Spring is in the air, the colours are popping up everywhere! On some of my walks I’ve noticed the daffodils, crocuses and snow drops. I’ve even seen some beautiful tulips. Spring is so refreshing and renewing. Speaking of renewing, have you renewed your membership yet? I want to thank the members that have and say Welcome! to our new members. Our new membership list will go out with the April newsletter.

Did you know that in order to participate in the Lions Gate Quilt Guild show, you must be a member in good standing for 6 months prior to the show? That means you must pay your membership in full before the November meeting. So be sure to get your membership in. For renewals, there is no fee break, that is for new members only. Do you know someone who would like to visit our guild? The first visit is free, after that, there is a drop in fee of $ 5.

To date we have 108 members. Congratulations to our door prize winners of the February meeting: Boudina Jones and Tanith Laughton. We had 89 members attend our February meeting.

Happy Stitching!
Kate Burzuk

Hello fellow guild members,

Did you enjoy last month’s coffee and treats? We certainly did and invite all March birthday guild members to make a donation to the goodie table at the meeting on March 26th.

Please remember your cup. If you forget, it will cost you a 25 cent donation to our tea fund.

Thank you to all who donated tea, coffee and goodies in February.

Many thanks,
Debbie Barrett and Dorothy Moseley

Yesterday I sewed up a bag with a “magnetic snap.” My first “magnetic snap” EVER!!! So, thank you so much Krista and the Workshops Committee for arranging that event. Some others in the class installed a zipper which may have been their first ever or something that they have not done in a long time. And I overheard someone say, “That was not too hard!”. Gosh, I enjoy taking Workshops and if I were not so tied up being your President for another two years I would consider taking on that job. But right now we need a few members to take on this very important and fun task. This week the phoning committee will be on the phones and by the time you read this article in our Newsletter we may have those few people ready to form a Workshops Committee. I hope so. We also need someone to come forth to act as Secretary. It is a commitment of coming out to evening meetings, usually on the Monday after the Guild meeting, and taking minutes of the Executive meetings and at the AGM. We also need a Raffle Quilt Committee and last night one lady expressed an interest in being a part of that endeavour so that is a good start.

This month I want to tell you a little more about the Guild Gathering meetings that were organized by the Fraser Valley Guild in the fall of 2011. There were 14 guilds at this first meeting and there were 17 different guilds represented at the last meeting in the fall of 2012. We have had 3 meetings and our next meeting is on Saturday April 13th in Langley. I welcome some company on my next trip to Langley especially those interested in workshops and programs. A member of this group has set up a Dropbox system which is like a universal post box to which all members can access. In the dropbox are things like: Meeting agendas and minutes; Quilting teachers and presenters Data Base; Discussion topics such as: information on issues of border crossings, membership increases and decreases and Copyright. We are having our fourth meeting in April and hopefully it will grow into a valuable and exciting resource for all guilds.

The North Shore Needle Arts Guild had a presentation at the Silk Purse in West Vancouver from Feb.5-17. Sometimes I miss these notices and I rely on members to let our Newsletter editor or myself know if events are coming up that may be of interest to others in the guild. Perhaps some of you were able to go to that event. A member informed me that it was “Awesome”. I wish I had seen it. Maybe next year.

We have a new Hospitality Committee and they are laying down some ground rules for us in this issue of our newsletter. Please read them along with the Financial Statements and the Minutes of our 2012 AGM which should have been sent to you all by the time you read this. We will be discussing our finances for 2013 and acknowledging the fine work done by past Executive members and other guild members who have been active in the guild over the past year. Please plan on participating in our Annual General Meeting. It is an important one and I will try to make it as painless as possible.

Remember to bring your Show and Tell including all of those finished UFOs or TGIFs or PHDs. You need to bring your mug and nametag, money for 50/50 tickets and your chequebook for workshops you may want to register for. And, of course those library books need to be returned and put back into circulation. See you all on the 26th of February (the fourth Tuesday of the month).

Happy Quilting,
Betty

Hello Members! Thank you to all who completed and handed in your membership renewal forms last guild meeting. It sure does help me out! As some of you know, my computer had crashed last fall and I had lost the 2012 database. I spent a few evenings and rebuilt it with the forms from last year. Now I am ready to get this year’s database loaded up. I also want to thank the members that highlight when there is a change in either their address or email address, it is most helpful.

