Letter from the President – Carolyn Cosgriff

Happy New Year!  January brings the shine of a fresh start and a look at the year ahead.  There is a phenomenal slate of programs ahead. 

The months until show entries are due will sail by.  Meanwhile, behind the scenes progress continues as raffle tickets and vendor booths are selling.  The important position of Show Co-Chair remains open.  The Co-Chair moves into the role of Show Chair, but is also needed as back-up. We need to be prepared should someone on the show committee face a crisis along the way.  Please seriously consider stepping up for the 2026 and 2027 shows.  I can be reached at President@qgPlano.org to discuss.   

Want to get more involved in the guild?  We need you! 

Open positions:

Bee Keeper – coordinates the small groups and helps establish new groups.   In response to some questions, not all small groups are inviting new members because they meet in homes and cannot accommodate more people.  

Show Co-Chair – This is a person who learns the ropes by shadowing the current chair, Carol Truscott, and helping her make decisions and execute.  Carol has volunteered to serve for QP 2026.  The 2026 Show-Co chair would be expected to step into the Show Chair position for QP 2027, or earlier if Carol is unable to serve for any reason.  

Meeting Media Manager – Learn how to run the AV equipment as support for the media VP at meetings.  It’s not hard, but does require learning what buttons to push – literally! 

Please email president@qgplano.org if interested in learning more.

Important Dates

Jan. 8—Guild meeting

• Wear your QGP lanyard for an extra door prize ticket! 

• Read under Guild Activities to get a bag of fabric to play: Shop: Bag or Roll

Jan 13—Sew Day (Community Service) @ Plano Sewing Center 10-2

January 30th & 31st – Pieces of Paradise Quilt Show, Rockport, TX.  piecemakersbythebay.org

If you are new to quilting and would like to spend some time learning the basics, please join Linda Chappell and Donna Petrick in a new venture to mentor beginning quilters.  You will get acquainted with terms and gain the confidence to join in with other groups or the guild workshops.  We have a form we are asking you to complete to see the times everyone will be available and what you are interested in learning. 

At the January meeting, we will meet for a short time to discuss a few of the items, get a general time of when and where we can meet.  After that meeting, Linda and Donna will determine the time and place and let you know when we will start, what you will need to bring and give you a general idea of the plan.

If you did not receive a form at the December meeting, please contact Linda at ldchappell@hotmail.com. She will get one to you to complete for the January meeting.

Membership

Christi Ables and Anna Marie Larabee

There is a new Zoom link for the monthly meetings.  Find it here:

https://us06web.zoom.us/j/82144960765

DECEMBER MEMBERSHIP RECAP

79 members attended the December meeting in person or on Zoom.  We also want to welcome our guests:

• Judy Francis

• Donna Smith

DUES WERE DUE OCTOBER 1! It’s not too late to renew your membership.  Renew online or come see us at the Membership table at the December 11th meeting.  You don’t want to miss all the great programs, workshops and community service opportunities we have planned for the upcoming year!

Current Members: be sure to wear your new black Quilters Guild of Plano neck I.D. and you will receive two (2) door prize tickets!

Special Drawing

Take 5 – The Teacher’s Pet Quilt Kit

January Birthdays

Quilt Plano Show 2026 — Carol Truscott

August 14-15, 2026!

Stop by the Raffle quilt table to grab your tickets. They are on sale at each of our guild meetings.  Tickets are $5.00 each or 5 for $20.00. 

If you would like to host the Raffle Quilt at one of your events (different guild groups/clubs)~ We have a poster size picture of our beautiful quilt that you can borrow to display in order to sell tickets. If interested, please contact Virginia Hammond or myself.

Our Show Volunteer T-Shirts are here, they are bright and cheerful!!!  If you would like to reserve a particular size get a hold of Fran Levy at 805-298-9743 to reserve your Show shirt, they will go fast!! Show shirts are $25.00 for sizes M-XL, and $27.00 for sizes 2XL-3XL.

If you are on the show committee, stop by our table to pick up your show shirt in January. 

To honor the Semiquincentennial celebration of the United States, the Quilters Guild of Plano will feature a special judged category for the Quilt Plano 2026 show sponsored by the James Billingsley Chapter of the National Society of the Daughters of the American Revolution.

