Newsletters

July 2024 Newsletter

Posted on July 1, 2024 by Media

If you’re Happy and you know it–celebrate that the city of Plano was ranked 2nd happiest city of all the cities in the US!!

What a great time to be with the Quilters Guild of Plano. We love our members from Plano, surrounding cities, and even out of state. You all make our guild the one to join! We are having great speakers and will have a wonderful Quilt Show on August 9 & 10 this year. We have an all time high membership of over 325! Yes, we're happy!

Check out the speakers for the calendar year 2025 – we've got some great programs scheduled.

We know we can see the inspiration of members' works at the show, but in June we saw the inspiration quilts of the ‘60’s Challenge which were displayed and voted on. Now in July we will see the completed bags that were made at the workshops led by members Donna Petrick (with a broken arm, no less) and Dolores Williams. Thanks to both of them for sharing their talent for our members.

And remember this is your guild and there are great ways to get involved. The Bag Workshop came from a member’s idea and we just made it happen. If you have a question or a comment on what you would like to see, just send an email to president@qgplano.org and we’ll look into making it happen.

Hope everyone is getting their quilts bound, adding a sleeve and a label for their entries! It’s going to be a great show in less than 6 weeks!!

Remember–we are not meeting at Hunter’s Glen Baptist Church in July or August!

Dates to remember:

July 9 -- Community Sew at Plano Sewing Center 10-2
July 11 -- Guild meeting @ Best Little Retreat Center in Texas (might want to bring a folding chair)
July 15 -- Show meeting on Zoom
July 18 -- Deadline for Special Exhibits entry
July 22 -- Board meeting on Zoom
July 29 -- Show meeting on Zoom
Aug 6 -- Drop off quilts for the Quilt Show! 8am–1pm
Aug 8 -- Guild meeting & Preview night at Plano Event Center
Aug 9 & 10 -- Quilt Show 2024!!! 9:00-5:00 both days

Nominating Committee Report

By Sara Lindsay

This year’s nominating committee is composed of Sara Lindsay, Roxy Gross, Ann Lau, Jana McBroom, Sue Rostosky, Caryn Schniederjan, Sarah Krauss, and representing the board are Debbie Blair and Valerie Schlake. Six of the 2024-2025 positions will be filled with two members being Co-VP’s. The positions listed below will be announced at the July and August meetings. Voting will occur at the September meeting.

President - Jeanne Vogel
Co VP Membership – Ann Lau
Co VP Membership – Christi Ables
Co-VP Guild Activities - Chris Fredericks
Co-VP Guild Activities - OPEN
Co VP Community Service – Debbie Blair
Co VP Community Service – Val Schlake
Co VP Education – Lorrie Gray
Co VP Education – Debbie Burns
Co VP Finance – Donna Petrick
Co VP Finance – Penny Reeves
VP Media – Kris O’Connor
Co VP Programs - Beth Swiatek
Co VP Programs – Linda Sullivan
Quilt Show Chair – Laurie Lumston
Secretary – Ginny Cherry

We thank those members continuing leadership and those beginning leadership with the Guild Board. Roxy Gross will make the announcement at the July meeting.

Membership

By Raj Aggarwal and Barbara Goetz

The June meeting was a Zoom presentation by Robin Koehler. There were 85 members, 10 guests, and 31 members on Zoom to join in hearing about her interesting journey into quilting and designing. Attendees collected 9 Patch Block kits to take home, as well as some block of the month sets to complete and return. Thanks to donations, we have some incomplete BOMs that are enough to make small quilt tops for Community Service. We’ll be bringing a few to the next meeting as well if you’d like to contribute. If you took kits home, be sure to return finished blocks by the September meeting, and thanks!

Programs and Workshops

By Beth Swiatek and Linda Sullivan

HOW HARD CAN IT BE?!?! That was Robin Koehler’s inspirational mindset when starting and expanding her business; mostly because she plunged ahead and tried new things kind of willy-nilly! Pretty funny that it became our motto for the Bag Making Fun Sew Days that followed her lecture. Donna and Dolores led the charge and with lots of laughter, some experimentation, and loads of fun was had. Even with all the visiting to see other sewers' creations, many bags were actually finished. Remember your completed bag would be a great addition to the Special Exhibits area of Quilt Plano 2024! Workshop items from the last two years can be entered for free until July 18. Look on the website for a specific Special Exhibit Show entry registration form.

Guild Activities

By Chris Fredericks

Oh! We had so much fun at the June meeting with our 60’s Challenge. Valerie Schlake, Carol Esch, Debbie Blair, Linda Newman and myself participated in the challenge and we brought the 60’s front and center at the meeting. Judging was done by all the members and the tallies came in close between all of us. With all the talent we displayed, I was humbled that my quilt came in first place. We had fun with a bit of 60’s music, a 60’s quiz and someone also displayed tremendous courage by dressing up as a 60’s hippie! Won’t mention any names! Thanks to everyone who participated. Please remember to register your 60’s quilt under Special Exhibits on the guilds website so they can all be displayed at the quilt show!

Riley Blake Challenge - remember to bring your quilts to the July meeting for Show and Tell. I can’t wait to see the amazing quilts we all created. And, we can also register them to be displayed at the Quilt Show as part of Special Exhibits.

Bag Making Class: Oh, I would take this class again and again! We had so much fun and many of us left with projects completed. Please bring your bags to the July meeting for Show and Tell. Again, let's all register them to be on display at the Quilt Show as part of Special Exhibits. Thanks to Donna and Dolores for a phenomenal event!

On to the Fall and 2024 -2025 projects: Sign up will begin at the September meeting for a Winter Exchange, probably a Stained Glass Challenge, A Strippin’ Party (being tag-teamed with Community Service), a new Block of the Month Challenge, a Fat Quarter Lotto Exchange, and so much more.

This is my second year as VP of Guild Activities. Year one flew by so quickly and I’m hoping that everyone enjoyed all the activities. While heading into my second year, we’re also looking for someone willing to co-chair alongside me. Great time to have fun, learn what’s involved and be ready to take the lead in the fall of 2025. Reach out to Sara Lindsay as she is leading the charge on looking for a co-vp for Activities.

