Friday, May 21, 2021

May 2021 Meeting Recap

Wow! What a great meeting we had. Lots of learning and plenty of giggles and smiles. It was so good to get together and talk about our hobby. 

President Sylvia began the meeting with a lovely opening greeting. Here are the main points from the business portion:

  • The quilt for the 2022 Raffle is ready to go. Those of us who were there got to see it in all of its glory. It will be called, "The Mary Jane Quilt." It measures 96" by 96" and is considered queen-sized, although it could also be used on a king bed with no draping on the sides. Here is a sneak peek for you. The official photos will be taken soon.
    The Mary Jane Quilt - for our 2022 Guild Raffle


  • Plans are underway for a Workshop/Mini-Retreat/Sit-n-Sew day at Jan's house. Nancy D. is going to do research on a block we could sew that day to use to create a charity quilt. Keep an eye out for more information on this.
  • The program for our June meeting will be an orphan block exchange. Dig out your orphan blocks and bring them to the meeting. Any blocks left after the meeting will be used in charity quilts. 
  • Mary announced that our August meeting will be held at the Lakeside Pavilion at Ives Run State Park. More details will be posted in advance of that meeting. 
  • Our new agenda item for each meeting is called Tips, Tools, and Techniques. All members present are invited to share their favorites for the good of the order. Here is a list of this month's contributions:
    • Sylvia said she just loves her EyeVac Hands Free Vacuum. She recommends using a rubber broom to get all of the dust and fuzzies in place for it. She also reports that her studio floor has never been so clean.
    • Kathy recommended using Quilter's Select rulers. She loves that they don't slip and likes the yellow color. She said her 6.5 x 6.5" square is her favorite.
    • Nancy D. shared that she has begun putting a weight on her ruler as she cuts. She saw this technique suggested by Donna Jordan and says it really works. You can see some tips and tricks from Jordan Fabrics in this video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wfWBCSz_xiA
    • Jan shared two tools she learned of from her husband, a mechanic. Buy a magnetic parts holderl and retrieval tool from your favorite auto parts store. They are much cheaper than the ones sold by quilt supply stores. 
    • Ellen shared that she keeps a little bowl on her sewing table that she can place extra bobbins and machine feet in so they don't run off while she is using them.
    • Rhonda suggested that when we are at the auto parts store for our magnetic tools, we also look for light bulbs for our sewing machines. They are cheaper there.
    • Nikki reminded us that if we need to replace our garden hose, we should save a short section to use it when changing a light bulb in our machine. It protects your hands from a hot bulb and also keeps the oils from our fingers from contacting the bulbs. Just slip the bulb inside and use the hose to grip it.
  • Pam was the lucky winner of the door prize and chose a wire quilt hanger.

We then moved on to the Show-and-Tell portion of the meeting.

"My Covid Quilt," by Grace. From a kit from Material Rewards.
 
Judy gave us all a treat by showing us her "Nickel Exchange in Fall Colors" quilt. Just beautiful!

Then it was Betty's turn. First, she presented two of our Guild charity quilts that she had done the binding on to Sylvia. She expressed how nice it is that the Guild members can work together to do these quilts and how happy she was that she can take part in it.


Then Betty showed us some place mats she had made using a "3 Square" method. We all want to know more about this pattern since they look like so much fun to make.
"Not Perfect, But Done," a jelly roll quilt by Betty. She encouraged us that done is more important than perfect.


Betty's "3 Guild Snowman Quilt" with blocks from exchanges. There are blocks by Betty, Sylvia, and Rhonda in this quilt.


Betty's first snowman quilt.

With a joyful heart, Kristin shared her quilt, "Scraps for Grandma's Table" with us. This is made with very tiny, 1-inch strips. It is just beautiful and will have a home on a table that once was her grandmother's.


Kathy shared her scrappy quilt, "It All Adds Up" with us. Every piece used was from her scrap pile so it reminds her of other quilts she has made.

Kathy is very fortunate to be neighbors with artist, Paul Bozzo. He liked her quilt so much he used a picture of it as the background for one of his pieces. She brought a print of it to show all of us.

Marge made this neat wall hanging from a kit. She was unsure how she would hang it if it wasn't a rectangle, so she added the 4-patch squares in the corners. We all agreed that it turned out just great.

Now this is the kind of leftovers we all enjoy. Marge had so much fabric left over from the kit she used that she was able to make this bonus wall hanging.

Then Marge blew us away with this hand-appliqued and hand-quilted piece. It is just amazing!

Nancy made a contribution to the charity quilt collection with this cute, school bus print quilt.



Then Nancy shared this trio of table runners with us. They all looked great.


Jan got in on the table runner showing as well. Her table runners have to come in pairs because she has two daughters to make them for. Can't have an excuses for sibling rivalry, can we?

