Itchin' for Stitchin' Guild: 2015

July 2, 2015

The July guild meeting was short and sweet. It was a work day and much progress is being made on items for the fundraiser in November. There is a possiblity of two other craft shows we could consider selling items at - one in Mound Valley and one in Edna. More discussion later.

The block of the month is going well. Several people pieced their blocks, and some even added stitching and embellishments. Rhonda won a decorative tin. I don't know about everyone else, but this is something I have never tried before. It's good to try something new, out of our comfort zone. If this turns out not to be your favorite, it can always be donated to the fundraising event. It may turn out to be just what someone else has been looking for. So - be BRAVE! give it a shot.

This is the next block. Patterns can be found at the Bin.

Linda was the only one with show and tell this month. She had two beautiful wintry quilts to show.

There is a new quilt shop in Joplin, Mo called The Fabric Merchant, at 120 S Main. It does not have signage yet but she has a quilt draped in the front door. The shop has very limited fabric (but beautiful) at this time and no shelving. She opened two months earlier than planned in order to participate in the Row by Row experience. There are a few parking places in front of the shop, but more in the back. She does have wool, and will have the shop full before too long. Hours are Wed - Sat from 10am to 3 pm. You can also check out her facebook page. I bought some beautiful panels and look forward to returning often.

Our next bus trip is set for October 24. Tentative destinations include Bixby, Ok and Hennessey, OK. More details to follow. Of course, if you remember the last bus trip, seats sell out fast! Don't delay putting your name on the list if you think you will want to go.

The paper piecing class will be July 14 and 21 (9-11:30 or 6-8:30 time slots). Let Nancy or MaryAnn know if you want to sign up for this.

Fair entries need to be to Nancy by the 13th if you want her to take them in (she will be busy the rest of the week) or you can drop them by the fair yourself by the 20th.

Nancy shared tips from Edyta Sitar of Laundry Basket Quilts on applique. Since Peggy is sharing some on them in the newletter, I will not print them here. Ask Nancy if you can't wait.

May 7, 2015

Since I did not get April's blog out before the May meeting, I will try to combine the two here.

Upcoming events of interest include, a quilt show at Bartlesville July 10, 11; sewing camp for kids June 8-12 (volunteers and fabric always welcome) and a bus trip being organized by the Quilting Cow out of West Branson (look on their website for details).

Nancy had her open house for her new retreat on May 3rd. Everyone who went said it is beautiful. If interested in joining a group or getting your own group together to go, see Nancy.

A new paper piecing class is getting ready to start! The project is a Gum Leaf Bedrunner. $30.00 pays for the class, pattern and foundation papers. Material is not included. This project will take two sessions to complete. Your choice of any of four available sessions. The sessions are from 9am - 1130 am and 6pm-830pm either June 9th or 16th. See Nancy or MaryAnn if interested.

The Guild has agreed to participate in a craft fair (shindig) in Parsons in November. This will be a fundraiser for the guild. Projects donated for sale are welcome. The third Monday night of each month till November is being encouraged to use for making items for the fundraiser. You are not limited to those particular nights for working on items. It's just kind of fun to work together for the same cause.

The last two months have been filled to overflowing with projects. Many of these were the BOM tops that had to be completed by May. Some have even finished quilting their tops. To save space I will just list the people who have completed the BOM tops in April and May then post all the pictures. The names are: Becky Hellwig, Tammy Goodyear, Carolyn Green, Ruth Lavender, Gloria Eaton, Peggy Wintjen, Rita Foster, Karen Taylor, Sue Ostlie, Linda Holtzman, Jenna (?), Kylie Ludwig, Betty Schneikert, Rhonda Heston, Nita Billman, MaryAnn Vanderford, Tammy Reynolds. My apologies if I have left someone out or gotten their name wrong.

There were alot of projects shown. Most were UFOs finished. The challenge projects were neat to look at. A lot of imagination went into them.

The winners of the dies used for the BOM were Betty, Rhonda, Karen, Kylie, Gloria and Sue. Congratulations to the winners and to everyone for the gorgeous quilts!:)

In April we had our Spring Tea. It was a beautiful table and the food was scrumptious too! Unfortunately we had to skedaddle due to the weather but it was fun while it lasted.