The purpose of the Quilters Guild of Plano is to unite individuals who have a passion for quilts and the art of quilting.

We have increased the social time before the meetings and included a 10 minute break so we can meet our old friends and make new ones as we have new members joining every month. What a crowd!

Make sure you stop by each of the tables after checking in at Membership -- buy a pin, register for a workshop, turn in your mini-quilt, buy your raffle tickets, turn in/pick up in your community service, see the activities, see the demo, see the visiting guild’s raffle quilt.

Great that we were reminded at the January meeting that we leave a legacy by our speaker, Connie Keller.

The board members had two opportunities to hear presentations from an attorney (that also is a quilter) on how to manage a non-profit organization. We covered topics regarding our mission statement, a code of ethics, conflict of interest, financial audits, and more. We have already created a donation receipt form for the donation of fabrics/quilting supplies that we are accepting. This was held in conjunction with the board members of the Quilter’s Guild of Dallas and the president of the Dallas Modern Guild.

The Dallas Modern Quilt Guild will also be visiting to sell raffle tickets for 2 grand prizes -- a freshly serviced Singer featherweight model 221 with a brand new case and a 2 night stay at the Whitehall Hotel in downtown Houston for the International Quilt Festival (November 1-3, 2024). Plus, they have at least 15 wonderful mini-quilts which will be displayed to sell tickets.

And please bring either cash or a check to pick up a packet of 25 tickets for $20 for our Quilt Plano 2024 raffle quilt with the drawing on August 10, 2024.

Record Your Volunteer Hours!

By Tisha Harms

We want to know what you are up to. Record your volunteer hours and receive a volunteer bar for 30 hours of service! For volunteering at Quilt Plano 2024, you will receive a charm for your bar!

To record your hours just email volunteer_hours@qgplano.org. If you do not have access to a computer, you can call Tisha Harms at 214.316.5066.

Record your hours at your convenience – daily, weekly, monthly or once a year noting the following categories: Community Service, Show, Education or Guild Work.

Programs and Workshops

By Beth Swiatek and Linda Sullivan

Happy February!

Hope everyone was inspired by Connie Keller in January. WOW! 27 years working at the same fabric store and building a business at the same time. Just goes to show that if you start small, follow your passion (quilting, of course!), and accept help from friends, you can end up with something even bigger than you anticipated! Join us in February to hear about one of Becky Goldsmith’s passions…THREAD!

In other news…did you notice online signup for workshops is now available on the guild website? Registration sheets are also available to print off and mail in or drop off at a guild meeting for a cash/check discount. Next workshop opportunity is in April with Audrey Esarey. Don’t delay signing up since both of her workshops are already over half filled, and expected to reach capacity. When we hit 20 students, we’ll start a waiting list.

As a reminder, workshops DO have a cancellation policy. So if you end up with a date conflict, let us know ASAP (also so we can move someone up from the waiting list). For a full refund you need to email programs@qgplano.org at least 14 prior to the date of the workshop. 50% refund is given if notification of cancellation is 7-13 days prior to the workshop. No refunds will be made if cancellation is 6 or fewer days before the workshop, or for no-shows the day of the workshop. Fees will be fully refunded if the instructor needs to cancel the workshop. All these policies are also in print on the Workshop Registration sheet. Hope you can join us at the next guild meeting!

Guild Activities

By Chris Fredericks

The annual guild retreat is being held from Feb. 15-18, 2024 at the Tanglewood Resort at Pottsboro, TX. We have 71 members joining and/or rejoining the group from last year that returned to the Resort after several years of trialing other venues. We will have Home a la mode as our retreat store, a “Bones” table, Trash to Treasure Sale, and of course some door prizes. And four days of sewing, socializing, and eating while overlooking Lake Texoma!

The Riley Blake Block Challenge 2024 has 38 participants! It has been a lot of fun and I look forward to seeing everyone’s quilts once we’re done with the challenge. Coming up is the Pot Holder Exchange -- there is still time to enroll in this activity -- stop by to see what’s going on with Guild Activities, register and gear up to have a lot of fun.

Finish my mini quilt and turn it in at the next Guild meeting. The Minnies are counting on me!
Finish the quilt top for my entry in the Show and get a good photo of it so I’m ready to fill out the online registration on March 1st.
Buy my $20 raffle ticket packet. As a member, this is how I can spread the word and give the tickets to my family and friends. Or I can put my name on them all and just give my family and friends the top half as bookmarks! We strongly encourage every member to participate at the $20 level. We’ve even got a bonus of an extra ticket this year! $20 will get you 25 tickets! And don’t forget to sign the raffle ticket book that you’ve done your part.
Decide what I’d like to do as a volunteer at the Show. There are so many choices!! Make my decision by the May meeting when sign-ups are open. First-come, first-serve so I’d better be ready.

