July 2014 Update

Presidents Message:
Once again I got my chocolate fix, as we celebrated at our July meeting with an Ice Cream Social. You just can’t beat Superior Dairy chocolate ice cream for your taste buds, followed by some beautiful quilts for visual excitement. We had a good size crowd and several new members as well.

The update on our tickets sales for our Opportunity Quilt was very encouraging. We are not far from our$2000 goal. The ticket sales at the Kings Fair were excellent, thanks to Bethaney Kuenning and her Merry Maids encouraging people to buy. More, no doubt, will be sold at our upcoming Boutique in October. The drawing will take place at our November meeting. We are looking forward to some great speakers with the money we glean from the ticket sales.

I want to thank Nancy Roeben and Kathy Koga with whom we have had such fun with our Block of the Month. They have already turned over the reins to Cindy Gagne who will get started next month. I hope she enjoys the task and perhaps can find a partner with whom she can share the fun. We seem to be doing well with our Comfort Quilts and those involved say they are learning new many quilting tricks from each other and having a great time on sewing days.

Those who participated in the quilt Challenge interpreted the directions in many different ways, but all were very creative, as usual. Needless to say our ladies have lots of talent.

Next month I will be passing the torch to our new President and her Board. I hope you will join me in wishing them well for the upcoming year.

I know if we all help out just a bit with whatever we can, it will make next year very smooth running and enjoyable for all of them.
Fondly, Margaret

June Presidents Message & Committee Updates & other fun stuff

President's Message

Hi once again quilters,
I have to say that I was really happy to have my favorite Chocolate fix, M&M’s, playing 
“Quilto”, even if I didn’t win. Lots of fun! Thanks to Barbara Sindlinger and Charlotte 
Rogers for arranging a fun time. The clothesline display of Mystery quilts made organizer, 
Kristin Eilers very happy. There were lots of them and, as usual, such a wonderful variety 
of colors made each one unique and beautiful.  (See pictures on committee page.)  Although we did not have a speaker at this meeting, we had plenty to accomplish and it was a very busy meeting.

Next month we all still have a chance to vote on our Challenge quilts. It should be fun 
along with that great Superior ice cream that we all love (I had some today!)

The list of officers and program chairs will be printed in this edition of the Newsletter. 
You may check it out and if it is approved, we will install the officers and chairpersons in 
August. There are still a few openings and everyone is encouraged to jump in with both feet 
and do something, no matter how small. Share duties with a friend, or make a new friend by 
inviting them the share with you. Don’t forget my little hint that whatever you need to know 
is available with that relatively recent term, “ Google it!”

Enjoy this warm month. Fondly, Margaret

2014 COMMITTEE ROSTER
Still a few fun positions left to fill.  Contact Margaret Davis or Mary Jane Loya if you'd like to fill one of these positions.  Thank you to everyone who has signed up for something already.

EXECUTIVE BOARD:  
President: Kristin Eilers    
Vice President: Charlotte Rogers    
Secretary: Bethaney Kuenning  
Treasurer: Rita Buchler  
COMMITTEE CHAIRMAN:  
Advertising/ Billing: Cheryl Stivers
Block of the Month: Cindy Gagne
Blog and Newsletter: Barbara Sindlinger and Kathy Morrison
Boutique: Mary Jane Loya
Challenge:*open  
Christmas Party: Rita Buchler and Cheryl Mitchell    
Comfort Quilts: Mary Jane Loya and Mary Ann Wlaschin  
Facebook:  Barbara Sindlinger
Hospitality: *requires sending cards - open  
Membership: Cheryl Mitchell  
Monthly Drawing: Pat Erickson
Mystery Quilt: * open    
Parliamentarian & SCCQG & NCQG Rep:  Grace Hoya
Round Robin: * open

AND....

And I'd also like to congratulation Rita Buchler who won Best of Show at the Kings Fair with her President's Block quilt.  WAY TO GO RITA!!!!!

April Presidents Message

So sorry I had to miss the March meting and didn't get to see Kathy Morrison "Wow" you all with her talents.  Unfortunately the 'bug' finally caught up with me.  Doing better now after a round of antibiotics.  Many thanks to all those who took over and kept things running smoothly.

