Newsletters

March 2021 Newsletter

Posted on March 1, 2021 by Media

March is finally here! I am so glad to finally say goodbye to February, along with the snow, ice and record cold temperatures. Who knew it could get so cold in Texas? When the weatherman started predicting this winter storm, I did what every good Texan does--stock up on EVERYTHING. My freezers and fridges were stocked with food and drink of every kind. I had lots of dog food and dog treats too. My studio was also well stocked with fabric, thread, needles, and my projects were stacked nicely and ready to go. I was prepared to stay in my studio for at least 7 full days, and not come out until the winter storm had passed. I was looking forward to my Zoom friends and finishing lots of quilt projects.

I was doing well on day number one of the storm. I worked on applique all day. Then after a scrumptious dinner, I sat down to a movie and binding. I got 2 sides bound before bedtime. Good progress for my first day. Snow/ice were starting to fall. It made my backyard look beautiful. Later that night, I woke up to the sound of alarms--the kind of alarm when the battery backup is in use. But the electricity came back on, and I fell back asleep. And then the electricity went off again. This time, I ran upstairs to unplug my Gammill and my Bernina. You can’t be too careful with expensive quilting machines.

The next morning the electricity was off. It was really off this time--with only an occasional “tease” every 16 hours when it came on for a few minutes. Meanwhile the temperature inside the house continued to fall with each passing hour. Forget quilting--I can’t use a machine without electricity and I can’t do handwork without an Ott light. And the scrumptious food I planned to make isn’t happening either. Lunch and dinner is soup heated up with a bunsen burner - the kind that keeps buffet food warm. After dinner I looked outside at my neighborhood. It's completely dark outside. I don’t see any lights in any direction. We crawled into bed with a stack of quilts on top of us. Exhausted and cold we fall asleep quickly.

The next morning the house was even colder. It was time to “abandon ship.” My brother lives nearby and has electricity and an extra bed. My mother has already taken shelter at my brother’s house- since her electricity was also off. I packed 3 days worth of clothes and my quilt I had started to bind 2 days ago. I got 1 more side of binding done before someone (my brother?) suggested we play Canasta--my mother and I against my brother and my husband. I am happy to report that my mother and I were victorious.

We stayed 2 nights at my brother’s house before we returned home to a warm house. It’s been a week since all of this started and life is just now returning to normal. I am one of the lucky ones--I have electricity, water, and no broken pipes. And I still have 1 side of binding to finish.

Zoom Guild Meeting - Thursday, March 11, 2021

Suzanne DiCarlo – Lecture: Quilts of Valor

The Quilts of Valor® Foundation is a non-profit organization. The mission of Quilts of Valor® Foundation is to cover service members and veterans touched by war with comforting and healing Quilts of Valor. These quilts say “Thank you for your service and sacrifice in serving our nation.”

In this presentation, Suzanne will cover the history and the mission of the Foundation.She will talk about what “touched by war” means and who gets served and why. After her talk and slide show, there will be Q & A.

If you have made a QOV quilt or quilt blocks to donate to the Foundation, please send a photo to Activities@qgplano.org.

Guild Meeting - Thursday, April 8, 2021 with J. Michelle Watts

J. Michelle Watts is a quilt artist who creates quilts and wearable art inspired by the beauty of the southwest. She has been designing quilt patterns for over 36 years. "While the biggest part of my pattern designs are still inspired by the beauty of the Southwest and my surroundings, some of most recent designs are a series of easy to piece, jelly roll friendly and scrap reduction quilts. Each of these quilts were designed with simple messages of faith, hope, love and peace.” Her website is https://www.jmichellewatts.com/.

What a February!!! I hope you have all recovered from the cold and outages. It wasn’t a fun time in Texas. Thankfully, being quilters, we all had lots of quilts and could stay warm.

Due to the weather we could not hold our committee Zoom meeting in February. But we are working in the background and should be up on the website soon. Vendors are being contacted. Forms are ready to go on the website for entering quilts. The logo is designed. The raffle quilt is photographed. Special exhibits have been chosen. Mini quilts are being turned in. As soon as we can get the new show page designed, we will be ready to show the world what we have. (Not an easy task when the internet was down so much.)

We have several open positions on the show committee. Particularly, logistics and signs -- we need someone to head these positions. If you have an interest in being on the committee and helping out, please contact me: petrickdl@outlook.com

Linda Neal mentioned at the last meeting that we are looking at alternatives to a raffle quilt for 2022 quilt show. One idea was to make a matching bag set for someone that includes lots of quilt related bags. A number of us are “into” bag making and could make this happen. If you have other ideas for a raffle item for the next show, please let us know. This doesn’t seem to be a good time to ask people to be together to plan and sew the next quilt. However, it isn’t too early to start thinking about a quilt for 2023. Just saying.

Lots of us are getting our Covid vaccines and hopefully we are all staying safe. Hope that means you are working on a show quilt and will have it ready for this year. Keep sewing and think about the fun we will have later this year with our quilt show.

Special indeed as we were sheltered in place and had the time to finish quilts that have long been unfinished. Show us your Quarantine Quilts—quilts completed during the pandemic while staying home in 2020-2021. These are not judged, just enjoyed with a story about the making of the quilt. Depending on the number and sizes we can accept two entries per person, with the understanding that we may only choose one for display. To allow for the most to be on exhibit, please limit the size to no larger than 60" X 72”. See the special entry form for Quarantine Quilts.

Special Exhibits will showcase completed workshop class quilts from 2019 for display. Looking for examples from our teachers: MJ Kinman, Pam Holland, Bethanne Nemesh, Melinda Bula, Edyta Sitar, Annette Plog and Paula Nadelstern. These are not judged, just enjoyed. There is a separate Special Exhibit form to be completed with a photo to be turned in by August 12th, 2021. One form per entry. The entry form will be on the website.

