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NEXT MEETING: SEPTEMBER 1, 2008

DOOR PRIZES: If your last name begins with N, O or R please bring a door prize to the August meeting and give it to Elisabeth McMahon. This is a voluntary effort, but most of us like to receive a door prize and we hope everyone will participate. Please bring only quilting related items such as: Quilting Notions, fat quarters, triangle paper, magnetic pin holders, scissors, Pigma pens, etc.

WHAT TO BRING TO THE MEETING

• Items for the “Swap & Shop” program.  What a great way to sell, trade, or just get rid of some unwanted or unneeded quilting or sewing item.  Perhaps you made an “oops” or it’s just not what you want anymore.
• Door prizes if your last name begins with: N, O, R
• Canned Goods (if you want to help the Grand Prairie Food & Clothing Co-Op).
• Your next completed row on the row quilt (Stockings Row).
  

PRESIDENT’S CORNER How exciting to see so many guests at our last meeting.  We certainly hope they enjoyed Grace’s program as much as we did.  Grace you are such an inspiration.
Well, I have made my reservations for the International Quilt Show in Houston.  It is hard to believe that it is that time again.  My cousin and her friend have already chosen the classes they are going to take, so I started going down the list of classes that are offered.  There are literally hundreds of classes taught by nationally known teachers but the best part is meeting quilters from all over the US.  Anyway, hope to see many of you there.  It is a great time.

BIRTHDAYS
Lillie Martinez: September 14
Juanita Green: September 21

DUES NEWS For any of our visitors that wish to join the Guild, our annual membership dues are $20 (regular) and $15 (age 65 and older).  If you are joining after the middle of the year, it’s $10 (regular) and $7.50 (age 65 and older).  You may come as a visitor to two meetings, but after that (or if you like us after the first meeting), we do ask that you join.

AUGUST VISITORS How wonderful it was to have such a great visitor turnout at our August meeting.  This year’s publicity–Carol’s efforts at getting our meeting on the calendar and the write up about our 15th birthday in the newspaper–have made a difference.  If you visited with us in August (or any other time) we’d love for you to come back to our September meeting.  If you can’t make September, you’re always welcome to join us any first Monday.  We meet whether it’s a holiday or not!

ALEX ANDERSON The Bernina Sewing Centers of Dallas announced that Alex Anderson will be their featured speaker at a seminar on Sept. 16, 2008. Read the details here.

PERFECT ATTENDANCE Don’t forget about the Perfect Attendance Award.  If you have perfect attendance at the meetings during the year, you are eligible for a drawing in December.  If you win the drawing, you don’t have to pay membership dues the next year.

“QUILTY” STUFF If you would like to get in touch with Sandy Holton, the former fabric representative who came to the August meeting, her email is sandy.holton@gmail.com.  She says she’s got lots of “quilty” stuff for sale at a good price.  Maybe she’ll bring some of it to our September meeting to sell!  If you email her, be sure to let her know why you’re emailing her in the subject line, so she doesn’t think your message is spam.

TREASURER’S REPORT
Beginning Balance: 1257.05
Final Balance: 1257.05

SWAP AND SHOP For September, we will have a “Swap & Shop” program. Everyone should make contact with at least one other member of the guild between now & then, and set up their station in pairs, or teams. One can sit at the station while the other shops. We are not limited to only selling our stuff. If you are one of those ladies that likes to bargain, certainly we should be open to swapping goods as well. Here are some ideas that we could bring to the table:

• Books
• Magazines
• Patterns
• Buttons
• Fabric
• Thread
• Notions
• Tools of the trade
• Ribbons
• Ric-rac
• Rulers
• Stencils
• Marking pens or pencils
• Measuring tapes
• Storage boxes

I suggest that we put price tags on things that we wish to sell. If you don’t care to bargain, put your bottom line price (BLP) on it. If you have a stash of things that you would prefer to swap, put them into a separate pile, with a “Trade ya” sign in front of that pile. If there are some items that you just want to be rid of, and don’t care if you swap or get a price for it, make a pile with a sign that says “Free for the taking”.

Don’t forget to bring some canned goods for the food pantry.

ANVIL:

And here is a pattern for paper piecing. It is the anvil block, typically done in 2 colors. I have marked the background areas, so the unmarked areas would be the other fabric besides the background fabric. Remember that paper piecing creates a mirror image. The solid lines are the sewing lines, and the dotted lines are the cutting lines. There will be a total of 4 units to sew together. Remember to use a much smaller stitch length when sewing through paper. Square each unit up to the cutting lines, then tear off the paper. Stitch the units together in order. When it is all stitched together, it should measure up to 6.5 inches square.

MINUTES

• The Aug. 4, 2008 meeting was called to order by President Debi Cypert at 7 p.m. The minutes were approved as printed in the newsletter.
• The treasurer’s report was approved as printed in the newsletter and filled for audit.
• There were 18 members and 10 visitors present.
• Remembrances: Sharon Milewski recently broke both her arms in a car accident. She soon will be having surgery on one arm. Please keep her in your thoughts and prayers.
• Marty Staten won a ribbon for he Columbine Quilt at the Ellis County Quilt Show in Midlothian in July.
• Row Quilt: The next row for those following the pattern in the Stocking Row. Bring it to show at the September meeting.
• Workshops: July 26 was the UFO workshop at First Presbyterian Church. Four people came. We had fun and got some things accomplished. Next workshop will be Saturday, Sept. 27 at the church from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. It will be a mystery quilt. Sign-up sheet will be available at the September meeting. We will have a salad lunch.
• Future programs: September, TBD; October, Quilt Parts from Lewisville; November, Ugly Fabric Challenge Style Show; December, Christmas Party.
• Newsletter: Alex Anderson is coming to Dallas. Details will be on our website.
• Door prizes were won by Jane Coffey, Joan Vega, Norma Thompson and Kathleen Leddy.
• Tonight’s program was presented by our own Grace Norris. She presented a trunk show and took us on her journey of quilting starting with her yo-yo quilt. She had lots of things to show us!
• The meeting was adjourned at about 8:30 p.m.

Michelle Rodriguez

WORKSHOP NEWS: The Mystery quilt workshop is scheduled for September 27 from 9 a.m.— 3 p.m. at First Presbyterian Church.  Several of you signed up at the August meeting, but you can also sign up at the September meeting.  I will provide the cutting instructions at the September meeting.  In order to get a good start on the quilt during the workshop, you should have everything cut except the borders when you arrive.
A reminder about fabric requirements:  You will need 1/4 yard or 1 fat quarter each of 5 dark prints, 5 medium prints, and 5 lights prints.  That is 15 pieces of fabric in all.  You will need an additional 1-1/2 yards for the border.  You could wait until the majority of the quilt is put together before you choose a border.  If you want to make the quilt larger than  48×60, you will need additional fabric to make more blocks.  I had fabric suggestions at the last meeting.  If you have additional questions, please contact me.

You will need to bring your usual sewing supplies such as sewing machine, cutting mat and rotary cutter, scissors, pins, ruler, thread, etc.

Bring a salad to share with the group at lunch plus any snacks and drinks you want for the day.  We always have a great time at the workshops and I hope you will join us.

Shirley Lewis

ROW QUILT
If you are working on the row quilt the way the pattern shows it, the next row is the Stockings Row.  Everyone working on the project should try and bring their row to the September 1st meeting.  If you are working the pattern a different way, bring your next completed row then, too.  We look forward to seeing everyone’s work in progress.

UPCOMING PROGRAMS
October: Donna Bell from Quilt Parts in Lewisville
November: Ugly Fabric Style Show
December: Christmas Party