Meeting Recap (December 11th, 2021)

Thank you to everyone who came out to Saturday's meeting and participated in the raffle! It was a great way to finish the year and we had a blast!

We covered a few bits of housekeeping:

• It's time to pay your 2022 dues, which are holding steady at $40 for next year. You can pay via our link. Dues are due by December 31 to remain a member in good standing. You can renew in January but it's best to do so early so you can stay in the loop with our emails - since if you are not renewed by the 31st your name gets removed from the email list.
• 2022 committee sign-ups are still open! The link to sign ups will be in this week's email.
• All our final PICU quilts were collected and thanks to everyone generous quilt making we were able to split our donations to two different hospitals - thanks to everyone who made this such a successful donation!

• We said a huge thank you to our outgoing board members, who have helped see us through some truly strange times this last year. We especially appreciate all you've done, Lilo Whitener-Fey (President) in stepping up these last few years to get us through all the zooms and back to our regularly scheduled (tho still masked) programming. The guild also presented Lilo with a beautiful quilt made with love by all the members - to say thanks for all of her hard work and leadership. Thanks go out to all the guild members who sent in blocks and helped put together and piece the top, as well as a special thank you to Dottie Vaughn who did some beautiful quilting, as well as Christine Boyd for being sneaky collecting blocks and doing some big-stitch binding!

 

• The highlight of our meeting was the big ticket raffle. Thanks to all the members you donated and made it such a special event - we had well over 150 items! An extra special thanks to those who purchased additional tickets to make the fundraiser such a success. We hope you had fun and got to go home with a fun new item or two.

• We wrapped up the meeting with another great Show and Tell - keep an eye on our Instagram and Facebook page to see pictures of quilts that were shared, and to stay up to date on what's to come next year! 

Meeting #116 (December 11th, 2021)

Howdy modern quilters! It's our last meeting of the year and always one of our members' favorites. We hope you can join us!

Date: December 11th, 2021
Time: 10 am-12:30 pm
Location: Shrewsbury Center - 5200 Shrewsbury Ave, St. Louis, MO 63119

Agenda:

-Welcome & Guild Business
     :: Membership Information
     :: Financial Information
     :: Quilting News / Around Town
     :: Reminders

- Activity: December ticket raffle! Use your tickets for a chance to win your favorite items.
IMPORTANT! You can still donate items at the December meeting. All the information you need about donations and how the raffle works can be found in this blog post. This year you can also purchase your tickets in advance using the link in your email!

---Break--- 

- Draw for raffle prizes

- Show & Tell (time permitting)
- Holiday cheer and catch up!

-------------------------- Reminders ------------------------------

:: We're still accepting dues for 2022, which we are holding steady at $40 for next year. You can pay your dues at the meeting in-person or using the square link.
:: PICU Baby quilts - all remaining baby quilts are due.

:: STLMQG Committee Signups 2022 - make sure to get your names in for the comittees you are interested in joining. 

Meeting Recap (November 13, 2021)

Quilting Trivia was a hit! There were laughs, there were sighs and ultimately the masked Quilters took top spot after a tiebreaker with the Corner Table! Competing teams like the Sexy Hexies, the Spoolies, the Flying Geese and more battled it out over knowledge about patterns, fabric, notions and STLMQG & MQG history. It was a fun time for competition and a little learning! 

Guild Business:

• Gail Luther, treasurer touched on the current state of the guild finances - if you'd like to know more make sure to connect with Gail.
  
  
• Christine Boyd, our secretary gave a quick update on member numbers. We are currently sitting at about 175! Make sure to pay your 2022 dues so you can stay in the loop. If you're not a member yet - check out how to join.
  
  
• Our Vice President Em Komiskey covered some of the online happenings coming up, below is a list. 

    "Quilting Adjacent" Classes at Perennial STL!   

• Mini Macrame Ornaments, Wednesday December 8, 6:30pm-8:30pm
• Upcycled Sweater Mittens, Wednesday December 15, 6:00pm-9:00pm
• Leather Wallet, Saturday December 18, 10am-12:30pm
• Intro to Embroidery, Saturday December 18, 10am-1pm

Items Covered:

• 2022 STLMQG Board Members: Cathy Jones - President, Octavia Pitts - Secretary, Returning Members: Em Kominsky - Vice President, Gail Luther - Treasurer (pictured left to right)
  
  
  
  
• 4x5 Quarterly Bees Signups Open - Quarterly Block Bees - Signups for round 4 are open now! Link is in your email. Please reach out to guild Vice President Em Komiskey with any questions - and please make sure to post progress pictures and tag #stlmqg4x5bee on IG!
  