Projects are delivered and picked up the same day and time as other Quilt Show entries, but at a separate table. Complete the projects, add a sleeve and a label and you will be ready to turn in your entry!

Community Service held our Take-in / Pick-up day on Tuesday, Feb 9. Due to the pandemic we decided to have the collections at Valerie Salter’s house rather than our usual collection at Plano Sewing Center. Weather also plagued us but we still collected:

21 Tops, 34 Pillowcases, 14 Finished Quilts.

If you have items you want to turn in and can’t make a Take-in / Pick-up date, email Community Service at communityservice@qgplano.org and we will make arrangements to pick-up or have you drop off your items.

Community Service has been talking about our backlog of quilt tops – we started the pandemic with about 300 quilt tops. We have been going through our inventory and now only have 2 crates full of tops, probably less than 50. We are so happy to have the backlog going out. Our goal is to have all quilt tops turned in go out in the same month.

The best part is as fast as I can make backs for the tops, they go out for quilting. Many thanks to the guild for helping us help the charities we support.

Don’t forget, we also need birthday quilts. It doesn’t have to be your birthday month, but it must be a completed quilt. We have a drawing in December for some great prizes. So, when you turn in the quilt, have a note on it saying it is a birthday quilt. We need your name on it so we can put you on the list for the drawing.

If you forgot to tell us it was a birthday quilt with a note, send us a text or email.

Stay safe and happy quilting.

Hoop It Up - Donna Petrick

Due to the weather, only a few people had internet and could join for the February meeting of Hoop It Up. So we will try again next month. Monica Hendewerk has a demo to show and Donna Petrick was planning to show designs she had inked after doing the machine embroidery. If you are interested in joining in with the group to learn more about machine embroidery or to share your ideas, please email me at petrickdl@outlook.com so I can send you the Zoom link. Meetings held on third Thursday at 10:00 am each month.

Worker Bees - Emily Hall

For those of you yearning to meet with your quilty friends in the evenings, whether that be because you work during the weekdays or because you just love to sew at any hour of the day, please join us for our new evening group. We would love for you to join us! We are meeting on the 3rd Tuesday of each month at 6:30pm. Our next meeting is March 16th. Unfortunately, our last meeting was cancelled due to power and internet outages, and so our bee buddies could focus on necessities during the unprecedented winter storm in February. For this group, please have your favorite quilting activity, current work-in-progress, block-of-the-month, etc. ready to work on during our meetings. Any quilting or sewing activity is welcomed! We are “sew” excited to make new friends and keep our “sew-jo” thriving. Contact Emily at emilylaurenhall@gmail.com or (214) 533-2489 for the Zoom link.

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 – 3 (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

Featherweight Fellowship Groups - Jeanne Vogel

Dust off your Singer Featherweight and join us while 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! We started out with just a few but had 10 and 11 at each of the groups in January & February so we got to see and share with other chicks!

Chicks with Feathers—3rd Saturdays @ 1-3pm — (Formerly meeting at Sunrise of Plano)
Featherweight Friends—4th Fridays @ 1-3pm — (Formerly meeting at Best Little Retreat Center in Texas)

Those who have not previously notified me, please email pickincotton26@verizon.net to get the invitation to join the Zoom meeting

Pieceful Organization - Sarah Krauss & Jeanne Vogel

We are Zooming on the 3rd Wednesday from 1-3pm using the inspiration from a workshop we attended. Organization will change your clutter and chaos to start the year fresh with your stuff organized. Less chaos leads to more productive quilt making. Join us to organize your mess. pickincotton26@verizon.net for an invitation.

Hand Applique Small group - Linda Neal

We have decided to move our monthly Zoom meeting to the first Monday of each month at 10:00. All of the dates through June are listed on the guild website calendar. We made the change so it would not conflict with the Community Service drop off days. If you are interested in joining our hand applique Zoom group, please email Linda Neal (lindanealmck@hotmail.com)

English Paper Piecing Small Group - Linda Neal

We meet on the 4th Tuesday at 10:00 on Zoom. The dates are listed on the guild website calendar. If you are interested in joining our group, please email Linda Neal (lindanealmck@hotmail.com)

Happy Birthday wishes to all the March birthdays.

If you have made a QOV quilt, or maybe you just have the top made, or even just the block for their block drive, please send a photo to Activities@qgplano.org if at all possible by March 6 in order for us to put together a nice show & tell.

Now looking towards April activity - create a wall hanging that features your initial. It can be first name, last name or the initial from your nickname - whichever is your preference. I found several websites where you can print out templates of the alphabet in different styles should you need one. Be creative and let the wall hanging tell us a little about you.Since we will have a speaker in April, please submit photos to Activities@qgplano.org preferably by April 8th in order for us to put together a nice show & tell.

At our February meeting we had two visitors—Renu Gharpure and Sherrie Tootle. Since the February meeting two new members have joined the guild--Renu Gharpure and Sheila Connolly. Our door prizes were given by Quilt Country, Box Car Quilts, Stitch House, and So Let's Quilt It. The winners, selected using the spinning wheel of names present, were Pat Wiant, Jeanne Smith, Dena Smith, and Christina Cisnero.

If you are a visitor to our website and wish to join our guild, you can do so by choosing Membership on the menu, selecting Membership Information, and then clicking on Membership Form in the first paragraph. Fill out that form, and mail it with your check to the address given on the form.

