co-presidents’ message

We are officially moving into fall and the great weather season! Gina Perkes shared a lot of tips for quilting your quilt tops with her inspiring presentation at our September meeting!  So, now is the perfect time to get started on all those projects you have saved up or planned!
There are lots of things happening in our guild, and we are all settling into the guild year. The general membership approved the purchase of new Square Terminals to use for electronic payments! These will be very beneficial at the quilt show for many venues including Admissions, Marketplace, Raffle Baskets/President’s Challenge, Silent and Live Auction, and Opportunity Quilt. We will also be able to use them for routine TBQG functions such as membership, Company Store, Opportunity Quilt, Classes, Retreats, etc.
The Quilt Show Raffle Basket group just got their first donation, and they are going to be collecting baskets at the meetings. Be sure to bring them and turn them in to Deena Knight, Shelley Graham, or Shelli Leffert.
Marketplace is accepting donations as well, so bring your items to Cathy Day or Kristine White at the meetings. It’s fun to see how creative our guild members can be!
The next Retreat Lite is scheduled for October 22nd at Trinity Presbyterian Church. It is sure to be fun for everyone!
October speakers will be Linda & Carl Sullivan of Colourwerx, so look forward to that!
The Accuquilt has been obtained and is currently being utilized at Handmade Hugs with great success! The cutting process is greatly improved and much more efficient.
Handmade Hugs will meet on the first Saturday in October at the Stoneridge Clubhouse from 9-12. The meeting in November will be moved to the 2nd Saturday to accommodate the students from the National Honor Society. They will be making the no-sew quilts again, and last year was a huge success, so try and make it if you can!
Don’t forget to get started on your President’s Challenge 20×20 inch pillow covers, and also the Quilt Show Challenge. You can find instructions on the website for both of these fun projects!
Kathy and Karen

membership

Welcome to the Quilt-y Family!
Please join us in giving a warm Thumb Butte Quilters’ Guild welcome to our newest
members: Lisa Wiltse, Linda Norman, Donna Patch, and Elizabeth Phinder!
We’re delighted to have all four of you join our quilting family. We look forward to
sharing creativity, laughter, friendship, helpful tips, and, of course, plenty of fabric talk. We hope you’ll feel right at home as we stitch, learn, and have fun together.
Welcome, ladies! We’re so glad you’re part of our guild!
Dawnell, Alicia & Shelli

 

hostesses

If you cannot attend the meeting when it is your turn to hostess by bringing a treat, please arrange  to trade with someone.  Plan to arrive early to set up and stay late for clean up.

October hostesses are Alicia Czuzak, Karen Adams, Claire Bell, Yvonne Blitch, Donna Hickish, Arleen Morris, Linda Morriston, Dawnell Muecke, Pat Noel, Lorraine, and Kate Parsons.

birthdays

Happy October birthdays to Sandy Mitchell, Martha Ferriera, Anne Marston, Sheryl McLain, Debby Casali, Steph Fullerton, Judith Dobke, Faith Chaney, Arleen Morris, Lorraine Owen, Mary Vaughan, Debra Gallard, Connie Sieh, Janet Friedrich, Gerry Carr, Beverly Wagner, Carolyn Edwards, Sally Plummer, Dede Erceg, Sheila Gillespie, and Lydia Figueroa.

NEWCOMERS

Next Meeting: September 29, 2026
Location: Trinity Presbyterian Church (630 Park Avenue, Prescott)
Time: 9:30 – 11:30
Project: ID Pouch – Please contact Sheryl Goddard for a supply list.
We look forward to seeing you at the meeting!

At our October and November meetings we will be making a quilt to be donated to Quilts of Valor or Honor Flight. Dates and times to be determined.

Sheryl Goddard & Angela Smith 

 

community service

Handmade Hugs

We met on the first Saturday of September to work on more handmade hugs gifts to our neighbors.  Thanks to TBQ buying a new, electric Accuquilt, the baby burp cloths come floating out to be stitched with love for our Yavapai babies in the PV Birthing Center!  Thanks everyone who contributes to Handmade Hugs – love given to our neighbors in the community.

