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

Make a series of artist’s postcards (and have fun). Learn art essentials (and have fun). Have something complete and useful at the end of the session (and have fun). All supplies supplied. (so you can spend the night before having fun too!) Bring scissors. Not your best ones. Linda Sharp will be at the Tuesday, April 24th meeting to talk about her workshop.

DATE: Saturday, September 22nd, 2012
TIME: 9:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m.
PLACE: St. Agnes Church, 530 E 12th St, North Vancouver, BC
COST: $45.00 (includes a $15.00 supply cost per person)

To date we have 141 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. (Membership is $70 until after the Quilt show)

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.

Kate Burzuk,
Membership Coordinator

What a great turn out we had at our AGM in February. The business portion of the meeting, which was made up of reports and many motions along with the Elections, was long but then we got to see Show and Tell, have a quick cup of tea and listen to and watch a lovely trunk show by Vivian Kapusta. But, our Executive reassured me that the time seemed to go quite quickly. We even had a laugh or two. I really need to thank the outgoing members of the Executive for the time and energy they have given to the Guild over the past years. Thank you Anne Pelton (Secretary and Vice President over a three year period); Helen Jorgensen (Newsletter Editor), Cathy Jamieson (Librarian), and Suzan Gauthier Kolker (Member-at-Large). Bena Luxton (Treasurer) and Andrea Cowie (Programs chair) have volunteered to serve the Guild for two more years. Hooray! Our brand new Executive members are Colleen Bohan (Newsletter Editor), Margo Novak (Librarian), Terri Gerath (Member-at-Large for two years) and Joan Elliott (Member-at-Large for one year). Katherine Morgan stepped up and offered to take on the Vice President’s position for a two year term after serving one year as Member-at-Large. Another Hooray!

We are looking forward to a very busy Spring. We started this month with two days of Community Quilts activities on March 2nd and 3rd. Rosalind and her committee were pleased with the number of members who came out to sew for Community Quilts. They had the church hall organized into sewing areas (machine and hand), cutting areas, shopping areas (in a sense – the fabric was free as long as you put it into a community quilt). There were tables set up for cutting and assembling kits and the “goodies.” I could write a paragraph about the “goodies.” One of the purposes of our Guild as stated in the Constitution is “to provide a community service through the creation of quilts for a variety of community facilities/services and individuals as needed.” We look forward to seeing all of our efforts at a huge Show and Tell at the May meeting. On a personal note, I took 4 kits last year which will be complete by May, I promise. Rosalind is accepting kits back with a “guilt free” tag attached. The North Shore News dated March 7th gave an entire page to Lions Gate Quilt Guild Community Quilts. We look like a very happy group of people. Well done, Community Quilts Committee.

Our Quilt Show Committee is getting into high gear. Just one more month to register your quilt/s. All registrations plus photos must be in by March 31st. Dianne Ritter put out a call for much needed help in the Publicity Department. So, please think about the different aspects of that particular job and let Dianne know where you would like to help. Our Show is always a success because it involves every guild member. Our Quilt Show Committee spends much time laying the foundation and the rest of us need to help with the building and decorating. Our Raffle Quilts will be on display at the March meeting and the proceeds of those tickets go to supplies for Community Quilts. See how interconnected we are?

Happy Quilting
Betty

Nancy’s specialty is stress-free needle turn appliqué. She puts students directly in touch with their needle, thread and fabric. She shows how incredibly easy appliqué is without the use of freezer paper, toothpicks, starch, cardboard, ironing or interfacing – all things that needlessly complicate what is an otherwise very simple process.

DATE: Sunday, June 24, 2012
TIME: 9:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.
PLACE: Community Room at Capilano Mall (2nd floor)
COST: $50.00

Blooming everywhere! Spring flowers that is! They are blooming everywhere, between the cracks in the sidewalk, in the garden, in the lawn. Crocuses, daffodils, and soon tulips. The colours of spring are very inspirational, they can even inspire quilts. So how does your garden grow?