Jeanne Vogel -- 3/2
Janelle Garrett -- 3/4
Sheryl Vaughan -- 3/4
Catherine Daigle -- 3/5
Martha A. Jones -- 3/6
Barbara Collins -- 3/8
Carolyn Kohut -- 3/11
Patti Griffith -- 3/11
Nancy LaVerdure -- 3/13
Shirley St. Clair -- 3/13
Denise Green -- 3/15
Karen Freeman -- 3/17
Karen Woodard -- 3/18
Alice Payn -- 3/19
Linda Chappell -- 3/19
Pam Walsh -- 3/19
Erika Inglhofer -- 3/22
Fran Casey -- 3/22
Denny Lay -- 3/23
Marty Crouch -- 3/23
Sharon McGinnis -- 3/25
Margaret Harkins -- 3/26
Ashley Stovall -- 3/27

We are starting our new year with our stockings. We finished last year with 2500 stockings. If I allow myself to think about the millions of active service and veterans, it would be easy to be discouraged. But we need to think in the way that Don said, “no, you’re not giving to every single one of them, but you are making a big difference in the lives of the ones whom you do reach.” True, it’s easy to get discouraged, but don’t. Our contribution along with the efforts of many others helps make a difference.

I will have kits available for anyone who wants them. Call, text or email and we can set up a time and place to meet contact free.

At this time, pet shelters vary on whether or not they can take our pet beds. Due to this temporary situation at the shelters and sewing room and fabric re-organization efforts at my house, I have been making quilt-as-you-go crazy quilt and crumb quilt cuddles to use various size scraps of fabric and batting. You may want to consider some projects like these to use your scraps.

February 2021 Newsletter

Posted on January 31, 2021February 13, 2021 by Media

It is now February, 2021 and the guild is up and running efficiently. Although our guild looks very different than a year ago, we are a thriving and active guild. We have speakers, an online class scheduled (Thank you Michael Davison!), many different small groups meeting, and community service -- and our Quilt Plano show 2021 is on the schedule. All of this is happening with social distancing, wearing masks, and no in person meetings. It is kind of amazing when you think about it. Almost everything is done on Zoom. Many other quilting organizations or guilds have not met in almost a year. Some groups have disbanded during this time. I am determined to keep our guild active, fiscally strong, and keep our membership numbers strong.

Our online guild meetings have been very well attended. We have even had some visitors. If you know someone who is interested in joining our guild and would like to visit, have them send an email to membership@qgplano.org. They will help provide them with a link to the meetings and welcome them to the meeting. We are not charging any visitor the $5 fee for national speakers during this time.

Our small groups continue to grow and we are always looking to add other small groups. The newest small group, Pieceful Organization, is starting in February. Members Sarah Krauss and Jeanne Vogel are leading a group to help you organize your sewing space. What a great idea for quilters! Our other new small group, Worker Bees, is lead by Emily Hall. This group meets in the evenings for members who work. Any guild member can join any small group unless it is a “closed group” that is indicated on the calendar. If you have an idea for a small group--let me know and I can help get your group started.

I realize not all of our membership is comfortable on Zoom. I know of several members who have never been on Zoom before and you are missing out on a lot! If this describes you, send me an email and I will arrange for someone to help you navigate Zoom -- a buddy to walk you through the process. If you indicate the device you want to use ( computer, ipad, phone) I will hook you up with someone with the same device so they can walk you through the process. It is very easy, but even kindergarten was rough on the first day!

For now, I will get back to sewing. I have been quilting, English Paper piecing, and appliqueing like crazy. But my stash for now is still going strong! See ya on Zoom.

The President’s Volunteer Service Award is an opportunity to honor the most outstanding volunteers and recognize the impact they make. The Quilters Guild of Plano has been giving out these awards every year since 2010. The awards consist of an award document and a pin. Now it is time to order the awards for year 2020. I need your documentation of the hours you have volunteered for the Guild from January 1, 2020 through December 31, 2020. Please email your documentation to juliescha@sbcglobal.net.

February

Zoom Guild Meeting – Thursday, February 11, 2021

Debbie Maddy – Lecture: Indigo Shibori Dyeing

Debbie Maddy is renowned for dyeing fabrics with indigo, an extraordinary Japanese fabric dyeing technique called “shibori.” A designer for Moda Fabrics, Debbie’s gorgeous quilting fabrics feature dynamic shapes and patterns on cool, dark colors.

Debbie was featured in the latest issue of Simply Modern magazine by Quiltmania. The article, Indigo Journey, chronicles her fascinating “journey” through years of all things Indigo. It is a great read!

Join us for a combination slide presentation and trunk show with Debbie at our February Zoom guild meeting.

Workshop - Saturday, February 27, 2021 via Zoom, 9:00am - 3:00pm

Michael Davison: Reverse Focus Quilts

FEE: $35. Register online at michaelquilts.com/workshops

REVERSE FOCUS QUILTS: Using Large Scale Prints and Negative Space -- a hands-on workshop with Michael Davison

The idea for this workshop stemmed from two passions: Using large scale prints and having lots of negative space to plan out quilting designs, which become the main focal point of the quilt. Using the large scale prints/piecing as background and the negative space quilting as focus reverses our common notion of traditional quilt composition. The results are wonderful and can satisfy both the traditional and modern quilter.

In this workshop, you will construct a 40” x 40” wall hanging/small lap quilt to put this concept into practice. You will choose one of several patterns to piece your quilt top. These patterns use very large pieces to show off your large scale print(s) and will sew together quickly. Once your quilt top is pieced, you will create your quilting design. We will walk through steps of how to plan for quilting that draws the eye in and how to effectively divide and conquer large negative space to create interest.

Because we are creating our own plan for quilting, this class will involve some drawing and drafting. Don’t be scared – It’ll be fun! Your quilting designs can be completely free form and loose, or they can be detail drafted and precise. The goal is to come up with a design that creates focus, but also complements the printed fabric that is taking the back seat on this one. We will talk about threads and textures that beckon the viewer’s eye to take a closer look.

You will leave the workshop with your pieced top and the majority of your quilting design marked on your quilt, if not all of it. The actual quilting process will be on your own, but if you are a speedy one, you may end up preparing your quilt sandwich and start quilting before we are done.

