Eileen Wright, from Vancouver Island, is returning to present a two-day Bargello workshop in April. Eileen will be offering 3 choices of patterns from her book, “Twist-and-Turn Bargello Quilts.” These choices are Island Sunset, Aurora Borealis and Cosmic Twist. Cosmic Twist is a little bigger quilt but is a little easier to make. You will also need to wash and pre-cut your fabric before the workshop.

DATE: Friday, April 27 & Saturday, April 28, 2012
TIME: 9:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.
PLACE: St. Agnes Church, 530 East 12th, North Vancouver
COST: $100.00 for 2 days

PLEASE NOTE: If you are interested in this workshop you will need to purchase Eileen Wright’s book. It is part of the series from “That Patchwork Place.” Maureen, from Creative Edge, has agreed to bring these books in for us but we will need to pre-order them. I will be taking orders when you sign up if you are interested. They are also available through Martingale & Company or through Amazon.com. Don’t wait until April to get a copy of this book if you are considering enrolling in this workshop.

What shall the New Year bring us? Let’s hope its time for quilting and friends.

It is also that time of the year to think about membership renewals. A renewal form is on the following page 9 of this newsletter but is also available on our website. Also a reminder that as of February 1, 2012 our membership dues will now be $50 for one year.

If you are planning to hang a quilt in the show in June, you must already be a member as of December 9, 2011. If you are unsure of your status, please consult the membership list. If you don’t have a current list, you can email a request for one. In addition, you must also renew your membership in February 2012. You may hand in your renewal form and cheque or cash at the January meeting to save you (and me!) time, or you can mail your renewal to our guild mailbox.

To date we have 165 members in our guild. To be a door prize winner, be sure to be wearing your name tag at the meeting. All of your names are in the draw bag, they are entered automatically when you renew your membership.

If you have any concerns or questions, please don’t hesitate to contact me: https://lionsgatequilters.wordpress.com/contact-us/email-the-membership-coordinator/

Kate Burzuk
Membership Coordinator

Fellow quilter and LGQG member Pat Bowman is also an author and her young adult book, suitable for ages 12 to adult, titled Back in Her Time, has just been published.

It can be ordered from the publisher (General Store Publishing House, http://www.gsph.com/), or Pat will have copies available when she returns to her North Vancouver home from Florida in the Spring.

Congratulations, Pat!

Clothworks has announced a challenge for this year’s Pacific West Quilt Show, featuring one of the fabrics from the Flying Colors II collection by Laurel Burch. For details, visit http://bit.ly/zoLPqs.

Just before our October meeting I googled Eileen Wright and saw some of her quilts on the Satin Moon website. I just kept saying “Wow”. And then to see them up close was great. I felt that I could almost step inside some of them. We had a great turnout of about 114 people so I hope you all enjoyed the program and sign up for Eileen’s bargello workshop in April 2012. In September several people asked about workshops by Terry Aske especially her portrait work. If you would like to explore that type of quilt activity please contact Joan Herrin or myself.

I would like to report that Paula Bohan (Program rep) and I attended a Guild Gathering meeting in October initiated by Cathy Galbraith, President of the Fraser Valley Quilters Guild. I was impressed that 13 guilds were represented by 28 people. The meeting was 3 and 1/2 hours and included lunch. The purpose of the meeting was to share ideas on an assortment of topics such as program speakers, workshop presenters, finances, executive tasks and any other items that pertain to guild management and education. Some of the more computer savvy reps have set up a way for guilds to share information and now I must learn more about how these computer programs work. But I am motivated because this is going to be a wonderful asset to all of the guilds in the lower mainland. Our next meeting is going to be in late April and we are hoping to have even more guilds represented.

At our October meeting Bena Luxton presented some ideas as to the state of our finances. I did get emails from a couple of members giving us feedback but we need to hear from more members as to how they feel. The executive can then make financial decisions with as much input as possible. On a budgetary note, members who need to be reimbursed for monies spent please submit your receipts along with an expense submission form to Bena as soon as possible. Her year end is Dec. 31st. So, please submit those by the November meeting. If you need a form please email me or Bena.

Your membership card is a great asset. Fabricana will give you 10% off your purchases if you belong to a guild. But you need to have that card handy. Mine sits in my wallet just behind my Visa card.

You also need to show your membership card in order to sign out library books and to register for workshops. The librarians and workshop committee may not always ask to see your card but they may. And, of course, please wear your nametags to guild meetings. They may win you a door prize and people can learn your name much faster if it is affixed somehow to your body.

While on the topic of membership Kate Burzuk needs help. She could use a committed group of 3 or 4 individuals who can help at the membership table and with meet and greet activities. A reminder that If you want to display a quilt in the Show in June you must be a member in good standing as of December 8th. Please email Kate or myself if you can help at the November meeting. And since I am talking volunteers here please continue to talk to Executive members and find out what their position is all about. Vice President, Treasurer, Program Coordinator, Newsletter Editor , Library Coordinator and Member-at-Large are the positions coming up for election at our AGM in February.

The Constitution Review Committee will be presenting a new updated version through our website a week or so before the guild meeting. We want to have a discussion at our November guild meeting lasting from 20 to 30 minutes if need be. And then, another slot of time during the January meeting for discussion. You may have already received info about this before you receive this newsletter.

Finally, if your birthday is in November or December bake a few extra cookies and bring them to guild. We all want to share in the festivities although this month our program committee will be offering up some goodies as well. Don’t forget your name tag, mug, cheque book, library books, calendar, Christmas exchange ornament and special Christmas Show and Tell as well as any other sort of Show and Tell. We love to see what folks are sewing up. See you all on the 22nd of November.

Happy Quilting,
Betty

Elections are coming up in February, and we’re asking you to consider volunteering your time. What are your strengths? Where would your talents shine through and benefit the Guild? Here are the positions that are up for grabs in February:

Vice-President: assume the duties of the President in his/her absence; oversee the storage locker and post office box rentals

Treasurer: perform all accounting tasks related to Guild business, including preparation of year-end financial statements, required tax returns, and draft and final budgets; present all budget and financial report details to members at each year’s AGM

Newsletter Editor: prepare and distribute guild newsletter prior to each meeting (9 meetings a year)

Program Coordinator: plan and prepare programs at guild meetings, including all arrangements for guest speakers and presenters

Member-at-Large (one of two positions): provide an additional communication channel to the Executive Committee; greet members at meetings; coordinate the 50/50 draws; provide assistance for Show & Tell at meetings; in second year of term serve as Nominating Committee Coordinator for elections

Librarian: set up and take down library at each guild meeting; keep a record of all books going out and coming back; collect fines; purchase new books for the library

All positions carry a two-year term and require attendance at monthly Executive Committee meetings. If you have questions about any of these positions, the incumbents are more than happy to talk to you.