Letter from the President

By Jeanne Vogel

The December meeting will be back in the Fellowship Hall, so park on the south side and arrive as early as 6:15pm with a dish to share and celebrate the Holidays!!  Our thanks for those coming early to set up and be ready to set the table for an enjoyable assortment of goodies and of course some cookies. . Like the smell of hot cider?  We’ll have cider and water to share, or bring your own beverage.  We passed around the list of munchies to bring and both sheets were filled.  So we will have a great evening to socialize at the December Holiday Party!

There will be lots of fun activities to enjoy including the Fat Quarter Lotto (see Guild Activities for details), the Birthday Quilt Raffle being awarded (see Community Services for details), and Donna Petrick and Tisha Harms giving a lecture about Free Standing Lace (see Programs for details)!  How much better can it get you ask?  Start your Holiday season with those that enjoy quilting as much as you do! 

Our Website has been updated!!  Oh my!  All thanks to our VP of Media, Kris O’Connor!  This makes us look more welcoming and up to date!

The Board members have an opportunity to attend a two-part training on the duties and responsibilities of a not-for-profit with a lawyer along with the Dallas guild.  This has been both educational and beneficial to see that we maintain our assets and compliance. 

 We realize last month’s zoom was not heard clearly, but we will have another learning curve as we move to a different room/different setup for the next few months.  Thank you for your feedback and for your feedback regarding the website.    

And to all Happy Holidays!

Happy December Birthdays

• 1 – Diane Morris
• 1 – Lanie Schrink
• 5 – Mary Shannon
• 6 – Carol Truscott
• 7 – Jill Isakson
• 11 – Paula Ramsey
• 14 – Paula Washler
• 17 – Dana Braden
• 18 – Spring Weeks
• 20 – Jan Johnson
• 20 – Carol Esch
• 20 – Margaret Konecny
• 22 – Aurora Chancy
• 23 – Dianne Cronenberg
• 23 – Sharon Schenke
• 23 – Loretta Ingram
• 24 – Martha Wolf
• 24 – Karen Edmonson
• 24 – Karen Burns
• 26 – Jodie Craig
• 26 – Martha Harrington
• 27 – Kaye Dunn
• 28 – Karen King

Contributions and Employer Matching

By Raj Aggarwal

As we are coming to the end of the year, I wanted put a bug in your ears regarding employee giving and matching for contributions to non-profits.  Many companies will match your charitable donations, sometimes as much as 1:1 for either monetary contributions or volunteer hours.  TI is an example of this – the TI Foundation will match both for employees and retirees.  It is an easy way to get additional dollars for our organization that can directly go to things like additional batting for community service.  Please take the time to inquire if your company has such a program and consider participating.

Programs

By Beth Swiatek and Linda Sullivan

Hello All!  Did you stop by the Programs Table at the November meeting and see all the fantastic 2023-24 Programs and Workshops?  Work is in progress getting the information loaded onto the website, but meanwhile we have fliers and workshop registration forms available at the Programs Table at the guild meetings.  For now, come visit us and bring your checkbook! Don’t miss December’s meeting as Tisha Harms and Donna Petrick divulge the secrets of Freestanding Lace.  Maybe you need an idea for a special Christmas gift for a “quilt worthy” family member or friend!  January brings a motivational lecture by Connie Keller.  February is our next Workshop month with Becky Goldsmith’s “Birds in Toyland” wool and needleturn applique.  Try a new skill or practice a rusty one, all the while spending time with great quilters like YOU!  See you at the guild meeting!

December Guild Meeting – Thursday, December 14, 2023

Speakers:  Donna Petrick and Tisha Harms

Free Standing Lace Lecture – Be Wow’d and learn their secrets!

January Guild Meeting – Thursday, January 11, 2024

Speaker:  Connie Keller – Longarms and Legacy

“Love it, own it, don’t be afraid to leave your legacy.”

February Guild Meeting – Thursday, February 8, 2024

Speaker:  Becky Goldsmith – The Secret Lives of Thread and Needle

Learn all about the mysteries of Thread!”

Workshop:  Friday, February 9, 2024, 10:00am – 5:00pm (1-hour lunch)

Becky Goldsmith – Birds in Toyland–Needleturn Appliqué 

Location:  Best Little Retreat Center in Texas, 7989 Beltline Road #168, Dallas, TX

Workshop Cost:  $50.00 (member)/$60.00 (non-member)

Kit Fee:  TBD

Workshop:  Saturday, February 10, 2024, 10:00am – 5:00pm (1-hour lunch)

Becky Goldsmith – Birds in Toyland–Wool Appliqué 

Location:  Best Little Retreat Center in Texas, 7989 Beltline Road #168, Dallas, TX

Workshop Cost:  $50.00 (member)/$60.00 (non-member)

Kit Fee:  TBD

Guild Activities

By Chris Fredericks

Let the activities begin!  IT’S FAT QUARTER LOTTO time at the December meeting.   Bring in your fat quarters in red/white/blues, grunge or batiks in blues/purples and hopefully you will head home with a fat quarter bundle!  How fun will this be!

The Riley Blake Mystery Block Challenge kicks off in January.  I did order a quilt kit and the fabrics are (to quote my mother-in-law Shirley) “GORGEOUS, GORGEOUS, GORGEOUS!”  Remember you can order a kit or you can choose fabrics from your stash!  Many of you have signed up–if you haven’t, there is still time!  The more the merrier!