ZOOM – This entire workshop will be conducted on ZOOM. Students should have video and audio capability. Preference is to be able to see what you are doing and hear from you throughout the workshop. However – I will do my best to monitor the chat feature for anyone who cannot connect through video and audio but will be watching and hearing me and the other students.

***OPTIONAL FABRIC KIT $35

Fabric kits will be available on my website for purchase. You may choose the kit you like or ask me to curate a custom fabric kit for you. This can be shipped USPS Priority Mail directly to your home or you could arrange to pick up from me. My website will have kit order cut-off date so that you will be sure to receive your kit prior to the workshop.

Find Michael at www.michaelquilts.com and on YouTube channel: Michael Quilts.

Work towards the quilt show is picking up. It won’t be much longer before we can post the logo and publicity information about the show. We are getting very positive responses from the vendors who are anxious to be back in business.

Joan and I still have several committee positions open. If you would like to be part of the production of the show, please look at the help wanted section of the website to see if you are interested any open position. This is a great way to get to know more people in the guild and to learn what it takes to put on our fun show. All show committee meetings will be held on Zoom until it’s safe to meet again in person. Contact me if you have questions about any position: petrickdl@outlook.com

The raffle quilt is ready for binding and then should be ready to photograph and be seen by the public. It’s beautiful. Tina Connolly, Patricia Fowler, and the rest of their group have done a lovely job. The guild will be very dependent on the members in selling tickets this year since we will not be able to take the quilt to the different quilt guilds. We also sell a great number of our tickets at the quilt show.

Are you planning on a special quilt to enter this year? Time to get started on it. We will post the entry forms for the show in late February. I’m expecting an abundance of quilts since so many quilt shows had to be cancelled this past year. Should be a spectacular year for quilts.

Hope you are getting excited about the show and will be ready to volunteer to produce it. With more people getting vaccines every week, we are looking forward to being together again. As time gets closer to the October show time, we will know more about the requirements for group gathering at the Plano Event Center. We will adhere to whatever requirements they have in order to have a safe show.

The next Take-in/Pick-up day will be February 9, at Valerie Salter’s house, 7619 Lancaster Gate, Frisco, TX, from 10:00 am to 12:00 pm. Call Valerie with questions or curbside pick-up at 972-965-0755. We will have quilts that need binding, quilts that need quilting, pillowcase kits and some quilt top kits. We hope to see you then.

If you have items that you need to get out of your home, email communityservice@qgplano.org and we will make arrangements for a contactless pick up.

We finished 2020 with 2,500 stockings for Soldiers' Angels. Thank you all and great job!

Hoop It Up - Donna Petrick

The “Hoop It Up” zoom small group had a really interesting meeting in January. Tisha Harms gave a presentation on quilting in the hoop. I think a lot of us are ready to try it now. This group meets the third Thursday each month to help each other with machine embroidery. You are invited to join us if you are a beginner or more experienced and want to share your knowledge. Contact me at petrickdl@outlook.com if you want to receive the Zoom codes to join in the fun.

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

Worker Bees - Emily Hall

For those of you yearning to meet with your quilty friends in the evenings, whether that be because you work during the weekdays or because you just love to sew at any hour of the day, please join us for our new evening group. We would love for you to join us! We are meeting on the 3rd Tuesday of each month at 6:30pm. Our next meeting is February 16th. We’ve had 2 meetings so far and have gained new friends each time. For this group, please have your favorite quilting activity, current work-in-progress, block-of-the-month, etc. ready to work on during our meetings. Any quilting activity is welcomed! We are “sew” excited to make new friends and keep our “sew-jo” thriving. Contact Emily at emilylaurenhall@gmail.com or (214) 533-2489 for the Zoom link.

Featherweight Fellowship Groups - Jeanne Vogel

Chicks with Feathers—3rd Saturdays @ 1-3pm — (Formerly meeting at Sunrise of Plano)
Featherweight Friends—4th Fridays @ 1-3pm — (Formerly meeting at Best Little Retreat Center in Texas)

Those who have not previously notified me, please email pickincotton26@verizon.net to get the invitation to join the Zoom meeting.

Pieceful Organization - Sarah Krauss & Jeanne Vogel

Sarah and I learned some skills we would like to share with the others in getting your sewing supplies organized . We are not claiming to be professional trainers but learned how fun working together on a specific organizing area for a specific time in a group setting can be. Social organizing is more fun than going solo. In the group we will have:

No judgement
No criticism
No apologies
No commitment—pop-in for an hour once or join every month for an hour or more.

3rd Wednesday from 1-3 pm. We will be there for support & inspiration. Contact pickincotton26@verizon.net for an invitation.

We had a good turnout at our January Zoom meeting, with at least 89 members and one guest in attendance. Our door prizes came from Quilt Country, Box Car Quilts, Sew Let’s Quilt It, and Stitch House. The winners were chosen using a clever spinning wheel of names. They were Susan Berger, Robin Clayborn, Chanda Smith, and Lori Hutyra.

January 2021 Newsletter

Posted on December 31, 2020January 2, 2021 by Media

Goodbye 2020 and hello 2021! It feels great to finally be able to say that. It’s been a long and challenging year as President of the guild. I can’t believe all of the changes we have had to make: cancelling speakers, changing our meetings to Zoom, starting Zoom small groups, changing our standing orders, increasing our Facebook following, just to name a few.

Our small groups on Zoom are continuing to grow. The QGP board would love to add more small groups. If you are interested in leading a small group, please let me know. The QGP board is also discussing scheduling some Zoom day retreats, since our annual guild retreat at the Hilton Gardens was cancelled.

We had our first New Year’s Eve Zoom sit and sew to welcome in 2021. It is always fun to spend the holidays with my quilting friends. And it was nice not having to drive home after midnight…….