Jan's "Jungle" table runner was just too cute!

This quilt is a true sister act. Rhonda did a wonderful job of piecing it and Sylvia did the quilting for her. Sylvia reported that as with many beginners, Rhonda's borders were pretty wavy. She explained that the best way to combat that while quilting it is to put in LOTS  of stitches and even hide some tucks in the quilting. The two of them sure did great work as a team.

The last quilt shown for Show-and-Tell was very special. It was not made by one of our Guild members, but was a gift to Rhonda from one of the patrons of the shop she works at. This patron loves to quilt, but her family has no interest in her quilts or in having any of her quilts. She shared this Log Cabin variation with Rhonda who is honored to have it.

We then moved on to our mini-program, "My Pattern Lied," or "How I Fixed This Quilt" by Sylvia. She purchased fabric that she just loved for her new camper. Following pattern instructions, she cut out all of the pieces and started to sew. This pattern had a "Block A" and "Block B" layout. Sylvia dutifully made a mock up of the second block, then sewed 28 of them as directed. She then started on the first block. Well, when she got her first Block A created, it did not match the size of Block B. Did I mention she was at a retreat when this happened? She took what seemed like the logical steps and double-checked that she had used a 1/4" seam. She had. So she took the block apart and resewed it with a scant 1/4" seam allowance. It STILL was too large. There she was, out of fabric and out of idea. She put the block aside and worked on other projects for the remainder of the retreat. The messed up quilt blocks were put in time out for a bit. 

Later, Sylvia came up with a solution to her dilemma and was able to complete not one, but TWO tops in the lovely colors and fabrics she had chosen. She revealed both tops to us at the end of her discussion. I think she triumphed. She said it reminded her of the saying, "Frustration leads to Innovation."

The completed quilt for Sylvia's camper bed.


The "Just Get It Done" After Quilt

Sylvia went on to tell us that she could see a difference in her piecing between when she started the quilt in 2016 and how she pieces today. She said two of the things she does differently are to use 50wt polyester thread and to take her time pressing her pieces. She encouraged us all to continue to grow in our quilting skills and to ask other Guild members for help when we run across a quilt that just has us beat. We have tentatively planned the July program to be a time when we can all bring in quilts that are getting the best of us and share them with the group who will give us suggestions on how to fix them.

With that, the meeting was adjourned. Next meeting, Monday, June 21st, 7:00 PM.

Thursday, May 13, 2021

May 2021 Meeting Date Reminder

 


Don't forget, this month's meeting (May 2021) has been moved to Tuesday evening, May 18th at the usual time of 7:00 PM. We will be meeting at the Tioga Masonic Lodge, 9 Meadow Street, Tioga, PA. 

We look forward to seeing you there! Sylvia will be doing a mini presentation entitled, "My Pattern Lied!" 
 
Get out those projects and share them with us at the Show and Tell session.
 
P.S. Be sure to check out the updated page on this Blog about Quilt Shows and Quilt Shops; click on the map and plan an adventure!

Tuesday, May 4, 2021

Please consider serving the Guild in one of these positions.

 

Mountain Laurel Quilt Guild 

Role and Responsibilities of the President

ROLE: 

The role of the President is to provide leadership and continuity to the Mountain Laurel Quilt Guild by observing the by-laws and guiding principles that it provides. The president will also support the purpose of the guild, which is to further the art of quilting through education, to provide a means of sharing ideas, materials, skills, and fellowship, and to encourage self-expression through the art of quilting.

RESPONSIBILITIES: 

1.   Preside at monthly meetings of the guild, whenever possible. If the President or Vice President is unable to attend another member may be substituted

2.     Call and preside over at least three board meetings each year in order to gather input from members and the board, plan guild activities, and manage guild policy.

3.     Call special Board meetings as deemed necessary

4.     May attend all committee meetings

5.     Shall be authorized, along with the treasurer, to sign checks

6.     Write a brief message to members to be published in the monthly newsletter

7.     Be custodian of the Gmeiner key and security code

8.     Establish a nominating committee according to the schedule in the by-laws and hold election of officers

9.     Assist the treasurer in building a budget for the next year.

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Role and Responsibilities for Vice President

ROLE:

The role of the Vice President is to assist and work with the President to ensure there is leadership at every meeting and to plan and support monthly programs for monthly Guild meetings.

