Letter from the President

By Donna Petrick

It’s Christmas eve as I sit here trying to think of what to say this month.  And of course, my first thought is Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!  But we will be past the holidays when you get the newsletter.  So my next thought is the good wishes I have for the guild and all the members in this new year.

Here goes:

I wish for the guild—

•        A membership ready to come back and participate in all the facets of the guild
•        The ability for meetings to be in person and zoom to retain all the possible membership
•        A membership that will find a “new” normal and will rebuild their community

 I wish for the members—

•        Finding joy again in participating in a guild
•        An open mind to find a “new” normal so that we can become our quilting community again.
•        The ability to stay well and deal with the Covid 19 virus and all it’s mutations
•        The willingness to step up and volunteer again.  We have isolated too long

I hope all of you have had a wonderful holiday season.  Let’s look forward to a better new year.  May your year be filled with wonder and joy.  Happy New Year!

Programs

By Tisha Harms

Liberty as a company is 145 years old and Jenni is an Art Historian by trade so each quilt in the book represents a decade in the history of one of the world’smost famous fabric manufacturers.

The lecture is a visual feast from Victorian England to the current day, celebrating art and craftsmanship via Arthur Liberty, William Morris and pioneering members of the Liberty Design Studio.

Jenni Smith is a UK-based pattern designer and author of the book Quilting with Liberty Fabrics.  Her online video tutorials are loved by makers worldwide.  She is very passionate about getting people started on their dressmaking and quilting journeys with her fun, energetic and down-to-earth approach to teaching.

As a long time collector and dealer, as well as the caretaker of several other quilt collections, Julie has had access to some of the greatest antique quilts ever made.

Her lecture will feature extraordinary historic quilts, some of them never published or exhibited before. Examples include true Baltimore Album Quilts, other Pre-Civil War quilts, museum quality Amish quilts, Depression-era examples, quilts with tens of thousands of tiny pieces, and unique pictorial and other one-of-a-kind quilts.

Quilt Show

By Carolyn Cosgriff

Quilt Plano 2022 will be August 12th and 13th.  Mark your calendars! 

The Event Center contract is signed, the logo complete, and the judges selected.  The book marks and raffle bags publicity materials are in process.    Some minis have already been submitted! 

There are still a few committee roles to be filled.  Contact me at Cosgriff.ce@Gmail.com if you’d like to get involved.  It’s a great way to get to know people.  Show committee meetings will be via Zoom, starting Monday January 17th at 7 pm.

Community Service

By Linda Neal

The next Community Service sit and sew/ Community Service drop off day at Plano Sewing Center will be January 11 from 10AM to 2PM.  We will be piecing “Sherry’s Cats.”  Join us for a fun day of sewing!  Bring a sack lunch, sewing machine, and basic sewing supplies.  I will also be there to accept anything you want to drop off for Community service.  We have pillowcase kits ready to be sewn.  

The Storage unit that holds the Community Service fabric is working out really well.  It is convenient and  temperature controlled.  If you are working on a community service project and need fabric or batting, please let me know and I can meet you there.

Community Service/Guild Activity Panel Challenge

Community Service and Guild Activities are joining together for a Panel Challenge.  At the December meeting I gave out preprinted panels and asked members to add to the panels to make a usable size top for community service.  The tops are due by the May meeting, but may be turned in at any time.  Please pin a piece of paper with your name, contact information, and size top to your entry.  All entries received by the May meeting will be entered into a drawing.  I have a few panels left that I will give out until they are gone at the Tuesday sit and sew at Plano Sewing Center or at the January guild meeting.  You may also use a panel of your own, if you would donate the top to Community Service.  The idea of the challenge is to come up with a creative way to use a pre-printed panel and inspire others.  We all have lots of panels in out stashes and we don’t know what to do with them!   You may choose to quilt your top, but it is not required.  It would be helpful if you would include strips of matching binding.  Please let me know if you have any questions — lindanealmck@hotmail.com   

Quilts of Valor

By Carolyn Cosgriff

2021 Wrap Up:  Our Guild’s formal association with the Quilts of Valor began with a March, 2021 program by Suzanne DiCarlo, now the Texas Coordinator for the Foundation.  Since March, Guild members have contributed 32 tops and quilts.   While some quilters have worked on multiple projects, a huge thank you goes out to all the many people who have supported the cause.   Further, many kudos for the wonderful composition and quality of workmanship that has been submitted.  It’s a joy to present your quilts.