  
• Hand Sew *Home* Happy Hour will be on break for the holidays - stay tuned for meetings in 2022!
  
  
• Skill builder Thank You! A huge thank you to everyone who participated posted and taught! Shoutouts to our teachers: Leila Gardunia, Lilo Whitener-Fey, Christine Boyd, Octavia Pitts, Jessica Schunke, Sarah Holst, and Em Kominsky! 
  
  
• 2022 Member Dues - We have some exciting things planned for 2022 so make sure that you are current with your dues so you can stay in the know and on the email list! You can pay dues online here or in person at the meetings. We are excited for 2022 and want to make sure everyone sticks along for the ride! If you are a new member please check out the new member page to fill out your application. 
  
  
• 
  Quiltcon Community Challenge Quilt - a huge thank you to everyone who helped make this beautiful quilt!
  
  
• Vet Quilts - Vet Community Quilts were due at this meeting, our goal was 30 quilts and we knocked that out of the park with 41! Thank you to everyone who participated and made our goal a reality.
  
  
• PICU Quilts our two color challenge quilts PICU Quilts were due at this previous meeting and our members showed us some awesome creations. Our goal is 60 quilts - we've also knocked this out of the park so far with 94! We will still be accepting quilts at the December meeting so make sure to bring your quilts then! Also please share your finished quilts on social using #stlmqg #stlmqgcards and #stlmqgpicuquilts!
  
  
• December 2021 Holiday Raffle - We will be taking donations for tickets for the December holiday raffle next month. Please note: these donations are not what you might put on the free table; we are looking for retail quality items that most folks in the guild would be excited to take home. And don't feel limited to just quilt related items! Anything you think might be fun including wine, gift cards, or anything else you have hanging around that you would like to pass on. You can buy your raffle tickets prior to the meeting in December - please see your member email for details. And remember to bring something to write your name on your tickets with, mailing labels or stamps work great for this too!
  
  
• 2022 Committee Signups - Signups are now open for next year's committees - our committees are the glue of the guild and keep us involved and exciting. We would love to have you participate! If you're interested check out the link in your member email to signup now.

• Fabric Raffle 
  Thanks to another very generous donation from our sponsor Cotton Cuts we had two excited members win some awesome Wild Forgotten by Bonnie Christine & AGF! As always we are so thankful for a local fabric sponsor - check out Cotton Cuts to see how you can get fabric delivered to your door!

Meeting #115 (November 13th, 2021)

We had a great time making holiday cards together last month and we loved the time to catch up and enjoy time with folks. A similarly good time will be had this week - we will be having a friendly trivia competition to test everyone's guild knowledge. Make sure you've been keeping up on your emails and been keeping those eyes peeled online for quilting knowledge tidbits. We will be meeting this Saturday from 10:00am - 12:00pm at the Shrewsbury Center - in the multi-purpose room this week - see the Meeting and Events Tab for more information. All members will be required to wear masks regardless of vaccine status.

We are still planning on Zooming the meeting and are hoping those on zoom will be their own team to participate in the trivia and join in the fun! The link and info will be sent to your member email later this week. 

This meeting will include:

-Welcome & Zoom Courtesy 101

- Guild Business:
  :: Membership Information
  :: Financial Information
  :: Quilting News

- Announcements/Reminders

  :: November Fabric Bundle Raffle - See your email for more details and the link. 

  :: 4x5 Quarterly Bee Updates

  :: 2022 Board Updates

  :: 2022 Membership Dues

  :: QuiltCon Community Challenge Quilt Update

  :: 2022 Guild Speakers & Events

  :: December Raffle 

  :: Committee Sign-ups 2022

  :: Committee Announcements

  :: Charity Quilt Projects

  :: Member Updates

- Quilting Trivia

- October Skill Builder Prize Winner

- November Bundle Raffle Drawing

- Show & Share

-------------------------- Reminders/Items Due ------------------------------

:: Don't forget to post your pictures of your new binding skills on IG using the hashtag #stlmqgskillbuilder or email us at stlmqg@gmail.com to be entered to win this month's prize.