In September, we donated 90 burp cloths and 15 receiving blankets to the Birthing Center, 15 quilts to the Prescott Valley Nursing and Rehabilitation Center and 9 quilts to Prescott Village Nursing and Rehabilitation Center. One quilt was donated to Horses with Heart for their November raffle.  One quilt went to Marketplace for the show.

Year to date, we have donated 120 burp cloths, 30 receiving blankets, and 43 quilts.

Our next meeting is Saturday, October 3,  at Stoneridge Community Center at 9am.

Mary Ellen Coe, Dede Erceg,  & Kristine White

small quilt auction

 

 

Monthly News: Co-Presidents Message, September 2026

Past Presidents Club: Cocco Alaniz presented Jamie Davis, our outgoing president, with a beautifully quilted jacket, handmade by Mary Ellen Coe. She also received a gift basket, and gift cards from our guild members. We are very thankful for her leadership last year!

TBQG membership inducted Kathy Spry as Co-President, and Erin Sullivan as Vice President for the 2026-2027 term. All the Executive and Standing Committee Chairs were introduced during the meeting as well. There are many people that work collectively to make things run smoothly, and we are happy to be collaborating with them all!

We all enjoyed Deb Johnson and Carrie Casto’s quilt show informational production on our tv screens before the meeting and at breaktime. Well done, ladies!

August was the 10th anniversary of Handmade Hugs. MaryAnn Conner was the originator of this Community Services group, and she provided us with a historical summary of her initial idea to provide quilts to foster children. Our community services have since grown significantly, and the service is a big part of our club. Sometimes, all it takes is an idea and someone that is passionate about starting it. Thank you, MaryAnn!

The Opportunity Quilt has been shown in multiple venues, and we are steadily making progress! This month it is being showcased at Coco’s Prescott Quilt Works. Carol Grimes is doing a wonderful job with this marketing endeavor and can always use your help to sell those tickets!

There are several great speakers and workshops lined up in the coming months. Erin Sullivan and her team are asking for ideas from guild members for speakers that interest them. Be sure to give them any suggestions you might have!

Cathy Day had a “Market Place Make It” event after the meeting at the Elks Lodge at our August meeting. There will be another one next month after the regular meeting. If you can stay, bring your sewing machines, or pick up a packet to go!

Company Store will have a $5 per bag sale at the meeting next month, so shoppers come early to get the best deals!

Remember there is a Quilt Show 2027 Challenge involving a 100-inch (exactly per Carrie!) perimeter/circumference, a raven, a button, yarn or trim at least six inches long, with a

forest or yard item. The full instructions are on this website in the August Monthly news section. It should be fascinating to see what everyone comes up with. This is

a separate challenge from the President’s Challenge.

President’s Challenge: This year, we would like all participants in the President’s Challenge to make a 20” x 20” pillow cover of their choice, any theme, color, or style. Please check out the instructions and videos on the TBQ website.

Have a great month and we will see you all in September!

Kathy and Karen, C0-Presidents

celebrants – When it’s your birthday month, bring a wrapped gift suitable for a quilter, something you would like to receive, with a value of at least $10

MEMBERSHIP

Membership Matters!

Our guild is growing, stitching, and having fun! We now have 156 members, and 96 members joined us for the August meeting, along with 4 guests and 1 new member.

A warm quilty welcome to our newest member, Susan DeSchaine! We’re so happy to have you join us.

Membership Directories: If you haven’t picked yours up yet, please do! They’re getting heavy for us to carry around.  Help us lighten our load and grab your copy at the next meeting.

Thanks for being part of our wonderful guild. See you next month!

Alicia, Dawnell and Shelli

newcomers

Next Meeting: September 29, 2026
Location: Trinity Presbyterian Church (630 Park Avenue, Prescott)
Project: ID Pouch – Supply list for the project can be picked up at the September
meeting.
We look forward to seeing you at the meeting!