It is already getting to be that time of year for you to start thinking about the committee in which you would like to participate next year (fiscal year starts September).  All areas are open except Programs and I am happy to thank Deolinda Rhoads and Barbara Sindlinger who are already working together to bring us an exciting year.  

In May the ladies of the Nominating Committee will be calling to see what will be your committee choice for next year.  Keep doing your best for the Challenge and Mystery quilts.  We look forward to seeing all of them in June.  Don't forget about bringing items for the Monthly drawing.  

Many Thanks,
Fondly
Margaret Davis

**Don't forget to sell your Opportunity quilt tickets.  And if you need more, contact Janet Stivers.

**We had 33 members in attendance this month and five visitors.   (Best of the Valley weekend.)

**You should have received your newsletter with the mystery quilt clue, the budget and a list of upcoming quilt shows that you might be interested in.

BEST OF THE VALLEY - GUILD MEMBER WINNERS

All who participated are winners but here a few that got some ribbons.  
Debbie Van Fossen got Best Home Machine Quilting for her Scrappy Stars and a NQA Award for her Star Light Star Bright quilt.

Large Quilts, Pieced, Pantograph Quilted
Honorable Mention to Jeanne Sisco for Akimbo

Large/Small Quilts, Pieced, Hand Quilted
3rd Place - Double Wedding Ring (Opportunity Quilt)

Large/Small Quilts, Group Quilts 
2nd Place - Elaine Berry for Passionate Purple Quilt.

Small Quilts, Mixed Techniques
3rd Place - Barbara Sindlinger for Butterflies quilt

Small Quilts, Pieced Pantograph Quilted
Honorable Mention - Deoldinda Rhoads for Helter Skelter quilt

Small Quilts, Art
1st Place - Sara Kelly for Leaf Pods
2nd Place - Sara Kelly for Beach Stones
3rd Place - Pat Bell for Sunflowers in my Garden
Honorable Mention - Pat Bell for Circles in Chaos

Wall Quilts, Whole Cloth
1st Place - Debbie Van Fossen for Star Light Star Bright
2nd Place - Debbie Van Fossen for Stella's Garden Trellis
Honorable Mention - Barbara Sindlinger for Aqua Linen

Wall Quilts, Pieced, Machine Quilted
Honorable Mention - Pat Bell for Autumn in Silver Lake, OH
Honorable Mention - Charlotte Rogers for the Colors of Thimble Towne

Wall Quilts, Mixed Techniques
3rd Place - Debbie Van Fossen for Dresden Christmas
Honorable Mention - Brenda McCutcheon for Thimble Towne Color Challenge

Wall Quilts, Art:  Other
1st Place - Barbara Sindlinger for Rainbow Fish (Thimble Towne Color Challenge)
2nd Place - Kristin Eilers for Rondo
3rd Place - Sara Kelly for Grand Canyon Sunrise

Mini Quilts, Art
3rd Place - Kristin Eilers for Color Blast

Congratulations!