:: Holiday Cards - make sure to bring any additional cards to the meeting this week.

:: 2022 Membership dues are open now - don't forget to get those paid so you stay in the know - link will be in your member email.

:: 2022 Committee signups are open now - you can signup online using the link in your email or signup in person at the meeting this week. 

:: December raffle - make sure to bring your retail quality items to this month and next month's meetings. Items donated will earn you tickets to use to enter to win items at the raffle in December. 

:: Charity quilts deadlines are coming up! CG PICU Baby quilts are due in December & The Veterans Community Project (VCP) quilts are due this month! If you are participating in the Two-Color Challenge PICU quilts those are due at this meeting as well!

Meeting Recap (October 16th, 2021)

Members got into the holiday spirit this past Saturday by making holiday cards for local nursing home residents - it was a lovely way for members to relax and catch up while making cards that we are sure will make folks VERY happy this holiday season. 

Guild Business:

• Gail Luther, treasurer touched on the current state of the guild finances - if you'd like to know more make sure to connect with Gail.
  
  
• Christine Boyd, our secretary gave a quick update on member numbers. We are currently sitting at about 175! We are thrilled to see our guild staying strong even in these strange times - If you're not a member yet - check out how to join.
  
  
• Our Vice President Em Komiskey covered some of the online happenings coming up, below is a list. 
  
  - Patchwork Quilted Pants at Perennial STL!   Wednesday, October 20th & 27th 18th, 6-9pm Learn More  
  - Stitching Stories from the Past - St. Louis Field House Museum Learn More
  - Suzy Quilts' Holiday Party Quilt SA October 12th - November 23 Learn More

Items Covered:

• October Skill Builder - Big Stitch Binding with Sarah Holst! @sarah_made Zoom with us Wednesday, October 27nd from 7-8pm. Look for your member email and zoom link reminders the night before. This will be our final skill builder of the year. We are so grateful for all the participation - this was such a fun way to learn some new things this year.
  
  
• 4x5 Quarterly Bees - Quarterly Block Bees - Block are due NEXT MONTH! Please reach out to guild Vice President Em Komiskey with any questions - and please make sure to post progress pictures and tag #stlmqg4x5bee on IG!
  
  
• Hand Sew *Home* Happy Hour October 19th from 6-9 - come and go as you please!
  
  
• 2022 Member Dues - We have some exciting things planned for 2022 so make sure that you are current with your dues so you can stay in the know and on the email list! You can pay dues online here or in person at the meetings. We are excited for 2022 and want to make sure everyone sticks along for the ride! If you are a new member please check out the new member page to fill out your application. 
  
  
• QuiltCon 2022 - The Quilt show entries are open for just a few more weeks through October 31, 2021. 
  
  
• Board Elections:  Octavia Pitts has put her name in for secretary and we had some interest in the president position. If needed we will hold elections next month, otherwise will announce our final two new 2022 board members then. 
  
  
• 2022 Speaker Announcement
  
  
  
  Papper Sax Sten - Jenny Haynes (Nilsson) @pappersaxsten will be be with us May 14-15 - She will be speaking with the guild at our May meeting and there will be Online Classes offered Saturday & Sunday - more info to come!
  
  
• Vet Quilts - the deadline for this is next month at the November meeting! We still need some quilts to hit our goal so read more about those here.
  
  
• Charity Committee Summer/ Fall Project - we are making small quilts for the Cardinal Glennon Children’s Hospital Pediatric Intensive Care Unit (CG PICU). Our goal is 60 quilts - please check out the blog post for more information about sizes, color schemes, and deadlines. Make sure to share your finished quilts on social using #stlmqg #stlmqgcards and #stlmqgpicuquilts!
  
  
• Two-Color Challenge - to help bump up the creativity with the baby quilts the challenge committee announced that they were going to have members pull two random colors from the color chips pile to use to make your PICU quilt. You can pick colors at the October meeting as well! Lots of ideas and patterns can be found on the blog post. Read more here. 
  
  Bring the quilts to the November meeting (distance members can email photos). Two winners will be drawn at the November meeting to receive gift certificates.
  