RESPONSIBILITIES:

1.     Collaborate with and support the President in leading the life of the Guild

2.     Preside at any meeting that the President is unable to attend

3.     Attend meetings of the Guild’s Board of Directors

4.     Create and manage the annual budget for the programs. The VP is responsible for all activities and monies used for programs

5.     Chair the Program Committee

6.     The Program Committee shall perform the following duties:

a.     Contact membership on an annual or semi-annual basis to discover programs that the membership may be interested in.

b.     Contact potential speakers/presenters considered for program presentation

c.      Schedule programs for the two years. This schedule calendar will begin for the year after the VP takes over the role. This will mean that the programs for the first year of the role will be completed by the Program Committee of the prior VP tenure and will continue for one year after the VP is out of office. In the case of a one year tenure the Program Committee will schedule to next year.

d.     Keep accurate records of any monies spent and request reimbursement for any personal expenses on a timely basis

e.     Ensure equipment and any materials that are needed for a program are at the Gmeiner on the night of the program

f.       Ensure any accommodations for out of town guests/lecturers are scheduled and provided for

g.     Coordinate activities for the picnic and the Christmas party with the Hospitality Committee.

7.  The Vice President will send regular program updates and information to the newsletter editor

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Role and Responsibilities for Secretary

 Role: 

The Secretary acts as recorder of meeting minutes and manages correspondence for the guild.

Responsibilities:

1.     Record the minutes of monthly business meetings and board meetings

2.     Prepare a clean copy of minutes for the monthly newsletter, sending it to the newsletter editor by email after checking spelling, especially of names.

3.     If unable to attend a monthly meeting, the secretary shall notify the president of her absence and secure a substitute who will take notes and prepare the copy for the newsletter.

4.     Attend Board meetings

5.     Other tasks as requested by the president and/or Board

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 Role and Responsibilities for Treasurer

Role:

The treasurer is responsible for managing and tracking guild funds, paying bills, and overseeing the budget using a computer based fiscal software or spreadsheet

Responsibilities:

 1.     Deposit any funds received from guild activities such as meeting door prize, membership dues, payments for classes and retreats

2.     Record receipts and payments made by budget category in an electronic spreadsheet.

3.     Provide payment vouchers for any request for payment.  Write and mail checks to pay guild bills in a timely manner

4.     Maintain the checking account either in the checkbook or on a spreadsheet. Is authorized, along with the president, to sign checks

5.     Prepare a finance report for the president and board showing expenditures year to date by budget category compared to the budget.  Recommend any budget adjustments needed.

6.     Assist in preparation of the next year’s budget.  Provide a printable format to the newsletter editor for distribution to the membership in the newsletter.

7.     Make books available for review periodically during her term if requested, and at the end of her term

8.     Attend Guild Board meetings

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Role and Responsibilities for Retreat Chairperson

ROLE:

The role of a Retreat Chairperson is to secure the venue for the retreat, manage registration for the retreat, plan some special activities, and act as general hostess for the retreat. Retreats are managed for the benefit of the membership of the Guild.

RESPONSIBILITIES:

1.        Prepare and pass out the Retreat Sign-up sheet during approximately 3 months before the scheduled retreat. The notice shall also be put in the newsletter with information about time, place, and cost.

2.        If there is a contract, the chair manages it, using it to determine the cost to participants

3.      Members are given first preference for space at the retreats. If any seats remain they may be offered to non-members. Non-members are charged $10.00 extra.

4.     Schedule and manage participant activities during the retreat.

5.     Discretion is given for any expenditure up to the maximum budget amount. All receipts for reimbursement or payment will be submitted in a timely manner

6.     Attend Guild Board meetings

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Outreach Chairperson

 Role:

The Outreach Chairperson leads Guild activities of a charitable nature.  She is the liaison between the Guild and any recipient organization and encourages members to participate in the outreach efforts.

 

Responsibilities:

 

1.     Planning outreach projects and communicating these to members at meetings and in the newsletter

2.     Contacting charities or organizations to determine their need to receive our donations

3.     Storing fabric and supplies

4.     Scheduling work bees to prepare kits or a mini-retreat for an outreach project

5.     Collecting finished quilts/items

6.     Delivering finished quilts/items to charities or organizations

7.     Documenting quilts finished and distributed

8.     Attend Guild Board meetings

 

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Newsletter Editor

Role:

The newsletter editor’s role is to compose and publish a monthly newsletter using copy submitted by officers and chairpersons as the primary means of Guild communication.

Responsibilities:

1.  Must have computer skills in word processing and email in order to create the newsletter and send it to members electronically

2.  Receives copy from officers and chairs electronically.  Edits as needed to fit material into the newsletter.  Embellishes with clip art and color.  Checks spelling.

3.  Gets up to date roster from the membership chair.  Creates and maintains a current electronic contact list for distribution of newsletter by email.Prints and mails paper copies to members without email

4.  Sends other email messages to the general membership such as the proposed budget, revisions of by-laws, or policies as needed

5.  Maintains an archive of newsletters electronically.

6.  Attend Guild Board meetings

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Membership Chairperson

 

Role:  The Membership Chair performs all duties required for enrolling new and continuing members to the Guild and maintaining electronic membership records

Responsibilities:

1.     Keep an accurate listing of all members by means of an electronic spreadsheet roster, updated as new members are added.

