One is a sampler quilt done in fall colors.

Fall Sampler Raffle Qulit

The second is another fall themed quilt:

Fall Themed raffle quilt

If you are interested in purchasing tickets for either of these quilts, we will be selling them the weekend of Sept 25th on the green in Amherst NH. You may also contact Jeannine for more information.

As this is one of our biggest annual fundraisers, we’re hoping everyone will be able to contribute items (fabric, patterns, tools, books, finished projects – all things quilting) to the auction. So please start thinking about what you may be ready to part with and plan to bring it with you to the Fall Kick-off Meeting for the auction.

In addition to all our usual fun, member Kelly Beman has graciously agreed to demonstrate the art of tatting at this week’s meeting. Tatting is the process of creating handmade lace by looping and knotting a single strand of heavy duty thread on a small hand shuttle. This produces lovely lace items and can be used as an embellishment on many projects.

Kelly has some shuttles and thread which she is willing to share with those members who would like to try tatting during the meeting. If this is something you’re really interested in and want to buy materials before the meeting, you’ll want to pick up a tatting shuttle and bed spread cotton. Kelly says she has seen both at Micheal’s but is not certain they carry them on a regular basis.

Kelly is only available to demonstrate this handcraft at the Thursday evening meeting, so we hope those Friday morning members interested in this demo will join us on Thursday night.

Thursday, August 5th at 7:00 pm — business meeting, program, show and tell

Friday, August 13th at 9:30 am — business meeting, program, show and tell

Thursday, August 19th at 7:00 pm — social sew, show and tell

September Dates:

Thursday, September 2nd at 7:00 pm — business meeting, program, show and tell

Friday, September 10th at 9:30 am — business meeting, program, show and tell

Thursday, September 16th at 7:00 pm — social sew, show and tell

Thursday, July 8 — 7:00 pm – 9:00 pm

Friday, July 9 — 9:30 am – 12:00 pm

Thursday, July 22 — 7:00 pm – 9:00 pm

Thursday, August 5 — 7:00 pm – 9:00 pm

Friday, August 6 — 9:30 am – 12:00 pm

Thursday, August 19 — 7:00 pm – 9:00 pm

Fat Quarter Swap -.This month the fat ¼ swap will be 30’s Reproductions.  If you have any questions please contact Jean Greenlee at 673-4290.

Hospitality - The following members have signed up for snacks at our June meetings.  Thursday, June 3^rd , Jeannine Rigney, Michelle Marrone and Kathy Voelker.  Friday, June 4th , Jeannine Rigney, Judy Lynch and Marge Shaughnessy.   Thursday, June 17^th, Jeannie Weller, Trudi Cost and Jeannine Rigney. This has been an awesome year of snacks ladies.  Thank you to everyone who has spoiled us with their contributions!!

Quilt Show -  Vermont Quilt Festival is June 25^th – June 27^th.  Friday and Saturday hours are from 9 a.m. – 6 p.m. and Sundays hours are 9 a.m.– 3 p.m. It’s being held at the Champlain Valley Expo Center in Essex Jct., VT.  Admission is $12.00

Quilt Show -   The Quilters’ Connection show is Friday June 4^th and Saturday, June 5th from 10 a.m. – 6 p.m. Also Sunday June 6^th from  10 a.m. – 3 p.m. at the Arsenal center for the Arts, 321 Arsenal St., Watertown, MA  Admission is $6.