  Be sure to share your creations on Instagram with #stlmqgpicuchallenge
  
  
• December 2021 Holiday Raffle - We will be taking donations for tickets for the December holiday raffle next month. Please note: these donations are not what you might put on the free table; we are looking for retail quality items that most folks in the guild would be excited to take home. And don't feel limited to just quilt related items! Anything you think might be fun including wine, gift cards, or anything else you have hanging around that you would like to pass on. 
  
  
• 2022 Committee Signups - Signups are now open for next year's committees - our committees are the glue of the guild and keep us involved and exciting. We would love to have you participate! If you're interested check out the link in your member email to signup now.
  
  
• Holiday Cards for Nursing Homes
  
  
  
  Members had a great time making holiday cards for local nursing home residents this month. If you would like to make more our final card size is 5.5”x4.5” - we will be collecting all remaining cards at the November meeting. Check out some of the pictures of our members in action and our final results. Thank you to everyone on the programming committee for pulling this together and to all the members for making such wonderful cards for our nursing home residents this holiday season. 
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  

• Fabric Raffle 
  Thanks to another very generous donation from our sponsor Cotton Cuts we had two excited members win some awesome Bookish by Sharon Holland! As always we are so thankful for a local fabric sponsor - check out Cotton Cuts to see how you can get fabric delivered to your door!

Meeting #114 (Saturday October 16th, 2021)

It's hard to believe another month has already passed and and the fall season is already upon us! Since we had to miss our usual October SewMe this year we are having a *special* October meeting this coming Saturday the 16th. We will be meeting from 10:00am - 12:00pm at the Shrewsbury Center in the multi-purpose room. We will be making holiday cards for local nursing homes this month and it will be a lovely opportunity to relax, visit, and work on something that doesn't require a lot of concentration. For a full list of the year's remaining meeting see the Meeting and Events Tab.

For those at home we are still planning on Zooming the meeting so you can still join in! The link and info will be sent to your member email later this week. If you are participating from afar and wish to send some holiday cards we will be collecting them at the November meeting so let us know if you would like to mail yours - reach out to us at stlmqg@gmail.com.

Just a friendly reminder that we are still looking for someone to step up to fill the upcoming open role of STLMQG President as our current president is not planning to run again - if you or anyone you know might be a good fit please reach out to Pam Hartig at the meeting or shoot her email to let her know you're interested. 

This meeting will include:

-Welcome & Zoom Courtesy 101

- Guild Business:
  :: Membership Information
  :: Financial Information
  :: Quilting News

- Announcements/Reminders

  :: October Fabric Bundle Raffle - See your email for more details and the link. 

  :: Monthly Skill Builder October 

  :: 4x5 Quarterly Bee Updates

  :: 2022 Member Dues

  :: Board Elections

  :: QuiltCon Community Challenge Quilt (Blocks due Saturday!!)
  :: 2022 Speaker Announcement

  :: December Holiday Raffle

  :: 2022 Committee Signups

  :: Committee Announcements

  :: Member Updates

- October Activity: Homemade Holiday Cards for local Nursing Homes (check member email for a list of supplies to bring)

- Show & Share

- September Skill Builder Prize Winner

- October Bundle Raffle Drawing

-------------------------- Reminders/Items Due ------------------------------

:: Don't forget to post your pictures of your new needle turned applique skills using the hashtag #stlmqgskillbuilder or email us at stlmqg@gmail.com to be entered to win this month's prize.

:: QuiltCon Community Challenge Quilt Blocks are due THIS SATURDAY!! Blocks not returned by then or postmarked by the 15th are not likely to be included. Please make sure you write your name on your return envelope.

:: Charity quilts deadlines are coming up! CG PICU Baby quilts are due in December & The Veterans Community Project (VCP) quilts are due in November.

Meeting Recap (September 11th, 2021)

We are getting into the groove of things with our second month back - we appreciate everyone's patience and good humor as we get used to all the in-person things and the quirks of running zoom meetings with them. We had a fabulous turnout Saturday and we just love seeing old and new faces alike (behind masks of course). Thanks to everyone who came out! 

Guild Business:

• Gail Luther, treasurer touched on the current state of the guild finances - if you're ever interested in more information about our finances please connect with Gail.
  
