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President’s Message

Hello Thumb Butte Quilters! 

My name is Dawnell Muecke and I’m so happy to be this year’s guild President.  I started quilting about 20 years ago and collected many new friends and fabrics along the way.  I enjoy being part of a guild to learn new ideas, foster friendships and have a good time in the process.   I have volunteered for many different jobs in guilds over the years, but this will be my first time as President!  I hope you’re as excited as I am for the upcoming year and I look forward to any suggestions and input you have to make this a fun and memorable quilting year. 

Here are some of the 2022/2023 events planned:

• 2–day Quilt show in June 2023
• Monthly speakers and workshops
• Christmas party
• Opportunity quilt raffle
• Retreat
• President’s challenge quilt
• Handmade Hugs
• Block of the month
• Show and Tell
• Meeting new members

Be on the lookout for more details of the planned events and new items to be added as the year progresses.  My monthly news article will highlight what events are coming up and how you can get involved. 

The 2020/2021 year was definitely enjoyable with more and more people feeling comfortable to venture back out.  The newcomer group had their end of year luncheon in June with 22 people able to attend!  That didn’t include ALL of the new members, just the ones who could make the lunch.  That might be a record for new members!  In April, I had the group fill out a survey about what they wanted/liked in the Thumb Butte quilters guild and the overwhelming comments were – inspiration, a welcoming atmosphere and fun activities.   I think these are pretty simple ideas that we all enjoy in any activity we choose to participate in!

So, let’s come to each meeting with the idea to inspire, welcome others and have fun!

Dawnell Muecke, President

Past-President’s Message

Greetings Sisters of the Thread,

My goodness, what a year it has been!  We started off losing the roof from the Elk’s Lodge due to 80 mph winds, and quickly found new ‘digs’ at the Prescott Rodeo Fairgrounds, Freeman Building…Thank you, Suzy Davidson!

We “weathered” through until the end of December setting up tables and chairs, having a fun Christmas Party with delicious food, fellowship and “Left-Right-Center” with fat quarters!

In November, we lost one of our dear members, Norma Kurr to COVID-19, and shortly after I contracted Omicron pneumonia.  For the most part, January was a blur for me, but with a great Vice President, Cathy Day, and a caring Board, I came back in February a little wobbly, but so glad to be anywhere after Covid!  

In January, we returned to a newly renovated Elk’s Lodge, with a new roof, sound system, refreshed restrooms, bright lights and painted walls!  And, home it remains for the coming years.  We also found a permanent home for our full day workshops at the Aztlan Masonic Lodge off Willow Creek Road…Thank you, Pat Noel!  It makes for lovely workshop surroundings with skylights, and all the conveniences required for quilt classes.  

We have had some fascinating speakers, with Carolyn Seagraves-Wright, Wendy Knight, Patti Pierce, Suzie Parron, Tori McElwain, Jean Impey,  Veronica Sandoval, Trish and David Charity, Swan Sheridan.

During this term, we also lost one of our local quilt shops as a result of Covid, Turquoise Threads.   However, we are gaining a new shop, with the opening of the Prescott Quilt Company in Frontier Village. 

We had a great March Quilt Camp, thank you, Cathy Day and Kristine White!  It was described as Fun, Food, Fellowship and we even did some sewing!  Looking forward to the next camp in March 2023, Cathy and Kristine have already committed to do it again!!

Speaking of 2023, Thumb Butte will have its quilt show June 16-17 at Prescott High School in the Dome Gymnasium. The 2023 TBQG quilt show still has needs for volunteers to oversee the various aspects of the Show.  Please check out the sign up board at July’s Guild Meeting to find out  how you can help make our show a great success!

Our Opportunity Quilt made its debut at the Mountain Top Quilt Show in the Findlay Event Center, where it was warmly received with an outstanding number of ticket sales!  I want to personally thank, Claire Bell, for her beautiful work, and all of the hand quilters that helped in its completion.  Beautifully done, Ladies of the Thread!  Bravo!

We will also have at least one of the 2023 Quilt Shows themed patterns available to purchase at July’s Meeting.  Remember, our theme is Bloom Where You Are Planted, and Trish Charity certainly depicted the theme in her artwork pattern!  Thank you, Trish!