I am very excited about having a quilt show October 8th & 9th, 2021. We are hopeful that by October quilters, venders, and volunteers will be ready to come together and make it a great show. It is going to take a lot of teamwork to make this show a success. We will have to continue to have our meetings on Zoom until it is safe for us to meet together. This is challenging, since some of our members choose not to participate on Zoom. We will be posting information on the website about positions we need filled and how to volunteer. Information can also be found under the Guild Documents part of the website and then looking at the Quilt Show tab. Also, if you are missing the monthly guild meetings, you can catch up by reading the monthly Guild Meeting Minutes. It is going to continue to be a challenge to communicate with all of our members until we are able to meet in person. Until then--stay safe, stay healthy and keep on quilting!

We wanted to take this opportunity to update you on the February Retreat, it has been cancelled. We only had 23 ladies signed up for it, and several of the 23 said they may backout in the next month if the COVID-19 numbers didn’t get any better. I spoke to our contact at the hotel, and he actually suggested that we cancel in February and reschedule later in the year. He said that they have had to cut their capacity and he fears that they will have to cut it even more at the beginning of next year. Dorothy and I made the decision to cancel and reschedule.

I know many of you have notified me that you did not want to attend the February Retreat, but since we are trying to reschedule for later in the year, we wanted to give you the option to attend.

These dates are not in stone, but wanted to give you a couple of options to look at in 2021:

June 24 – June 27, 2021
August 19 – August 22, 2021

Please respond (to csmwlong@gmail.com) to let me know what you would like to do:

Not attend in 2021 on any date
Attend in June
Attend in August
Still not sure if I want to attend in 2021

No matter what you decide to do, if you would like to leave any funds that you have deposited with the Guild, that is fine – they will be used next year. If you would like a refund of your funds, please contact Chanda Smith (chanda@airmail.net) and she will get a refund back to you.

January -- Zoom Guild Meeting – Thursday, January 14, 2021

Jenny K. Lyon – Lecture: My Journey through the Artistic Muddle

Jenny is a fiber artist, author and teacher from northern California. Her work focuses on free motion quilting on whole cloth and has been juried into the Houston International Quilt Festival, AQS in Paducah, Pacific International Quilt Festival and numerous juried art shows.

Her book with C&T Publishing, Free Motion Quilting-From Ordinary to Extraordinary, was written to improve and encourage the experienced beginner.

Find Jenny at quiltskipper.com

Workshop

I can now actually write about the “W” word – Workshop!

Are you ready? It won’t be in person but Zoom has been a virtual lifesaver during the pandemic.

I would like to present Michael Davison, a member of our guild, designer of acrylic rulers for long-arm and machine quilting and quilt patterns under the name Quarter Squared Quilt Co. Michael is also a custom long-arm quilter for hire, YouTube instructor, and owner of an online fabric shop.

Saturday, February 27, 2021 via Zoom, 9-3pm

Michael Davison: Reverse Focus Quilts

FEE: $35. Register online at michaelquilts.com/workshops

REVERSE FOCUS QUILTS:

Using Large Scale Prints and Negative Space: a hands-on workshop with Michael Davison

ZOOM – This entire workshop will be conducted on ZOOM. Students should have video and audio capability. Preference is to be able to see what you are doing and hear from you throughout the workshop. However – I will do my best to monitor the chat feature for anyone who cannot connect through video and audio, but will be watching and hearing me and the other students.

***OPTIONAL FABRIC KIT $35

Find Michael at www.michaelquilts.com and on YouTube channel: Michael Quilts.

It’s with great pleasure that I announced at the guild meeting that the quilt show is back on for 2021. We decided to move it further into the year in the hope that people will have their vaccinations by then and be ready to mingle again. So save the dates - October 8th & 9th, 2021. If the board and committees believe that it is not safe to do the show at that time, we will cancel again. But please do your part in getting vaccinated to help get Covid-19 under control. And think positive thoughts for Covid going away.

There is a lot of work to do before we will move into the Plano Event Center on Tuesday, Oct 5th. At that time we will perform our set up jobs as soon as the equipment comes from the storage unit and pole and drape is up. Then we are off to the races. Show time is always exciting. It’s a great time to meet new people, learn more about the guild and get involved with a fun show.

Back to the work before the show….we have a number of position openings on the committee this year. Please look at the Help Wanted section of the website to see what is open. (Also listed in this newsletter.) It takes all of us to make sure the show is fun and successful. This is how we fund the wonderful programs that are provided to us. Do your part to put on this show.

We are back in business accepting mini quilts for the silent auction. You can contact Valerie Salter or me to deliver your quilt. Forms will be on the website soon.

We will still have limited space for hanging quilts and with most of us are doing a lot of quilting this year; be selective about what you enter. Registration forms will be on the website no later than April 1st and cut-off for registration will be the August guild meeting.

Since I started writing this piece, we have learned that IQA in Houston is disbanding, due to no funds coming in. Even with all Quilt, Inc. pays for festival, they cannot cover the expenses of the guild. While we are in no way as extensive a guild as IQA, we can see that our funds will only extend so far into the future without new monies coming in. Our quilt show provides those funds. It takes the whole guild to produce a show of the caliber that we produce. Please take the time to see what position on the show committee would be job you could and would do.

Open Show Committee positions: descriptions of these positions is found on the website under Membership, Guild Documents, Quilt Show.

Process Coordinator
Door Prizes Chair
Food Chair
Logistics Chair
Preview Night Chair
Registration Chair – another person to help as one person may be out of the country at show time
Security Chair – another person to help as one person may be out of the country at show time
Set Up/Take Down – need a second person to help chair
Signs Chair
Treasurer
Vendors/Sponsors Chair – need second person to help chair position

Hope you had happy and safe holidays.

Community Service is planning a Take-in date in late January. Right now, we have plenty of pillowcase kits and quilt top kits, but we have not prepared quilts for quilting. Once we have quilts for quilting, we will put out an email blast announcing a Take-in date.