Last Call for Volunteer Lunches!! If you are going to volunteer at the show on Friday or Saturday and you don’t want to stand in line at the concession stand, then sign up for a meal one or both days. The last time to pre-order lunch is at the July guild meeting. Some yummy items on the menu!

Calling all Special Exhibits!! If you’ve got something fun that you created at one of our Guild workshops or small groups, please enter it in the Special Exhibits area of the Show. It’s a great way to display the creative talents of our members! Special Exhibits close at midnight on Thursday, July 18. It’s the week after our guild meeting so you have a little extra time!

Calling all fun people who want to be part of the QP25 Show Committee!! Yep, we’re a group of fun people! Please reach out to me or Carol if you want to be part of the group that puts on the show! We will gladly plug you in where your passions are!

Our inventory is low–we’d love to have enough quilts to participate in the Plano Rotary Veterans Day celebration again this year. The basic size is 60” by 80”, plus or minus. More details at QOVF.org. Our Guild can provide batting, backing, and a volunteer long-armer.

If you have a Q of V for binding, please complete and bring to the July meeting or the show drop-off on Tuesday, August 6. We’ll hang the finished quilts in last minute openings—like when Best of Show gets pulled to the front. No sleeve required.

We are looking for another person to learn the QOV computer program. It’s not complicated. If you are interested, text 469-387-0033 for details.

Education

By Liz Beaty and Lorrie Gray

In June, we showed a very simple way to create a quilt label for those that don’t already have a favorite method. A video can be found here: Simple Corner Quilt Label

Look for the Education table in July, when we’ll be demonstrating a great use for a black light during the piecing process. This is quick and simple and might just keep you from having to take out some stitches!

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: Education Demo Ideas

News from the Zoom Bees

Pieceful Organization - Sarah Krauss, Jeanne Vogel, Monica Hendewerk

Every Wednesday from 1:30-3:30 pm -- Join us any week you can!

Need a friend to relieve clutter, stress, struggles and feelings of being overwhelmed? We are Zooming 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 the zoom link.

Free Motion Quilting Bee (we actually sew during the meeting!) – Monica Hendewerk

Join in! It’s fun and productive. 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. A number of us “doodle” on paper first, and then sew. Do the designs that we send or do your own thing. We have beginner beginners all the way to advanced members of the group. We share our samples, ask/answer questions, and chat. It’s a great way to make friends.

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

Chicks with Feathers — 3rd Saturday from 1-3pm -- Jeanne Vogel and Dana Braden

Sit & sew at home with your Singer Featherweight sewing machines. Tips, tricks and advice to make straight stitch sewing simple and precise. Those who have not previously notified me, please email at pickincotton26@verizon.net to get the invitation to join the Zoom meeting.

June 2024 Newsletter

Posted on May 31, 2024 by Media

If you missed the May meeting, we had the honor of rewarding the volunteers with Presidential Service Volunteer Awards. Since there was a delay in getting the awards last year, these were from 2022:

Bronze (100-249 hours): Carolyn Cosgriff
Silver (250-499 hours): Valerie Schlake, Sharon Schenke, Julie Schaefer (Julie awarded Lifetime in 2020)
Gold (500+ hours): Tisha Harms, Jeanne Vogel, Donna Petrick (Donna awarded Lifetime in 2016), Pam Walsh (Pam awarded Lifetime in 2016)

Awards for 2023

Bronze: Cindy Walker, Deanna Tucker, Lynne Fritsche, Roxy Gross, Deb Nordgren
Silver: Sharon Schenke, Chris Fredericks, Deb Merrill, Laurie Lumston
Gold: Carolyn Cosgriff, Sara Lindsay, Donna Petrick, Julie Schaefer, Tisha Harms, Jeanne Vogel, Pam Walsh, and Valerie Schlake
Lifetime Award–Dolores Williams for 4337 hours.

Thank you to all the volunteer hours donated by all the members that did not record their hours.

Volunteers help change the lives of those in their community as a social responsibility rather than receiving a financial reward.

This was a perfect segway for the evening filled with planning the hours to volunteer for the Quilt Show on August 9th & 10th. The signup positions are on the website, so please fill in the blank spaces to make this show a great success.

The Bones Table was well attended with a big thanks to Denise Castelli taking our unclaimed donations to the International Rescue Committee including a Brother sewing machine donated to their cause.

And a big Thank You for those that volunteered to serve on the Nominating Committee.

Quilt Shops:

And just to repeat the news that our quilting community has a new store that opened May 14: Sewcial Creatives 5201 S Colony Blvd, Suite 760, The Colony 75056 with owner Erin Minkowski.
Urban Spools is moving June 1 to a temporary location in west Dallas at 2936 Reward Lane, Dallas, TX 75220, and then moving again to a permanent home in east Dallas in early 2025.

Donna Morris has resigned as the VP of Finance so Donna Petrick will stand in for the rest of the term.

Dates to remember–mark your calendar:

June 3 — Board meeting
June 11 – Community Sew Day 10-2 @ Plano Sewing Center
June 13 – Guild meeting & last day to enter your quilt in the show!
June 14 – Bag making workshop
June 15 – Bag making workshop
June 17 – QP24 committee meeting
June 24 – Board meeting

Membership

By Raj Aggarwal and Barbara Goetz

Our May meeting was the annual Bones Table. Hopefully, you found some treasures to add to your sewing room. There were 94 members in attendance, 1 guest, and 13 on Zoom. Patsy McGaha joined us as a new member -- welcome, Patsy!

In appreciation for QGP help with the "quilting estate" of Betty Moreland, her family has given a number of thank you gift certificates to the Guild. Four of these were raffled off at the May meeting. Congratulations to the winners Sherrie Worley, Lisa Pruett, Bonnie Landon, and Chris Simon. We have a few more of these generous gifts that we will be raffling off at the June meeting. We will also have another special item raffle in June.

Programs and Workshops

By Beth Swiatek and Linda Sullivan

Did you count the April meeting lecture as an Educational? We did! Diane Poor did a great job explaining all about what it takes to get certified as a Quilt Show Judge. Here’s hoping these tidbits spurred some interest and the Judge Pool will be increased over the next few years.

