A Note from Nancy

Hi Quilters,

This year we are going to do a "Rainbow Strip Club" of Batiks. This will replace the fat quarters, interest in it had been low this year.

It was suggested to me that if the folks knew what colors would be collected monthly you could shop this summer before Guild started in the fall. With that in mind here is what you need to look for (this would also allow folks who leave for the winter to leave their exhanges and still be a part of the club,for the months they are gone):

Monthly you will need one yard of Batik's in the color specified cut into 12- 2 1/2 inch strips. You will sign up for the exchange at the September meeting. Each month you will roll your strips and turn them in at the meeting in a zip lock bag with your name on the outside. The following month you will pick up your ziplock with a variety of that color.
September - sign up
October - Red
November - Orange
December - Yellow
January - Green
February - Blue (lt to med)
March - Indigo (dark blue)
April - Violet (Purple)

You will receive 12 strips back everytime.

Guaranteed Giggles

Elaine and Gary live in catalogs - and this blog features pictures of their "home" with clever and witty captions that are just plain ridiculous and funny, funny, funny. I go for this sort of humor and some of the posts make me laugh out loud. Give it a whirl and see what you think.

http://catalogliving.tumblr.com/

News from our Board

(Calvin Coolidge bedroom - picture from the Library of Congress site)

There were two meetings last week in anticipation of the beginning of the Quilters Squared 2011-2012 year. Nancy Stanley, our president, met with the program committee, Nancy Wyseand Deb Badour. I also attended to represent the guild blog. The girls have many of the meetings pinned down as to program and activities and have plans in the work for the remainder of the meetings. They have a $2700 budget agreed on by the board for this year. $25.00 will be charged for a $35.00 class which constitutes a benefit to being a member. Deb noted that she has struck a deal with a supplier so that the pattern needed for one of the classes will be $6.00 instead of $8.00 and ruler $14 instead of $18. The latter two items are in addition to the class fee.

At the board meeting with President Nancy Stanley, Marlene Perry, Secretary Jackie Fellows and Treasurer Earlene Albee the bylaws were looked at and changes suggested. One of the items discussed was the charge of $5 for a nonmemeber to attend a meeting when we have a paid speaker.

Committees should be advised of what is expected of them and also that the expectations may change from year to year.

Treasurer's report to be given t beginning, middle and end of year in newsletter.

Vice President will provide list for members to sign in at meetings and update e-mail, address, etc., if needed and pass along to Secretary and Treasurer.

Other items were discussed and will be forthcoming later.

It has been learned that there will be a new quilt shop "Park Bench" opening in September, at Wheeler Road and Swede. Ann Symansky and Pattie Raponos are owners. Suggested that they be invited to give a brief talk in regard to their new shop at the September meeting.

The search goes on for a new quilt show committee chairman.

Here is the signup for door prizes for 2010-20-11 (Gift should be valued between $10 and $15)

September -----------------------Marcia Stanick
October---------------------------Helen Mudd
November------------------------Karen Gruber
December (Banquet)--------------Nancy Wyse
January---------------------------Robyn House Guettler
February-------------------------Leslie Peterson
March----------------------------Carol Rose
April------------------------------Linda McGibbon
May------------------------------Deb Badur
June (Banquet)-------------------Jackie Fellows

Hope you are all having a good summer out there and getting lots of things ready for Show and Tell for the coming guild year. If any of you have anything you would like to blog about or have blogged, just get in touch and we can make it happen. Happy quilting!

Sit n Sew Reminder

Just a reminder that there will be a Sit N Sew on Tuesday July 20, 2010 at

Chapel Lane Presbyterian Church 10 am. - 3 pm.

Bring a project to work on and enjoy the day sewing and chatting!

Don't forget your sewing machine, supplies, a sack lunch (or visit one of the fine sandwich shops in the area). A small donation is accepted to give to the church to help pay for electricity and such. Come and enjoy the day with your fellow quilters.

Just for Fun...

...why not try something "different" this summer - here are a couple of easy tutorials you might like to experiment with...

The Disappearing 9 Patch is super simple...

...so is a Value Quilt...both are good for using up stash...

Let us know if you find a "fun" tutorial on the web so we can share. Look forward to seeing all your Show and Tell in September!

Sit and Sew Tomorrow

Are you coming to Sit and Sew tomorrow? Hope to see you there. Don't forget it's 10:00 to 3:00 at the Chapel Lane Church on Jefferson and Chapel Lane--come for all or part of the day. Lunch is what you want it to be - bring it along or go out with some of the girls who usually chose that option. Bring along your sewing machine or something to do by hand. Such a great way to get to know each other. We each put some money in an envelope to give to the church - such a wonderful place to be able to use. See you!!!!

Shopping for a new Machine?

Here are some tips I recently saw in a Quilter's newsletter I received. I'd like to say I'm looking for a new machine - but may be a few years yet (darn)....which is why I especially like tip #6 (LOL) - Enjoy! Jewels

From Loose Threads June 2010the newsletter of Quilter's Connection Magazine:
6 points to consider before purchasing your next sewing machine...

I'm in a love-hate relationship with my sewing machine. When I purchased it almost 10 years ago, it was a top-of-the-line machine, and I loved it. I still love it, but she's beginning to show her age. And she's getting to be a bit temperamental, too. So I thought it might be time to trade her in for a newer model (shhh, don't tell her that, she doesn't know yet!)

But how do you buy a sewing machine? Last time, I went for the same brand, and took advantage of a sale. I spent every penny I had, and I still haven't tried all the stitches! This time I wanted to do a little more research. There are so many new machines available today, that I thought I should learn as much as I could before making a decision. After all, sewing machines can cost almost as much as a new car today! I want to make sure I get the best value for my dollar, and the right machine for my needs.

So, where should you start? And what should you know before you buy? Here are 6 questions to ask yourself before you go shopping.

1. How much do you want to spend? This is probably the most important consideration. Think of all the costs involved - the extra attachments, a new table, taxes, etc, etc. It can all add up - to a lot of money!

2. How much will you be sewing? Are you a casual sewer or quilter? Or do you have a home-based business? Are you a beginner, or an expert? Be honest so you don't overspend on a machine that will sit and collect dust.

3. What will you be using the machine for? There are many specialty machines on the market today - embroidery, quilting, sergers, or just basic mechanical models. Will you be doing mostly quilting, or sewing a variety of projects using different fabrics and stitches? This will determine what type of machine you will want to purchase, and some of the options you will require.

4. How much space do you have? Do you have an entire room dedicated to sewing? Then you might consider purchasing a new table along with the machine. If your sewing room is a corner of the dining room table, you will want to purchase a machine that can easily be stored when you have company for dinner.

5. Should you buy new or used? Purchasing a new machine will get you the latest in technology, at a higher price. If you want a good work-horse. but with fewer bells and whistles that the new machines have, you may decide to purchase used. When buying a used machine, purchase from a dealer rather than on Craigslist or your local paper. Dealers usually offer a warranty on used machines, and they have been cleaned and repaired.

6. Can you carry it? Or do you need to? This is something I never thought of when I purchased my current machine. Since then, I've attended many quilting classes and have struggled every time to drag my very heavy machine to the car, then from the trunk into class. And back again. If you're planning to use your machine at any sewing class or retreat, opt for a lighter weight machine.

Write your answers down on a piece of paper, and take that sheet with you when you go shopping. You'll be armed with information that will help to determine the right machine for you, and you'll leave the shop a satisfied customer!