Quilt Show -  Bayberry Quilts of Cape Cod.  “A Symphony of Quilts”.  August 5 – 7^th.  Thursday and Friday hours are 9:30 a.m. – 4:00 p.m. and Saturday from 9:30 a.m. – 3:00 p.m.  It’s being held at Cape Cod Regional Technical High School, in Harwich, MA  Admission is $6.00

Quilt Show -  Images Quilt Show in Lowell, MA is on August 12 – 14 and this year it’s moving to the Lowell Memorial Auditorium.  Thursday hours are 10 a.m. – 8 p.m., Friday hours are 10 a.m. – 6 p.m. and Saturday hours are 10 a.m. – 5 p.m.  Admission is $12.00   and this year it’s moving to the Lowell Memorial Auditorium at 50 East Merrimack Street, Lowell, MA 01852

Quilt Show -  World Quilt Show – New England is August 19 – 22.  Thursday – Saturday from 10:00 a.m. – 6:00 p.m. and Sunday from 10:00 a.m.- 4:00 p.m.   It’s being held at the Radisson Center of New Hampshire in Manchester. Admission is $12.00 (Sunday is $10.00)

Board Meeting  – The next board meeting will be on Wednesday,  June 16^th @ 6:30 p.m..and will be held at the Amherst library.  It will be a joint meeting with both the outgoing and incoming board meeting on this day so that we can transfer the “reigns” so to speak.  Anyone who would like to attend is more than welcome.

SVQG Board for 2010 – 2011  – We are pleased to announced that we have Elected a complete board for the 2010/2011 calendar year.  The Board Members are as follows:

Co-Presidents -  Milly Cunningham and Gail Pinet

Co-Vice Presidents -  Michelle Marrone and Jennifer Parent

Secretary -  Kathie Beltz

Treasurer -  Susan Wheatley.

Thank you ladies for volunteering to lead us all through another fun filled year of quilting at SVQG.

SVQG Quilt Show -  As all of you know we had our bi-annual quilt show last weekend and by all accounts it was fantastic!  We received many positive comments from guests about the quilts and about the entire show set up.  We had a tie for the “Viewers Choice” award.  The two quilts that tied were from Lisa Scalia (her little girl’s dresses quilt) and Barbara Wood (her tribute to Christopher Columbus quilt).  We also had two vendors’ choice awards and they went to Jeannine Rigney (her Egyptian quilt) and to Lou St. Onge (her Chains and Posies quilt).  Congratulations to all of you!!

Barbara Woods' Viewer's Choice Quilt

Lisa Scalia's Viewer's Choice Quilt

Also thank you to everyone that contributed with all of the volunteer positions that dealt with set up, running the show, and take down during the three days.  And a big thank you to all of our wonderful members, on the quilt show committee, that put so much time and effort into organizing the entire show for our guild.  It was a fantastic show!!!!

Don’t forget to bring your Show and Tell to the meetings!!!

Farewell from the President – Wow!  This year has just flown by.  It has been a year filled with so many fun experiences and lots of laughter.  This is such a wonderful guild of women and we all seem to have a good time sewing and chatting together and of course teasing each other.  I can’t think of a better combination.  A nice get-together where we do something we love and enjoy the company and laughter of other women at the same time.  What great therapy for the soul.

I just want to take a moment to thank my fellow board members, Lisa Scalia, Jeannine Rigney, Donna Goodie-Seibert and Trudi Costa.  You ladies have made this a truly wonderful, fun filled year and I just wanted to say thank you for all your contributions and guidance.

I’ve so enjoyed being your president but I will also enjoy now coming to meetings and just socializing and relaxing with all of you without the duty of running the meetings.  Thank you to everyone for all your help and making this year a nice experience.  See you soon.

In the first newsletter in July 2009 I posted the poem  “Ode to My Wife the Quilter” by Marsha Heimann, so now I’ll end the last newsletter with “The Quilt” author unknown.

The Quilt

Life is like a patchwork Quilt, and each little patch is a day

Some patches are rosy, happy and bright, and some are dark and gray.

But each little patch as it is fitted in, are sewn to keep it together

Making a quilt in this life of ours, filled with sunshine and rainy weather

So let me work on Life’s Patchwork Quilt, through the rainy days and the sun

Trusting that when I have finished my quilt, the Master will say “Well Done”

Happy Quilting Ladies!!