Are you ready for Summer? Or are you still missing that special BAG to help cart your goodies from event to event? Our Bag Making Fun sew days at Best Little Retreat Center in Texas are approaching quickly. Friday is full (you can join the waiting list), but Saturday, June 15 still has a few spots open. Finish that UFO bag that’s been taking up valuable space in your studio, or venture into the bag world using a beginner pattern with our resident experts Donna Petrick and Dolores Williams on hand to help answer all your questions. Email programs@qgplano.org with questions.

Join us at our June 13 guild meeting where Robin Koehler will be Zooming with us from Florida. Hear about her journey of stumbling upon quilting and designing, then creating her own business “NESTLINGS by Robin,” and even becoming a AQS Certified Quilt Appraiser. Hope to see you there!

Guild Activities

By Chris Fredericks

Let’s all welcome in June and the 60’s Challenge where we have a handful of members participating in this event. You can look forward to seeing how our quilters chose to define the 60’s. You’ll have the opportunity to vote on your favorite and the winner will receive a prize. We’re also planning a 60’s quiz and hope that you’ll all pull out your hippie clothes and come to the meeting ready to have some fun!

Everyone is excited about the upcoming June 14th and 15th Bag Making Classes taught by our in-house dynamic duo team of Donna Petrick and Dolores Williams! This is a collaborative event being planned by the program team and guild activities and is sure to be a blast.

It will be an exciting month for the guild!

Community Service

By Debbie Blair and Val Schlake

We are excited to be ahead of our goals year to date providing quilted items to many in need of a little kindness in our community! Thanks to all that lent a hand in helping those in need in our community. Remember we meet on the 2nd Tuesday at the Plano Sewing Center from 10 until 2 each month to do what we love to do…SEW. If you can’t make the Sew day, there are many other ways to participate. Stop by and chat with us at the guild meeting or give us a call to find out how to help and learn what opportunities we have open. Being part of our Community Service Team is personally rewarding and a great way to meet up with friends both old and new!

Quilt Plano 2024

By Laurie Lumston

Good news! You still have until June 13th to enter your quilts in the Quilt Plano 2024 show! Submit a photo of your completed top with your registration and then you have until the Show to get it quilted.

Have you created something special during the year at a workshop or small group and want to see it on display at the Show? Consider registering it online as a Special Exhibit. This is a great way to showcase how creative the Guild members are! And it’s free to do!

And don’t forget to finish up those mini quilts for the silent auction. We have a goal to raise more money here than we did last year and we need your minis to do that! Find the Minnie’s at the next Guild meeting to drop off your pieces. These items do get judged during the show as a separate category and win ribbons and award money!

Whether you have a quilt to enter or not, you can still get involved at the show as a volunteer! There are various opportunities to join in on the fun. Visit the Show’s webpage to find all the volunteer spaces that are open. It’s a ton of fun to be there and to see how excited the community is to visit the Show!

At the June meeting, you can still place your order for lunch on Friday/Saturday if you’re there volunteering. Plus, you can purchase the coveted Show pins, raffle tickets, and there are a few T-shirts for sale. And there are only a few spaces left in the Introduction to Judging Seminar!

This year’s Show is going to be a huge success thanks to the volunteers who are working so diligently! I can’t thank you all enough! Keep up the great work!

Introduction to Judging Seminar - August 9-10, 2024

Do you enter quilt shows and want to understand what makes a winning quilt? Are you interested in learning to judge quilts and wearables? Do you know someone at another guild who coordinates their quilt show’s judging process?

The Quilters Guild of Plano is proud to once again sponsor a 2-Day Quilt Judging Seminar on August 9-10, 2024, at the same time as the Quilt Plano Show. We offered this seminar last year at the same time as Quilt Plano 2023 and it was a huge success!

During this seminar you will learn through a combination of discussion, lecture, PowerPoint presentations, and hands-on mock judging from qualified instructors certified by the National Association of Certified Quilt Judges (NACQJ).

The 2-Day Seminar covers all aspects of quilt judging, including the job of judging, evaluating design and workmanship, categories and awards, judging systems, setting up the judging floor, and judging versus jurying. Discussion includes certification requirements for the National Association of Certified Quilt Judges (NACQJ), the only national certifying organization for quilt judges.

Participants receive handouts including resource recommendations, art and design terms with definitions, a glossary, and sample contracts and invoices among others. This seminar does not certify students nor is it a prerequisite for certification.

Stay tuned! More information and online registration will be available in the coming weeks.

Happy June Birthdays:

1 - Penny Reeves
2 - Ernestine Chipman, Diane Poor
4 - Deanna Sanford
5 - Jeanett Bradley
6 - Teri Motley
8 - Jill Matyastik, Ida Sue Rostosky, Jenny Hilton
10 - Page Samuel, Robin Tolbert
11 - Denise Tarum
12 - Carolyn Cosgriff, Sarah Krauss
13 - Anna Marie Larrabee
14 - Jean Johnson, Lynnette Maytubby
15 - Beth Bailey, Chris Fredericks
17 - Cynthia Kullberg
18 -Adrienne Poppe
19 - Dolores Williams
21 - Cynthia Fisher, Kathy Czekaj, Donna Strongin, Joni Schon
22 - Kris O’Connor,Tara McCrory, Robin Clayborn, Marie Flanders
26 - Tiffany Rizzo
27-Carolyn Kerr, Maria Eakin
29- Terry Cardona
30-Sarah Beard

News from the Zoom Bees

Pieceful Organization - Sarah Krauss, Jeanne Vogel, Monica Hendewerk

Every Wednesday from 1:30-3:30 pm -- Join us any week you can!

Free Motion Quilting Bee (we actually sew during the meeting!) – Monica Hendewerk

Chicks with Feathers — 3rd Saturday from 1-3pm -- Jeanne Vogel and Dana Braden

May 2024 Newsletter

Posted on May 1, 2024 by Media

This month's meeting will be held on Thursday, May 9, 2024. Social time starts at 6:15pm and the meeting starts at 7:00pm. We will be meeting in person at Hunters Glen Baptist Church, 4001 Custer Road, Plano, TX and via Zoom.