At the December meeting I should have drawn the winner for the Birthday Quilt Challenge. I will do the drawing at the January meeting.

As a reminder: The Birthday Quilt Challenge started that you would bring to the meeting of your birthday month, a completed quilt that would be donated to the charity of your choice. We later expanded it that you needed to bring the quilt in anytime during the year and say it is your birthday quilt (this gives the January birthday members as much time to do the quilt as the members with December birthdays). The quilt must be completed. At the December meeting Community Service will draw a name for a prize.

Due to the pandemic and no meetings since March, we only received 10 quilts. I am hoping we can receive more in 2021.

I think we are getting the hang of it now. We have “zoomed” enough to figure out most of what to do. And personally, I love being able to talk to some of you that I hardly ever got to see before we got quarantined and now never get to see.

Just like our regular bees, not everyone can attend each month. Some of us have demos going on, some just mostly talk, but it’s a way to stay connected. If you have any interest in the current zoom bees or would like to start another one, please contact Linda Neal or Donna Petrick. We will help you get set up and help you learn to run a zoom meeting.

The machine embroidery group shares lots of hints and tips on how to do our projects. We have had one demo and have another scheduled for January. Show and tell is always fun.

Featherweight Fellowship - Jeanne Vogel

If you have a Singer Featherweight and are interested in learning more and sewing together, we are having our meetings on Zoom at 1pm on both the 3rd Saturday of the month and the 4th Friday. Those who have not previously notified me, please email me to get the invitation to join the Zoom meeting: pickincotton26@verizon.net

Chicks with Feathers — 3rd Saturday @ 1-3 pm — (Formerly meeting at Sunrise of Plano). We sit and sew together, problem solve and educate.
Fourth Friday Featherweight Friends — (Formerly meeting at Best Little Retreat Center in Texas)—1-3pm We have an educational component while we sew

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

Worker Bees - Emily Hall

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

Hand Applique Small group: We have decided to move our monthly Zoom meeting to the first Monday of each month at 10:00. All of the dates through June are listed on the guild website calendar. We made the change so it would not conflict with the Community Service drop off days. If you are interested in joining our hand applique Zoom group, please email Linda Neal (lindanealmck@hotmail.com)

English Paper Piecing Small Group: We meet on the 4th Tuesday at 10:00 on Zoom. The dates are listed on the guild website calendar. If you are interested in joining our group, please email Linda Neal (lindanealmck@hotmail.com)

January - Quilt of Valor for our March meeting with Suzanne DiCarlo. What a great opportunity to say thank you to our veterans.

If you need any ideas for patterns, please visit https://www.qovf.org/quilt-patterns/

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. The Quilt consists of a top, batting, and backing. It must be machine or hand quilted. A tied quilt is not acceptable for a Quilt of Valor.

More information can be found at https://www.qovf.org.

Not able to make an entire quilt? Check out their 2021 Block drive: https://www.qovf.org/in-the-news/2021-national-block-drive/

Happy New Year from Membership! We hope you have renewed your membership in the Quilters Guild of Plano. If you haven’t yet done so, you won’t be receiving invitations to attend our Zoom meetings and hear our wonderful speakers. We want the support of our members in this critical year for our guild.

To renew, please do one of the following:

If you are new to the Guild or simply wish to write a check for a renewal, on our website choose Membership on the menu, select Membership Information, and then click on Membership Form in the first paragraph. Fill out that form, and mail it with your check to the address given on the form.
If you are an existing member and you wish to pay by credit card, you must login on the home page, click the Pay Your Dues button, and follow through from there. Please note that family memberships cannot be renewed using this method; they must be handled by check.

At the December meeting, our door prizes came from Boxcar Quilts, Sew Let’s Quilt It, Quilt Country, and Stitch House. The winners, chosen using a random number generator from names entered into the Chat window, were Terry Reisinger, Emily Hall, Ginny Cherry, and Donna Petrick.

The lady from Soldiers Angels came to my house to pick up stockings and goodies. I did not get a final count, but it was over 2500.

Here is her thank you note: I wanted to take a minute to say thank you again for the wonderful holiday stockings that you and your group donated. They will go a long way to bringing some holiday spirit and cheer to veterans receiving treatment at VA facilities around the country.

So, as we face our new year of 2021, we can choose whether we want to continue with Soldiers Angels, or to choose another charity or multiple charities. SA is a wonderful ministry to the millions of active military and veterans, and would be an excellent choice for our stocking focus. But one of you might have a different idea. If you do, send me a text.

December 2020 Newsletter

Posted on December 1, 2020December 2, 2020 by Media

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Here is a list of presenters through April 2021:

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

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

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

128 quilts
103 pillowcases
125 knitted hats

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

We are indeed lucky to have so much fabric!

Worker Bees - Emily Hall

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

English Paper Piecing Zoom Group - Linda Neal

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

Hand Applique Zoom Group - Linda Neal

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

Hoop It Up -- Machine Embroidery Small Group - Donna Petrick

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

Free Motion Quilting on Zoom - Monica Hendewerk

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

Featherweight Fellowship - Jeanne Vogel

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

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

Happy Birthday to all you December lads & lasses.

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

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

Merry Christmas/Happy Holidays.

