President’s Message
Greetings Sisters of the Thread!
I took a moment at our last gathering to just observe all the interaction amongst everyone prior to the start of our meeting. What a sense of community in the air. It just felt good. I like to take this time before the meeting to get around to greet as many of you as possible. Several of you have come to me to share new vintage machine acquisitions, or stories of your first machine, which you still have. I really enjoy this. We also had the opportunity to visit with Maggie Ball, our guest speaker, shop the Company Store, visit, have a cup of coffee, and settle in for our meeting and program. I appreciate all of you being flexible with our “on the fly” flip-flopped agenda, and apologize to those committee chairs who should have had the opportunity to speak prior to our break. By a nearly unanimous show of hands, we will be featuring our guest speakers prior to our break from this point forward, and the agenda will be adjusted to accommodate this planned change.
I wasn’t able to attend the Handmade Hugs workshop in September, but as of this writing, look forward to seeing several of you at the 4th Monday October gathering. For beginner quilters of the Guild, this is a great opportunity to learn a few quilting basics. We’ve got some real simple patterns available that are fun to make, with a quick turn-around time, so you get immediate satisfaction in a completed project. For me, that has been a great way to offset the time spent with some of my more complicated quilt blocks. After recently spending over an hour on one block, finishing an entire top in 90 minutes was quite gratifying, especially knowing it would go to a young child in need of a warm hug, which made it even more rewarding.
57 of you have now committed to the “President’s Brown Bag Ugly Fabric Challenge.” What a tremendous response. You all continue to amaze me. For those of you unable to be at the September or October meetings, you will still have an opportunity to participate. Bring your ½ yard of “ugly” fabric to the November meeting, and we’ll get you into the mix. Remember, if you just aren’t in love with your quilt once the voting takes place in May, it can always become a Handmade Hug. We still have brown bags available. Don’t forget, completed quilts are due at the May 2018 meeting to be included in the “Members’ Choice” voting, but you can bring in your completed quilts any time for Show and Tell, as we’d love to see your progress. The rules are noted later in this newsletter.
What a great pumpkin festival we had last month with our Block of the Month. High five to Carol Sweeden. Cute block. Becky Cook and Tina McCowan were dancing with Snoopy, Linus and Charlie Brown in the pumpkin patch. Congratulations to our winners. November brings us falling leaves. I’m anxious to see who the lucky winner (or winners) will be. This has always been on my “want to make” list of quilts.
Well, we did it girls…we exceeded September’s food bank contributions with 179 items contributed. Way to go!!! That is so awesome! I text Tom at the church the day after the meeting and ask for a count (for those of you wondering – no I don’t stay after the meeting and count them myself). He sends a big “THANK YOU!!!” from St. Luke’s. With Thanksgiving this month, let’s consider additional items for the big meal. Please remember to buy a few extra cans of veggies and pie filling or boxes of stuffing when you shop.
I featured the Singer 128 hand crank at the October meeting. These ¾ sized vibrating shuttle machines were manufactured between 1912 and 1962. The three I displayed were all from 1919 and 1920, two of which were from the Kilbowie, Scotland plant designating the machines as models 128K (K for Kilbowie). All three are straight-stitch only machines without a reverse stitch. All three have a very nice stitch, and are great for piecing quilts “off the grid.” Though portable, they are quite heavy. Attempting to carry one by the handle on the cover of the bentwood case could result in less than desirable results. Keep that in mind, for those of you owning one of these vintage cases. You’ll want to carry them from underneath.
I again look forward to sharing another member of my “choir” of Singers at the November meeting. Plan to come early. Get a cup of coffee or tea, view the machines, check out the DVD library, visit, and shop, and experience for yourselves our tremendous sense of community.
And Sew it Goes…Pedal on, Girls!
Find Joy in the Journey!
Rosemary Carr, President
Thumb Butte Quilters’ Guild
Congratulations on accepting the TBQ President’s
2017-2018 Brown Bag “Ugly Fabric” Challenge!
Before starting, take a photograph of the fabric. You’ll want to attach a 4”x6” photo (copy paper print is fine) to your completed quilt.
LET’S HAVE SOME FUN!!
Guidelines:
- You must incorporate your entire ½ yard of “ugly fabric” into your completed quilt top.
- The “ugly fabric” cannot be used in the binding or on the backing of the quilt.
- Quilts can be completed any preferred method (piecing, applique, etc.) of quilting.
- Must be a minimum of 45”x45” (or 40”x50”, etc.) Crib size.
- Maximum size not to exceed 65”X65” (or 60”x70”, etc.) Lap size.
- Must be completed (quilted and bound) by the May 14, 2018 TBQ meeting, with photo of original “ugly fabric” attached, in order to be included in the Members” Choice voting.
- Top awards will be presented at the June 11, 2018 meeting.