Now for the hard part…I want to thank all of you for making my Presidency such a wonderful experience!  I have certainly enjoyed being an integral part of our Guild.  From the very beginning you have made me feel welcome and appreciated.  When I was sworn in as President, my husband, Tom, said to me, “Well, enjoy being sworn in, from this point on, you’ll be sworn at.”  If you did, thank you for whispering!  You all supported me through some very difficult lows, my nephew Michael’s passing and losing our sweet girl, Daisy, the loss of our meeting room, Covid and this past month of bronchitis and sinus infection.  Your kind deeds, well wishes and prayers were, and are, greatly appreciated.

I had a wonderful Executive Board, Vice-President Cathy Day, Secretary Julie Eastman, Treasurer Carol Wright , plus Chairs, Angela Smith, Membership; Faith Chaney, Phyllis Byrnes, & Olivia Turnham, Community Service & Handmade Hugs; Liz Hart, Ways & Means; Kathleen Bond, Workshops.

I love seeing our guild grow and reach out in the communities in which we live.  I want to wish the incoming Board the best of 2022-2023 year.  

Blessings, 

Nan DeChant, Past-President

Membership

 

Please remember that your membership dues of $35.00 are due by June 30, 2022 in order to make it to the directory.
Welcome new members Donna Osborne, Pamela Hengeveld, Zoe Charon, Carol Rabbitt, David Charity, Ellen Baker, and Kate Parsons.
Thank you!

Angela Smith – Chair

Programs 

President’s Message

 

Greetings Sisters of the Thread!

Well, is anyone in doubt whether summer has arrived here in the High Country?!

So far we have managed with ceiling fans and open sliders to keep us comfortable, even in my sewing room!  

Many decades ago, when I first started my banking career, 1969 to be exact.  I was assigned to a branch office that was pre-WWI.  We froze in winter and died of heat exhaustion in the summer.  The Powers-That-Be brought in large fans to circulate air, but if the fans were aimed at us, our paperwork would fly all over, so the fans were aimed well above our heads.  Which was fine if one was 7 feet tall, but didn’t help much for those of us who were five feet something.  Yes, the proverbial ‘good ole’ days.’  So the moral of the story is, it can always be worse, but now with AC it can be remarkably better,. That is, until the APS bill arrives.

I understand the Swan Sheridan class was great fun and informational!  Many have stated that watching her use her ‘Muscle Memory’ to free motion quilt was unbelievable.  I know I loved her guild meeting lecture, so the class must have been even more so!  Thank you, Kathleen & Cathy, for getting her on our meeting agenda!

June’s meeting will be Veronica Sandoval and her sharing ‘Thread’ with us.  If you pick thread because it is the correct color or amount, Ronnie will enlighten you to know there is a lot more to the thread world than we ever knew.  Ronnie launched my love of quilting.  She was the instructor at JoAnn’s, Chino, CA, when I signed up for a $20 quilt class decades ago.  The class was $20, but I spent over $100 getting ready for the class!  However, in retrospect, it was worth every cent, and some things never change!

Thank you, Mary Vaughn, for the wonderful Block-of-the-Month patterns, and to the Guild Members for the enthusiastic response in making the blocks!  Good job!

The 2023 Quilt Show is picking up steam!  Our theme is, “Bloom Where You Are Planted.”  We have TB guild artists working on patterns to be shared with members in the next month or two. Thank you, Chris Sommerfelt & Trish Charity, for your talent and willingness to help a non artist out!  I get these great ideas in my head, but unfortunately, that is where they remain.  We anticipate having 2 to 3 patterns from which to select, and like the Javelinas, completed pieces may be sold, at the maker’s discretion, at 2023 Quilt Show.  Stay tuned for additional updates!  We continue to fill Chair positions for the Show, and the sign up board will be available at June’s meeting until all positions are filled.

Sandy Mazzurco, has stepped up to chair the 2023 Quilt Show Marketplace.  Between Sandy’s quilt room inventory and mine, we can supply just about everything needed to make Marketplace items.  (Marketplace is the Quilt Show area where handmade items are for sale to attendees.). We will need a good variety and amount to cover us for the two-day show.  Thank you, Sandy!  And, you will be amazed how many will be willing to help out during the next 12 months!

Our June meeting is Monday, June 13, 2022.  We are adding new members and excited to see our guild grow!  Welcome to our new members, and we are so glad to have you join in our love of quilting!

May your seams be straight, your bobbins be full and your quarter inch precise.

Blessings,

Nan DeChant, President

Membership

 

Please remember that your membership dues of $35.00 are due by June 15, 2022 in order to make it to the directory.
There were no new members this month.
Thank you!

Angela Smith – Chair

Programs