Letter from the President

By Linda Neal

I can’t believe it’s December and we are STILL stuck at home due to COVID.  With increasing COVID numbers, I find myself increasingly at home……

Some days I feel like I have tons of things to do.  Other days I am bored and feel like I have nothing to do.  But most of all I am really, really I glad am a quilter.  In an instant,  I can run up the stairs to my studio and leave COVID behind.  In my studio loft I find lots of fabric to play with, (finish a UFO perhaps?–nah) and several machines (too many?–never!) waiting to be used.  And if it get too quiet–lots of “quilty” friends at my fingertips to text or Zoom.

I will admit it’s hard to get in the holiday spirit with COVID all around us.  I am hopeful that being upstairs in my “happy place” with some Christmas movies and hot chocolate will help.  I have been quilting some Christmas table runners and quilts I pieced about a decade ago.  (Yes, a DECADE ago!)  I have discovered that every quilt top really DOES look better quilted.

So until next month, have a wonderful Holiday season.  Enjoy your family (by Zoom) and family traditions.  Make your favorite Christmas cookies and eat the ALL. ( I give you permission this year) Sew as much as possible.  Reach out to your “quilty” friends for support if your house is too quiet.  Together we can count down the days to 2021!

Are you in need of a good laugh?  Do you want some extra chances at winning a door prize??  Just for fun let’s “dress up” this year, 2020 style.  Wear an ugly/funny face mask or an Ugly Christmas sweater to our Zoom Christmas meeting. Your name will be then entered extra into the door prize drawing.  Good luck!

A big thank you to everyone who sewed pillow cases in memory of guild member,  Mickie Warrington,  who passed away October 24th.  Jeanne Smith collected the pillowcases at the Community Service drop off day in November.  75 pillow cases were collected. Jeanne washed and bagged each one in a zip-lock bag.  We took a photograph of them and sent the picture with a card to Mickie’s family.   The pillow cases were then donated to Ryan’s Case for Smiles, an organization that distributes pillowcases to children all over the world with cancer.  This was an organization that Mickie contributed to according to her Facebook Page.  If you were unable to donate pillowcases when they were collected last month–you can still drop them off at Plano Sewing Center.  ( Spring Creek/Custer)  They are a drop off point for Ryan’s Case for Smiles.

Programs

By Jeanne Smith

At the end of this month, we finally get to say goodbye to 2020 and with great expectations welcome in 2021! This year has had many twists and turns, of which the majority have been unfavorable to say the least. We quilters are a tough breed though and we will get through this. 2021 is looking bright!

Our workshops are in a holding pattern right now. The Programs committee is working out details and you will be the first to know when we finalize plans. But our guest speaker Zoom presentations are finalized and are looking great. Each speaker is talented, personable and eager to share her individual expertise.

Here is a list of presenters through April 2021:

Community Service

By Dolores Williams and Valerie Salter

I hope everyone is staying safe and still able to have happy holidays.

Community Service’s prime purpose is to act on behalf of the Guild as a liaison with other community service (volunteer) organizations.

We have been able to reconnect with our organizations as they have found safe ways to accept our donations of quilts, pillowcases, etc.  Last month alone we donated:

•       128 quilts
•       103 pillowcases
•       125 knitted hats

It is great that our members are continuing to support the community in spite of the pandemic.  The guild is trying to keep members engaged in the guild while keeping safely apart.  Community Service has been one way of keeping us together.

 One organization that we have been supporting is the Plano ISD’s School Age Parents Program.  From their website:  The mission of the School-Age Parent Program is to provide the practical and emotional support expectant and parenting teens need to stay in school, remain on track for graduation, be the best parents they can be, and prepare for a bright future.  Educational support is provided for students as they transition from pregnancy, to birth, and beyond.

