Greetings Sisters of the Thread!
We are only weeks away from the big reveal of our President’s “Ugly Fabric” Challenge quilts at our May 14 meeting! I’m excited with anticipation to see the vivid expressions of creativity so many of you have been working on.
Sandy Mitchell and Pat Noel teased us with their “sneak peeks” at the March meeting. I really haven’t seen too much “ugly fabric” yet, but I do know some of us are being challenged far more than others. Several of you have asked if the contributor of the fabric has to disclose themselves to the quilt maker. I think that would add to the fun, so be sure to “fess up” during the reveal!
What a busy meeting last month for membership! We welcomed FIVE new members. Please be sure to say hello to Cindy Steyer-Lukowiak, Azalene Allen, Donna Meyer, Jill Davis, and Carol Godfrey, and encourage them to sit with you at a meeting or share a little about TBQ when you greet them. Welcome, gals!
Stitching continues on our Handmade Hugs quilts for the foster children of Yavapai County. It warms my heart to think of the little ones receiving these gifts from our hearts. They’ll never realize what a gift it is to us to be able to share these special quilts with them. We are trying to get an idea of just how many quilts are still out there amongst us in different stages of completion, so please try to finish up those you have near completion by the May 14 meeting so we can make another delivery this guild year.
During our non-Quilt Show years, TBQ hosts a Quilt Camp. I’m looking forward, with great anticipation to attending my first quilt camp this year. As of press time, there are 18 of us registered for camp. Though not a full house, we have had a great response. Our goal was actually four-fold: Make it more affordable – Make it available to more members – Make it local – And allow members a “day camp” option for those not wishing to stay overnight. Thank you, Suzie Fields, Erin Sullivan, and Maryann Conner, for making this happen.
One of the other things we do in a non-Quilt Show year is to hold alternative fundraising projects. My compliments to Yvonne Blitch, Ways & Means Chair, and Carol Wright, for the TBQ hoodies and lanyards in our stylish grey with hot pink details. How fun has that been…are we hot or what?!
Yvonne will speak of our biannual UFO (UnFinished Objects) silent auction slated for our June meeting. I recall fondly, Sylvia McIntosh strategically keeping me from out bidding her on one particular UFO we both were eyeing 4 years ago! She just positioned herself in front of the bidding sheet so I couldn’t get to it before the bidding stopped. (You might want to keep this strategy in mind for future reference). So clean out those project boxes, gals, and bring in your UFOs
How many of you have actually taken the time to check out our DVD lending library? If you’re like me, you’re always trying to grab a snack, get your tickets for the birthday drawing, peak at the mentor’s table, and garner a deal at the Company Store, without really looking at what’s available in this great little lending library. I had no idea we had a DVD on getting started making animal quilts. Some of us could even become as accomplished as Kay Wentworth in making whimsical furry friends!! I’m anxious to see what Dianna Dunn shares with us this month!
Thank you once again for the donations to St. Luke’s Community Cupboard food campaign. We contributed another 189 items in March!! Zowie!! Way to go, gals!! Please continue to keep those less fortunate in your thoughts and remember to pick up an extra can or two when you shop. Your continued response has been tremendous.
On a final note…please keep our dear member, Susan Joy Noyes in your heartfelt thoughts and prayers, if you so believe.
And Sew it Goes…Pedal on, Girls!
Find Joy in the Journey!
Rosemary Carr, President
Thumb Butte Quilters’ Guild
Handmade Hugs
Handmade Hugs workshops will be held on the fourth Monday at St. Luke’s from 9:30 am to approximately 2:30 pm. If you want to sew, bring your machine and your basic sewing kit and let’s put the pedal to the metal. We need help with backing, binding, and completing “quilt kits.” Come join the fun! Bring a lunch if you can stay. A microwave and fridge are available in the kitchen for our use.
Handmade Hugs workshop at St Luke’s on Monday April 23rd from 9:30 a.m. until we can’t sew another stitch. All are greatly welcomed. Please use the left side entrance.
Please try to complete those quilts you are currently working on and bring them in by the May 14 meeting so that we may make another delivery this guild year.
A Celebrity Quilter in our Midst
It’s not often that one or our own has an opportunity to have a quilt entered, not only in “Road to California” (taking a First Place group quilt award), but also have the same quilt accepted in the April Paducah Show, (Kentucky, home of the National Quilt Museum). I asked Karen Adams to share her journey with us, and to allow us to join her in this wonderful celebration. — Rosemary
In 2016, five quilters from Arizona joined together to make this large, group quilt—3 from the Valley and Margot McDonnell and Karen Adams from Prescott. From a picture taken in Undredal, Norway by Margot McDonnell while on a cruise, the quilt took over a year to complete and measures 5.5 X 6 ft. The only matching fabric chosen was the water and each quilter interpreted her part by a color photo, pieced it individually, quilted it and met to put the sections together. Margot added acrylic paint to shade sections and blend some of the colors.
