1. Welcome: Gerre welcomed everyone after Mary supervised the setting up of chairs more or less like we normally have them at the Redwood City Library Community Room. The acoustics at Grace are a little challenging, but that didn't stop us from having a great time.
2. The Question of the Day was What do you do for entertainment while you are working in your studio or workroom? The answers ranged, some of which were quite hilarious:
- HGTV binge watching was quite popular
- March Madness
- Law & Order reruns
- silence was mentioned a few times
- audiobooks, your editor's personal favorite, were also mentioned
- general binge TV watching
- CNN
- Talking Heads - interviews not the band, though a number of us immediately though Roseanne was a Talking Heads band fan and were delighted.
- Old Westerns
- CNN
- classical music
- General Hospital
- Tales of the Gun
- listening for dog noises
- documentaries
- Pandora (Hipster Cocktail Hour)
- NPR podcasts
- quilting podcasts
- baseball (when in season)
- The Crown
- Kelly listens to the voices in her head
- Peggy listens to Kelly's voice in her head (both of these answers caused uproarious laughter
- birds outside and kitties purring
- chick flicks
- Panic at the Disco
- anime
- kids squabbling
- Rachel Maddow
- MSNBC
- Parks & Rec
- Big Bang Theory
- 30 Rock rerurns
- Suits
- White Collar
- classic movies
- All of the above
It was interesting to your editor to see how many people watch TV while sewing. A thread will be created on the forum to share excellent TV favorites good to watch while sewing. Members should watch for that.
3. Dues are OVERDUE. Please see Annemarie to renew. Our PayPal account is having some issues, so please write a check while the challenges are worked out. If you, or someone you know, is having financial challenges and needs some assistance, please see Gerre at a quiet moment. The guild will be offering two scholarships for dues.
4. Merit Hexies: The merit hexies program is fantastic! The colorful array of hexies available to earn were dazzling. Additionally, there are EXCLUSIVE, limited edition hexies for various projects and volunteer activities. Gerre made vinyl zipper pouches to hold merit hexies for those who volunteered in 2016. YOU are able to earn hexies by:
- wearing your nametag (OMG! How easy is that???)
- volunteer
- participating in challenges
- charity (making a top, making a back, quilting a quilt, binding, helping with prep, etc)
- there will be additional ways to earn hexies as the year progresses
5. Award to Jaye: Jaye received an award for organizing the officer gifts every year for the past few years and for helping out where needed. See a photo of the great bag and contents on her blog.
6. Charity: Charity had a lot going on, as usual, and are planning for the next Charity Sew Day, which is in May. Michelle and Peggy asked for help cutting for Veteran's quilts. There were also a few quilts that needed binding as well as kits for postage stamp quilts and arrow quilts.
During their report, M&P reported that 44 quilts had been donated to the NICU (see information about the project) and 16 had been donated to Amberwood Gardens, a long term care facility. By the end of the meeting an additional 33 finished quilts had been collected, bringing the total for the year to 77. SEVENTY-SEVEN quilts is an astounding number for the first 3 months of the year!! GREAT work everyone and keep up the good work.
34 quilts could have been made at the last Charity Sew Day. All of the prepped tops were made and the finished quilts are dribbling in. If you have a top waiting to be quilted or quilted and waiting to be bound, bring it in so it can be completed.
The next Charity Sew Day will be May 6. We will focus on VA quilts, walker and wheelchair bags. Peggy made a sample of the latter, which didn't work out, so she is working on another. Stay tuned for that. If you are so inclined, bring a completed bag for donation to the May Sew Day. Sewing Support has several patterns available on their site.
As an aside, did you see how many finished charity quilts Erin brought? WOW! Great job, Erin!
7. Cat Beds: The Cat Bed Project will be slowly transitioned to the Pet Bed Project - several dogs have adopted our comfy beds for their use. Aside from the name change, everything else stays the same. Angela, Pet Bed Queen, had a pattern for the oval part of the pet bed patterns available. She will be posting a PDF of a pattern so you can cut your own pet beds, if you want. Cut and prepped fleece will still be available. In general the gusset is about 5-6 inches wide and a half to 5/8" seam allowance should be used. Remember to double stitch each of the seams and these pet beds are well loved.
Angela has examples of good and bad schnibble based filling. It is important to make sure the filling is soft and comfy. Beware of pins. Take a look at the next meeting.