If you attend in person, the meeting will be held upstairs--so park in the north parking lot and use the elevators to come to the meeting room.

If you prefer to attend via Zoom, log into your Quilters Guild of Plano account/Membership/Member Dashboard/Monthly Zoom Meetings–-click on the words: Monthly Zoom Meetings.

Letter from the President - Jeanne Vogel

April showers bring May flowers–-and lots of great donations of fabric, notions, patterns and more will be on the Bones Table May 9th, so bring some unwanted items and walk away with great prizes you do want and need. Our tastes do change over the years so if you need more of an older line, you might just find it here! A big Thank You for this crew who volunteered to help set up this fun activity: Sue Rostosky, Carol Esch, Judy Curtis and Lisa Pruett.

The items not claimed will be donated to the International Rescue Committee that helps people affected by humanitarian crises recover and rebuild their lives. If you have a working sewing machine that you would be able to donate, that would be greatly appreciated. Our thanks to Denise Castelli for coordinating this effort to help women in need of sewing supplies.

Need help registering your quilt for the Quilt Show? Come with a picture on your phone and we’ll help you fill out the online registration! How fun is that!!

We have several members that are not able to attend the guild meetings that might want to get a packet of raffle tickets, so please ask at your small group meeting if you could bring them some and pick them up at the Show table for them. Just show us some green $20 bills! Help make this fundraising activity available!

And speaking of bringing some green–-May is the month to purchase a quilt show t-shirt, show pin, meals for the Friday & Saturday of the show, and raffle tickets all together with either cash or check. Yes, bring your checkbook and support the guild. Finance will be available at the Quilt Show table.

Membership

By Raj Aggarwal and Barbara Goetz

April’s meeting was well attended for our speaker, Audrey Esarey. There were 112 members, 16 on Zoom, and there were initially 10 guests, 3 of whom decided to join as members by the end of the meeting. Welcome Joyce Jones, Janet Bockmehl, and Kay Smith! By the way, we have a member who would love to have a ride to meetings if you live near the Frankford/Tollway area. The May meeting is in need of Greeters. Please contact Raj Aggarwal in Membership, or speak to her at the meeting if you are able to help with either of those needs.

The New Member Day Retreat was held on April 20th, even though we had to basically swim there through the storms! Eighteen members spent a rainy Saturday sewing, sharing ideas and stories, and generally having a great time. Lorrie Gray gave a demo on English Paper piecing, so new techniques for some to enjoy. Door prizes were given, and two gift certificates to the Best Little Retreat Center in Texas were given as our grand prizes. Sally Pitre and Donna Allenbaugh were our winners. Thanks to all of you. We had a wonderful time getting to know you.

Programs and Workshops

By Beth Swiatek and Linda Sullivan

Hope everyone enjoyed our April lecture about Audrey Esarey’s quilting journey. Amazing that she started by filling in for a family member who couldn’t attend a quilting class, and has ended up a nationally known, award winning quilter, designer, and speaker….all while still working full time!!! The quilting bug bit her really hard. Workshops were full of laughter and fabric sharing as we tried to absorb Audrey’s tips on color theory and precision curved piecing. Be sure to finish your projects and enter to display in Quilt Plano 2024 Special Exhibits to show everyone some of our workshop masterpieces. (Not mentioning any names, but I know one lady on her third Watercolor quilt just since attending the workshop!)

In other news, (WOW!) our planned June Bag Making Fun sewing days coordinated with Chris Fredericks from Guild Activities appears to be a big hit! Over 30 people signed Interest sheets at April’s meeting for Fun Days at BLRCT watched over by Donna Petrick and Dolores Williams! If you gave us your info, you should have already heard from us thru email with a Registration Form and Experience Questionnaire. Please return both for planning purposes. Space is limited, so don’t wait to send them in; leftover spots will be opening up as you are seeing this newsletter. Use the link below to print sign up paperwork. See Guild Activities below for more details. See you at the May Guild meeting as we hear Show and Judging Seminar details and start to sign up for Show volunteer spots.

Guild Activities

By Chris Fredericks

The Pot Holder Exchange was a big success–it was so much fun to see what fellow quilters had sewed up and exchanged with fellow guild members. The May 60’s Challenge has been extended to the June meeting. Time to get your creative juices flowing and create an 18 x 20 wall quilt depicting an event from the 60’s. Think JFK, MLK, Walking on the moon, music, etc. and start quilting.

June brings about a joint effort from our Programs and Workshop team of Beth Swiatek and LInda Sullivan and Guild Activities. On June 14th and 15th, we will be hosting Bag Making Fun classes with Donna Petrick and Dolores Williams! So much fun will be had at the Best Little Retreat Center in Texas as we gather with our resident experts to learn the art of bag making. Refer to Programs and Workshops for all the details.

The July and August months bring about hot days, ice cream and most importantly Quilt Plano 2024. With everyone’s focus on the show, and knowing we will all do our part to make the show a huge success, Guild Activities will be ready in September to kick out some exciting new projects for the remainder of 2024 and into 2025!

Want to be part of Guild Activities? Email activities@qgplano.org and let me know you’d like to join in on the fun of planning out some ideas for next year!

Quilts of Valor

By Carolyn Cosgriff

We are honored to present 10 quilts in association with the DAR in April. Quilts of Valor are presented as a civilian award to service men and women who were “touched by war”. Anyone can nominate an honoree at QOVF.org. Just add a comment so the nomination gets directed to our group among the many in the state if you want the recipient to get a quilt from our guild.

The Quilters Guild of Plano stash of quilts is low again. The recommended size of a Quilt of Valor is 60″ x 80″; it must be a minimum of 55″ x 65″ and maximum of 72″ x 90”. Bold red, white and blue quilts are popular. No flag fabric please as some service personnel are not comfortable cuddling up with a flag of any sort.

Tops are welcome. We have several guild long-armers who are happy to donate the quilting. Please pin your name to the quilt and note what you contributed! We have too many orphan quilts whose recipients deserve to know who gifted the lovely work. We want to give you credit on the label!