  
• Christine Boyd, our secretary gave a quick update on member numbers. We are currently sitting at about 160! We had at least 2 new applications Saturday - we are thrilled to see our membership growing strong! If you're not a member yet - check out how to join.
  
  
• Our Vice President Em Komiskey covered some of the online happenings coming up, below is a list. 
  
  - Monogram Embroidery at Perennial STL!   Saturday September 18th, 10am - 12:30pm Learn More  
  - Stitching Stories from the Past - St. Louis Field House Museum Learn More
  - Denyse Schmidt's Snake Trail Sew Along Begins September 7th Learn More

Items Covered:

• August Skill Builder - Needle Turned Applique with guild member and previous guild president Jessica Schunke! Zoom with us Wednesday, September 22nd from 7-8pm. Look for your member email and zoom link reminders the night before.
  
  
• 4x5 Quarterly Bees - Quarterly Block Bees - Round 3 is underway - please reach out to guild Vice President Em Komiskey with any questions - and please make sure to post progress pictures and tag #stlmqg4x5bee on IG!
  
  
• Hand Sew *Home* Happy Hour September 28th from 6-9 - come and go as you please!
  
  
• Board Elections - President & Secretary Positions are open for next year - they are two-year terms and we ask that if you are considering that you please notify Pam Hartig (pmhartig21@sbcglobal.net) by Oct 1st so we can announce the candidates in the October meeting and vote in November. If you have any questions please feel free to reach out to past or current board members to see if these positions might be a good fit for you.
  
  
• QuiltCon 2022 - The Quilt show entries are open NOW through October 31, 2021. 
  
  
• 
  2021 Remaining Monthly Meetings: If you were with us this past weekend we met in the Multi-purpose room at the Shrewsbury City Center - this will be our new home for the rest of 2021 - it was a bit chilly in there so we defiantly suggest bringing along a cozy sweater. A Zoom option will be available for those unable to attend. 
  NOTE: Our October meeting will be on the 16th - this is NOT the 2nd Saturday of the month. 
  
  
• Guild Merch - we only have a few items left! Let us if you're interested in snagging anything - we will have these at our next in-person meeting for sale.
  
  
  
• Quiltcon Community Challenge
  This year's quilt is an interpretation of a map that depicts the racial diversity/integration in the STL metro area. Blocks are due NEXT MONTH! If you picked up a packet they are addressed too so if you can't make it to the meeting drop it in the mail (3 stamps should cover it)
  
  
  
• Vet Quilts - the deadline for this is coming up in November - we still need some quilts to hit our goal so read more about those here.
  
  
• Charity Committee Summer/ Fall Project - we are making small quilts for the Cardinal Glennon Children’s Hospital Pediatric Intensive Care Unit (CG PICU). Our goal is 60 quilts - please check out the blog post for more information about sizes, color schemes, and deadlines. Make sure to share your finished quilts on social using #stlmqg #stlmqgcards and #stlmqgpicuquilts!
  
  
• Two-Color Challenge - to help bump up the creativity with the baby quilts the challenge committee announced that they were going to have members pull two random colors from the color chips pile to use to make your PICU quilt. You can pick colors at the October meeting as well! Lots of ideas and patterns can be found on the blog post. Read more here. 
  
  Bring the quilts to the November meeting (distance members can email photos). Two winners will be drawn at the November meeting to receive gift certificates.
  
  Be sure to share your creations on Instagram with #stlmqgpicuchallenge
  
  
• October Meeting Holiday Cards - We will be making holiday cards to send to local nursing homes in the area - check out some of the tutorials ahead of time in the link in your email to prep for the meeting - things to bring with you: glue, scissors, pinking shears, markers/pens, large needle/thread, trim, sequins, beads, fabric (holiday-specific and whatever else).
  
  
• Quilt Photography - Angela Armstrong (@todd_studios)
  
  
  Angela has started out as a family photographer but recently connected with guild president Lilo Whitener-Fey to help her take photos for her business Trace Creek Quilting. Angela & Lilo have learned a lot through their adventures in photo taking and Angela was kind enough to share some of her best tips & tricks.
  
  Things to take pictures of:
  - Full length of the quilt
  - Details of the fabric
  - Details of the quilting
  - Details of the backing
  
  Use Instagram, Pinterest & Google search to get ideas of how to display your quilt - so many options of how to fold or drape quilts. 
  
