Time is already flying by. I have so many things I want to do just in the quilting arena, along with the other part of my life, that I am overloaded with “want to” and short of “time to”. We had a wonderful workshop this month and I’m very interested in following up with more projects and turning them into wall hangings. Then I’ve always enjoyed my embroidery machine and like doing projects on it. I like to make bags. I always have a couple of community service quilt tops in the works. And I love to piece quilt tops. Not enough hours in the day!! My sewing group already accuses me of not sleeping. But it’s so much fun to turn out these projects, how can I not spend time doing what I love?

So now you know what I have going on. What about you? Are you enjoying your quilting journey? Are you sharing ideas with others? What can we do as a guild to help you with your quilting journey?

At our May meeting, we will all get a chance to find parts of the quilt show that interest us the most and sign up to help. Or maybe you want to learn a new aspect of the show and want to help with something you haven’t yet done. One of my favorite things about the quilt show is getting to know some of our members better. This is the time you get to talk and exchange ideas that we don’t always have time for at our regular meetings.

Thank goodness I already have my quilt entry done. Trying to work towards a second one, but not there yet. Are you ready? It’s fun to enter your work in the show. You don’t enter to “win a ribbon”, you enter to share your work with others. Your quilt might be the one that spurs someone to try a new technique or a new color way. We all enjoy seeing the talents of our friends. So get your entry in and help make our show successful again this year.

Happy Stitching!

Quilt Show Roll Out and Skill Builder Demos

Bones Table (come early & check frequently)

Don’t stay home and miss this meeting! We’ll set up the tables early for you to spread your goodies around. It’s time to share your unwanted, your incomplete, your don’t know why I bought this, your I’m never going to finish these items to give them to someone that needs them! You will be amazed that this can spark someone else’s interest and who will be delighted to finish that uncompleted project.

Got threads, pins, scissors, patterns, books, fabric, kits, scraps, you name it – if it’s in your sewing room, then we’ll give it a new home.

All items not claimed by the end of the night will be given to Lut DeMueulder to take to North Carolina quilters that have lost their jobs in the textile mills. Nice to pass our de-stash to those in need.

Catherine Cureton – Running Doe Quilts Trunk Show

Catherine Cureton is a quilter based in the Tyler area. She has been sewing since she could reach the pedal thanks to her grandmother, and now she works in a fabric store, designs patterns (Catherine has over 40 patterns published through Villa Rosa Designs), does free motion long arm quilting, and creates all sorts of fun projects. Check out her website at https://www.runningdoequilts.com.

377 Royal Circle

Whitehouse, TX 75791

(512)906-9423

Quilt Plano 2023

By Carolyn Cosgriff

The Quilt Guild is a volunteer army. Pulling the Quilt show off takes time and effort from a lot of people, during the week and well in advance. Since there isn’t a draft, members need to step up and volunteer. We are focused on 2023, however, this is the time to build the foundation for the 2024 and beyond shows. Many of the key functions (including registration, set-up plan, vendor contracts, demo schedule, and program layout) are done well in advance of the show. The next few months are the best time to learn by shadowing. Consider shadowing a role even if you might be a year or two away from being able to commit to leading the task. Like the Board, the Show Committee needs new faces. Why not you?

The May meeting is the Show Roll-out—It’s your chance to learn about the many roles behind a successful quilt show and sign up. There are literally hundreds of shifts Tuesday – Saturday. You will also have a chance to buy lunch for show days, pins, raffle tickets, and show T-shirts—if any are left. It’s a fun and rewarding way to make new friends, and give back to the guild.

In case you need enticement to attend…Michael Davison secured a large selection of Judy Niemeyer’s quilts to show at the May meeting. To be clear, these are quilts that Judy made herself from her own patterns. This is a rare opportunity to see in person several of Ms. Niemeyer’s creations. As you might expect, she joins forces with award winning quilters to produce masterpieces.

Plan to attend the May meeting in person – no zoom!