You’ll also be able to pre-order your lunches for Friday and Saturday while you’re at the show. We heard your suggestions from last year, so this year the Plano Event Center has added a fancy lunch salad to the menu! We’ll tempt your taste buds with Asian Chicken Salad (grilled chicken, red/green bell peppers, mandarin oranges, cilantro, chopped romaine with crispy wontons and sesame dressing). And of course, it will include one of their famous chocolate chip cookies, too!

There will be a duo of mini sandwiches, as well. Choose from two chicken salad sandwiches (with cookie and chips) or the combo of one turkey and one ham mini sandwich duo (with cookie and chips). So you’ll be well fed during the show! Sing up at the May meeting!

We’ll also have the 2024 Quilt Plano Show Pins for sale, along with the Timeless Starburst raffle tickets and Show t-shirts.

And we have a special treat in store for you at the May meeting! Come hear from Diane Poor as she presents the Introduction to Judging Seminar that runs in conjunction with the Show. We’ve had a LOT of interest in what the seminar is all about – especially from folks who don’t want to become a judge, but want to know more about how their quilts are judged. So come to hear all about it!!

I’ll echo what Jeanne said in her opening comments. Get those quilts registered before the end of the May meeting to avoid the registration fee! If you wait until the June meeting, you’ll incur the $20 fee.

Lastly, MINIS, MINIS, MINIS! Keep working on them and bring your finished mini quilts to the May meeting. This is a significant fundraiser at the Show and we want to exceed our success from last year!

Thank you to those volunteers who are already working hard as part of the QP24 Show Committee! This group of volunteers are knocking it out of the park already!!! If you want to be part of this amazing team, please let me or Carol Truscott know. We’d be glad to get you connected!

Community Service

By Val Schlake and Debbie Blair

Our collection for PISD was great! The folks at PISD were absolutely thrilled with what we brought them. Thank you to everyone that donated to this worthy cause. We’ll be making some new parents very happy.

We still need help with longarming. You can pick up quilts to longarm at our guild meeting or our community service sewing day.

Our next community service sewing day will be May 14th from 10 am to 2 pm at the Plano Sewing Center. Everyone is welcome to come, just bring your sewing machine and basic sewing supplies. We provide the kits to sew.

Thank you again to everyone for all the great work you are doing for community service!

Introduction to Judging Seminar - August 9-10, 2024

Stay tuned! More information and online registration will be available in the coming weeks.

Education

By Liz Beaty and Lorrie Gray

In May, Liz and Lorrie will be at the Education table demonstrating how to make a simple quilt label, just in time for those quilt show entries!

If you missed Deanna Tucker’s demonstration on how to make a pillowcase, instructions can be found on the guild website here: Simple Pillowcase

Sunshine & Shadows

Congratulations to Diane Poor on the arrival of her daughter. She was born on March 5th at 2:07pm. Mom and baby are healthy, doing well, and getting used to the new routine.

Beth Swiatek fell and is in a brace to allow her left upper arm heal. All quilting is on hold for six weeks!

Elizabeth Arellano is making amazing progress following a stroke affecting her right side. She is determined to return to full quilting function and even joined the zoom call to do Pieceful Organization from her rehab center!

News from the Zoom Bees

Pieceful Organization - Sarah Krauss, Jeanne Vogel, Monica Hendewerk

Every Wednesday from 1:30-3:30 pm -- Join us any week you can!

Free Motion Quilting Bee (we actually sew during the meeting!) – Monica Hendewerk

Chicks with Feathers — 3rd Saturday from 1-3pm -- Jeanne Vogel and Dana Braden

April 2024 Newsletter

Posted on March 31, 2024 by Media

Spring brings new beginnings for our days filled with sunlight, new flowers blooming, and getting such inspiration from attending the Dallas Quilt Show. And with my work in doing some spring cleaning, I am going through all of my fabric stash to see what “no longer brings me joy” and getting ready to bring items to the Bones Table at the May 9th guild meeting. Please send me an email/text/call if you or your small group would help set up the table and help with the leftovers to give to another charity.

Quilt Show 24 online entries are open and ready for you to register your quilts. Limit 4.

Dates to watch:

April 9 -- Community Sew Day
April 11 -- Guild meeting–bring your potholders for exchange, PISD donations
April 12 & 13 -- Workshops
April 13 -- Plano Art Quilt Group meeting
April 20 -- New Member Day Retreat
May 9 -- Guild meeting -- bring your unwanted quilting items & your 60’s challenge quilt
August 6, 7, 8, 9, 10 -- Quilt Show Week 2024 and Quilt Judging Seminar

Membership

By Raj Aggarwal and Barbara Goetz

We had 64 members in attendance for our Zoom presentation in March, including one new member who joined us at the meeting. Welcome, Susie Luttrell. There were 8 members attending via Zoom. Our current member count is 319.

We’re looking forward to the New Member Retreat on April 20th. The space is now full, but if you are a new member and didn’t sign up in time, email Barbara Goetz or Raj Aggarwal and we will add you to a wait list in case of a cancellation. See you there!

Programs and Workshops

By Beth Swiatek and Linda Sullivan

April Showers are watering our Flowers…

And ushering in our next Workshop Month! Audrey Esarey will be at our April meeting to tell us about her path to becoming a Modern Quilter, and how she applies traditional techniques to her modern quilts. Remember since she is one of our national speakers, there will be a $5 fee at the door for non-members to attend her lecture. We have 1 slot left in each of her Friday/Saturday workshops. (Hope all Saturday attendees saw in their email that the Saturday time is now 9:00am-4:00pm). Online sign ups are now working, or you can print a registration sheet from the Guild website to mail or bring to the Guild meeting. Speaking of Workshops, as announced at the March guild meeting, it appears the June workshops Love in Bloom and Bounce didn’t have much appeal to our membership. We do have cancellation deadlines in our contracts, so we have gone ahead and canceled those workshops with Robin Koehler. HOWEVER…we’ve planned a fun substitution event at BLRCT for those dates coordinated by Chris Fredricks from Guild Activities.

