Show and Tell
Author: Heart in Hand
The President’s Choir
In nearly every month of the 2017-18 year, Guild President Rosemary Carr shared the history of the Singer sewing machine through an on-going “Show & Tell” of “members of her Choir of Singers”, hence, “The President’s Choir.”
What follows are enhanced excerpts from the monthly minutes as written by Pat Gentner, TBQ Secretary.
August 14 – Rosemary entertained us with a short history of and introduced us to her 1951 Singer state-of-the-art 401a Slant-O-Matic 
sewing machine she obtained in 1977, the first acquisition to her vintage machine collection. Also featured was the Singer 403a, the lower priced model of the 401a.
September 11 – Rosemary introduced four members of her
choir, the model 301, Singer slant arm machines included a black with gold decal machine, as well as one two-tone light beige and oyster white machine, and two solid beige machines, one with a long-bed extension. The Slant Arm 301 was noted to be cast aluminum machine easy view slant needle, operable in a cabinet with a knee bar or foot peddle, with a built-in portable handle. You’ll typically see Rosemary at workshops with her 301 “To Go” machine.
These machines were produced between 1951 and 1958. These ladies are certainly looking fine considering they are well into their 60’s.
October 9 – Rosemary entertained us with her collection of Singer Hand Crank – Model 128-machines. Her three machines are ¾ size, but still weigh about 25# each. They were made 1919 and 1924 and came with bentwood (hump shaped wooden) cases and lovely wooden attachment boxes.
November 13 – Rosemary shared three more members of her “Choir”-
Three examples of the model 66 were shared: A 1910 Red Eye treadle machine, a crinkle finish from 1941 (also a treadle), and a 1952 black machine with filigree decals.
December 11 – An interesting article depicting the relationship between the White Sewing Machine Company and the Sears Roebuck Company was shared over lunch during our holiday party. When Sears dropped White as the 
manufacturer of their machines, White Sewing Machine company could no longer compete with the Japanese clones that flooded the market. They soon met their demise.
January 8 – Rosemary shared the Singer Model 221 – The Featherweight. Singer introduced the first Featherweight in 1933 at the Chicago World’s Fair, and continued to manufacture them through 1965.
Those machines bearing the Chicago World’s Fair badge are quite valuable, as are those bearing a 1954 State Fair of Texas badge. Those with the Singer Centennial badge are also collectable, but much more common. Though there have been minor changes to the appearance of the machine throughout the years, the model has remained pretty much the same. The original faceplate had a stamped scrollwork design, which was stamped individually. It was replaced with a striated pattern which was on the sheet metal prior to cutting the faceplate, which reduced manufacturing costs. By a show of hands, more than 50% of the guild members own a Featherweight machine. Rosemary encouraged members to maintain their own machines, and conducted a maintenance workshop that afternoon.
February 12 – Rosemary then entertained us with “The President’s Choir” as she presented the Singer Model 99 sewing machines-Singer’s not so portable 3/4 sized heavyweight. These machines were manufactured from the mid-30s into the mid-60s, then replaced with the green, “Young Budget” Singer model 185.
The internal parts were the same as the 99, but the outward appearance was more appealing to a younger clientele. These all were straight stitch only machines, with reverse stitch capabilities not being introduced until the mid-50s.
March 12 – Rosemary then entertained us with “The President’s Choir” as she shared three Singer Treadle Machines. All three of these ladies are equipped with different versions of a vibrating shuttle.
Rosemary introduced the Sphinx machine made in 1907 and named Catherine. She then introduced our one time member; Gloria Bess’s machine decorated with pheasant decals. This machine was made in 1908 and is named Aunt Nellie. The last machine to be introduced was Crackling Rosie, a beautiful 1889 machine with a fiddle shaped base and a fun story.
April 9 – Rosemary then introduced three members of the President’s Choir… The Rocketeers. These were Singer models 500 and 503 from the early 1960’s, with a futuristic look. Some of them had built-in cams for decorative stitches and in others the cams could be loaded individually.