March Presidents Message and blog update

Well Quilter’s, I believe another successful meeting was had by one and all this past
Thursday. We welcomed a few new members, including Greg from Thimble Towne, who
came up with a great challenge for all our members. He offered a $100 gift certificate to his
store for 100 Comfort Quilts made by our group. Sounds like a great incentive to me. So far we
have given out 58 this year. Great job!
I want to thank those who have stepped up to the plate and taken charge of some of our
vacant positions. If we each do something, however small the job, working together things
don’t seem so overwhelming.
I guess we have all heard enough about those cell phones to last for a while, personally, I
leave mine in the car. It is always appreciated when someone takes pictures with their phone
to share. Hopefully everyone will be reading the Newsletter, and trying to find something
special in it, to get a prize at the next meeting. Perhaps it will be a name or a number or some
serious grammar error, love those, or something else that will jump out at you. Have fun!!
I will list the upcoming quilt shows in the Newsletter just for your information. Perhaps
someone may find a nice road trip to take. Mary Jane, as usual, showed us some of her
Boutique projects to inspire everyone to get sewing. We made lots of bucks and had a great
time last year. The first two years were a learning experience and MJ really has a system now.
Once again, everyone doing a little is much better that a few doing everything.
Our Opportunity Quilt is in the capable hands of Suzie Kistler of Best of the Valley (BOTV)
and on its way to being judged. With help from a couple of ladies, Janet Stivers is now in
charge of the tickets and docenting for BOTV April 4-6. We need to commend Charlotte
Rogers, who with Diana Noland, successfully got the quilt to the right place in time. Even
under the duress of Charlotte’s husband, Doyle, having a heart attack and going through open
heart surgery she thought of us. He is now home and doing well. Keep them in your prayers,
please.
Keep doing your best for the Challenge and Mystery quilts. We look forward to seeing all of
them in June. Don’t forget about the Monthly Drawing. Many thanks to Nancy and Kathy for
their 2nd year of dedication to the Block of the Month.
Our guest Speaker was Colleen Granger all the way from her home in Alaska. I find it amazing
how so many of us come from a clothing background, as she does, and the thinking is in yards
of fabric, and not fat quarters like quilters. Both however don’t like to waste any fabric, so
those scrap quilts have to be born, whether we like them or not. Her quilts were fabulous and
inventive. Thanks to Kristin Eilers and Grace Hoya for taking over Programs for Charlotte at the
meeting. We had a large crowd and some new members. Hopefully, we will have a full house next
month when our own Kathy Morrison will share her talents with us.
Many Thanks, Fondly, Margaret

Our 2014 Opportunity Quilt is Finished!

Thanks to Bethaney Kuenning for hand quilting this beauty and for Diane Mitchell for the binding, and Kathy Morrison for the embroidered label.  Tickets will be passed out to you to sell at the next meeting.

Kings Art Center Show (and challenge updated)

The Common Threads Quilt Guild will be the featured artists at the Kings Art Center in Hanford.  Our show runs from February 1 through March 22, 2014 with the opening reception on January 31 from 5:30 - 7:30 pm.  We need you to bring your quilts to the Kings Art Center on Jan 18th between 12-3 pm.  You may bring entry forms and fee then if I have not received them yet. Please bring dowel or rod with your name on it for hanging, otherwise they will not be hung, if you don't mind pins in them please have a written ok.  (Be advised that it is not pins they use but nails so it is best that you bring a rod to hang your quilts with.)   

We would love to have a good representation of our guild during the reception so even if you are not putting anything in the show, please come to the opening reception on January 31st.  Bring friends and family.  

And if you have entered quilts, you will be able to pick them up after 3 pm on March 22.

I have also updated the Committee Update page to include the challenge details.  I've included links to some of the designers Deolinda mentioned along with a color wheel showing how to find your complimentary color to the color you drew.  (Example - if you drew the color orange, you complimentary color would be blue.)

January 2014 Presidents Message

A surprise happened at our Jan 2nd meeting.  There was a good size crowd even though it was the day after a holiday.  There were also several quilts displayed with family stories and historical information to go with them.  One in particular got almost everyone up from their seats in amazement.  

The library has been completely overhauled and we had an extra-long break so that everyone could shop and buy the bargain books from the thinning out.  The book sale will continue next month as well.

Many reminders went out to let everyone know that there are several positions that need to be filled for the rest of the year.  I am hoping that now that the holidays are over, lots of people will be wanting something to do.  Advertising and publicity need someone to get notices to the newspaper and send out bills to our advertisers.  The newsletter is up for grabs, I have my computer literate daughter working on it at this point.  Gathering docents for the Best of the Valley Quilt Show on the first weekend in April.  Free tickets involved there.  As you can see we need a few hands on deck.  

           

Everyone should be reading their Newsletter for all the updated information, such as the budget and minutes.  They were not available at our meeting which helped to keep it short and sweet but nonetheless I think very enjoyable.  

Our meeting next month will feature guest speaker Ann Hinan from Tulare with no doubt a wonderful program.  

Wishing you all a wonderful 2014, which I hope will be full of enthusiasm for the Guild.  

Margaret Davis