Stay tuned and see you at the April Guild Meeting!

Guild Activities

By Chris Fredericks

The April Meeting will be so much fun as we’ll be holding the Potholder Exchange. If you didn’t sign up but would still like to participate you can! All you have to do is make two potholders and bring them to the meeting in a brown sandwich paper bag (I will have some extra at the meeting). Put your name on the bag and then sometime during the meeting we will select a bag that does not have our own name on it and you will go home with two new potholders to enjoy for spring!

The Riley Blake Block Challenge is going strong! The blocks have been interesting and I’ve enjoyed watching what fabrics other quilters are using on the Riley Blake FaceBook page. The last block (#16) will be released on May 28th so we’ve rounded the corner and are headed towards the finish line. Anyone interested in entering their quilt in the Quilt Plano 2024 Show should register online ASAP. You can enter the quilt as a juried entry or as part of the Special Exhibits. Wouldn’t it be fun to see all our quilts in the show?

May brings about the deadline for the “60’s Challenge” and I hope many of you are working on a quilt that defines the 60s to you. Quilt size is 16 x 20.

Grab and Go Projects: If you are unable to participate at Sew Day in person, a Grab and go can be finished at home on your schedule. We appreciate any help you can provide. All the Grab and Go's can be picked up during the guild meeting or at the CS sewing day.

Quilts to be quilted
Quilts to be bound
Quilt tops to be completed
Cuddle kits
Pillowcase Kit
Dog bed covers

Caring and Sharing: Each member who donates a completed quilt (including quilting and binding) will be entered into a special drawing for a door prize (valued at $350 and growing). The completed quilt should be from your stash and can be turned in at the Community Service Table at the guild meeting. We can’t wait to see what you have created!

Thank you for all you do, we could not do it without you!

We need them all! If you’ve thought about making a mini or a quilt to enter into the show, now’s the time! The June deadline will be upon us quickly, so don’t wait to get started! Bring your completed minis to the Guild meeting and leave them at the Quilt Show table.

QP24 Volunteer shirts are for sale at the guild meeting and they’re going fast along with the Raffle tickets.

At the May meeting, we’ll have our Quilt Plano 2024 Open House where you can sign up in the various volunteer slots, pre-order your meals, buy your coveted Show pins, and more!

Introduction to Judging Seminar - August 9-10, 2024

Stay tuned! More information and online registration will be available in the coming weeks.

Sunshine & Shadows

Sunshines:

As many of you know, our guild member Michael Davison has been working hard the last couple of years training to be a Judy Niemeyer Quiltworx Certified Instructor. You may have seen some of his work at the quilt shows. Besides running his online quilting business and longarm quilting for many of us, we are happy to announce that Michael is now fully certified. Great Job!

Michael is now able to teach all Judy Niemeyer Quiltworx patterns and projects. He has ongoing classes, as well as exclusive projects available only to certified instructors scheduled at Best Little Retreat Center in Texas, Quilt Country, Box Car, and Fabric Fanatics. Check out his website michaelquilts.com for his teaching schedule and all things related to his Judy Niemeyer Quiltworx partnership. Congratulations Michael!

Shadows:

Susan Berger is a long time member that hosted the annual quilt retreat for many years is retiring and moving back home to Maryland. She will receive 100 9-patches as our farewell gift.

News from the Zoom Bees

Pieceful Organization - Sarah Krauss, Jeanne Vogel, Monica Hendewerk

Every Wednesday from 1:30-3:30 pm -- Join us any week you can!

Free Motion Quilting Bee (we actually sew during the meeting!) – Monica Hendewerk

Chicks with Feathers — 3rd Saturday from 1-3pm -- Jeanne Vogel and Dana Braden

Sit & sew at home with your Singer Featherweight sewing machines. Tips, tricks and advice to make straight stitch sewing simple and precise. Those who have not previously notified me, please email at pickincotton26@verizon.net to get the invitation to join the Zoom meeting.

March 2024 Newsletter

Posted on February 29, 2024April 28, 2024 by Media

The purpose of the Quilters Guild of Plano is to unite individuals who have a passion for quilts and the art of quilting. Since quiltmaking is often a solitary effort, the moments spent with friends talking, enjoying, admiring, and dreaming quilts are most precious.

I was hesitant to take on the role of president of the guild as I was leading the guild retreat, but it worked with my great committee. We had 70 quilters gather together at Retreat 2024. Just for some history, the guild has been going to the Tanglewood Resort in Pottsboro since the early ‘90s (before I joined) and then took a break going to a couple of other venues before going back to Tanglewood last year. We have made a retreat group committee instead of one person carrying the load and dividing the work before and after setup. Thank you to this year’s team members helping me for a second year: Sara Lindsay and Linda Sullivan. New to this year was Barbara Collins and Fran Levy. Barbara Collins will be on the committee for 2025 with other new members. Just as we rotate off other positions after 2 years, we found it best to do that with this committee also. If you hadn’t heard, I was fine setting up Wednesday night and after helping folks unload their cars on Thursday morning, the Mountain Cedar got the best of me and I was left voiceless!! So sweet Sara took the mic and we continued and had a wonderful 4 days.

Need to stay home and not come to a meeting? We have moved the zoom link (that’s only accessible for members) to the website under the red menu bar at the top: Membership/Member Dashboard/Monthly Zoom Meetings–-hover over the words: monthly zoom meetings. How’s that for simplifying and not relying on a new email each month? Thank you, Kris O’Connor!

Keep these dates in mind:

March 9 -- Art Quilters of Plano
March 12 -- Community Sew Day
March 13 -- Dallas Quilt Show Entry drop off
March 14 -- Guild meeting
March 15, 16, 17 -- Dallas Quilt Show–(needing volunteers)
March 18 -- QP24 committee zoom meeting
March 25 -- QGP board meeting
- Make you Potholder for April meeting exchange
- Bring your contribution for PISD pregnant students
April 11 -- Guild meeting
April 12 & 13 -- Workshops with Audrey Esarey
April 20 -- New Members Day Retreat

Membership

By Raj Aggarwal and Barbara Goetz

February’s meeting was well attended with 113 members present with six guests. Many of you generously picked up packets to create nine patch blocks for farewell gifts. We have a current need for brights and batiks in our blocks, as they are particularly desired by a few folks who are moving away (Julie Brooks). If you can help us out there that would be much appreciated. If your blocks are finished, please bring them in to the March meeting.