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

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

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

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

12/1 -- Diane Morris
12/1 -- Jean Suplick
12/2 -- Sarah Newell
12/4 -- Cynthia McDonald
12/5 -- Charlotte Kingsley
12/5 -- Mary N. Shannon
12/6 -- Ann Thomas
12/6 -- Donna Wall
12/7 -- Jill Isakson
12/7 -- Mike Jones
12/8 -- Peggy Burrell
12/8 -- Angel Hawks
12/10 -- Sherry Kelly
12/11 -- Emily Armstrong
12/11 -- Susan Reyes
12/11 -- Annalee Smith
12/12 -- Lonetta Ingram
12/12 -- Lyn Jennings
12/14 -- Paula Washler
12/16 -- Joan Ascue
12/17 -- Dana Braden
12/17 -- Davie "Marie" Hurlbert
12/19 -- Judy Williamson
12/20 -- Jon Ferril
12/20 -- Frances Hafer
12/20 -- Margaret Konecny
12/22 -- Aurora Chancy
12/22 -- Sheila Hill
12/23 -- Dianne Cronenberg
12/23 -- Sharon Schenke
12/24 -- Karen Edmondson
12/24 -- Jo Ann Herrera
12/24 -- Donna Lobelson
12/24 -- Cathy Rathgeber
12/25 -- Judy Quintus
12/27 -- Kaye Dunn
12/28 -- Elisabeth Stillson

Stockings

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

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

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

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

Pet Beds

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

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

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

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

November 2020 Newsletter

Posted on October 31, 2020November 3, 2020 by Media

The temperature is dropping and so are the leaves……. Right into my pool! I guess Fall is coming, despite the several weeks of warm weather we have had recently. Along with the cooler temperatures comes football games. I enjoy watching football--as long as I have some hand work to do while watching! Whether it’s binding, English paper piecing, or hand applique--any hand work makes watching the game much more enjoyable for me.

It’s easy to enjoy and watch sports when your team is winning. But, when your team is behind, it's hard to watch the game without fast forwarding it to the end. Quilt Guild meetings are the same way. “Back in the day” when we met in person and at the church--it was so much fun! Sitting by friends, buying raffle tickets, visiting the community service or programs table at the guild meeting--so much to do before the actual meeting would start.

And then COVID came to town. We had to cancel our “Superbowl”--The Plano Quilt Show!! Our “winning season” came to an end. It’s hard to be excited about seeing your friends in little boxes on your iPad. Instead of an evening out of the house, it’s just time to put on a clean shirt and make sure the dogs are fed so they don’t start barking at 7:00. And while it’s easy for me to remember the guild meeting--because I run the meeting, I know lots of members (and board members) who meant to log on and just forgot. It happens.

We are not having a winning season, but that doesn’t mean we can stop supporting our team. A true fan is there for the good games and stays until the end of the bad games. We need to stick together and keep things going during this difficult time. Small groups are still meeting. Community Service is still going strong. We will continue to have great speakers and monthly meetings via Zoom until it is safe to meet in person again.

Until then, reach out to other members and stay connected. Consider joining a small group. Consider starting and leading a new group. Get involved--don’t just sit in the stands. A real fan doesn’t change the channel when the team fumbles. Be a cheerleader for QGP and let’s make this a winning season.

Dear QGP Members:

Mickie Warrington was a long-time member of the guild. She served on the board as VP of Media and was involved with Special Exhibits at our quilt show. Several members have expressed that we should do something in her honor. On her Facebook page it was noted that she was involved in Ryan's Case for Smiles. This is a 501 (c)3 worldwide organization that makes and distributes pillowcases for children with cancer. This group was started in 2007 and was originally named ConKerr Cancer. I recall Laura Kay from Happiness used to be involved with this group when she owned Happiness Is Quilting. They have a chapter in the Dallas/Ft Worth area that distributes to local children's hospitals that care for children with cancer.

We have decided to donate pillowcases to Ryan's Case for Smiles in Mickie's honor. We would like to gather the pillowcases together and donate them all at one time. We will also photograph them and send a card informing Mickie's family.

Please consider making a pillowcase and donating it to the guild. Detailed instructions for making a pillowcase are on the guild website. You can use your own fabric (quilt shop quality fabric please) to make a pillowcase. The pillowcases go to children up to the age of 18. We can also donate some of the pillowcases that have been made with community service kits- with the guild's approval at the next meeting.

They can be dropped off at the next Community Service drop off day which is November 10th 10:00-11:30 at Plano Sewing Center. Jeanne Smith will be there to collect pillowcases that will go to Ryan's Case for Smiles. Pillowcases can also be dropped off at Donna Petrick's house or with any QGP board member.

Thank you for joining in this project and for honoring Mickie.

Linda Neal

Zoom Guild Meeting – Thursday, November 12, 2020

Katie Pasquini Masopust – Lecture: Painting with Cloth

Let me tell everyone a little secret. When you work on Programs with our guild, you get to choose the guest speakers. As much as the Program committee tries to invite a diverse group of speakers, we also lean toward ones we personally admire. Katie Pasquini Masopust is definitely one of our favorites!

For nearly 30 years Katie Pasquini Masopust has produced high quality contemporary art quilts that have been coveted and collected by a broad range of admirers. From her early beginnings as a painter dabbling in traditional quilt making, her work has evolved from structured Mandalas and mind-blowing dimensional pieces to very painterly landscapes and abstracts executed with the finest fabrics and most creative stitching techniques.

Katie’s easy, energetic manner has made her a very popular teacher and lecturer. Canceling her workshops due to Covid was necessary but so very disappointing. If you ever have a chance to take a class with Katie Pasquini Masopust don’t hesitate – you won’t be sorry!

Here are samples of her work:

The show committee met on Oct 22nd and discussed the possibilities of having a show in 2021. We currently are hoping for the very best outcome. It’s too early to make a decision, but we must face this decision early in the new year due to the front-end work that has to happen. Meanwhile work is starting and we are planning on a show.

There are several open positions on the committee, plus some of the committee chairs need a second or third person to help out. If you are interested please contact Donna Petrick. A list will be posted on the web site in the near future.

One of Community Service’s goals is to help people in our community. We are working on our projects despite our guild not meeting in person. This month we delivered: 82 quilts, 69 pillowcases and 7 Baby Hats to our organizations. The number of quilts going out is amazing and I want to thank our members for remembering the community.