René G. Therrien – President SVQG

Ann shows us one of her fussy cut Mariner's Compass wall hangings.

On Saturday, April 17th we gathered for her Fussy Cut Workshop. We each made 2 blocks from our border print fabric. The first was the Kaleidoscope block and the second was a block of our choice.  Didn’t they come out great?!?

Assorted fussy cut blocks from the workshop

The Museum of New Hampshire History - in Concord is currently holding an exhibit entitled “Pieced Together: New Hampshire Quilts and Their Stories.”  The exhibit is being held through January 10, 2011.  6 Eagle Square, Concord, NH 03301    603-228-6688

SVQG Website – For those of you that didn’t notice, our web site address will now be at the top of the monthly email letters.  Check out the site sometime.  It’s really great!  Thanks Lisa Teichmann for keeping it updated for us.

Welcome – We have two new members to the guild that we would like to welcome.  They are Kathy Voelker and Faye Tresvik.  Welcome to SVQG ladies, I’m sure you’ll enjoy SVQG just as much as we do.  It’s a really nice, welcoming, fun guild.

Pat Knoechel – Once again we are fortunate to have the sister of Eleanor Burns come and give a demonstration for our guild.  For those that missed her last year when she came, make sure you make the effort to come this year.  She will be at the Messiah Lutheran Church on Thursday evening, May 13^th from 7 – 9 p.m.  This years demonstration will feature the newest publications from Quilt in a Day:  Books: “Quilt Blocks on American Barns” and “Orion’s Star”.  Patterns:  Autumn Leaves, Twice as Nice and Whirligig.  Please feel free to invite any of your friends or relatives to attend as well.  There will be no charge for the demonstration.

Fat Quarter Swap -.This month the fat ¼ swap will be “Patriotic.  This means anything Red, White or Blue.  The fat quarter swap will be the first Thursday evening meeting of the month as well as the first Friday morning meeting.  If you have any questions please contact Jean Greenlea.

Hospitality - The following members have signed up for snacks at our April meetings.  Thursday evening April 1^st: Jeannine Rigney, Lisa Scalia and Ellen Fisher.  Friday, April 2^nd: Donna Craig, Peg MacEwen and Lynn Wolaver.  Thursday evening, April 15^th: Jeannie Weller, Vonnie Schulze, Patty Magaw.  Thank you so much ladies for spoiling us with all the treats at our meetings.

Potato Day – We had a wonderful day at Lou St. Onge’s beautiful home in Milford!  We played three fun games (thank you Lisa), ate way too much food, had show and tell and just plain had a great time talking and visiting with each other.  Thank you again Lou for offering your home to us for the Potato Day celebration.

Board Meeting – The next board meeting will be on April14th at 9:00 a.m. – Joey’s Dinner on 101A.

Join the Celebration! -  The American Quilt Study Group (AQSG), a non-profit organization dedicated to preserving the history of quilts and quilt making, is turning 30! We invite you to join the celebration by participating in a nationwide block challenge called “30s for 30” (see details below). For every 30 blocks received, one person’s name will be drawn to win those blocks. To learn more about AQSG and our annual Seminar, please visit our website at www.americanquiltstudygroup.org. Happy quilting!

30s for 30 QUILT BLOCK CHALLENGE

• Blocks must be 12-1/2” square (to finish to a 12-inch block) and made of either 1930s reproduction fabrics or vintage 1930s fabrics. Fabrics must be 100% cotton. Please pre-wash/pre-shrink all fabrics.
• Blocks may be any design and any color combination, in keeping with the 1930s fabrics.
• Send your blocks to the address below, along with a donation of $3 for the first block, and $1 for each block thereafter sent at the same time. Block donations from groups are welcome. Any funds collected in excess of those needed to complete the project will be donated to the AQSG Endowment fund.
• The blocks will be photographed and the photos will be posted on the AQSG website, along with the maker’s name and state (or country).
• Blocks will be compiled into sets of thirty. At Seminar 2010 in Minneapolis (Oct. 14-17), we will have a drawing for the various sets.  For each block that you send, your name will be entered once into the drawing. You do not need to be present to win.
• Deadline for submitting blocks is Oct. 1, 2010.