  Check out STL parks! There are tons of great photo places around St. Louis - check out the parks around you for great places to start. Cool walls, buildings, sculptures - always keep your eyes peeled for interesting locations!
  
  Bring a quilt photo 'toolbox' with things like scissors, tacks, hammer, step stool, lint roller, double-sided tape, etc...
  
  Consider the time of day - mornings and late afternoons work best - noon is a harsh time of day as well as weather - the wind is not your friend!
  
  
  
  
  Angela covered different lighting settings and how to make the most of them, or what to avoid such as having the light behind you - this can cause the quilt holder to show up in the photo which is probably not your goal. If you're shooting photos inside - make sure you shoot near a window - move your furniture or find props to use but make use of the natural light.
  
  Don't forget the details! Use the all the swirls and twists to make your up-close photos interesting - but you want to record the close-up details of your quilt. 
  
  Editing apps and cameras - make use of your phone - newer phones have a portrait mode and this can be an awesome way to get great pictures of the details while also blurring the background. Use the setting in the camera & in the photos app you can usually use the editing features that come with your phone to do things like bumping up the contrast and clarity. But you can make use of free apps out there like Studio, Snapseed, or PicCollage to quickly edit from your phone.
  
  

• Fabric Raffle 
  Thanks to another very generous donation from our sponsor Cotton Cuts we had two excited members win some awesome fabric and goodies!

 

2021 Two Color Challenge

You will pick two random color cards during our break at the September meeting. Distance members who would like colors should reach out to the guild and we will get colors assigned to you!

From those two colors, you will select fabrics that read primarily of the colors pulled and create a NICU mini quilt (see blog for specifications) for our charity project. 

Parameters: 

• You can combine with up to one additional color of your choice. 
• You may use neutrals, low volumes to even out your color pallet.
• You must follow the guidelines for PICU quilts outlined by the Charity Committee. 
• Challenge quilts are due at the November meeting. (Note: additional PICU quilts will continue to be accepted at our December meeting.)

Bring the quilts to the November meeting. Distance members can email photos to the guild to be included in the drawing. Two winners will be drawn at the November meeting to receive gift certificates.

Here are a few links to some easy patterns to get your creative juices flowing. 

Samelia's Mum

Bonjour Quilts

The Spruce Crafts

Be sure to share your creations on Instagram with #stlmqgpicuchallenge. Have fun and thanks for participating!

-The Swap/Challenge Committee

    Kerry, Kathy, Tess, Candice, Katie and Em 

Meeting #113 (September 12th, 2021)

Our in-person meeting in August was a smashing success! And we'll be back at it again this week - get to see everyone and get to get some awesome quilt photography tips! We will be meeting this Saturday from 10:00am - 12:00pm at the Shrewsbury Center - in the multi-purpose room this week - see the Meeting and Events Tab for more information. With the COVID numbers on the rise still, we will be taking precautions to keep everyone safe and healthy and we will be following the CDC guidelines for wearing masks. All members will be required to wear masks regardless of vaccine status. We will also have theatre seating to ensure that you are able to keep a safe distance.

Just like last month for those who need to play it safe and wish to stay at home, we are still planning on Zooming the meeting so you can still join in! The link and info will be sent to your member email later this week. 

If you weren't with us last month or are new to the guild check out this special blog post to learn more about what to expect at the meeting. 

This meeting will include:

-Welcome & Zoom Courtesy 101

- Guild Business:
  :: Membership Information
  :: Financial Information
  :: Quilting News

- Announcements/Reminders

  :: August Fabric Bundle Raffle - See your email for more details and the link. 

  :: Monthly Skill Builder September 

  :: 4x5 Quarterly Bee Updates

  :: Board Elections

  :: QuiltCon 2022

  :: Guild Merch

  :: 2021 Remaining Monthly Meetings
  :: QuiltCon Community Challenge Quilt

  :: STLMQG Quilt Show 2022

  :: Committee Announcements

  :: Member Updates

- Quilt Photography presentation by Angela Armstrong @todd_studios

- August Skill Builder Prize Winner

- September Bundle Raffle Drawing

- Show & Share

-------------------------- Reminders/Items Due ------------------------------

:: Don't forget to post your pictures of your Quilt Math on IG using the hashtag #stlmqgskillbuilder or email us at stlmqg@gmail.com to be entered to win this month's prize.