And one last thing. A shout-out to everyone who took approximately 3,000 total bookmarks out to the various quilt stores and other locations. And a thank you to Roxy Gross for bundling them so nicely!

Great job, everyone! February, here we come!! 🙂

Introduction to Judging Seminar - August 9-10, 2024

Do you enter quilt shows and want to understand what makes a winning quilt? Are you interested in learning to judge quilts and wearables? Do you know someone at another guild who coordinates their quilt show’s judging process?

The Quilters Guild of Plano is proud to once again sponsor a 2-Day Quilt Judging Seminar on August 9-10, 2024, at the same time as the Quilt Plano Show. We offered this seminar last year at the same time as Quilt Plano 2023 and it was a huge success!

During this seminar you will learn through a combination of discussion, lecture, PowerPoint presentations, and hands-on mock judging from qualified instructors certified by the National Association of Certified Quilt Judges (NACQJ).

The 2-Day Seminar covers all aspects of quilt judging, including the job of judging, evaluating design and workmanship, categories and awards, judging systems, setting up the judging floor, and judging versus jurying. Discussion includes certification requirements for the National Association of Certified Quilt Judges (NACQJ), the only national certifying organization for quilt judges.

Participants receive handouts including resource recommendations, art and design terms with definitions, a glossary, and sample contracts and invoices among others. This seminar does not certify students nor is it a prerequisite for certification.

Stay tuned! More information and online registration will be available in the coming weeks.

Community Service

By Val Schlake and Debbie Blair

Happy February! With the holidays now behind us, we are excited to know Spring is right around the corner! It is a great time to consider “giving back” to our community! We have many ways to get involved whether a little or a lot.

Community Sew Day: We meet the second Tuesday of each month at Plano Sewing Center from 10 until 2pm. Just bring your sewing machine and basic sewing supplies and we provide the rest! Consider joining the fun with our village of passionate quilters!

Caring and Sharing: (formerly Birthday Quilt) has begun for 2024. We have a fabulous prize for it so get busy on your quilt. (A portable sewing table and a basket full of great sewing supplies and notions.) Your quilt should be made from your stash and completely finished. (One quilt entry per person.)

* Child quilt: no larger than 40” x 60”. (200 or less linear inches = (width + length) x 2) receives 1 ticket
*** Throw quilt up to 60 x 70 (201 to 275 linear inches = (width + length) x2) receives 3 tickets
***** Twin size quilt minimum of 68” x 86” or larger. (minimum 276 to 350 linear inches = (width + length) x2) receives 5 tickets

We look forward to seeing what you create during show and tell! So SHARE your stash and make a complete quilt to show you CARE! Stop by our table and get the details of how to win a prize valued at over $250.00 while giving back to our community!

February Focus: Pre-cut child quilt kits will be available for pick up at the guild meeting. Each will take 2 to 3 hours to complete and can be turned back in the following month.

Grab and Go: Not able to come sew with us? No worries, we have grab and go projects that can be completed at home. Simply pick up at the Guild meeting and then drop off completed at the next meeting.

Donations? Time to spring clean your sewing area? We can always use fabric yardage, orphan quilt tops, supplies and any completed quilts that need a home. We will be happy to finish and gift them to someone in need of a little kindness in the community.

We are so fortunate to have so many members contributing to our Community Service program, your continued generosity and support is appreciated… We couldn’t do what we do without you! Thank you.

Valerie Schlake (804)-651-9026 and Debbie Blair (469)-226-9376

Education

By Liz Beaty and Lorrie Gray

In February at the Education table, learn about the American Quilt Study Group from member Barbara Goetz. American Quilt Study Group is member supported. Its aim is to connect quilt enthusiasts who enjoy the study of quilts and textiles, from the earliest quilt fragments to the current era, through research and community. Anyone who has an interest in the history of quilts, or indeed in women's studies, will find this may be a group for them. Barbara will have information about the group and membership applications available. She’s also bringing the quilt that she is currently studying!

If you missed Julie Cohagen’s demonstration of several “disappearing” blocks last month, you can check out this YouTube playlist of Missouri Star videos to walk you through them: Disappearing Blocks

To suggest a future demo or volunteer to do a demo, please either talk to Liz or Lorrie at a guild meeting or fill out this simple Google form to give your ideas: Education Demo Ideas

A huge thank you to the lady who anonymously left dozens of quilts at the Plano Sewing Center for Quilts of Valor. With funding from the State coordinator, we sent 11 quilts to Midland and 6 to Conroe to help those groups with their backlog. And, we still have over a dozen quilts. If anyone knows who made the quilts, please encourage her to come forward so we can properly say thank you. (Maybe she’s from Prosper?) The donation was an extremely generous gift of time, skill and financial resources.