Send your blocks and payment (checks made payable to AQSG) to: AQSG ’30s for 30 c/o Paula Pahl, 9204 Sugarstone Circle, Highlands Ranch, CO 80130.  Be sure to include your name, address and phone number.  Questions? Contact Paula at the address above or email: paulapahl@q.com; phone: 303-204-2821.

June BBQ  – Mark your calendars!!!!  This years June barbeque will be on Friday, June 25^th.  We are now starting to plan for this event and are in need of a volunteer to host the barbeque. Could you please contact me if you are willing to have this at your home?  Thank you.  J

Program -  Ann Lainhart will be at our meeting on Thursday evening, April 15^th to give us a Trunk Show on Fussy Cutting.  She uses traditional blocks and gives them a twist by fussy cutting the pieces to create a different look to the block.  She will also be conducting a workshop on Saturday, April 17^th, from 9a.m.- 3:00 p.m., that will be on her pattern, “Fussy Cutting Sampler/Border Quilt”.   We currently have 12 women signed up for the workshop.

SVQG Board for 2010 – 2011  – We are pleased to announced that we have nominated a complete board for the 2010/2011 calendar year.  The nominees are as follows:

Co-Presidents -  Milly Cunningham and Gail Pinet

Co-Vice Presidents -  Michelle Marrone and Jennifer Parent

Secretary -  Kathy Beltz

Treasurer -  Susan Wheatley.

Thank you ladies for volunteering to lead us all through another fun filled year of quilting at SVQG.

Absentee Ballot – If you will be unable to attend either of the business meetings in May could you please email me and I will send an “email ballot” to you so that you can vote for our new board, via email, during the month of April.

Call for Entries – I received this request to add this to our newsletter.  If anyone is interested in following up then they can contact the woman personally for clarification.

Hello SVQG,

Please add the following call for entries to you next newsletter or meeting announcements.

Thanks for your help,

Mary Walter

Houston, TX- Entries sought for “Still We Rise Again: Quilts for New Orleans”

This is a juried exhibit featuring quilts that celebrate the unwavering spirit of New Orleans, the Gulf Coast, themes of rebirth, renewal and the recovery of a city devastated five years ago by Hurricane Katrina. Houston, TX- Entries sought for “Still We Rise Again: Quilts for New Orleans” Quilts will premiere at International Quilt Market & Festival October 30-November 7, 2010. (Other exhibit locations: TBD.)

Entry deadline: July 1, 2010. You may submit up to two entries for consideration.

Jurors: Jennifer Gilbert & Martha Sielman.

For Entry form e-mail: Mary Walter or visit www.aquiltersgarden.com

(Exhibit to benefit appraiser scholarship & conservation workshop for damaged quilts)

Questions contact curator Mary Walter 617-480-6360

Don’t forget to bring your Show and Tell to the meetings!!!

Happy Quilting!!

René G. Therrien – President SVQG

Potato Day

One of our members has graciously offered her home for our Potato Day gathering.  Thank you, to Lou St. Onge, for your generous offer to host this fun day.  We will have more information about Potato Day as it approaches, but for now just mark March 27^th on your calendars to reserve the date.

Crayon Quilt Blocks

This is just a reminder to anyone that may not have turned in their blocks yet.  Please get them to Lisa Scalia as soon as possible.  Thanks to everyone that has made blocks for this program.

Fat Quarter Swap

This month the fat ¼ swap will be “Whimsicals”. Jean has described this as being fabric that is “fun, light and easy on the eyes”.   The fat quarter swap will be the first Thursday evening meeting of the month as well as the first Friday morning meeting.  If you have any questions please contact Jean Greenlea.