New Member Retreat will be held April 20, 2024 at the Best Little Quilt Center in Texas. This is a wonderful opportunity to get to meet other new quilters and hear a little more about the guild. If you haven’t signed up, do so soon, we’re excited to get to know you! You should have received an email invite with a link to register. If you didn’t get that, be sure to contact Barbara Goetz or Raj Aggarwal, Membership, whose email is on our web page.

Programs and Workshops

By Beth Swiatek and Linda Sullivan

Happy March and Welcome Spring! Time for everyone to venture out of that sewing room and gather for a Guild Zoom with Carol Soderlund. Carol will be joining us from Ferndale, WA with her lecture FIFTEEN ELEMENTS exploring, “What are the properties that underlie beauty in art, nature, and quilts?” Join your quilty friends and watch together on the big screen! Also be sure and come visit us at the Programs Table for Workshop signups. Only 1 or 2 slots left in April workshops with Audrey Esarey. Online sign ups are now working, or you can print a registration sheet from the Guild website to mail or bring to the Guild meeting. Remember to let us know early if you need to cancel your workshop spot so we can fill from the waitlist; refund policies are printed on the Workshop Registration Form. You are also welcome (and encouraged!) to find a friend to take your spot if for some reason you end up with a workshop date conflict. See you at the March Guild Meeting!

Community Service

By Val Schlake and Debbie Blair

Things are rocking and rolling within our Community Service Village! We thank those of you that have stepped up and become part of our QGP-CS creating quilted items for those in our community in need of a little kindness! It truly takes a village and we couldn’t do it without you!

A few reminders:

PISD: Drop off your items for PISD students in March & April so they can be delivered in May. We can make a real difference in these new young parents' lives and appreciate anything you can do. There is a big need for infant diapers and infant size clothing… or any other items a new mother or dad might need. It is a wonderful program and we are proud to be part of it.
Sew Day: Join us the second Tuesday of the month for Sew Day. (March 12th from 10am until 2pm). Bring your sewing machine and basic sewing supplies and we will provide the rest. We have a good time together doing what we love to do… SEW.
Grab and Go: Not able to come sew with us? No worries, we have grab and go projects that can be completed at home. Simply pick up at the Guild meeting and then drop off completed at the next meeting.
Sharing and Caring: Is launched! Make a quilt from your stash and turn it in complete as your gift to “share” and your name will be added to our drawing for a mobile sewing table and a basket of goodies valued at over $350 and growing.
Donations: Time to spring clean your sewing area? We can always use fabric yardage, orphan quilt tops, supplies and any completed quilts that need a new home. We will be happy to finish and gift them to someone in need in the community.
February Deliveries:
- Quilts-51
- Cuddles-8
- Pillowcases-42
- Dog Beds-48

We are so fortunate to have so many members dedicated to helping others through our Community Service Programs, your continued generosity and support is appreciated!

Valerie Schlake (804)-651-9026 and Debbie Blair (469)-226-9376

That’s also where you will find the QP24 Volunteer t-shirts! Yes, they are in and selling fast! The volunteer shirts are short-sleeve gray and super soft. If you see some shirts in royal blue, those are the Planning Committee shirts so you can spot us easily at the show.

And make sure to put the May 9th Guild meeting on your calendar. That’s our Quilt Show Open House where you can learn more about the event, sign up for your favorite Volunteer spot, buy beautiful Show pins, pre-order your Volunteer lunch during the Show, buy raffle tickets and T-Shirts…. It’s gonna be fun!

In the meantime, keep working on those mini quilts for the Silent Auction and on your quilt entries for the Show. Entries registration goes live online March 1st!

Introduction to Judging Seminar - August 9-10, 2024

Stay tuned! More information and online registration will be available in the coming weeks.

Guild Activities

By Chris Fredericks

It’s hard to believe that March is upon us! In New York we truly take the saying “March comes in like a lion, and goes out like a lamb” to heart. We usually wait for that one last Nor’easter to slam the east coast and cover the crocuses and daffodils with snow only to have it quickly go away. We wait for the garden centers to slowly bring in spring and summer plants. Now being in Texas, I’m enjoying seeing the garden nurseries already filling up with flowering plants and herbs and veggies! This being said…..

Spring in the Guild? What’s in store?

March/April: In March we will be handing out the insul-brite to those participating in the Pot Holder Exchange which will be taking place in April. Think about putting tulips, daisies and other spring motifs on your pot holders.

May: The Riley Blake Challenge is heading into week 7 and will wrap up in May. The fabric choices that everyone has selected are beautiful. Again, think spring and summer colors, bright pinks, blues and fuchsia. It will be interesting to see everyone’s quilt tops all sewn up and ready to enjoy! Great news: Everyone can choose to enter their Riley Blake Quilt in this year’s quilt show. I’ve emailed everyone about entering a juried quilt or entering a quilt in the Special Exhibit area of the quilt show. It would be fun to see all our beautiful quilts in this year's show!

June: will bring on the 60’s challenge. Hope everyone is working on their submission!

And then we head into the summer months with Quilt Plano 2024.

I am interested in hearing of other activities that might be fun to implement. Stop by the Activities table at the next meeting and jot down any suggestions you may have. Or email me with your ideas!

Happy Quilting!

Education

By Liz Beaty and Lorrie Gray

Coming up this month at the Education table, learn how to sharpen your dull seam ripper with the aid of a bead reaming tool. Bring your old, dull ripper with you and we’ll show you how it’s done!

We hope you enjoyed learning about the American Quilt Study Group from member Barbara Goetz in February. If you missed her then, you can typically find her at the membership table if you’d like to learn more.

To suggest a future demo or 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: Education Demo Ideas

Record Your Volunteer Hours!