:: QuiltCon Community Challenge Quilt Blocks are due at the September or October meeting - or please mail by the 15th of October!

:: Charity quilts deadlines are coming up! CG PICU Baby quilts are due in December & The Veterans Community Project (VCP) quilts are due in November.

Meeting Recap (August 14th, 2021)

Our first meeting in-person back from the pandemic break was this past weekend and we sure think it was a huge hit! We had about 80 folks show up and we appreciate everyone masking up and staying safe. We loved to see everyone and get a chance to catch up on all the things - and we loved too see our some of fellow members online as well for the hybrid version of the meeting. 

Guild Business:

• The board provided some fun giveaways as a thank you to all our members who have stuck with us and even joined new throughout the past 18 months. For members who do not live near, we intend to mail these to you within the next month. For those of you who do not anticipate being at a meeting anytime soon, feel free to let us know if someone else will be picking up on your behalf. There is no rush for you to collect these items. 

• Gail Luther, treasurer touched on the current state of the guild fiancnes - please connect with Gail if you want to learn more.
  
  
• Christine Boyd, our secretary gave a quick update on member numbers. We are currently sitting at about 153! We had quite a few guests attending on Saturday and are pleased to see a few new applications coming in! If you're not a member yet - check out how to join.
  
  
• Our Vice President Em Komiskey covered some of the online happenings coming up, below is a list. 
  
  - Dyeing with Indigo class at Perennial STL!   Saturday August 21st, 10am - 12:30pm Learn More  
  - Spectacular Summer SAL with Quilted Connections June 14th - September 12th with monthly prize Drawings Check it out Here
  - English Paper Piecing a Dresden at Jackman's Fabrics Thursdays September 2nd & 9th, 10am-12pm Learn More

Items Covered:

• August Skill Builder - Quilt Math! Guild vice president Em Komiskey will be sharing all her tips and tricks for how to use those math skills to help you in your quilting projects. Zoom with us Wednesday, August 25th from 7-8pm. Look for your member email and zoom link reminders the night before.
  
  
• Hand Sew *Home* Happy Hour August 31st from 6-9 - we would love to see you!
  
  
• 4x5 Quarterly Bees - Quarterly Block Bees - Round 2 should have wrapped this past weekend with exchanging blocks. Signups for Round 3 will be in your recap email. Make sure to post progress pictures and tag #stlmqg4x5bee on IG
  
  
• Board Elections - President & Secretary Positions are open for next year - they are two year terms and we ask that if you are considering that you please notify Pam Hartig (pmhartig21@sbcglobal.net) by Oct 1st so we can announce the candidates in the October meeting and vote in the November. If you have any questions please feel free to reach out to past or current board members to see if these positions might be a good fit for you.
  
  
• QuiltCon 2022 - Friendly reminder make sure you have booked those hotels and registered for classes and lectures. The Quilt show entries will be open from September 1, 2021 through October 31, 2021. 
  
  
• 
  2021 Remaining Monthly Meetings: We will be meeting at the Shrewsbury City Center's Multipurpose Room for the remainder of 2021. A Zoom option will be available for those unable to attend. 
  NOTE: Our October meeting will be on the 16th - this is NOT the 2nd Saturday of the month. 
  
  
• Guild Merch - your probably saw some of us sporting our MAKE COOL STUFF swag this past weekend - we do have a limited number of extras email us if you're interested in snagging one - we will have these at our next in person meeting for sale.
  
  
  
• Quiltcon Community Challenge
  
  This year's quilt is an interpretation of a map that depicts the racial diversity/integration in the STL metro area.
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  Segregation in STL is a deeply rooted issue based on hundreds of years of discriminatory policies and practices. While progress is made every day, it will not be overcome easily and it continues to negatively affect many aspects of our region, including, one could argue, our own guild. We hope members will delve more deeply into this as well as reflect a bit on where their house falls within this quilt and what circumstances have contributed to that as they make their blocks. We hope this ties in with the themes we have heard recently from the SJSA and Color of Connection Quilt including that change starts with the individual and it's time to get comfortable with being uncomfortable. 
  