Board Meeting

The next board meeting will be March 10^th at 9:00 a.m. at Joey’s Diner on Amherst Street.

Hospitality

The following members have signed up for snacks at our March meetings.  Thursday, March 4^th is Sue Boots, Betty Mazzaro and Pat Zambri.  Friday, March 5^th is  Marge Shaughnessy, Colette McWha and Michele Orlosky.  Thursday, March 18^th is Shannon Chandley, Barbara Warren and Joan Pushee.  Thank you ladies for volunteering.

Maple Leaf Quilters 25^th Festival of Quilts

March 27 & 28, 2010, Saturday 9-5, Sunday 10-4.

Exhibit of antique scrap quilts, including ”vintage butterfly” quilts, Tea Room ~ Basket Ticket Auction, Vendors, Consignment Boutique.  The show is at the College of St. Joseph, Rutland, VT.  Admission – $6.00

Quilt Show

To enter your quilts in the upcoming show you will need to have your forms filled out and returned to  Sue Livsey on the quilt committee by March 15^th.  Her address is 19 Glencliff Way, Nashua, NH  03063.

Chelmsford Quilters’ Guild

presents its Spring Quilt Show Friday, May 14-15 from 12 noon to 8 pm, Saturday 9 am to 4 pm.   It will feature beautiful quilts made by Guild Members, Fantastic Food Court, Raffles, Boutique and Silent Auction.  Admission is $5.00.  Show will be held at the Church of St. John the Evangelist–115 Middlesex Street–North Chelmsford, MA.   For more information please visit: Chelmsford Quilters’ Guild

Board Nominations

The nominating committee is happy to report that we have successfully found members that are will to run for almost all of the positions on the board.  We currently are still in need of a person to run for President.  We actually will need a person that attends the Friday morning meetings to fill the position since all other board candidates attend the Thursday evening meetings since they work during the day.  Only one member of the board needs to be in attendance to run each of the guild meetings so hopefully the running of the meetings could be worked out between the members of the board and the duties could be split among the new board.  We can’t have a quilt guild without people willing to do their part to make it work.  We know that many of you are telling us that you have served on the board in the past so you feel that you’ve done your part.  Unfortunately, when you have such a small guild there isn’t a large pool of members to solicit from.  We currently have approximately 36 members that can be solicited after we’ve discounted members that live out of state (or the country) or that don’t attend meetings at all or that are on the current board.  So that means that we need to have one (or two) of you step up to the plate and run for president/co-president or the guild can’t continue.  I would really hate to see that happen to this wonderful group of women.

Charity Quilts

Barbara and Joan will have “kits” of 3-yard pieces of masculine fabric, that members can then add fabric of their own to, to make a twin size top. Should anyone want to make a complete quilt, great, but Quilts of Valor will also accept tops only, as previously mentioned. Barbara and Joan are planning to give a little demo the first week in March to both evening and morning groups, to show some simple ideas for making easy, but interesting patterns. This is a challenge, and you can do whatever you want. The deadline for bringing the quilt tops back are the first meetings in October.

Barbara would also like all of us to know that all completed comfort quilts reside with her, and if any of us want one for a friend or family member (or someone in the news), we should contact her to schedule a time to select a quilt for that person. The Comfort Quilt Committee does not send or deliver quilts to individuals, but we, as guild members can pick up a quilt and mail it to someone that we would like to see receive one.  We do not typically use guild money to deliver quilts.  We each take responsibility for sending or delivering quilts to people we know.  Only for the Quilts of Valor project will we, as a committee, send the quilts and quilt tops that we receive from members to the Quilts of Valor organization.

Cotton Weeds Quilt Shop

541 US Route 1, Freeport, Maine.  207-865-460

Dear Quilting Friends,

You and all of your quilting friends are invited to join other quilters and escape to Freeport, Maine, for QuiltPortUSA, a fantastic retreat weekend of quilting fun.  The weekend of April 16-18, 2010, will be filled with classes with nationally-known teachers, open sewing, demonstrations, door prizes donated by national vendors, vendor booths, spa services, outlet shopping, planned community events and lots of fun.  The first one hundred registrants will receive a free tote bag.