It was Singer’s attempt to modernize their model 401 Style-O-Matic machine introduced in the 50’s (which Rosemary also had on display as a comparison).
June 11 – As members lined up for Show and Tell, Rosemary entertained members with the last of her Singer Choir, her “Black Beauties” Singer Work Horses, the model 101, Singer’s first “electric only” machine, meaning it could never be a hand-crank or treadle machine; the model 201 – known as the Cadillac of pre-1950s machines; and the model 15-91 manufactured from 1920 to 1953 – the gateway to Japan’s sewing machine manufacturing.
Specifications for the model 15 machine were released to Japan following WWII in a effort to aid in the rebuilding efforts, which resulted in a saturation of “Japanese 15 Clones” to the sewing machine market. The thread tension dial on the front faceplate is the “signature” of this model. These lesser quality machines took the market by storm and we’re “badged” under literally hundreds of names.
Jaimie Davis
Next Meeting – June 11, 2018
President’s Message
Greetings Sisters of the Thread!
My message is somewhat bittersweet this month, as it will be my final President’s message to all of you. What fun we have had this year! “Thank you” is clearly not strong enough to express my gratitude to all of the volunteers who have made this year such a success, and to the entire guild membership for your continued support.
I have so enjoyed sharing my passion for antique and vintage machines by introducing so many members of my “choir” of Singers (and a few other brands) throughout the year. I had a few more I wanted to acquaint you with, however, our very full agendas these last two meetings have not allowed for this to occur. More and more of you have come to me to share your stories of machines that have been in the family for decades. I have truly enjoyed this opportunity. The Pedal Pushers friendship group continues to be quite active, as many of you have even attended a single gathering just to get that family heirloom cleaned up and running again.
It has been a fun year with our “block of the month” activities. Although the numbers of participants are down from that initial month in September, with 42 blocks submitted, the enthusiasm and anticipation has continued all year. Thank you, Carol Sweeden for making this happen. It has been a fun trip!
Kathleen Bond and Carolyn Edwards have brought us ongoing inspiring educational opportunities through our guest lecturers and workshops. I even incorporated techniques from two of our guest speakers into my own President’s Challenge quilt… Maggie Ball’s template free kaleidoscope quilt (October), quilted with Gina Perkes’ rulers (August) on my domestic Husqvarna sewing machine. And yes, I do own a “modern” machine which I sew on from time to time.
Our contributions of quilts through our “Handmade Hugs” project has expanded to outreach beyond our initial efforts of serving foster children in Yavapai County, and I am happy to say that President-Elect, Patti Taber, wants to continue these endeavors. Although our mission focuses on “education”, community service is a major portion of what we are about as a guild.
The Silent Auction of contributed UFOs will take place at this June meeting and is being coordinated by Yvonne Blitch, Ways and Means Chair, and Carol Wright, Treasurer. Thank you all for your contributions to the success of this event. Response has been phenomenal to our “call for UFOs”. What fun!
The presentation of the 2018-19 Opportunity Quilt by Shirlee Smith and her committee of Susan Joy Noyes, Karen Adams, and Iris Lacey was very emotional for all of us. Our guest, Lorne Noyes added so much to the story. “Joyful Garden” will always bring fond remembrances of Susan Joy and her gifted artistic talents. Thank you, ladies, for your generous contribution to the Guild. Now the work begins in marketing this quilt for the next year.
I know my monthly messages may have become a bit repetitive in content, but I cannot stress enough my gratitude for our continued response to the call for donations to the St. Luke’s Community Cupboard food campaign. 187 items were contributed by TBQ members last month, more than double of what St. Luke’s members contributed in the same week! We have contributed more than 1600 items since last August! Amazing!! Let’s keep that momentum going!!
It is through the tremendous combined efforts of all of us as members and volunteers that we have had such a successful guild year. We can’t do what we do without each of us stepping forward to contribute in some way. Patti is still looking to fill some of the committee positions for this next year, so please consider your commitments.