By Tisha Harms

We want to know what you are up to. Record your volunteer hours and receive a volunteer bar for 30 hours of service! For volunteering at Quilt Plano 2024, you will receive a charm for your bar!

To record your hours just email volunteer_hours@qgplano.org. If you do not have access to a computer, you can call Tisha Harms at 214.316.5066.

Record your hours at your convenience – daily, weekly, monthly or once a year noting the following categories: Community Service, Show, Education or Guild Work.

Sunshine & Shadows

Sunshine:

Lorrie Gray recently became a Quiltworx Certified Instructor!! The endeavor took about two years to complete. It included 4 trips to Montana for training with Judy Niemeyer, completing over 15 quilts from placemats to queen sized, as well as teaching and demonstration requirements.

Pat Fowler’s small group Plain O’ Piecers made her this quilt in her favorite color (teal) after her husband passed away last month.

Shadows:

Lynnette Maytubby’s father Bobby Taylor passed away on Feb. 21, 2024.

LaDawn Dalley’s mother-in-law Ruby Dalley passed away on Feb. 23, 2024.

Happy March Birthdays

2 -- Jeanne Vogel
3 -- Deb Lockwood
4 -- Janelle Garrett, Sheryl Vaughan
5 -- Cathy Daigle
6 -- Kathy Glover, Martha Jones
8 -- Barbara Collins
10 -- Shirley Gylleck
11 -- Evelyn Meany, Patty Griffith
14 -- Raj Aggarwal
15 -- Denise Green
17 -- Jana McBroom
18 -- Karen Woodard
19 -- Pam Walsh, Heather Maloney, Linda Chappell, Alice Payn
20 -- Marilou Wimmer
22 -- Fran Casey
23 -- Candy Mahaffey, Marty Crouch
25 -- Sharon McGinnis
27 -- Ashley Stovall
28 -- Denise Castelli

News from the Zoom Bees

Pieceful Organization - Sarah Krauss, Jeanne Vogel, Monica Hendewerk

Every Wednesday from 1:30-3:30 pm -- Join us any week you can!

Free Motion Quilting Bee (we actually sew during the meeting!) – Monica Hendewerk

Chicks with Feathers — 3rd Saturday from 1-3pm -- Jeanne Vogel and Dana Braden

Sit & sew at home with your Singer Featherweight sewing machines. Tips, tricks and advice to make straight stitch sewing simple and precise. Those who have not previously notified me, please email at pickincotton26@verizon.net to get the invitation to join the Zoom meeting.

Quilters Guild of Plano, Inc.

Letter from the President

Nominating Committee Report

Advertisement

Membership

Advertisement

Programs and Workshops

July Guild Meeting - Thursday, July 11, 2024

In person lecture at Best Little Retreat Center of Texas with Kerri Green – “From Sketch to Pattern to Contemporary Quilt”

August Guild Meeting - Thursday, August 8, 2024

Quilt Show Preview at Plano Event Center

Guild Activities

Advertisement

Community Service

Quilt Plano 2024

*** Intro to Judging Seminar on August 9-10, 2024 -- Sold Out ***

Quilts of Valor

Education

Sunshine and Shadows

Record Your Volunteer Hours!

Happy July Birthdays:

BeeKeeper Buzz:

Great news!! Bonnie Cook is interested in hosting an evening Small Group (Bee) for women who aren’t available during the day. Please email her at bcook111698@gmail.com

News from the Zoom Bees

Pieceful Organization - Sarah Krauss, Jeanne Vogel, Monica Hendewerk

Free Motion Quilting Bee (we actually sew during the meeting!) – Monica Hendewerk

Chicks with Feathers — 3rd Saturday from 1-3pm -- Jeanne Vogel and Dana Braden

From the Bee Keeper -- In Person Meetings

Fourth Friday Featherweight Friends- Jeanne Vogel: pickincotton26@verizon.net

Monthly Meeting Photos

General Meeting Minutes

Board Meeting Minutes

Quilters Guild of Plano, Inc.

Letter from the President

Membership

Advertisement

Programs and Workshops

June Guild Meeting - Thursday, June 13, 2024

Zoom with Robin Koehler – “How Hard Can it Be?

June Workshop -- Friday & Saturday, June 14 & 15, 2024, 10:00am - 5:00pm....or 9:00pm

Bag Making Fun at BLRCT with Donna & Dolores!

Email programs@qgplano.org to sign up

July Guild Meeting - Thursday, July 11, 2024

Kerri Green – “From Sketch to Pattern to Contemporary Quilt”

In person lecture at BLRCT

Guild Activities

Advertisement

Community Service

Quilt Plano 2024

Education

Introduction to Judging Seminar - August 9-10, 2024

Record Your Volunteer Hours!

Happy June Birthdays:

News from the Zoom Bees

Pieceful Organization - Sarah Krauss, Jeanne Vogel, Monica Hendewerk

Free Motion Quilting Bee (we actually sew during the meeting!) – Monica Hendewerk

Chicks with Feathers — 3rd Saturday from 1-3pm -- Jeanne Vogel and Dana Braden

From the Bee Keeper -- In Person Meetings

Fourth Friday Featherweight Friends- Jeanne Vogel: pickincotton26@verizon.net

Monthly Meeting Photos

General Meeting Minutes

Board Meeting Minutes

Quilters Guild of Plano, Inc.

Letter from the President

Membership

Advertisement

Programs and Workshops

May Guild Meeting - Thursday, May 9, 2024

Quilt Plano 2024 Show Rollout and Judging Seminar Info Talk

Details of the Show will be presented and there will be opportunities to be first in line to sign up for your favorite positions to help out Show days!

June Guild Meeting - Thursday, June 13, 2024

Zoom with Robin Koehler – “How Hard Can it Be?

June Workshop -- Friday & Saturday, June 14 & 15, 2024, 10:00am - 5:00pm....or 9:00pm

Bag Making Fun at BLRCT with Donna & Dolores!

Guild Activities

Advertisement

Quilts of Valor

Quilt Plano 2024

PISD Delivery

Community Service

* Intro to Judging Seminar on August 9-10, 2024 -- Sold Out *