May 2024 Newsletter

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NEXT MEETING: MAY 6, 2024

WHAT TO BRING TO THE MEETING

• Name tag
• Show-and-tell
• May 2024 Sew Along Blocks

BIRTHDAYS

• Sue Heard … May 16

PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE

A lot of quilters are avid readers, with some even listening to audiobooks as they sew. If you read a lot, you’re always looking for that next book. I’ve come up with a foolproof book-matching system, based on our love of quilting:

Your favorite quilt block determines what you read next. Pick your block, and choose your book!

• Bear paw: The Revenant: A Novel of Revenge, by Michael Punke
• Delectable mountains: Dead Mountain, by Douglas Preston and Lincoln Child
• Disappearing 4 patch: Hidden Pictures, by Jason Rekulak
• Disappearing 9 patch: Nine Perfect Strangers, by Liane Moriarty
• Friendship star: First Ladies, by Marie Benedict
• Grandmother’s flower garden: Garden Spells, by Sarah Addison Allen
• Kansas troubles: All the Blood We Share: a Novel of the Bloody Benders, by Camilla Bruce
• Kentucky star: The Book Woman of Troublesome Creek, by Kim Richardson
• Log cabin: Caroline: Little House Revisited, Sarah Elizabeth Miller
• Lone Star: Chasing the Sun, Tracie Peterson
• Ocean waves: Drowning: The Rescue of Flight 1421, by T.J. Newman
• Ohio star: Fast Women, by Jennifer Crusie
• Sawtooth star: Western Star, by Craig Johnson
• Shoo fly: A Good Day to Pie, by Misha Popp

Elisabeth McMahon

MAY PROGRAM

Our program for May will be another form of appliqué unique to the Kuna women of Panama. I have several examples of this type of appliqué to show you. Also, the June program will be Phyllis from Must Love Fabric in Colleyville. We always look forward to what she will share with us. Then July is our birthday so you know what that will bring….auction time. Proceeds go to the GP Food Co-op and is always a fun time – so be cleaning out those cubby holes and closets for this fun event.

Deborah Cypert

WORKSHOPS

Our February workshop was a great success with lots of pillowcases going home with me. Since then, I have had several more turned in and will be taking 100 cases to Isaiah 117 House the middle of April. If you have cases made or cut out, do not despair. I will continue to collect the cases throughout the year and will take them whenever I have at least 25. You may bring them to Stitch-a-Bit or to the Guild meetings.

Our next workshop will be on June 15 and will be a 3-yard mystery quilt. For those not familiar with these quilts, the quilt top, including any borders, are made from 3 1-yard pieces of fabric. Some patterns include a 1 1/4 inch binding in the fabric measurement, but some do not. If you plan to bind in one of your chosen fabrics, I suggest you buy an extra 1/2 yard of that fabric. You will need a focus fabric and two co-ordinating fabrics. Most of these patterns are simple squares and rectangles, but a few do have 1/2-square triangles. I will have a sign-up sheet at the May meeting and cutting instructions at the June meeting. If you have your fabric cut when you get to the workshop, you should be able to complete your top before you go home.

Be thinking about your fabrics, and I hope to see you at the May meeting.

Sue Heard

2024 SEW-A-LONG

Our 2024 Sew Along started in January and will consist of 11 blocks and finishing instructions. All the blocks are some type of star block. The size of the finished quilt top is approximately 72” x 84”. For reference, our 2023 sew-along quilt was approximately 70” x 70”. Fabric requirements are generous but are a little tricky since each month’s block(s) has the fabric requirements. An example would be: 1/4 yard of background fabric plus 3 other fabrics – 2 fat quarters and 1 fat eighth. The total background fabric requirement for the entire quilt is approximately 5 yards – if using the same background fabric throughout the quilt. Because the finishing instructions include background fabric, the pattern designer suggests using the same background for the entire project. For the remainder of the quilt, I think approximately 20 -25 fat quarters will give you a nice variety. If you prefer to use yardage, I would recommend a total of 5 – 7 yards of fabric with at least 3 – 5 different fabrics. Some blocks have 4 or 5 fabrics, but if you are using only 3 or 4 fabrics plus the background, you could have your center be the same as another fabric in your block. This quilt could be made using your stash as well.
Instructions were e-mailed after the Guild meeting. If you are participating, bring the next blocks to the May meeting.

Michelle Rodriguez

MINUTES

• Meeting called to order by Elisabeth at 7:00 p.m. on April 1, 2024.
• Minutes from the March meeting were approved as printed in the newsletter.
• Treasurer’s report — Balance $898.18 – was filed for audit.
• Remembrances: Janice has been moved to memory care.
• Birthdays: Elisabeth on 4/17
• Membership: 9 members in attendance.
• Stitch Group — Next meeting will be Thursday, April 25th. There were 10 in attendance at the March meeting.
• Sew Along 2024 — Michelle brought the block for May and 4 people showed their April blocks. The pattern will be sent after the meeting.
• Workshops: Sue discussed that she had received 57 pillowcases so far and that she expected more to be turned in for Isaiah 117 House after our first workshop of the year.The 2nd workshop of the year will be a mystery 3 yard quilt on Saturday, June 15th. Sign-ups will be at the May meeting with cutting instructions available at the June meeting..
• Show and Tell — Shirley and Holli.
• Tonight’s program was a member quilt show. Elisabeth, Holli, Debi, Cathy, Michelle, Shirley and Virginia participated.
• Meeting adjourned at 7:50 p.m.

Michelle Rodriguez

TREASURER’S REPORT

Beginning Balance … 898.18
Ending Balance … 898.18

Grace Norris

REMINDERS

• Be sure to wear a name tag at our meetings. If you don’t wear a name tag, you will be charged 50 cents each time.
• Articles for the newsletter are due by the 10th of the month. Any articles not received by the 10th of the month may or may not get published in that month’s newsletter.
• The newsletter is published monthly usually within 10 days of the meeting date (the first Monday of each month). You will receive an e-mail with a link to the website. (qgogp.wordpress.com).
• All previous newsletters are archived on our website. You may also go to our Facebook page. Our newsletter link is posted there monthly. If, at any time, you cannot find your newsletter or have deleted the e-mail with the link, you could do an internet search for “quilters guild of grand prairie” to find our website.
• If you have a question about a program, a workshop, or the block of the month, be sure to contact the person(s) in charge of whatever you have a question about. The names, phone numbers, and e-mails are all listed in the newsletter.
• Please silence your cell phone during our meetings.