There are a few QP26 opportunities to join our committee!! 

Let me know if you are interested.

 ShowChair@QGPlano.org

Guild Activities – Donna Allenbaugh & Sally Pitre

Thank you everyone for making the Holiday Party such a success!  We thank all of our wonderful volunteers for their help in hosting a party filled with laughter, friendship and an abundance of wonderful, savory, and sweet foods for all to enjoy.

The gift baskets were beautiful … and who doesn’t like cash to support the stash!

The gift exchange was a personal success.  This holiday season I had a beautiful Red and White Christmas Holiday Table runner on my dining room table!

Looking forward to supporting Community Service in January.  With the past success of Mission Not Impossible, we will be inviting you to create a quilt top from a bag of fabric or a bag of strips (jelly roll, just not rolled).  Look forward to seeing you in the new year!

Contact: Donna Allenbaugh and Sally Pitre, Co-VPs of the Guild Acitivites at activities@qgplano.org with any questions.

Education – Debbie Burns and Deanna Tucker

At the December meeting, Debbie Burns shared helpful tips for organizing UFOs (UnFinished Objects/Projects).  Let’s use these tips to tackle our UFO piles in 2026 and get all those unfinished projects out of the closets and from under the beds and get them organized and finished!

In January, Dianne Cronenberg will demo the Missouri Star Block using an innovative technique with disappearing blocks using half square triangles.

We are planning some fun and creative demos for the new year.  If you have any suggestions, ideas and /or would like to present a demo, please stop by the Education table and let us know.

Debbie Burns and Deanna Tucker

education@qgplano.org

Programs and Workshops — Kim Iverson and Andrea McMahan

Happy New Year!

I hope everyone had a wonderful holiday season and is ringing in the new year with some excitement for the wonderful activities and programs planned for 2026.  Thank you again, to our very own Donna Petrick, for sharing with us quilt blocking techniques in December. 

January 2026, brings another opportunity to learn about the importance of batting and why it matters.  Sherry Mark will be joining us to share with us how to infuse our quilts with their personality of how they look and feel and most importantly how they will last over time.  

Don’t forget!  The batting presale offer ends January 2nd so Sherry can bring your order with her.  Email her at sherry@loftsupply.com and let her know you’re with Quilt Guild of Plano.  If you miss the presale, she will still have batting for sale at the meeting.

We are continuing to process registration requests for our 2026 workshops. However, when there is low attendance a workshop cancellation may be necessary.  So please, if you are planning to attend a workshop stop by the Programs table or use the link below to complete your registration.

March – Joyce Hughes presenting Dimensional Thread Painting & Sketch, Color and Quilt, March 13th and March 14th.

April – Rob Appell presenting Quilts from the Sea and Beyond April 10th and April 11th.

June – Allie McCathren presenting Seaglass Quilting June 12th.

October – Diane Harris presenting StarQuar Scrap Quilts October 9th and Fowl Play a three October 10th.

Check out the details for these workshops or register at https://www.qgplano.org/activities/programs/ or stop by the Programs table to check out the other 2026 offerings.  We look forward to chatting with you!

Upcoming Programs and Workshops

February will be a presentation by Susan Brubaker Knapp inspiring us to tap into “The Artist in You” during our regular February meeting.

March is our first workshop of the year! Joyce Hughes presenting Dimensional Thread Painting & Sketch, Color and Quilt, March 13th and March 14th.

April brings Rob Appell to town presenting Quilts from the Sea and Beyond April 10th and April 11th.

For more information about our workshops or to sign up online, check out our webpage here: https://www.qgplano.org/activities/programs/

Community Service – Jeanne Vogel and Susie Luttrell

Happy New Year to all!  Read in the Guild Activities to see what we are doing together in January!

2025 ended with spreading kindness to those in our community, our county and our state of Texas with 23 more quilts going to the flood victims in Kerrville, TX delivered by our member that lives in Kerrville, Deb Lockwood.

20 large quilts go to the new organization BedStart—we are donating to help formerly homeless families now living in an apartment delivered by Rose Davis. Our hearts are warmed knowing we have made a difference in someone’s life. 