Registration is open! The early bird discount to enter your quilt in the show at no cost for guild members ($15 for non-members) closes at the May guild meeting. You need a picture of the completed top and the dimensions to enter. The registration form is online at www.qgplano.org/quilt-entries/. There will be friendly faces at the May and June guild meetings with computers to help you with your entry. Just email the picture of your quilt to showregistration@qgplano.org in advance or bring it on a flash drive. You can enter quilts until the June guild meeting for $20, if you are a member (or $35 for non-members).

Workshop and challenge quilts for special exhibits can also be entered on the guild website through the June guild meeting, no fee.

The mini-quilt auction team is thrilled with the mini’s turned in so far. We need a few more. A mini is a quilt no larger than 24” per side. Please put a sleeve on your mini and bring it to the May guild meeting or community service sew day.

Community Service

By Bonnie Cook

Thanks again to all of you who continue to go above and beyond to help those in the community who need love and care. In March we delivered 69 quilts and pillowcases, 9 cuddles and 50 dog beds and 21 crate pillows.

We’re trying something new for the May meeting. If you have scraps of fabric or batting, bring them to the meeting and we’ll have a dog bed ready to fill with scraps to deliver to our four legged friends. Remember, no paper and don’t forget to check for pins.

I hope everyone is working on their birthday quilts.

If you have any questions about community service, stop by our table during the meeting and we’ll help you out.

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

www.QOVF.org

Thank you, Thank you, Thank you for the number of quilts, quilt blocks, and quilt labels returned to QOV at the community service table. It was a great month for us volunteers to commit to working on Quilts of Valor needs. I’m grateful for our friends, Hariett Wetherall and Kathy Czekaj for turning in a total of seven Half Square Star Blocks. (See free pattern at qovf.org). They are beautiful and will be a lovely addition to a donated quilt.

Thank you AGAIN to Jeanette Grimm for making even MORE quilt labels for our QOV. Not only did she construct what we needed but is donating a few extra for future needs later this fall. I am more than grateful to her!

Those of you who were kind enough to take quilts to bind and quilt, I have those counted and look forward to you returning them as you finish them up. We want to acknowledge you for helping with the quilt as we proceed with presentations. All quilts are in easy handled bags and numbered. A huge thank you to Margaret Bukojoemskyj and Judy Curtis for taking home three quilts to work on.

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 welcome 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! Make as many as you’d like throughout the year.

As you browse the Community Service table (where QOV is located) you may be interested in picking up a Patriotic Quilt Bag to finish. There’s binding, quilting, labels, etc. to be completed for each quilt to be ready to wrap around a deserving veteran later this year. Below is a list of jobs to be done. Plano quilters (men and women) are sooooooo generous with their time and talents and we see the fruits of our labor each time someone offers to make a donation.

Thank you, thank you, thank you.

Feel free to meet me at the table!

This month we have available quilt bags that need:

(2) backing and quilting

Happy Quilting!

**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 May 18th at 7:00 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

Spring has sprung. I hope no one is impacted adversely by our stormy weather season.

I’ve seen more nametags on members recently. Please remember to wear it to each meeting. It helps so much when trying to remember names.

We’ve also had 9 patch blocks being turned in at each meeting. They are much appreciated and keep ‘em coming!

I know we usually have several people sign up for the guild membership as they are entering quilts in the show. Anyone who is signing up at this time is signing up for the 22-23 year, and that membership will expire on September 30 this year. Please note that membership dues for the 23-24 year will not be accepted until the quilt show. The guild “year” begins on October 1 and ends on September 30. I just wanted all to be clear on this.

I will have to give up the membership chair this year. If anyone is interested in taking this over, please give me a call. 469-222-8012. (Leave a message if I don’t answer and I’ll call you back) It is not a difficult job, especially compared to some others.

Quilters Guild of Plano, Inc.

Letter from the President

Programs

May Guild Meeting – Thursday, May 11, 2023

June Guild Meeting – Thursday, June 8, 2023

Workshop — JUNE WORKSHOP HAS BEEN CANCELLED

Quilt Plano 2023

Quilt Show T-Shirts — $20

Guild Activities

Community Service

Quilts of Valor