I have heard from time to time that someone just isn’t enjoying the guild or getting much out of their membership. There is an old adage that you get back what you put in to it. I can personally attest to that. The gatherings at the Handmade Hugs workshops are a great way to get to know others in the guild. Yes, we can make quilts at home, but it’s not that same as working with a group. Our workshops and friendship groups afford us additional opportunities to “build community” and to develop relationships and friendships. And more importantly, our committees that work behind the scenes as the mechanisms that run the guild provide even greater opportunity to connect, commit, and contribute.
Thank you all again, for entrusting me with the leadership of the Guild throughout this past year. Your individual and combined contributions have made this year the success it has been.
It has truly been a wonderful and joyful journey.
And Sew it Goes…Pedal on, Girls!
Find Joy in the Journey!
Rosemary Carr, President
Thumb Butte Quilters’ Guild
Officers and Committee Chairs – End of Year Reports Due
It is that time of year for those of you who have served as an officer or committee chair to prepare a brief summary of your year to turn in to the President, as well as to share with your successor. These need to be submitted and available for the June 23 Transition Meeting to be held at Kathleen Bond’s home beginning at 10 am. Be sure to include where you found success, and what where your greatest challenges.
ALL OUTGOING AND INCOMING
OFFICERS AND COMMITTEE CHAIRS
A transition meeting/lunch will be held for all of us on Saturday, June 23, 10 am at the home of Kathleen Bond. Time will be allotted for outgoing officers and chairs to meet with their successors to share the responsibilities of that position. This gathering is an essential start to the new guild year. Your attendance and participation is strongly encouraged. Watch your email for final details.
June Birthdays
Carlotta Brandenburg, Pat Hopgood
Cynthia Crull, Norma Kurr
Cathy Day, Sandy Mazzurco
Jean Ehlers, Sharon Melpolder
Carol Godfrey, Dawnell Muecke
Diane Grayson, Kay Wentworth
Please bring a wrapped gift suitable for a quilter, with a value of at least $10, to the next meeting. A good rule of thumb for the gift is something that you would really like to receive. If you missed your birthday month, please bring your gift at a later meeting.
Shirley Kelliher and Susan Sweet
Birthday Committee Co-Chairs
Handmade Hugs
June Hostesses
Tina McCowan, Mirta McKay
Patty McClearn, Sharon Melpolder
Sandy McGarry, Melodie Merino
Joan McGivern, Barbara Merkel
Syvia McIntosh, Mary Anne Meyer
We encourage you to bring healthy refreshments. We look forward to working with our members this year.
Hostesses should arrive by 8:30 a.m. to assist chairperson in setting up if needed. Bring a refreshment item; such as finger food – cheese, crackers, sweet treats, fruit, etc. Please bring your foods on disposable trays or label your dish with your name. Beverages and paper products are provided by the Guild.
Pat Hopgood and Becky Cook
Refreshment Committee Co-Chair
Membership
I would like to take this time to welcome Cathy Day. We are happy to have you join us. If you have any questions just ask anyone in the group, everyone is very helpful.
Also, don’t forget to pay your dues for the coming year. It is going to be fun! I look forward to seeing everyone at the next meeting.
Linda Craig
Membership Chair
Block of the Month
My sincere thanks to Marti Harbour for covering the BOM Tulip Time. I heard we had a beautiful garden of 🌷 tulips! Congratulations to Linda Fisher for winning the garden blocks!
The June “Card Trick” instructions will be sent out via email and I hope to see a full deck at the TBQ June meeting.
My recovery may be slightly longer than I had hoped but gives me time for some handwork…thank you all for your kind words.
Carol Sweeden
Block of the Month Coordinator
Company Store
The Company Store did not get a chance last meeting to thank Sharon McAllister for her generous donation. We would also like to thank membership for their donations.
There is a lot of fabric to choose from, zippers to make small bags, a quilt stand and scraps for your small projects. Fill up a bag for .50 cents. Please come and shop and remember your donation, we can always use more.