Angela has an ongoing need for volunteers to take pet beds to shelters. Thanks to Christina for taking 8 pet beds to the East Bay shelter and for Chuck and Mike for taking this month's offering to the SF shelter. Team effort, peeps!
This guild effort comforts homeless pets and keeps stuff out of landfill. Good work!
8. Library: Library is transitioning from Kelly to Leanne as Library person. Remember to write an honest review of the books you borrow and post it on Amazon.
9. Small groups: are available for help with projects, handstitching and assist Gerre with hexies. They met after the meeting and included a demo by Cyndi on using the Accuquilt.
10. Scrap challenge: April 15 - squares and rectangles scrap challenge due. Claire brought scraps for the scrap challenge and had created packets of appealing fabrics. Use your scraps!!!
11. NICU Nurse Quilt: Kate, the NICU Supervisor who coordinates Blankets for Babies came to speak to us in November. The guild is making her a quilt as thanks for her efforts on behalf of the NICU babies for the last 15 years. Christina is coordinating. She has the fabric and is sewing. She will need help quilting and binding at the next Sew Day.
12. Speakers - Gerre is trying to coordinate a speaker event and workshop with Tara Forham (sp??). Mary is working on Karen Foster (IG: capitolaquilter).
13. Quiltcon - Patti reported on one lecture she attended. It was a tips lecture by Leah Chapelle Monroe.
14. Days for Girls: Patti needs people to help topstitch.
15. Quilty Happenings:
- Luke Haynes is speaking at the SF Quilters Guild, March 21 at 7pm. More info on their website.
- Quilt San Francisco 2017 Show and sale will be presented by the San Francisco Quilters’ Guild on Friday, March 24 10:00-7:00 and Saturday, March 25 10:00-4:00. Check the website for more details
- Santa Rosa Quilters Guild - Sonoma Quilt Show with featured artist Sandra Bruce. Held at Vintage House, 264 1st Street East, Sonoma, CA. March 25 & 26.
- East Bay Modern Quilt Guild is hosting Stitch Modern 2017, April 5-25. The guild wants to invite everyone to the Opening Night Reception on April 7 at the Piedmont Center for the Arts. Entry is free. This an informal party and a great chance to view the quilts and meet the artists. The fun starts at 7:00 p.m. If you can’t make it to the opening night, the gallery will be open Noon – 3:00 p.m. Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays from April 7-April 25. More info on their site.
- San Mateo County Fair entries due soon. The website has full information. Download the book to check divisions and classes. Entries are due by Midnight May 9. Drop off exhibits May 30 and May 31, 2-8pm. Let's have a great showing of modern quilts.
- April 7 - 9am-6pm: Sale of a large quilting and scrapbooking collection to help a woman
who has ALS. This woman was once an avid quilter and scrapbooker but is
no longer able to enjoy these hobbies and hopes to sell her large
collection of supplies (unused) to help to fund her treatments.
WHEN: Friday, April 7 9am-6pm
WHERE: 17000 Roberts Road, Los Gatos, CA 95032
17. UFO Swap: There was a mob scene at the UFO swap. The UFOs were packaged so nicely that Cheryl had to issue numbers and let people choose one by one. Everyone who brought a UFO took one home and leftovers were scooped up by people who didn't bring one. Some people brought more than one. The owner will be the person who finished the piece.
18. Angela was the winner of the door prize! Yay, Angela!
19. Show and Tell was fabulous.
20. Small groups met after show and tell.
Reminder about food:
Thanks to everyone who brought snacks! They were delicious. Please remember to take (or toss) any leftover food home. Do not leave it for someone else to cleanup.
Reminder about Free Table:
The free table was PACKED! Please remember to take anything you brought home that did not find a new owner. There is no staff to clean up after you and we cannot leave things for Grace staff or the library staff to deal with.
Upcoming Guild Events:
- April 8 - regular Sew Day
- April 8 - help Christina with quilt for NICU Nurse Kate
- April 15 - guild meeting (get your taxes done early!)
- April 15 - squares and rectangles scrap challenge due
- April 15 - Color My World for Kelly due
- May 6 - Charity Sew Day
- May 20 - Guild Meeting in Redwood City
- May 20 - Destash party at the meeting
Special thanks to Mary C for arranging the hall at Grace for our use on Saturday and for organizing set up and clean up after the meeting.