We will have another Take-in / Drop-off day this month – November 10. We will be inside Plano Sewing Center, at the corner of Spring Creek and Custer from 10 am to 11:30 am. If you have items to drop off or want something to pick up and you do not feel comfortable coming in the store, you can call either of us and we will come out and deliver/pick-up. Dolores: 972-832-1134, Valerie: 972-965-0755.

If you cannot make it on November 10, please give us a call, text, or email, and we will make arrangements to pick up or drop off at your convenience.

I would like to make a note about making pillowcases. If you look at the Community Service page on the website, there is a link to instructions for making a pillowcase. The page has just been updated to two different kinds of pillowcases. The instructions that were under Pillowcase are now called Simple Pillowcase. This site had only the pillowcase body and sleeve, no trim.

Under that link is another one called ‘Pillowcase with Trim’. It is a link to the YouTube video for the pillowcase with trim. This site is what our pillowcase kits are based on. We always include the trim. That link is: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MrYWCma9wgM

Please note: The instructions show putting the roll together with the pillowcase surrounding the trim and sleeve and sewing them at the same time. The problem with this method is one side of the trim is left loose, and needs to be ironed every time it is washed. If you make the pillowcase following the video, then you will need to sew down the loose side of the trim by topstitching 1/8” from the edge.

Two members of the QGP are teaching at Virtual Quilt Show www.virtualquiltshow.com Pam Wingate is teaching her “Lone Starburst” pattern – book required, and Donna Petrick is teaching “All Around the Block”– piecing and quilting in the hoop on an embroidery machine. The show runs from November 9^th through the 15^th. There is a judged quilt show, vendor mall and classes taught by a number of different instructions. It is produced by Gammill, Inc.

The quilt show is free to view. Quilt show winners will be announced soon. Classes are either live broadcast at specific times or recorded and may be viewed anytime during the show. Classes are $40 each for 60 minute class time and 30 minute Q&A.

Pam is also a vendor at the show with her own booth. Donna’s embroidery pattern is available from vendor Anna’s Awesome Applique. Come watch the show to see what it’s all about.

Hoop It Up -- Machine Embroidery Small Group

Monica Hendewerk did a demonstration on making fringe using either an embroidery machine or your regular sewing machine. Thanks for the demo, Monica. Neat finish on several quilts. In November Tisha Harms will demo quilting in the hoop.

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

Free Motion Quilting Small Group - Oh Happy Day!

Our first sew along was a huge success. Everyone, without exception, said that, indeed, without the group, they would not have taken the time to “practice”. Monica provided two designs with 8 different free motion quilting patterns for those who wanted to use that to make a small square. Others brought their own practice piece or project. It turns out that if one person sews, the noise is on Zoom, but if multiple people are sewing Zoom is clever enough to block out the noise! So we didn’t have to mute our phones / computers. If you’d like to give it a try, we have chosen the 2nd Monday of the month from 1 - 3 for our “bee”. Contact Monica at mhendewerk.com or (713) 569-8798 for the link.

Sewing on your Singer Featherweight ---Jeanne Vogel

Chicks with Feathers—3rd Saturday @ 1pm — Nov. 21, Dec. 19 (Formerly meeting at Sunrise of Plano).
Fourth Friday Featherweight Friends--(Formerly meeting at Best Little Retreat Center in Texas)--1pm — Nov. 27, no meeting in Dec. 2020.

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

Hey there Guild Peeps and Happy (early) Thanksgiving.

The Connected Project has definitely been a living project making changes as we go.

Knowing the end of the year brings lots of Christmas project timelines, we opted to just have everyone make their own link. No making one piece and sharing with a team.

We do have 2 options for the project - paper piecing and traditional piecing. Both patterns will be uploaded to the website. If you decide the paper piecing option is too common/boring, go to the Happy Sew Lucky website Berene Campbell gives multiple options that let you incorporate more design.

The reveal and “connection” will occur during the December Zoom Guild Meeting.

Thank you for participating and we look forward to Connecting with you.

Leigh & Michael - Guild Activities

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

11/2 -- Donna Blackmon
11/3 -- Terry Reisinger
11/4 -- Cynthia Caldwell
11/4 -- Lynne Haley
11/5 -- Christina Cisnero
11/5 -- Judy Loftin
11/5 -- Marjorie Sener
11/6 -- Margaret Neyman
11/10 -- LuGay Chiang
11/10 -- Marie Richard
11/10 -- Victoria Dean
11/12 -- Gloria Kahle
11/12 -- Michael Davison
11/12 -- Victoria Venner
11/13 -- Jeanne Smith
11/14 -- Loren Wilhelm
11/16 -- Judy Horton
11/16 -- Kim Jenkins
11/17 -- Holly Laughlin
11/17 -- Lisa Terry
11/18 -- Deb Van Winkle
11/19 -- Melinda Propes
11/19 -- Sue Dexheimer
11/20 -- Linda Newman
11/22 -- Cynthia DeVoll
11/22 -- Carol Surrells
11/23 -- Anne Simpson
11/24 -- Kim Imel
11/24 -- Virginia "Ginny" Braley
11/27 -- Madelyn Beachboard
11/28 -- Julie Rushin
11/30 -- Sue Morris

I’ve been delivering a number of dog and cat beds to a lady who supports two different animal rescue organizations. She recently requested some smaller beds as they have had a large number of kittens to rescue.

To accommodate – please make some smaller beds, not stuffed so full. Linda Neal has been making ones that are more flat and fit into crates easier. She uses about 4 folds of batting to fit in approximately a fat quarter size bag. She closes the bag then quilts around the bag one time about 3 to 4 inches from the edge. Makes a nice size bed for cats and small dogs. Instructions are below.

The groups getting these beds are very grateful and appreciate all our work. Keep up the good work.