February 2013 Newsletter

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NEXT MEETING: FEBRUARY 4, 2013

WHAT TO BRING TO THE MEETING

• Name tag
• Block party block
• Show-and-Tell
• Door prizes for names beginning with B, C

PRESIDENT’S CORNER

Love is in the air, and rain and cold weather.  Great time to be inside sewing and quilting.
Great meeting in January.  Almost everyone was there.  Great to have a new member.  Was interesting to see how ladies across the world do quilting.  Makes me realize how blessed I am to have all the modern conveniences I have.  Especially a chair.  You won’t ever see me “squat” on the floor like those ladies do.

Looking forward to a new year. Happy quilting!

Jane Lamb

MINUTES

• Jane introduced & welcomed Tory Swartzwelder a guest/new member. She is an art teacher.
• The minutes from the December 2012 meeting were approved as printed in the newsletter.
• Debi reported a balance of $1,141.08 in the treasury. Elisabeth, Katrina & Barbara are to audit the account after the meeting.
• Shirley reported we had 23 members & 1 guest/new member present & everyone has paid their dues for the year.
• We have 2 birthdays in January….. Jane on the 16th & Wanda on the 25th.
• Tory, Elisabeth & Shirley won the door prizes. Michelle asked everyone to participate when it is their turn as the supply of items is running low. She suggested asking for donations from your favorite quilt shop.
• Michelle also reminded anyone who hasn’t signed-up already and would like to go to the next retreat in Weatherford on May 17th thru 19th to please do so. The cost is $40.00 per night. Seven ladies so far are going and some may go early on Thursday. The limit is 12.
• Several ladies showed the tablerunners they made at the last workshop on Dec. 8, 2012. The next workshop will be on Feb. 9, 2013 from 9:00 until 3:00 with a “Pot Luck” lunch. Elisabeth suggests everyone attending should have 2 ½ in. strips cut beforehand.
• Janis Hill drew Janice Overton’s name as the winner of the ten BOM blocks. She had copies for us of the February block….Beauty Patch.
• Nancy has a new challenge for us, the 12×12 program. She passed out the instructions & explained the way it works. One block every two months with each group having a different theme. The theme for the first block is YELLOW. Everyone who wants to participate needs to “interpret” yellow in a 12×12 block to show in our March meeting.
• The dues of $25.00 for our membership in the Texas Association of Quilt Guilds are now due. The motion made by Grace & seconded by Elisabeth that we continue our membership was passed. Michelle explained about Rally Day…speakers and workshops.
• The project of purchasing matching shirts for the guild was finalized. They are to be men’s gray polo shirts with the chosen logo & should be ready for the next meeting. Those ordering turned in their order and payment. The cost of each shirt was $12.75 + tax with sizes 2X thru 5X an additional $3.00.
• Janice Overton stated the guild has received a Thank You card from Children’s Medical Center for the teen charity quilts we donated.
• Nancy, Michelle, Barbara, Jeri, Wanda, Margaret, Tory & Katrina had items for Show & Tell.
• Nancy presented an interesting slide show & video from her recent trip to Viet Nam. She showed how some of the women she visited we able to make quilts & other items to sell with the limited resources available. She also brought several items for us to see.
• Meeting adjourned after the program.

Margaret Alsup

WORKSHOPS

The next workshop will be on Saturday, Feb. 9, from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.

We’ll do a potluck lunch. It will be a scrap-busting quilt. It’s a good choice to use up left over strips from jelly-roll projects, since it uses 2.5 inch scraps.

You will also need a minimum of 3/4 of a yard for your sashing. A light fabric is best for this.

If you’d like a head start before the workshop:

• If you are using yardage and fat quarter scraps, cut those into 2.5 strips.
• Divide your fabrics into mediums and darks in one pile, and lights into another. Lights can be cut into 2.5 inch squares.
• You can cut your sashing into 2.5 x 12.5 rectangles. 24 is a good number to start with.

RETREAT

Our next retreat is May 17-19 at Victorian House Retreat in Weatherford.  Cost is $40 per person per night plus tax, minimum 2 nights  A deposit of $40 holds your space and space is limited to 12 people.  Some of us will go an extra night on Thursday, May 16 which will make it a 3 night retreat.  If you are interested, please let me know as soon as possible and get your deposit in.

12×12 CHALLENGE — YELLOW

This was a project begun by several quilters.
You can see their blocks at this website: http://www.twelveby12.org

1. The block will be 12″ by 12″ finished. It will be completely finished, quilted and bound.
2. You are free to interpret the Theme in any way you choose, with any method you choose.
3. I will choose the first Theme. Then someone from the group participating in the first month’s challenge will get to choose the next Theme.
4. Blocks will be brought to the meeting and displayed. The block will be yours to keep.
5. We will do one every two months, beginning in January.

REMINDERS AND COURTESIES

It’s a new year and time for some reminders, courtesies, etc.

Our meetings start at 7 p.m. – sometimes a little after.  If you arrive after 7:10 p.m., the doors will be locked for safety issues.  You can try to get our attention by knocking on the door, or you can call Michelle’s cell phone (214-681-7917) and she’ll make sure you get in.

Our meetings usually end around 8:30 p.m.  Plan to stay for the program.  The program committee works hard to bring us good programs every month.  In order to be counted as “present” at the meeting, you must stay through at least the business portion of the meeting.

Silence your cell phones.  While those calls, texts, email alerts, etc. are important to you (or maybe not), they are definitely not important to us.  Please be courteous to the rest of us and put your phones and all of their alerts on silent.

Items for the Grand Prairie Food and Clothing Co-Op – while we are happy to accept your donations in the months we actively collect for the Co-Op, if you bring something during one of our “off” months, First Presbyterian Church collects all year.  They have collection boxes in the hallway before you reach the restrooms.  Please drop your items off in those boxes.  DO NOT leave your items in the hallway.  That just means someone else has to move your items to the collection point.

Items you no longer want – while we are happy to peruse through your quilting and crafting magazines and happy to go through fabric or thread or other items you no longer want, please do not leave what is left on the church tables.  If you brought it in, it is your responsibility to dispose of it or take it home after the meeting if all items are not taken.  Effective immediately, if items of this nature are left behind and you are already gone, it is to the discretion of the person (people) that found the items to take them or throw them away.  It is also recommended that if you do not want your name left on the magazines that you make sure it is not there when you set them out.  We are not responsible for making sure your mailing label is torn off.

PROGRAM NOTES

• The February program will be Peggy from Peggy’s Quilting Studio.

FEBRUARY BLOCK PARTY

Pattern in on page 3 of the newsletter.