At the February meeting, be sure to come a few minutes early so you can sign in for the meeting, and drop off your renewal form. The form is always available on our website as a PDF. You can type in your information, print it off, sign it and then drop it off. I will have membership cards ready for the meeting. Please stop by the table during the break to get your 2013/2014 Membership Card.

I will have a membership list ready for distribution with the March newsletter. If you have any questions or concerns please don’t hesitate to email me.

Remember to bring your nametag in order to win the door prize. Congratulations to our January winners: Becky West, Helen Jorgensen and Kate Burzuk (whew, glad I remembered to wear my name tag!)

Have a wonderful month, and Happy Stitching!
Kate Burzuk

We are your new hospitality committee and are looking forward to continuing on with some of the initiatives already started by our predecessors.

The first and very important one is: Please remember your own mug for the monthly meetings. We are keen to keep greening the refreshment table, and are going to avoid using styrofoam. So if you forget your mug, you can use the church china. However, there will now be a cost to you of $.25. There will be a donation box on the table beside the mugs where you can put your quarter.

We are also requesting that you return your cup to the refreshment table where we will then put them in the kitchen at the end of the break so we can get a head start on running the dishwasher.

Goodies are certainly a hit and we are continuing to request that those with birthdays in the month of the meeting make a contribution to the goodie table. We’ll try to set a monthly reminder.

Finally, our supply of herb teas is “patchy.” We are requesting donations of USABLE herbal teas to replenish our stock, if you find that you have extras in your cupboard. Please bring the tea to the kitchen on meeting nights.

Many thanks.
Debbie Barrett and Dorothy Moseley

Thank you to all the members that have been donating pillows for the homeless.

For NEW members the particulars are as follows:

• Use a lightweight upholstery fabric (there is usually some available at the meetings up by the stage) and make an 18″ square pillow casing, leaving one side open.
• Keep a bag handy by your cutting table to toss in batting scraps as you work. Please BATTING scraps only, we have since found that fabric scraps make the pillows too heavy, especially when they get wet.
• Machine stitch closed when filled.
• You may also attach a handle or loop to the pillow if you wish but not mandatory.

Louise Bovet or I collect the pillows at the meetings and deliver to the Look Out Shelter on Bewicke.

Thank you,
Myra (pillow fight!!) Frampton

Happy New Year Everyone!

And welcome back to another wonderful year with the Lions Gate Quilt Guild. I hope you are all rested and ready to sew up a storm during these winter months. Personally, I did take a little time away from sewing and played with some jigsaw puzzles and found time read a few books. Now, I am very excited about getting back to fabric projects.

Your calendars should have indicated the Winter Extravaganza 2013 with Carol Piercy on January 19th and the 2-4-1 Bag with Krista Hennebury on February 2nd. Then, the Guild Retreat is dated March 1-3 followed by Community Quilts days on March 8th and 9th. We are starting the year with two workshops and I am looking forward to attending both. If you enjoy guild workshops and have met and made some friends during those events please consider taking on the job of Workshop Co-ordinator for the next two years. I know of someone who has already said that she would be part of the committee but cannot take on the larger role of Co-ordinator.

Other positions opening up in February at our AGM meeting are those of Secretary and Memberat-Large. All Executive positions are for a two-year term and require a commitment of time in the form of one Executive meeting on the Monday following each Guild meeting. Kate Burzuk has generously offered to continue on as Membership Co-ordinator but she needs a laptop computer to help with the job. If you, your family or friends are looking for a very good home for an old laptop Kate will be very pleased to recycle it for you. Thank you Kate. Another thank you goes out to Gaye McCance who has volunteered to be the Treasurer for Community Quilts.

This is really a special time of year. This is the time of year in which positions on the Executive open up allowing more people to participate in the workings of the Guild. New ideas and different points of view are necessary to keep the guild exciting, alive and interesting. Each one of us is important and we all contribute. And, let’s face it, it’s fun when we all get together either at guild meetings, at workshops or attending Executive meetings.

Two other committees which need filling are the Raffle Quilt Co-ordinator and committee along with the Hospitality Committee. Although the Raffle Quilt Committee does not get very busy until 2014 there is still advance planning (a quilt to be made) and paper work that needs to be done. The Hospitality Committee on the other hand, needs to be in place by 7 pm on January 22nd in order for coffee and tea to be offered to the membership. Please give me a phone call or email me if you will help out with either of these committees or would like to be part of the Lions Gate Quilt Guild Executive.