Sunshine & Shadows

Shadows:

Bonnie Cook’s father passed away.

Monica Hendewerk's mother passed away. She went in the hospital the day before with pneumonia while living in Coeur d'Alene, Idaho and was 89. Monica's mother was born in Berlin and was 10 when Berlin was bombed. She married Monica's dad and emigrated to the US; after he died she raised their 5 young children.

Pat Fowler’s husband James passed away Jan. 25, 2024.

Our thoughts and prayers go out to Bonnie, Monica, Pat and their families.

Membership

By Raj Aggarwal and Barbara Goetz

Speaker Connie Keller entertained 77 of our current 194 members at our January meeting. We welcomed two new quilters to the group, Mari Semrad and Kimberly Pero. Glad to have you ladies. Thanks to Ms. Keller for some great raffle prizes, and our targeted raffle kit, won by Rose-Clair Fletcher, was very popular. We’ll be doing those every other month, while continuing our regular attendance raffles. New members, keep an eye out for a new member day retreat on April 20th. More info to follow.

Happy Quilting!

News from the Zoom Bees

Pieceful Organization - Sarah Krauss, Jeanne Vogel, Monica Hendewerk

Every Wednesday from 1:30-3:30 pm -- Join us any week you can!

Need a friend to relieve clutter, stress, struggles and feelings of being overwhelmed? We are Zooming using the inspiration from a workshop we attended. Organization will change your clutter and chaos to start the day fresh with your stuff organized. Less chaos leads to more productive quilt making! Please contact mhendewerk@gmail.com for the zoom link.

Free Motion Quilting Bee (we actually sew during the meeting!) – Monica Hendewerk

Join in! It’s fun and productive. Zoom blocks out background noise, so we can sew and chat at the same time! Monica or one of the other members provide some designs to practice on a small sandwich which you can choose to use or not. A number of us “doodle” on paper first, and then sew. Do the designs that we send or do your own thing. We have beginner beginners all the way to advanced members of the group. We share our samples, ask/answer questions, and chat. It’s a great way to make friends.

Meetings are on the second Monday of the month, from 1:00 – 3:00 (or longer sometimes!). Please contact Monica so that she can send you the Zoom link if you are interested. mhendewerk@gmail.com (713) 569-8798

Chicks with Feathers — 3rd Saturday from 1-3pm -- Jeanne Vogel

Sit & sew at home with your Singer Featherweight sewing machines. Tips, tricks and advice to make straight stitch sewing simple and precise. Those who have not previously notified me, please email at pickincotton26@verizon.net to get the invitation to join the Zoom meeting.

Quilters Guild of Plano, Inc.

Letter from the President

Record Your Volunteer Hours!

Programs and Workshops

February Guild Meeting - Thursday, February 8, 2024

Speaker: Becky Goldsmith – The Secret Lives of Thread and Needle

March Guild Meeting - Thursday, March 14, 2024

Speaker: Carol Sunderland – Fifteen Elements

April Guild Meeting - Thursday, April 11, 2024

Speaker: Audrey Esarey – Finding My Voice in Modern Quilting

Workshop: Friday, April 12, 2024, 10:00am - 5:00pm (1-hour lunch)

Audrey Esarey – Watercolor Quilt Workshop -- Fabric Gradation and Stress Free Curved Piecing

Workshop: Saturday, April 13, 2024, 10:00am - 5:00pm (1-hour lunch)

Audrey Esarey – Ultraviolet Radial Workshop -- Paper Piecing on an Arc, Curved Piecing, Precision Piecing

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Guild Activities

Quilt Plano 2024

Introduction to Judging Seminar - August 9-10, 2024

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Community Service

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Education

Quilts of Valor (www.QOVF.org)

Sunshine & Shadows

Shadows:

Membership

Happy February Birthdays to These Members

News from the Zoom Bees

Pieceful Organization - Sarah Krauss, Jeanne Vogel, Monica Hendewerk

Free Motion Quilting Bee (we actually sew during the meeting!) – Monica Hendewerk

Chicks with Feathers — 3rd Saturday from 1-3pm -- Jeanne Vogel

From the Bee Keeper -- In Person Meetings

Fourth Friday Featherweight Friends- Jeanne Vogel: pickincotton26@verizon.net

Monthly Meeting Photos

General Meeting Minutes

Board Meeting Minutes