash into sections at angles and add a small strip of color or black and white. This is a great quilt with some strips of novelty fabrics that we buy and never use. Black and white calms the other colors, brings the whole together, and makes a quilt that has a modern feel.

Join MJ Fielek as she guides us through this fun class on Saturday May 6 at Best Little Retreat Center in Texas. Follow this link for more info! https://bestlittleretreatcenterintexas.com/events/orphan-blocks-leftovers-class-with-mj-fielek/

Community Service

By Bonnie Cook

What is a Cuddle?

A Cuddle is a small one piece, layered “quilt” given to a small child to hold for comfort. They are the size of a Fat Quarter with minimal quilting, preferably made with flannel or other soft fabric on one side. The Guild provides Cuddles to pediatric clinics and hospitals. How can YOU help with Cuddles? The Community Service team could use donations of good quality flannel to make kits for Cuddles. A great time to de-stash all that left-over flannel from those baby quilts you used to make. The minimum usable size is a Fat Quarter and only solids or prints appropriate for babies or children please.

Are you working on your Birthday Quilt for the 2023 Challenge? Each member who donates a completed quilt (including quilting and binding) in celebration of their birthday will be entered into a drawing for a bundle of fat quarters.

Join us for Community Service Sew Day on March 14th at Plano Sewing Center. Our group is growing! It’s not only a great way to give back to the Community, but to make new friends and learn new skills. Last month, we demonstrated (and did) Foundation Paper Piecing, and in March, Donna Petrick will demo Machine Binding.

Quilts of Valor

By Evelyn Cheek

The mission of the Quilts of Valor® Foundation is to cover service members and veterans touched by war with comforting and healing.

QOVF Core Values:

Treating people with respect
Promoting excellence
Valuing service over self
Being accountable

Quilts awarded across the Nation:

2021: 30,428
2022: 30,978
2023: 2,082
Total: 338,143 (from date of first recorded award in 2012 through 28 JANUARY 2023)

At our last meeting we had two patriotic quilt tops and backing picked up by generous ladies to be quilted and returned for binding and label to be added. We had one returned for binding to be added and it is beautiful! Thank you, Thank you, Thank you to those who have donated their time, talents, and long arms –Sally F, Julie C, Monica, and Peggy C. Thank you to Dian C and Melinda who dropped off a bag of goodies to use for QOV as well. And a HUGE thank you to Jannett G for volunteering to make more QOV labels for us. We have a half dozen quilts that are ready to be picked up and need just the label attached. (Thank you as well to the person who donated behind the scenes and I didn’t get your name!)

We’re so grateful for your time you put in!

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

**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. 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.

To Be Determined – Gwen Schroth

This small group meets the second Wednesday of each month for sewing, creative input, and friendship. Bring a lunch or hope the hostess has yummy leftovers to share. Contact Gwen Schroth to be added to the invite list and to learn the next location. gwenschroth@yahoo.com

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 Guild just keeps growing and growing! I attribute that to several factors.

Our programs, speakers and workshops are excellent and interesting.
Our large membership means any single person can find multiple people in the guild with similar tastes and interests, and all seem willing to share knowledge and how-to-do-that information.
Lots of strong friendships start here.

So if you’re relatively new, get involved. You can’t help but grow in your quilting endeavors.

Also–many of you have realized I am not that great at keeping a name matched with the face to which it belongs. Remember to wear a NAMETAG, with letters large enough to read. It can be simple or you can make a fancy one. Keep it in your purse, or maybe your car, and you’ll have it every time you come to a meeting. With over 300 members, I’m sure others will benefit from this as well.

Happy birthday to those who celebrate their birthday during the month of shamrocks and all things green (even the beer).

2 – Jeanne Vogel
3 – Brenda Akers
4 – Janelle Garrett
4 – Nancy Minnich
4 – Sheryl Vaughan
5 – Cathey Daigle
6 – Kathy Glover
6 – Martha Jones
6 – Patty Stephan
8 – Barbara Collins
9 – Janet Medlock
9 – Jolene Myers
10 – Shirley Gylleck
11 – Patti Griffith
14 – Raj Aggarwal
14 – Jayson Newlin
15 – Denise Green
15 – Barbara Van De Voorde
17 – Karen Freeman
18 – Karen Woodard
19 – Linda Chappell
19 – Alice Payn
19 – Pam Walsh
20 – Evelyn Cheek
22 – Fran Casey
23 – Marty Crouch
23 – Denny Lay
25 – Sharon McGinnis
26 – Margaret Harkins
27 – Janie French
28 – Ashely Stovall
29 – Denise Castelli
30 – Prue McBride

Quilters Guild of Plano, Inc.

Letter from the President

Programs

March Guild Meeting – Thursday, March 9, 2023

April Guild Meeting – Thursday, April 13, 2023

Workshop

Workshop

May Guild Meeting – Thursday, May 11, 2023

Plano Quilt Guild Retreat

Quilt Plano 2023

Quilt Show T-Shirts

Guild Activities

Community Service