The new Guild year started with welcoming all renewing members back for the first meeting of the year.
After a short business meeting, the nurses from the the Quilting Clinic gave their presentation on fixing boo-boos on quilts so we finish them. They also shared a couple of new techniques that intrigued our membership. One technique was quilt facing which is an alternative to binding. The other technique was using Inktense to color and shade fabric.
President Nancy Sandreuter opened the meeting by welcoming the 42 members and two guests present. The officers and committee chairs provided reports. The Vice President announced the nomination slate for the May Business meeting election of officers. They are Kirsten Swenson, Vice President; Sheila Darcy, Treasurer; and Rosalene Graham, Membership Chair. She invited further nominations for these positions.
The donation quilts were displayed for the members. Some of those are pictured below.
Margareta Blyumkina, a guild member, presented a trunk show of her quilting journey. She started as a dressmaker in her native country, Russia. She gradually moved to quilt making. Her current quilts are all made from scraps that are put on our guild’s free table for the taking. She uses the scraps both in the front and the back of her quilts. She does not uses a scissors for cutting the fabric. She also uses chalk, soap, or pencil to mark her fabric. She uses a quilt as you go technique for quilting her quilts. The picture gallery below shows some of the quilts and clothing she has made using scraps.
There was show and tell after Margarita’s presentation. I have not received any pictures of the Show and Tell.
The Guild’s general meeting was held on March 6, 2024. President Nancy Sandreuter kicked off the meeting with officer reports and raffles. There was 42 members and one guest present.
Our speaker for the meeting was Penny Young, a Melrose, MA fiber artist. She spoke about her art journey from youth to present day. She started by showing us a fabric remnant from a garment she made as a pre-teenager and continues through her latest art pieces where she fashions art quilts.
Lesley Hansard from the New American Association in Massachusetts (NAAM) explained the work of the organization. Her focus in on recent Afghani women. Hansard’s work involves helping the women with microbusiness startup skills. She helps them recognize their own creative potential and encourages them to develop marketable products that promote financial independence. A case manager told about her work with interpretation and helping the women with navigating the world outside their housing. Two of the Afghani women demonstrated their embroidery skills. Guild members were able to view samples of their work and ask questions about the program.
A special thank you goes to Guild members who donated crafting materials to NAAM. Hansard went home with two sewing machines, and a car full of supplies.
The meeting ended with a short show and tell. Here are the three quilts shown.
At our May 3rd, 2023 general meeting, Vice-President Carmen Arnone used a fish puzzle she had assembled as an analogy for guild membership. Just as all puzzle pieces fit together to complete the whole puzzle, each guild member matters in the successful operation of the guild. No piece is more or less important than any other and each member can determine where they fit in to help make the guild a success. Missing pieces result in an incomplete puzzle. All members matter and when they identify where they fit, the whole guild benefits.
In order to “find their fit”, members at each table had an opportunity to review a chart listing a thumbnail sketch of the various duties of programs. If a particular description drew their attention they were asked to jot down their name so they could fit together with other like minded members to generate ideas along with the Program Chair for the benefit of the whole guild. For those not at the meeting, please contact Carmen for a volunteer spot.
Two groups of members displayed their round robin quilts as part of creative quilt works. Each member of the group had to use the fabric given and complete one border for the quilt.
Another creative quilt works project shown were patriotic themed articles. The winners each received a ribbon.
During show and tell, members showed many quilts. To see those quilts, go to the gallery portion of the website (click here).
On March 1st, 2023, our Guild held of a yard sale of the Dottie Macomber’s quilting treasures. Her husband donated her stash to the guild when Dottie died. Dottie was a longtime member of the guild and held various offices while a member.
About 50 members of the guild participated in the yard sale.