This event will take place at the Hilton Garden Inn in Freeport, Maine.  Discounted rooms have been set aside for participants.  Freeport, Maine is a New England community internationally known as a destination hotspot for shopping and restaurants.  There will also be planned community activities happening such as a Chocolate Factory tour and wine tasting.  Please view our website QuiltPortUSA for complete information on this fun-filled event and share this information with your guild and all of your quilting friends.

We look forward to seeing you there!

Joanne and Meredith

Cotton Weeds Quilt Shop

New England Quilt Museum

If anyone is interested in checking out what is happening at the NE Quilt Museum use the link above.  In March they are having “Kinder Komforts” Amish Crib Quilts, featuring the work of Dorothy Bosselman who does miniatures some as small as 6” in size.

Don’t forget to bring your Show and Tell to the meetings!!!

Happy Quilting!!

René G. Therrien – President SVQG

Judy, René and Jeannie

Eighteen members of the Guild went on a quilting retreat just a half hour from home.  We have gone on retreats for the past 8 years twice a year and just love being away together.   Needless to say there was lots of sewing accompanied by a lot of stories and laughter, and of course everyone pitched in with advice, collaboration and help.  In addition to our own individual quilt projects which included baby clothes, lap quilts, Queen-sized quilts, Mystery Quilts and purses, we finished 2 quilt tops for our Comfort Quilt Closet.  The squares had been made previously.  Everyone who wanted to work on the squares chose a crayon and then had to match a fabric to the crayon color.  We then made an Ohio Star block using that fabric and white for the background.  The blocks were then assembled into 2 completely different quilt tops.  We were thrilled to accomplish so much! – Jeannie Weller

Eighteen talented ladies attended the February SVQG retreat at the Barbara Harris Conference Center in Greenfield, NH. From arrival on Friday morning to departure on Sunday afternoon, it was a weekend filled with laughter, humming sewing machines, lots of yummy goodies, and the companionship of friends. The weather co-operated, too, with sunny, mild days perfect for a mini-vacation.

A few of the results from the Deb Tucker workshop

While there, the ladies worked on various projects (add pictures) from king-size to baby quilts. Most ladies worked by machine, but we also had a few quietly sewing or quilting by hand. Several completed their “Hunter’s Star” quilts begun in a recent SVQG workshop with Deb Tucker. These were in a rainbow of colors and fabrics, from modern batiks to 30’s reproductions. Everyone chipped in to complete two lovely tops for charity. The blocks were made by SVQG last month as part of our “Crayon Block Challenge”. We chose tropical colors for one quilt and jewel tones for the other. One lady made a cool “race-car” themed quilt for our charity cupboard on her own.

We enjoyed the delicious meals provided by the camp, as well as meeting new friends in the dining hall. Saturday night was “show & tell” with a quilt bee attending from the Manchester, NH area. We all enjoyed showing our work and seeing theirs, especially one lady’s mini quilt with over 580 pieces in a 9”x12” quilt!

We sewed nearly “around the clock” with early birds revving up their machines at 5:00 am and “night owls” working till 2:00 am!! Many stitches were sewed in those hours and a fun time was had by all! – Lisa Scalia

What a Crazy Group of Women!!!!  If you are a quilter you already know how much fun going on a quilting retreat can be.  Our guild just had another retreat here in NH that 18 of our members attended.  It was filled with lots of sewing, conferring, laughter, constructing quilts for charity, laughter,  evening happy hours, eating (way too much eating, staying up way to late and did I mention laughter??  The weather was absolutely beautiful since the sun just perked everyone up all weekend. All in all it was more fun than any human should be allowed to have.    Join us next time!!!!! – René Therrien

The cast of characters....