Programs
December 11
The December Hostesses are planning a great Holiday Party with the theme “It’s A Chocolate Affair”. We will play “Left Right Center” using 2 1/2″ strips (provided by you), enjoy Show and Tell, eat lunch, and draw for door prizes.
Everyone will leave with a favor, a chocolate buzz, and good memories.
January 8
Here come the P.I.G.’s!
January is always a time for resolutions and a time to get organized and make a list of the projects you would like to get done for the year. If you are in the category of Quilters who are making plans for your next project, have we got a Challenge for you!!
Plan to be a participant in TBQ’s P.I.G. Challenge. P.I.G. = Projects In a Grocery bag.
An example of what is involved in the P.I.G. Challenge will take place at December’s Meeting. Start rummaging through your UFO’s. Think about projects you want to get finished.
February 12
“Crazy Quilts” Lecture with Pam Jones
March 12
Lura Schwarz Smith’s Lecture entitled “New Journeys of An Art Quilter” – Inking your fabric
Kathleen Bond
Program Chair
Workshops
Pictures from Maggie Ball’s Workshop
“Beautiful kaleidoscopes coming to life… ”
Workshops are offered to members and when space is available, classes may be offered to others outside the guild membership. When you sign up for a workshop, carefully read the instructions for fees and supplies. Fees are due and payable on the date of signup to hold your space. No refunds will be made for cancellations. If you find you cannot attend the class, you must ask the Workshops Chair if there are people on a class waitlist who can take your place. If not, then you must find your own replacement.
Workshops are held at the Yavapai Hills Clubhouse, 4975 Hornet Drive, Prescott. When the class is on a Monday after our regular meeting, the class will begin at 1 p.m. and run until approximately 4 p.m. Whole day classes start at 9:30 a.m. (arrive by 9 a.m. for setup) and usually run until 4:30 p.m. with a 1-hour lunch break.
November Program: Lenna DeMarco “When This You See Remember Me” ~ Two Centuries of Friendship Quilts. Lenna DeMarco, President of the American Quilt Study Group, will bring her collection of Friendship and Signature quilts to share with us. Where would we be without our friends and our quilting?!
If you have friendship quilts, please bring them for Show & Tell.
Carolyn Edwards
Workshop Chair
Mentor’s Table
Shirlee Smith will be demonstrating signature block writing utensils and fabric techniques.
Shirley Smith
Mentor’s Chair
Membership
We’d like to give a special welcome our new TBQ members:
Cheryl Bouquet, Gayle DeBoom, Gerry Healy, and Erin Sullivan
Linda Craig
Membership Chair
Community Service: Handmade Hugs
Handmade Hugs will meet at St Luke’s Episcopal Church on Monday, October 23,
9:30 AM – 2:30 PM – come for all or part of the day. Feel free to bring your sewing machine or mat and rotary cutter. We will be also sewing “Handmade Hugs” labels on finished quilts (By hand) to get the them ready for delivery. Lots to do so come and join in on this very rewarding community service. Bring a snack or lunch if you’re planning to be there for a while.
Diane Belveal
Community Service Chair
Block of the Month
We had fun playing in the PUMPKIN PATCH for the October BOM!
Reminder, if you forgot to bring your completed block to the guild meeting, or if you wish to make one to contribute to the winners, please bring it any month and I will see that they are given to the monthly winner or in the case of October the lucky 2 winners.
Yes, Tina McCowan and Becky Cook were the lucky winners, and they split the 40+ blocks, including the Black Cats!
November the Falling Leaves BOM pattern is now out, and I hope ya’ll enjoy this fun block. Bring your completed block or blocks to the November TBQ meeting, for each block you bring please put your name on the back of a ticket and we will see who gets to “rake them up”….
Carol Sweeden
Block of the Month Coordinator
Prescott Adult Center Exhibit
The collection of Fall quilts now hanging at the Adult Center really blends in well with the pumpkin color of the walls in the atrium. Yum! There’s no doubt about it, “Fall is in the Air”! Here’s hoping you’ve had a chance to stop by 1280 Rosser Street to check out this Fall’s Quilt Show! Warm and wonderful quilts will be hanging through the third week of November.
And then we will be ‘decking the halls’ with the holiday quilts! If you have promised me a Christmas quilt or two for this display, it would be easiest for everyone if you could hand them over to me at the November TBQ meeting–that’s the 13th. If you haven’t promised me a Christmas quilt, why haven’t you?? Let me know if you have a quilt to share…or if you have questions. Can you believe we’re nearing the end of our TENTH YEAR of sharing quilts at the Adult Center?! When we were changing the quilts on September 27th, we were again assured by the Adult Center Staff that they are thrilled to be surrounded with our beautiful quilts every day! Oh yes…and they take surveys to determine the favorite quilts! Woohoo!
Quilt Sizes Needed:
LARGE: from 60″ to 90″ wide, any length. (Need SIX.)
SMALL: from 45″ to 60″ wide, any length. (Need FOUR.)