2.     Provide roster to officers and to newsletter editor, who can send it to members quarterly.

3.     Collect money for dues and any sales and give all monies to the treasurer.

4.     Take attendance at meetings and report the status of membership in the newsletter or at the monthly guild meetings.

5.     Print new membership cards for distribution at meetings or by mail

6.     Supply new members with a membership card, new member information sheet, by-laws, and a name badge.

7.     Keep a sufficient supply of name badges for new members or for members who wish to purchase a replacement. 

8.     Attend Guild board meetings.

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Hospitality Chairperson

Role:

Purpose:  The Hospitality Chair takes the lead for any Guild occasions which require food and celebration.

Responsibilities:

1.     Christmas Party and Dinner- With Vice President, secure meeting place, arrange the room with tables and chairs.  Plan decoration for tables.  Provide beverages, cups and napkins, several large garbage bags. 

2.     Summer Picnic- Reserve picnic pavilion. Provide ice and beverages, napkins, clean up supplies, etc.

3.     Exhibit Opening Night Reception- Enlist members to provide and serve food and beverages, arrange table decorations, replenish supplies, and clean up.

4.     Attend Guild Board meetings

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Historian

Role:

The historian records the life of the Guild through photographs and words

Responsibilities:

1.     Take, or cause to be taken, photographs of Guild events

2.     Maintain an archive of digital photographs and scanned articles of importance to the Guild

3.     Attend Guild Board meetings

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National Teacher Chairperson

Role:

The National Teacher Chairperson has overall responsibility for workshops presented under the Guild’s auspices which feature a nationally recognized teacher, and which occur outside of regular Guild meetings.  It has been our practice to invite a nationally recognized teacher once a year who will present a lecture at our Guild meeting and a workshop the following day. 

Responsibilities:

1.     May form a committee to assist in the work of identifying a suitable candidate to invite, based on interest among members and dates of availability

2.     Issues the invitation to a teacher, manages the contract, and maintains contact during the interim

3.     Arranges for lodging and meals for guest

4.     Locates and reserves a venue for the class

5.     Sends workshop information to Guild newsletter editor

6.     Creates an information flyer for guild members (hand out or in newsletter)

7.     Takes reservations and class fees (See reservations policy)

8.     Acts as hostess to the guest teacher- transportation, meals, etc.

9.     Is reimbursed promptly for any costs incurred as hostess and chair

10. Attend Guild Board meetings

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Workshops Chairperson

Role:

The Local Workshop Chairperson plans and manages all aspects of "local" workshops for guild members. These can include mini-retreats and classes on various quilting techniques/patterns. Teachers are guild members or someone who lives relatively close to Wellsboro and who requires no accommodations, travel expenses, contracts, etc.

 Responsibilities:

 1.     Arranges scheduling/renting of workshop location

2.     Determines cost based on space, supplies, and food

3.     Takes reservations for participants and their payment

4.     Buys door prizes, food, as needed

5.     Although guild members who teach are not paid, the Guild provides their lunch.

6.     Coordinator picks topics for workshops based on input from guild members.

7.     Attend Guild Board meetings

 

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Publicity Chairperson

Role:

Act as liaison with area media to publicize Guild activities

Responsibilities:

1.     Maintain contact information for local newspapers (Wellsboro Gazette, Corning Leader, Elmira Star Gazette, Williamsport Sun Gazette)

2.     Write an article about each monthly meeting and submit to newspapers for the week prior to the meeting date

3.     Publicity for the Biennial Quilt Exhibit is managed through the exhibit committee

4.     Attend Guild Board meetings

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E-Communications

 

Overall Role:

To enhance communication among Guild members through the Guild’s blog, Facebook, and other electronic/internet means

Blog Guru Role: 

The blog guru’s role is to ensure that important information about guild activities is made publicly available on the guild’s blog in a timely manner.

 Blog Responsibilities

1.     Publish blog posts about guild meetings/workshops/retreats/etc.

2.     Be familiar with using blogspot.com.

3.     Attend Guild Board meetings

 

Facebook Role:

The role of the Facebook administrator is to work with the blog administrator and the newsletter editor to provide current and up to date information about guild happenings to the membership. 

Responsibilities:

1.       Fulfill the job of administrator as Facebook defines it. 

2.       Assure that all postings meet the standards of the Guild. 

3.       Post photos from events and guild functions.

4.       Share or post information to the benefit of the guild such as information from other guilds, sales from local quilt shops, etc. 

5.       Promote guild events such as the exhibit, workshops, or travel opportunities. 

6.       Post cancellations due to weather or unforeseen circumstances in a timely fashion

7.       Attend Guild Board meetings