Lorraine Owen
Company Store Co-Chair
Adult Center Quilt Display
It’s an ALL STAR REVIEW! 🙂 And you’re going to l.o.v.e. it!! I would be willing to bet that every one of you have made a Star Quilt! It was easy to round up TEN star quilts for this exhibit! Be sure to stop by 1280 Rosser Street and let the STARS shine down on you! BIG, BIG Thank You’s to the following quilters who have loaned a STAR quilt to this heavenly display: Pat Armstrong, Kathleen Bond, Rosemary Carr, Molly Haney-Burleigh, Jane Holland, Sandy Mitchell, Lorraine Owen, Pam Peters, and Paula Pilcher! Thank you, thank you, Quilters!
These quilts will be up for a couple of months. After that, we will be looking for a batch of red, white, and blue quilts to round out our summer patriotic decorating holidays. If you have one to share, let me know!
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
President’s “Brown Bag Ugly Fabric” Quilt Challenge
Congratulations to all of you who accepted the challenge presented last September. 39 of you completed your quilts to be displayed in our outdoor mini quilt show at the May meeting. It was quite festive, and the wind even cooperated for the most part. A few of the quilts lost their participants ribbons, so if you got home without one, please see me at the meeting.
I was thrilled with the turnout. You all are amazing. Our Members’ Choice Award recipients were as follows:
1st Place – Sandy Mitchell
2nd Place – Marilyn Thompson
3rd Place – Lorraine Owen
4th Place – Anne Marston
And my President’s Choice Award went to Marilyn Thompson for her very creative use of a scrubby purchased at the TBQ Quilt Show Marketplace last summer to create the illusion of horsehair pottery, in her stunning hand-appliqued and hand-quilted wall hanging.
Remember, for those of you who are not quite finished with your challenge quilt, you can still get them done to share at Show & Tell at a future meeting and receive your special commemorative participant’s ribbon.
Show and Tell
President’s Challenge
President’s Brown Bag “Ugly Fabric” Quilt Challenge
Participating members brought 1/2 yard of ugly fabric from their stash to the September 2017 meeting, placed it in a brown paper bag, then traded for another brown bag for this President’s Challenge. They had until the May 2018 to complete their quilts. Minimum size of 45″x45″ to maximum size of 75″x75″ or equivalent circumference. 58 members originally participated in the brown bag exchange. 39 members completed their quilts by the May 2018 deadline. Members were treated to a mini outdoor quilt show at the May meeting and given the opportunity to vote for four of their favorite entries. Additionally, Rosemary Carr presented her “President’s Choice Award.”
These were the fabulously creative results:
Karen Fisher
Next Meeting – May 14, 2018
President’s Message
Greetings Sisters of the Thread!
Does anyone else, besides me, feel that the weeks pass so quickly with each year we grow older? It is hard to believe we are again coming up on another gathering of our quilting community, and time of another President’s message in our monthly newsletter.
It is also FINALLY time for the President’s Challenge “Big Reveal.” We’ve had the past 9 months to cultivate our creativity and complete our “Ugly Fabric Challenges.” Some of us (myself included) are scurrying to put the finishing touches on our projects. I truly am excited to see all the entries and can’t express enough how thrilled I am with all of you who accepted the challenge. As of press time, the Executive Committee is tweaking the meeting agenda to accommodate the quilt viewing, and voting, and the expanded Show and Tell. Please anticipate a departure from our typical agenda. Those of you who indicated participation last fall will receive an email from me just prior to the meeting outlining check-in instructions when you arrive at the church that morning.
Karen Johnson, our chair of Handmade Hugs has been notified of a “Foster Event” to be held in May, where our Handmade Hugs contributions will be distributed to children under the wing of the CASA (Court Appointed Special Advocates) office of Yavapai County. Additionally, Karen has contacted the Center for Compassion and Justice and is coordinating donations of pillowcases to the homeless men’s shelter in Prescott. They are looking forward with grateful anticipation of the arrival of our special gifts.