Community Service supports victims of natural disasters, hospitalizations during the holidays, unexpected infant trips to the emergency room, children removed from dangerous home life, victims of homelessness and those living with low income at assisted living. All ages, all situations. What a blessing to be a part of this to make a difference, making a quilt we love to wrap someone with care and comfort. Please let us know how you can help make a difference!

Our biggest thank you goes to the donation of batting from Tom DeMoss at Ready, Set, Quilt. What a difference this has made as we can package up the tops we have laying in waiting. Thank you to the quilter with the most quilting–Linda Neal. And to those doing both great hand binding–Mari Semrad and those doing machine binding that are too numerous to name. Thank you!! 

Jeanne & Susie

communityservice@qgplano.org

Quilts of Valor – Carolyn Cosgriff & Donna Petrick

As we take a break in January, enjoy these pictures from past events and stay tuned for updates as we move into 2026.

Quilters Guild of Plano’s 2026 Retreat

Tanglewood Resort, Pottsboro, TX 75076

Retreat Dates: February 26 through March 1, 2026

Arrival: Thursday, 9:00 am – Depart: Sunday, 2:00 pm

Calling all Quilters:

Our retreat will be here before we know it.  We currently have 38 rooms and 55 Retreaters committed to the retreat.  We still have room for you as well as friends that are non-members. So, if you are on the fence and haven’t decided, it’s now time to climb on down.  We need to have final payment by our next Guild meeting (January 8th).

The cost of the event includes a single or double room, 8 meals and workspace where you can sew, learn, socialize and enjoy time with your fellow guild members.  All you have to do is fill out an application form and send it along with your check to: Jeanne Fletcher, 4202 Spring Meadow Lane, Flower Mount, TX 75028.

This year’s retreat will be an event to remember.  We have games, plenty of door prizes, pop-up demonstrations along with an on-site quilt store by Home A La Mode.

Hope to see you there!!!

Rose Davis

Chair of Retreat Committee

Meetings on Zoom

Hoop it Up Bee

1st Monday from 10am – 12pm

Donna Petrick

Hoop It Up!

Come join us for a machine embroidery Zoom meeting

Contact donna.petrick@gmail.com

Chicks with Feathers

3rd Saturday from 1pm – 3pm

Dana Braden

Sit & sew at home with your Singer Featherweight.  Tips, tricks, and advice to make straight stitch sewing simple and precise.

If you have not previously notified me, please email: pickincotton26@verizon.net to get the invitation to join the Zoom meeting.

Next meeting: January 17, 2026

In Person Meetings

Sew Happy Quilters

Aurora Chancy

achancy@msn.com

1st and 3rd Thursday 9am-4pm

• Sam Johnson Recreation Cetner @ 401 W. 16th St. Plano

• Bring your own project, sewing machine, and supplies

• We have lunch together at the Gazebo Cafe for $5 or less

Fourth Friday Featherweight Friends

Jeanne Vogel

pickincotton26@verizon.net

Meeting at the Best Little Retreat Center in Texas from 9am – 9pm

• Make your reservation by calling 469-708-2378 or email: info@blrcit.com

• Either bring your lunch or we will go out as a group to eat together

Sit N Sew Community Service Day

Susie Luttrell &       Jeanne Vogel

communityservice@qgplano.org

2nd Tuesday 10am – 2pm

• Plano Sewing Center, 2070 Spring Creek Pkwy #326, Plano

• Bring your sewing machine and sewing supplies

For Trade: HandiQuilter Little Foot Frame

Will trade for 15 yards of quality quilt shop fabric – you choose the fabric!  I’ll take yardage, precuts, fat quarter bundles, etc.

• Must pick up in Dallas/Richardson area

• In excellent condition – nothing missing

• Includes 4 casters, 2 channel locks, super quilt clamp, 4 clamps and table overlay

• Easy to transport but must be reassembled.  No boxes.

• Reason for selling: I recently upgraded to a larger frame.

• Perfect for someone who’s just starting out and wants a reliable frame for a small space

If you have questions, contact Bonnie Cook at 214-632-5853 or bcook111698@gmail.com

Turn your treasured tees into a cozy quilt!  Our custom T-Shirt quilts are perfect for preserving memories.

Longarm edge-to-edge and custom quilting available.  Call for more information.

Liz’s Quilting Corner

Allen, Tx

214-532-1394