November 2020 Newsletter

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

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 @ 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

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.

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.