We have awarded 26 quilts, 20 we made plus six from Suzanne’s collection.  The quilts have been awarded in 5 ceremonies, ranging from large groups to a single gentleman.  Plus, we sent six to San Antonio, to a group that has a huge backlog due to the heavy military presence in the area.   Two quilts were sent to the center supporting the healing of abused service women. 

There are two quilts in members’ hands for quilting and four in inventory.  At this moment (it can change quickly), there are seven requests on our list.  One of the many blessings of having a few extra quilts, is that we can give the service members an opportunity to choose their quilt.   Some are immediately drawn to one; others ponder over the decision. 

Here’s a picture of the December award ceremony that was held at the Dallas VFW Hall.

Education

By Cindy Skarin

Come visit the education table in January!  We will be sharing how to make a dimensional Pinwheel block. 

Volunteers to share a skill in future months are still needed.  Please share your talents with other guild members.

News from the Bees — Zoom and In-Person

Worker Bees – Sharon McGinnis

Join us on January 18 at 6:30 pm.  Come enjoy being with other quilters from the comfort of your home.  We will share tips and tricks, answer questions about your project, have show and tell, and encourage each other.   Contact Sharon McGinnis at sharon.mcginnis@verison.net for Zoom login information.

Sew Happy Quilt Group – Aurora Chancy

We meet at Sam Johnson Senior Center corner of 75 and 16th  first Thursdays 9:00 to 2:00. We are a sit-n-sew, so bring your favorite project and enjoy the fellowship!  Contact Aurora Chancy achancy@msn.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 pickincotton26@verizon.net to get the invitation to join the Zoom meeting.

• Chicks with Feathers—3rd Saturdays Zooming 1-3pm — (Formerly at Sunrise of Plano)                                                                                                                                                                                         
• Fourth Friday Featherweight Friends—4th Fridays @ 1-3pm on Zoom or in person meeting at Best Little Retreat Center in Texas all day.

Pieceful Organization – Sarah Krauss & Jeanne Vogel   (Now we will 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. Our next meetings are January 3rd and February 7th.  We work on our individual projects and  offer encouragement with lots of hints and tricks.   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. January 18th  and February 15 are our next meetings.  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.

Membership

By Mary Alice Caffarel

We currently have 268 members.  Only 71 have put their profile info into the new database. Please go to the website, click on Membership, then Member Account and sign in.  Can’t remember your user name or password?  Send an e-mail to webmaster@qgplano.org. 

It is your profile that includes your address, birthday (month and day only–do not include the year!), phone number etc. As well as a little bit about yourself if you wish.  Please add a recent photo as well. I’m having one taken today to add to the website.

Happy Birthday to all!

•  1-  Bonnie Ambrose
•  2-  Sherrie Tootle
•  4-  Carollee Schuegraf
•  6-  Joe Ellen Ticknor
•  7-  Lily Gutierrez
•  7-  Tina Steenburg
•  9-  Stephanie Beatty
•  9-  Donna Kaminsky
• 13- Marietta Cowan
• 13- Diane Worley
• 14- Debby Fleming
• 17- Ginny Cherry
• 18- Stefanie Seaver
• 20- Jennifer Scheckells
• 22- Krystal Kendall
• 25- Brenda Blair
• 26- Peggy Cord
• 26- Joe Levy
• 26- Terry Reese
• 29- Roxanne Garrett
• 30- Judy Beskow
• 31- Michelle Parker

Monthly Meeting Photos

Access our monthly meeting photos and photos from the quilt show in our Gallery.

General Meeting Minutes

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Board Meeting Minutes

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