One area of the program is called the Bonus Bucks Program.  (Again, quoted from their website)  The bonus bucks program is designed to provide extra incentive to make responsible choices and persevere. Students receive bonus bucks for a wide range of activities including outstanding school attendance, academic accomplishments, meeting attendance, doctor or dentist appointments, and much more. The bonus bucks may be redeemed for baby items donated by local churches, community groups, charitable organizations, and individuals. Students take pride in earning items for their babies. In addition, it can be very difficult to remain in school and pay for all the items a baby needs. The bonus bucks program provides the practical support students need to stay in school.

Our guild has been supporting this program for a few years now.  We give items to the program for the students to ‘purchase’.  There are purchasing parties twice a year.  This month we gave the program:

•       21 baby caps
•       10 baby quilts
•       1 pillowcase
•       7 receiving blankets
•       2 outfits
•       10 taggies

Our donation is appreciated. We are collecting for the next donation which will be in the spring. (The buying parties are twice a year.)  Please bring donations to our Take In days.  You can read more about the PISD program at https://www.pisd.edu/Page/692. 

 Our Community Service group is very lucky in some donations we have had of equipment and mostly fabric.  I did an inventory of the fabric we have in the barn: 

•       170 bolts of fabric (mostly partial bolts)
•       51 plastic bins of fabric

And this is after the guild gave over 100 yards of fabric to the organization One Thread that used the fabric to make over 2000 face masks.  The masks were distributed around the Frisco and Plano areas.

 We are indeed lucky to have so much fabric!

New Sewing Bees

By Donna Petrick

Worker Bees – Emily Hall

For those of you yearning to meet with your quilty friends in the evenings, whether that be because you work during the weekdays, or because you just love to sew at any hour of the day, please join us for our new evening group. We would love for you to join us! We will be meeting on the 3rd Tuesday of each month at 6:30pm, starting Tuesday, December 15, 2020. For this group, please have your favorite quilting activity, current work-in-progress, block-of-the-month, etc. ready to work on during our meetings. Any quilting activity is welcomed! Fun fact: the host of this group learned how to cut and sew half-square triangles at the first small group she attended, so who knows, you might also learn new tips and tricks. We are “sew” excited to make new friends and keep our “sew-jo” thriving. Contact Emily at emilylaurenhall@gmail.com or (214) 533-2489 for the Zoom link.

English Paper Piecing Zoom Group – Linda Neal

Love to English Paper Piece? Need inspiration? Tired of stitching in front of the TV?  Then this is the group for you!  English Paper Piecing is relaxing and fun to do while you visit with other guild members.  Learn tips and tricks while you visit and have the opportunity to see what other members are working on.  Our next meeting is December 17th at 10:00  Send Linda Neal an email to be added to the group. (lindanealmck@hotmail.com)

Hand Applique Zoom Group – Linda Neal

Love to Hand Applique?  Then come and join our Zoom group!  No need to drive or pack up all of your stuff when you can just meet up on Zoom.  Our next meeting is December 10th at @10:00.  Email Linda Neal to join our group.  (lindanealmck@hotmail.com)

Hoop It Up — Machine Embroidery Small Group – Donna Petrick

If you are interested in joining our group, please contact Donna Petrick (petrickdl@outlook.com ) for the Zoom invitation.  We meet the 3rd Thursday each month at 10:00 am for about an hour. 

Free Motion Quilting on Zoom – Monica Hendewerk

Free Motion Quilting on Zoom – 2nd Monday of every month at 1 pm.  Our small group activity continues to be a success.  Zoom has this great ability to block out background noise, i.e. the sound of the sewing machines!  No muting required.  We all practice free motion, either our own projects or the files Monica provides for inspiration (small block sandwich).  Come join us!  Contact Monica for the link:  mhendewerk@gmail.com.

• Chicks with Feathers—3rd Saturday @ 1pm — Dec. 19, Jan. 16 (Formerly meeting at Sunrise of Plano). 
• Fourth Friday Featherweight Friends–(Formerly meeting at Best Little Retreat Center in Texas)–1pm —  Nov. 27, no meeting in Dec. 2020, Jan. 22, 2021

If you are interested in starting a new small group on Zoom, please contact Donna Petrick.  We’ll get you set up and running.  It’s fun and easy.