Please remember to bring your mug (in case you will indeed be offered a cup of tea or coffee), your name tag, your cheque book needed to sign up for future workshops, cash for 50/50 draw and for raffle tickets being offered by guests from the Boundary Bay Quilt Guild and of course, any Show and Tell projects you have been working on. We all love our Show and Tell.

Our next meeting is on the 22nd of January, the 4th Tuesday of the month. See you there.

Happy Quilting,
Betty

The following board positions are available; please consider volunteering your time:

• President: manages guild; prepares agendas for, and chairs, meetings; receives communications; prepares a report for each issue of the newsletter (1 nomination accepted)
• Membership Coordinator: collects dues; provides information to new members; maintains membership list (1 nomination accepted)
• Member-at-Large (one of two): presents quilts at Show & Tell; sells 50/50 tickets; sends cads to members to comfort, console, or celebrate (1 nomination accepted)
• Secretary: keep minutes of all meetings; prepare correspondence & notices as requested by board  (no nominations received)
• Workshop Coordinator: arranges workshop instructors, venues, schedules; announces workshops; handles workshop registrations (no nominations received)

Elections for all positions listed above will occur at the February  meeting. If you are interested in one of these positions, or you’d like to nominate someone, please contact one of our members-at-large (Joan Elliott or Terri Gerath).

Also needed: Raffle Quilt Coordinator and committee members. The raffle quilt is a major fundraiser for Community Quilts, and the 2014 quilt needs  a coordinator. If you are interested in volunteering, please contact a member of the executive.

Happy New Year everyone! It’s nearly time for guild Membership Renewal.

We will be processing the renewals at the February Meeting. The membership form will be included with the next newsletter. See you at the next meeting and don’t forget your name tags!

Kate Burzuk
Membership Coordinator

Sonja Callaghan is a delightful young woman who entertained us thoroughly at the October meeting. She has a lovely sense of humour; she was organized; used technology very professionally and took us step by step through her creative process of designing paper pieced quilt patterns. She even had “stuff” for sale in the form of patterns. It almost sounds as if I am writing a report card. As always our Program committee deserves an “A+”. They are a very hard working committee and they are doing an excellent job for us all.

Another committee which is always working to bring us interesting experiences is our Workshop committee. Joan Herrin has been the chair of that committee for four years and she must take a break. I do know that one of her committee is willing to stay on the committee but the position of Workshop Co-ordinator is coming up for election in February. Please consider offering your time to that position. By time I mean attending nine Executive meetings during the year. Those meetings are held the Monday evening following the Guild meeting from 7:30 until 9:30. The current committee has already booked workshops up until June and there are many resources available for future bookings. So, if you enjoy workshops and have attended guild sponsored classes find the excitement by being a more integral part of them.

Executive positions coming available this February at our AGM include: President, Secretary, Workshop Co-ordinator, Membership Co-ordinator and Member-at-Large. I am pleased to say that I am offering to continue on as President for another term so that means we need four people to come forward and offer to take over the other positions; five if someone is excited about having an election and would like to take on the challenge and rewarding position of President. An election may even be held if we get a raft of members offering their services. Think about it but as soon as you make up your mind please inform myself or any current Executive member.

On behalf of the Executive I approached Dianne Ritter about chairing our Album of Quilts Show 2014. She said, “Yes”. YIPEE!!!!!! Thank you so much Dianne. However, we do need a Raffle Quilt Committee to get themselves established, the sooner, the better. It may seem like a very long way away but June of 2014 will be here before you know it!!

Another committee needed as soon as January is our Hospitality Committee. Come on you tea and coffee drinkers. Get yourselves on the front line and report to me that you will be happy to help in the kitchen. Tanith Laughton has agreed to be our new Guild Archives person. Thank you Tanith.

It seems like most of this President’s message has been dedicated to pleas for help. In January newsletter I would like to tell you more of the Guild Gathering meeting I attended mid October. There is an announcement in this newsletter of the Fraser Valley’s Challenge for guilds to send a team to the “IRON QUILTER” competition which will be held in June 2013 during the Fraser Valley Quilt Show. It sounds like a lot of fun. Perhaps you can get 5 friends together and make up a team. Read the rules and think about it along with thoughts of participating more fully in Lions Gate Guild operating activities.

Happy Quilting,
Betty