Sheryl Goddard & Angela Smith (Newcomers co-chairs)

community service

handmade hugs

Handmade Hugs is celebrating the 10^th anniversary!  Started by Maryann Conner in 2016, after inspiration from a sermon about Foster Kids, she wanted to do something impactful for the community.  Thank you Maryann!

Sixteen of us met on the first Saturday of August to work non-stop on making backings from a bounty of fabric donated by Judy McCarson.  All told, we estimate she donated about 40-50 bolts worth of fabric!  So far, 93 3-yard kits have been made, about 30 backings and there is still fabric to go!  To thank Judy for her generous contribution, we made a lap quilt and had many Handmade Hugs and Guild members sign it with wonderful sayings about quilts and giving.  Faith Chaney, Georgia Lindsey and Mary Ellen Coe presented it to Judy in mid-August after Dede Erceg quilted it for us.  Thanks everyone who contributes to Handmade Hugs – our hug for our neighbors in the community.

In August, we donated 30 burp cloths and 15 receiving blankets to the Birthing Center, and 8 quilts each to the Prescott Valley Nursing and Rehabilitation Center and Prescott Village Nursing and Rehabilitation Center.

Our next meeting is Saturday, September 5 at the Stoneridge Community Center at 9am.

ways & means

opportunity quilt

Yavapai County Fair Instructions
If you signed up to sell opportunity quilt tickets at the Yavapai County Fair and find that you cannot do this as you had planned, please call Carol Grimes ASAP.
You will need a wristband to get free admission to the Yavapai County Fair. You can pick yours  up from Suzy Davidson at the rodeo grounds on the dates below. Be sure to go to the Freeman building (NOT the rodeo office) behind the grandstand.
Monday 8/31/26 at check-in of items for judging (12-8 pm)
Tuesday 9/1/26 (9 am-4 pm).
Wednesday 9/2/26, Thursday 9/3/26, Friday 9/4/26, also at the Freeman building from 9am-2pm.
If you absolutely cannot make it to the rodeo grounds on one of these days, special arrangements can be made during the following week. Call Carol Grimes to find out how to arrange this.
Free parking for volunteers at the fair will be at the volunteer lot off Gale Gardner.

retreat lite

President’s Pillow Challenge

100 Pillows…..100 Winners!! Lots of Fun!

For this year’s President’s Challenge, we would love for everyone in the guild to make one 20″ × 20″ pillow cover to donate for our 2027 Quilt Show!  Participation is encouraged, but certainly not required.

We think this will be a fun way to thank our quilt show visitors for attending, while also raising money for the guild to help fund our speakers, programs, and other special events.

The Challenge

Make one finished 20″ × 20″ pillow cover.

Just the pillow cover, not the insert.  We will have them available for winners to purchase if they want.

That’s really the only rule!

Your pillow should include:

• Pillow Top (Front)
• Block or other design for the front
• Layer of batting
• A lining
• Pillow Back
• Zipper encloser back

Follow this tutorial for a simple zipper enclosure:

How to install a designer zipper

-OR-

• Envelope style back

Follow this tutorial for a simple zipper enclosure:

FYI – This video is not for a 20×20 pillow so you will need to adjust your measurements.

What Can I Make?

Anything goes!

This is a great opportunity to have some fun and use what you already have. You could:

• Use an orphan quilt block
• Make a favorite quilt block
• Make a holiday or seasonal pillow
• Use embroidery or appliqué
• Turn a class project into a pillow

Ready to Turn It In?

Bring your finished pillow cover to any guild meeting and look for the Pillow Donation Box!

You can turn them in anytime—no need to wait until the quilt show gets closer.

We can’t wait to see what everyone creates. If every member makes just one, imagine the wonderful assortment of pillows we’ll have to raffle at the show!

Thank you for helping make our ‘2027 Raven About Quilts’ Show extra special!

Karen & Kathy
Co-Presidents — The Special K Team