Guild Activities

By Leigh Knox and Michael Davison

Happy Birthday to all you December lads & lasses.  

Just a reminder to submit a picture of your Connected block to activities@qgplano.org by December 8th.

Also, we will make a Folded Star during the December meeting.  Just a cute little make & take.  The instructions and pictures are on the website under activities if you want a sneak peak.  All you need are 4  – 3” x 14” rectangles.  Fold in ½ wrong sides together, then open and fold each raw edge to the center and press.  Then fold together so all the raw edges are tucked inside.  Michael Davison will be leading us through the steps to weaving/folding the fabrics to make a star.

Merry Christmas/Happy Holidays.

Membership

By  Sue Rentz & Karen Edmondson

The Guild welcomes new members Ashley Stovall, Lynn Wagner, Mary Heflin, and Edith Perry who joined recently.  We are always happy to have new members join, and we appreciate the renewals of our existing members.  In this year when we cannot meet in person, we don’t have that membership welcome table to encourage people to support our Guild financially.  Membership is only $30 per year, and family memberships are $40.

There are two methods available for paying dues.  If you are new to the Guild or simply wish to write a check for a renewal, on our website choose Membership on the menu, select Membership Information, and then click on Membership Form in the first paragraph.  Fill out that form, and mail it with your check to the address given on the form.

If you are an existing member and you wish to pay by credit card, you must login on the home page, click the Pay Your Dues button, and follow through from there.  Please note that family memberships cannot be renewed using this method; they must be handled by check.

Door prizes at the October meeting came from Rockin’ Bobbin. Against the Grain Notions, Stitched with Love, Sew Let’s Quilt It, and Quilt Country.

Stockings and Shelter Pet Beds

By  Martha O’Grady

Stockings

We begin our new stockings year in a truly unique way. I think that praise needs to be given to Community Service for solving what might seem to be an enigma of a problem. Exactly how could we limit contact with each other, limit possible exposure to a historic pandemic, and still move project kits for all the that our guild makes. They succeeded in making kits to hand out and facilitating in those kits changing hands through all the steps needed for completed items ready to bless someone.  Especially as we face holidays in these difficult times, the blessings that a quilt, a cuddly, or any of the several types of items that we make become even more critical.

I would like to thank Delores Williams for coming by my house and getting the stocking kits to take to the pick-up/drop-off event.

I will not have kits available in December due to family health issues

As for Soldiers Angels, we made 2100 stockings, and donated a couple of big Rubbermaid tubs full of goodies to go in them. Way to go guys!

Pet Beds

Last month, I sent a picture of the workers at Murphy Animal Shelter with a cart holding 15 beds. At that time, shelters had begun again accepting beds. I am not sure if that is true now. I would urge anyone with a donation to call ahead. The status can change at any time.

Granny’s Quilts

By Martha O’Grady

As some of you might remember, I have been tasked with distributing my grandmother’s quilts among my cousins. I thought that I might share a little about them. Granny did not journal about her quilts nor did she label them. She did not consider them to be important enough to warrant such time and care.  I therefore can only speculate as to the age of most of the quilts.

Almost all of Granny’s quilts are in very poor condition. Rotten ancient fabrics and thread and care that was very different from modern quilters made for a collection of quilts–her lifelong body of work that, shall we say, was not “Houston” quality. That’s ok! These quilts made their way through some of the toughest times of American history. There are definitely different styles of quilts in this collection. Some show a love of craftsmanship and the luxury of being able to take time creating something of beauty. The rest looked slapped together with whatever scraps from worn out clothes that were available.

Two quilts have rough muslin tacked across one end. This was to protect the quilt from men’s whiskers. They were the last quilts that Granny slept under.

Projects by Members

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