We were hopeful it would do well in competition. We entered it in Road to California and won a monetary prize for first place in the group quilt category. It was also entered and selected for Paducah Spring and will appear there in April.
And, the ladies just won a Blue Ribbon for Group Quilt at the Arizona Quilters Guild Quilt Show last week in Mesa!
A very interesting fact was Karen put a picture of the quilt on FACEBOOK and Google recognized the location from the metadata.
Programs
April 9, 2018 Janet Carruth will give a fascinating talk on “The Life and Work of Emma Andres” a Prescott quilter. Janet met Emma while visiting her Museum in Prescott and they became friends.
Janet opened The Quilted Apple Quilt Store with Laurene Sinema in Phoenix. It was the first quilt store in Phoenix in 1978.
She was also one of the founders of the Arizona Quilters Guild and is the author of “Penny Rugs and More” and co-author of “Hooked on Hankies”.
May 14 and 15, 2018 Karen G. Fisher will lecture on “Why We Choose the Quilts We Make and Love”. Karen recently won The Best Of Show Award at the Quilt Fiesta Quilt Show in Tucson.
Her first book “Easy Grid Quilts” has just been published.
June 11 and 12, 2018 Jaimie Davis will give a lecture titled “The History and Mystery of Baltimore Album Quilts”. This delightful mystery connects us with our sisters of long ago.
Jaimie is passionate about making quilts and has taught and lectured for the American Quilters Society, the Northwest Quilters Expo and Quilt Connect U.S.A.
Her work has been shown in national and international exhibits. You can read more @ www.loopytulips.com.
July 9,2018 The TBQ Birthday Party and Installation of Incoming Officers.
Kathleen Bond
Program Chair
Membership
We’d like to extend a special welcome to our new members:
Azalene Allen, Jill Davis, Carol Godfrey, Donna Meyer, and Cindy Steyer-Lukowiak
Ways and Means
It’s time to spring clean your quilting studios. If you have any unfinished projects you’d rather not complete, just give them to me at our April TBQ meeting and we’ll put them in our June 11th UFO Silent Auction. We had one a few years ago and it was fun and very successful.
Yvonne Blitch
Ways and Means Chair
Block of the Month
A bit of Irish luck for Carlotta, winning the March BOM blocks, what will Carlotta do with them?
April is the Waterwheel Variation block, please use a light GRAY, one that reads solid as the light fabric. Then add a medium and a dark of your choice. This is a free pattern on quilterscache.com/waterwheelvariation.com
Directions will be emailed also.
A fun web site for Quilter’s is: “sewveryeasy.com”
Till next month, thank you all who play BOM…
Carol Sweeden
Block of the Month Coordinator
Company Store
Kathleen Bond graciously donated 2 sewing machines to the Company Store. They would be a nice starter machine for child, grandchild or niece learning to sew. Selling cheap at $25.00 a machine.
Lorraine Owen
Company Store Co-Chair
Newcomers’ Group
We welcome all the new members to TBQ and invite you to join us at the Newcomers Meeting. The April meeting is scheduled for Wednesday, April 18, at the home of Diane Belveal.
Adult Center Quilt Display
1280 Rosser Street, Prescott
SPRING! SPRING! SPRING! It’s finally here! Have you noticed all the flowering trees in your neighborhood? Have you noticed all the SPRING! quilts hanging out at the Adult Center?
Well…they are up, and waiting for you to come on by to take a peek! We owe BIG BIG thank you’s to the following quilters for sharing their SPRING! quilts: Yvonne Blitch, Kathleen Bond, Rosemary Carr, Carolyn Fletcher, Jane Holland, Barbara Merkel, Sandy Mitchell, Kathleen Semerau, and Patti Taber. Thank you, thank you, Quilters!
We had a bit of a challenge with Rosemary’s magnificent 110″ x 110″ Another Bloomin Road Trip quilt! It was bigger than the space I had assigned it to. Oh no… But “super man” Steve Western (Adult Center Events & Facilities Coordinator) made it happen! Whew!
These quilts will be up for a couple of months. Our next theme will be “Stars”. I already have a couple of star quilts promised. Let me know if you have one to share.
Quilt Sizes Needed:
LARGE: from 60″ to 90″ wide, any length. (Need SIX.)
SMALL: from 45″ to 60″ wide, any length. (Need FOUR.)
Quilts for Sale
Continuing with the effort initiated last TBQ Guild year by Pat Armstrong, if you have a quilt or quilts you’d like to sell, we are working on making that happen. When the TBQ website is up and running again, a “QUILT FOR SALE” form will be on-line. Until that time, Carolyn Edwards will have forms available. Just get in touch with her. A 4” x 6” photograph will be needed in addition to the completed form. The completed form along with the photograph will be kept in a binder at the Reception Desk at the Adult Center. Your Quilt for Sale does not have to be hanging in the Atrium in order to be for sale. You will name your asking price, and all proceeds will go to you.
Carolyn Edwards
Adult Center Quilt Coordinator