Heartfelt accolades to the Quilt Camp Committee Suzie Fields – chair, Erin Sullivan, and Maryann Conner for putting on a most memorable camp. What fun was had by all in attendance! What tremendous camaraderie! It truly was a great 3 days. There was fabulous food, fun & games, mentoring, and tons of tips of the trade, and did I mention, we even did some sewing…lots and lots of uninterrupted sewing. If you’ve ever been hesitant about attending a quilt camp, you might want to put this on your quilter’s bucket list.
Remember to continue your Spring Cleaning efforts and clean out those project boxes, and bring in your unwanted UFOs for our June Silent Auction. Yvonne Blitch and Carol Wright are coordinating that upcoming event.
The Company Store will be up and running again at the May meeting. Your unused quilty items are always accepted and appreciated. Thank you all for understanding the necessity to accommodate the church’s need at the April meeting and the closed partition and abbreviated Company Store.
Please, remember also to thank any of the St. Luke’s staff when you see them. They are truly good to us. Your continued response has been tremendous for the donations to the St. Luke’s Community Cupboard food campaign. Please continue to keep those less fortunate in your thoughts and remember to pick up an extra can or two when you shop. Hunger knows no calendar.
On a final note, with the February resignation of Maryann Conner as our webmaster due to personal commitments, and then extensively investigating the use of an outside web developer to rebuild the TBQ website, as of the March Executive Committee meeting, there is a recently appointed committee continuing work on the new TBQ website. It’s a big learning curve for the WEB Team, but we are making progress on our brand-new website. Please keep in mind that the current TBQ website is not being updated, however, we wanted to keep archival information available to you in the interim. And as a reminder, current Guild activities are announced through this monthly newsletter and are not available on the website. Our goal is to have the new site up and running this summer, and the current committee members all plan to continue as the WEB Team next year. We appreciate your continued patience in the interim.
And Sew it Goes…Pedal on, Girls!
Find Joy in the Journey!
Rosemary Carr, President
Thumb Butte Quilters’ Guild
Handmade Hugs
No Handmade Hugs workshop for the months of May or June. The next workshop TBA.
Karen Johnson
Handmade Hugs
Ways and Means
There is still time to finish your spring cleaning and bring any UFO’s you no longer want to finish to the May TBQ meeting. The more projects we have, the more fun it will be. We’ll have our UFO Silent Auction at our June 11th meeting.
Yvonne Blitch
Ways and Means Chair
Block of the Month
This is a great wall hanging if made with 4-6 total units. Using different bright colored prints for Tulips and Pinwheels.
Carol Sweeden
Block of the Month Coordinator
Company Store
It’s still Springtime in Prescott. Time to clean unwanted items out of sewing room to donate to the Company Store. All is appreciated. Thank you, ladies.
Lorraine Owen
Company Store Co-Chair
Prescott Adult Center Exhibit
1280 Rosser Street, Prescott
Well…I hate to admit it, but SPRING hasn’t been hanging around nearly as much as I thought she should be! Do you know where she’s hiding? One place you can find her is at the Adult Center where it’s SPRING! SPRING! SPRING! all over the place! Once word gets out that you can hang out at 1280 Rosser Street to soak up a little SPRING, watch out for the stampede!
The SPRING quilts will be up into the middle of May, so you still have time to see them! Plan a “Girls Day Out”! Go to lunch, then go see the quilts at the Adult Center, then go shopping! Aaahhhh, perfect!
Our next theme will be “Stars”. It’s a fairly popular pattern…we have several Star quilts promised to us already…but we still need a few more. If your Star quilt wants to hang out with the rest of the Stars, let me know!
Quilt Sizes Needed:
LARGE: from 60″ to 90″ wide, any length. (Need SIX.)
SMALL: from 45″ to 60″ wide, any length. (Need FOUR.)
Carolyn Edwards
Adult Center Quilt Coordinator
Show and Tell
Janet Carruth
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”.