Thanks to all who have offered to bring in food for this month’s Holiday Party and to those who volunteered to arrive early to help with setup.  Everyone’s efforts are so appreciated!

I wish everyone a joyful holiday season.   I hope your quilting recipe for this season is to make a Sampler Quilt where one block is filled with a cup or two of Faith, another block has a little spice of Laughter, and others have a few pinches of Giving, and a couple of scoops full of Family and Friends.  Blend them all together to form a quilt which is now filled with togetherness, love, joy and peace.  The Binding will be baked at 350 for “forever” as memories have been created which will last a lifetime. 

Enjoy!

Quilt Plano 2024

By Laurie Lumston

QP24 is getting ready to kick-off our monthly planning meetings in January, so to celebrate, we’re introducing the entire planning team at the December Guild Meeting!  As part of their introduction, they’ll be sharing how many years they’ve been part of the planning committee and/or Show volunteer.  What’s your best guess at the total number of Quilt Show years for this group??  Whatever the total is, you can be sure it will be IMPRESSIVE!  Thank you in advance for the commitment to serve the guild!

We are also hoping to have the 2024 Guild Program Bookmarks and the 2024 Quilt Show Raffle tickets at the December meeting to distribute/sell.  Now’s the time to buy a stack of raffle tickets for Santa to stuff in stockings!  Or, you could fill them out for a loved one and use them as gift tags! 

Keep working on your own quilting projects and minis for the show!  It will be here before we know it!

Community Service

By Val Schlake and Debbie Blair

Wishing everyone a Happy Holiday and a New Year filled with happiness and good health!  Our Community Service Team would like to thank everyone for your continued generosity and sharing  your talents, so we as a guild, can continue to spread a little kindness to so many throughout our community.  We couldn’t do it without you!  Many thanks to all.

We look forward to celebrating at the party and remember we have our drawing for the Birthday Quilt.  The winner will receive a basket of sewing supplies valued at $250.   Good luck if you entered a Birthday Quilt!

Education

By Liz Beaty and Lorrie Gray

We had a great demo in November from guild member Sharon Holliday.  She showed us how to make perfect flying geese using a combination of Quilt in a Day method and a Bloc Loc ruler.  A video of the demo can be seen at this link: link:  Flying Geese Demo

If you have a suggestion for a future demo or would like to volunteer to do a demo, please either talk to Liz or Lorrie at a guild meeting or fill out this simple Google form to give your ideas:  https://forms.gle/2u6XphxggeWc8x5C9

Education is taking a break in December to enjoy the party, but look for us during social time again starting in January.  Happy Holidays! 

Sunshine & Shadows

Sunshine:

Martha O’Grady who led the Christmas Stockings for many years and stored all the donated Christmas fabric at her home has moved to be near her grandchildren outside of Houston.  Her new address is in the directory.

Shadows:

Member that passed: Sue Morris — Nov. 30, 1954 – Feb. 16, 2023

Sue was a member of the Chicks with Feathers and the Sew Happy small groups.  She attended the annual retreat when it was held in Denison.  She went on to become a Singer Featherweight repair person doing servicing and repairs and was great at troubleshooting issues with our Featherweights.

Membership

By Raj Aggarwal and Barbara Goetz

The November meeting was so enjoyable, and we are looking forward to our December holiday meeting!  There were 64 members, 2 visitors, and 18 members on Zoom for the beautiful Hawaiian quilting presented by Paula Golden zooming with us from her home in Virginia.

Nova’s Featherweight Maintenance Workshop – Denton

January 25, 2024 — 9 AM – 5 PM

Hilton Garden Inn, 3110 Colorado Blvd., Denton, TX 76210

News from the Bees — Zoom and In-Person

Bag Making Zoom Group – Donna Petrick

The Bag Group is now meeting and we are looking forward to making bags and having fun.  We are meeting the 3rd Wednesday at 7:00 pm.  If you want to join in, please email me to be placed on the Zoom meeting notice.  petrickdl@outlook.com

Sew Happy Quilters – Aurora Chancy

We meet at Sam Johnson Senior Center corner of 75 and 16th Steet on  1st Thursdays and 3rd Thursdays 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, Monica Hendewerk   (Now we meet every Wednesday afternoon)

If you are feeling “abode overload,” we will:  relieve clutter, stress, struggle and feelings of being overwhelmed.  We are Zooming every Wednesday 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 mhendewerk@gmail.com 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

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 in person at Sam Johnson Recreation Center at 401 W 16th St.  Plano, TX or on Zoom from 1-3pm (Not meeting in Dec.)                                          
• Fourth Friday Featherweight Friends—4th Fridays in person meeting at Best Little Retreat Center in Texas all day

From the BeeKeeper

Open Small Groups getting together – all new members are invited to join us:

Sew Happy Quilters       

• 1st Thursday and 3rd Thursday 9-4pm  
• Sam Johnson Recreation Center @  401 W 16th St.  Plano, TX  Contact – achancy@msn.com
• Bring your own project, sewing machine & supplies

Sit N Sew Community Service Day

• 2nd Tuesday from 10-2 pm
• Plano Sewing Center   2070 Spring Creek Pkwy # 326   Plano, TX
• Bring sewing machine and sewing supplies.

Monthly Meeting Photos

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