A few changes to Membership… membership does have it’s benefits; networking with other quilters, a great place for meetings, wonderful speakers and a library full of books. But membership also has it’s price… did you know that approximately 90% of the fee covers our meeting hall, insurance, and storage. The other 10% helps to subsidize all the other things going on in our guild. In the past we have always used the honor system, that those who attend our meetings are members or first time guests; however, this is not always the case. Starting at the September meeting members will be required to sign in at the membership desk. You will also need your membership card, as it has your number on it (I will have a list of members and their numbers if you can’t find your card or forget to bring it). This is no different than showing your card at Costco.

We are also changing the door prize draws. Numbers will be drawn instead of names. The numbers will correspond to the sign in list. You will still need to be wearing your name tag to win the door prize. With regards to name tags, the fee for name tags at the membership table will be $1.00 starting at the September meeting. This is to encourage you to make a wonderful name tag that you are proud to wear at the meetings. It is also to encourage you to remember to bring your name tag. A helpful hint…. put it in your purse… you always bring your purse! To date we have 146 members in our guild. The registration fee as of the June meeting will be $50 for the year.

By Kate Burzuk,
Membership Coordinator

I love Show and Tell. And this month is probably my most favourite month for Show and Tell because we see so many, wonderful quilts that our Community Quilts Committee has helped organize and bring to a wonderful fruition. I like that word “fruition” so I looked it up in the dictionary. The first definition is “the bearing of fruit” (I could have figured that out for myself). But none the less, that makes sense. The Community Quilts Committee are like gardeners. They have bought the seeds (fabric and patterns), planted them (set time aside, rented the Hall and organized the storage locker for the supplies), and asked that guild members help nourish those little seeds (with the help of sewing machines, time and energy). Wow, and those little seeds have grown into spectacular flowers (quilts). And we must not forget that this is always a year’s long project and we can submit finished or partially finished quilts to the Community Quilts Committee and they will find a home for them. I love Community Quilts Show and Tell.

Speaking of quilts and labours of love, we will be able to see the Quilt Show Challenge Quilts this month. They will be hung for easy viewing so come a little early and take some time to really enjoy them.

I attended a Guild Gathering meeting in Delta on April 28th along with Anita JonesGould(workshops) and JoAnn Lee(programs) and I will say more about that meeting in another newsletter. I can report that it was fun exchanging ideas with about 30 other people from other guilds in the lower mainland. Minutes were taken at the meeting and I hope to receive them soon. So stay tuned.

For those members who attended the February Quilt Retreat this year we have some reimbursement money for you. Apparently, Edenvale overcharged us and so there is some cash for you at the Workshop table. Now, when you get that cash remember what Dianne Ritter, our Quilt Show Co-ordinator, said at the last meeting. She told us to save all our pennies and bills so that we can shop till we drop at the Quilt Show.

Quilt Show! Quilt Show! Quilt Show! – Yikes, Quilt Show is almost here! The committee is in full swing now and most of us are busy sewing and quilting, selling raffle tickets, talking to our friends and relatives about the Show, and saving our money so that we can fully enjoy the boutique and the merchants mall. Please read this newsletter carefully for any last minute information about the Quilt Show and important dates to mark on your calendars. I am looking forward to putting my sign on my lawn on Friday the 25th of May. I overheard some members saying that they have put some advertising posters in their car. I think I must do that also. Our website has a poster for printing and also a list of the Merchant’s Mall Vendors under the Quilt Show heading. Advertising our Show is very important so if we all do our part the entire North Shore (and perhaps the whole lower mainland) will know and attend our Show and they will all be flabbergasted at the awesomeness of our quilts. And we might even get ourselves a few new members. They are out there looking for us.

Good luck and Happy Quilting,
Betty

Stars, nine patch, half square triangles, square in a square – this one has it all! A combination of basic quilt blocks results in a stunning seasonal table runner – or non-seasonal, the choice is yours. Carol hasn’t taught this course for years, but has been asked to do it again since it received rave reviews at the Christmas Show and Tell. It will mostly be together in a day.

DATE: Saturday, October 13th, 2012
TIME: 9:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.
PLACE: St. Agnes Church, 530 East 13th, North Vancouver
COST: $50.00 (includes $10.00 pattern fee)

Summertime is just around the corner… actually it’s not long after the Quilt Show! Have you been working hard to get that last stitch in the binding; putting your labels on; and don’t forget the hanging sleeve. Not sure how something is done? Ask your fellow members, we are all a great resource for one another.

To date we have 143 members in our guild. Do you know someone who is interested in quilting, and would like to join us? Bring them along to a meeting, the first visit is free. After that there is a $5 drop in fee payable at the membership desk…. but a membership is $50 for a year, and has its benefits. Please remember that the prorated rate is for New Members only. (Membership is $70 until after the Quilt show)

To be a door prize winner, be sure to be wearing your nametag at the meeting. All of your names are in the draw bag; they are entered automatically when you renew your membership.

Kate Burzuk,
Membership Coordinator

Welcome to Spring Everyone. I know it is coming because I took the liner out of my winter jacket today and the daffodils are in full bloom. It must be difficult for you gardeners out there to stay in your sewing rooms but you MUST because our quilt show is just one short month away plus a couple of weeks. That is all the time you have. Really!!!! And then don’t forget after the quilt is finished you have to put the proper sleeve on it and make sure you identify it as yours so the return system works its finest.

We had a very nice turnout of members at the March meeting and our program with Dougal Ann Walker was great. The “goodie” table was loaded with assorted sweets. “Happy Birthday” to those of you who had birthdays in March and thank you for letting us celebrate with you. The business portion of the meeting went quickly and our Show and Tell was not large in number but the quality was outstanding as always. So, we had time for a very healthy break of a total of 25 minutes. There was much activity during those minutes: quilt photos and registration for the Quilt Show, our wonderful raffle quilt tickets were being sold, 50/50 lottery was very busy, “Freckles” patterns were being bought, library books were being signed out and then we had a cup of tea with a “goodie” while we took a closer look at the Show and Tell projects.

We had a bit of an “elephant” theme in March at our Show and Tell. I fell in love with the back end of a beautiful, big elephant and then there were colourful elephants in one of Carol Piercy’s quilts. I asked a few people who was it that created the large elephant quilt and Katherine Morgan said she was just too busy looking at the elephant to hear who made it. I think I, also, was so much enraptured by the subject of that quilt that I saw and heard nothing but that quilt. I have to remind myself to take time to look at the quilts closely and listen to the presenters who are showing them. Show and Tell quilts are inspirational, a source of wonderful ideas and a sheer pleasure to look at. Thank you to all those who do share with the guild. Sometimes it can be a little scary to show your work.

At the last Executive meeting we discussed the topic of guests to guild meetings. If you see someone who looks lost and not sure what is happening approach them, they won’t bite. It can be rather intimidating for someone to come into our hall of a hundred or so people and make themselves right at home. They might need a little help with that. Some guests may need to be directed to the membership table and taken under wing. Perhaps you could stay with them and even sit with them, offer them a cup of tea and make conversation. After all, you know they are good people, they are quilters!!

A friend just emailed me and was so happy that one of her pets was recovering and feeling healthy again that she was going to “sew herself into a thread induced stupor for the next month”. I wish all of you a “thread induced stupor” over the next few weeks as you complete those Show Quilts and don’t forget about the Community Quilts. The Community Quilts will be displayed during our May meeting. But, while you are sewing these project don’t forget to have fun, don’t ever forget to have FUN!!

Happy Quilting.
Betty