Speaking of growing, our membership renewals have been growing as well. To date we have 138 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.

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.

Kate Burzuk
Membership Coordinator

Hello, Fellow Guilders!

I am pleased to takeover as your new librarian for the next two years and look forward to meeting more Guild members. Many thanks to Cathy Jamieson for the great work she and her colleague Pamela Pellegrini did in maintaining and expanding our collection. It is in great shape and well organized.

I want to especially thank Cathy for her encouragement and ongoing support, however, she tells me that running the Library is a job for more than one person! So here is my plea for your help! I would be most grateful if someone would be willing to step forward and assist me on an ongoing basis – if you love quilting books, here is your opportunity to select what goes into our collection!

As well, I will need some additional help with setting up, loaning out books, etc. at each Guild meeting, so if you would like to help out on an occasional it would be most appreciated.

I look forward to hearing from you!
Margo Novak

We are saddened to announce that long-time member, Pat Ingram, passed away the evening of March 15. She will be sorely missed and fondly remembered.

First of all, I must thank Dorothy Porter for her opening joke at our January Guild meeting. I was taken off guard completely. She told me she was shy!

We had 114 members in attendance to enjoy the very full business meeting and a great program called Men in Quilting, starring Matt Wheeler, owner of the Quilted Bear Store in Ladner, and Paul Krampitz. You can look back at January’s newsletter for a great write up on these two gentlemen which includes a web site for Paul.

The next two months are going to be very busy ones before and after the meetings and at the breaks. Show quilts are being photographed but you only have February and March to take advantage of that service. All quilts must be registered by March 31st. And that is a very serious deadline indeed!! Also, in connection with the Quilt Show, volunteer forms need to be filled out and submitted. And, then, don’t forget that you must renew your membership by the February 28th meeting. Many important things to be done this month and next. So, after filling out a bunch of forms you can get back to quilting and finishing your Show quilts.

Brenda Sangster has been busy organizing a bus trip to Sisters, Oregon taking place from July 12-15. So, you need to register very soon for that trip if you are interested. By the time this newsletter comes to you our Quilt Retreat will be over and I know it will have been a resounding success. Marg told me that 14 of the 22 registrants wanted to get that extra day of sewing in and Edenvale agreed to feed them dinner. Good for you Marg for organizing that sustenance for the group so that they could sew into the night.

Our guild archivist, Anne Read, has finished an album containing photos from 2002 until June 2011. Cathy has processed it so that you can borrow it from the library. We all look so much younger in 2002. I recommend you have a look at it. Anne is also busy working with the Community Quilts Committee and she would like to hand over the archivist job to someone else in June. So, please consider doing that job, especially if you enjoy taking photos.

Good news on the Executive front. We have filled all positions coming available in February with volunteers. Thank you so much ladies. But, if you really would like to serve on the Executive we will be taking nominations from the floor at our next meeting and we might have to have an election. As a member of the phoning committee I would like to say what a pleasure it was to talk to some of our members. I had a member who said she would “think” about serving on the Executive and another who said that she was a “serious maybe.” Those comments kept me phoning and then someone said “yes”, just like that.

At the AGM we will be acknowledging the work done by our outgoing executive members and members who have been active behind the scenes. So, please make an effort to come to the meeting. Our program this month is a trunk show by Vivian Kapusta (her website is awesome) and Kate tells me she has a “special” door prize so remember to wear those name tags. Don’t forget your mug for tea, your cheque book and lets have lots of show and tell.

I wish you all a healthy, happy and successful quilting New Year.

Happy Quilting,
Betty

A group of Kindergarten moms at Mulgrave School would like help making a quilt representing their children, to be  auctioned off on May 10th at a School Spring Gala. The teacher and parents already have some ideas but need some more help. The quilter/s would have to help with sewing squares of fabric together and quilting the project. They have money set aside for the project and are flexible. For further information please contact Betty Clarke (604-926-7098).