  
  We intend to make packets of instructions for members to sign out. Each packet will be responsible for 2 blocks. We will have a total of around 85 packets. We started handing this month with an expected return of September or October. 
  
  
• Charity Committee Summer/ Fall Project - we are making small quilts for the Cardinal Glennon Children’s Hospital Pediatric Intensive Care Unit (CG PICU). Our goal is 60 quilts - please check out the blog post for more information about sizes, color schemes and deadlines. Make sure to share your finished quilts on social using #stlmqg, #stlmqgcares, and #stlmqgPICUquilts!
• Vet Quilts - the deadline for these quilts has been pushed back to November so this will allow folks more time to work on these and help reach our goal. Read more here.
  
  
• What is Modern?? Kristy Daum
  
  
  
  
  
  “Modern quilts are primarily functional and inspired by modern design.  Modern quilters work in different styles and define modern quilting in different ways, but several characteristics often appear which may help identify a modern quilt.
  
  These include but are not limited to, the use of bold colors and prints, high contrast and graphic areas of solid color, improvisational piecing, minimalism, expansive negative space, and alternate grid work.
  
  "Modern traditionalism" or the updating of classic quilt designs is also often seen in modern quilting.”  
  
  - Definition for Modern Quilting as found on The Modern Quilt Guild website
  
  Kristy walked us through some examples of some her own modern makes - as well as talking through how Modern Quilting has and is constantly evolving, and how at the heart of it all we are ALL Quilters - there is room for everyone in this craft!

• Fabric Raffle 
  Thanks to another very generous donation from our sponsor Cotton Cuts we had two excited members win some awesome fabric!

Meeting #112 (August 14th, 2021)

Our first IN-PERSON MEETING in 18 months is happening this Saturday from 10:00am - 12:00pm at the Shrewsbury Center - see the Meeting and Events Tab for information. With the COVID numbers on the rise, we will be taking precautions to keep everyone safe and healthy and we will be following the CDC guidelines for wearing masks. All members will be required to wear masks regardless of vaccine status. We will also have theatre seating to ensure that you are able to keep a safe distance.

For those who need to play it safe and wish to stay at home, we are still planning on Zooming the meeting so you can still join in! The link and info will be sent to your member email later this week. 

Note from guild President Lilo:

The board of this guild is very much aware of the ever-changing situation of COVID and we want to be clear that the well-being and safety of our members and their families is our biggest concern as we try to navigate this situation. After careful consideration, we do feel like it is possible to safely meet in person as long as we, as a collective, are conscientious, caring, and respectful of those within our community. With that in mind, masks will be required for all meeting attendees, regardless of vaccination status. This is per CDC recommendations and out of respect for those in our group who are themselves or have loved ones at home that are vulnerable or have not yet been able to be vaccinated. There is a Zoom option for each meeting throughout the remainder of 2021 for those who are unable/choose not to attend in person. 

Thank you for your patience, understanding, and consideration of those around you.
Lilo Whitener-Fey
President, 2021

A few highlights/reminders of the in-person meetings to call out:

• Name Tags - extra helpful with members wearing masks and with all our new members attending. Folks shared some of their creations on Facebook if you are looking for inspiration.
• Free Table - bring some goodies and take some goodies - we will have lots to look through! 
• Fabric Raffle - this is going to remain an online fabric raffle! Please purchase your tickets ahead of time or use the codes and links we will provide to purchase through your phone during the meeting.
• Show and Share - bring those projects to share! Anything you've been saving up to show folks we want to see it! Bring your skill builder projects, your bee blocks, whatever you want to share! 
  

You can read more about what to expect at the in-person meetings on this special blog post. 

This meeting will include:

-Welcome & Zoom Courtesy 101

- Guild Business:
  :: Membership Information
  :: Financial Information
  :: Quilting News

- Announcements/Reminders

  :: Monthly Skill Builder August 

  :: August Fabric Bundle Raffle - See your email for more details and the link. 

  :: 4x5 Quarterly Bee Updates

  :: Board Elections

  :: QuiltCon 2022

  :: Guild Merch

  :: 2021 Remaining Monthly Events
  :: QuiltCon Community Challenge Quilt

  :: Member Updates

- What is Modern Quilting presentation by guild member Kristy Daum

- July Skill Builder Prize Winner

- August Bundle Raffle Drawing

- Show & Share

-------------------------- Reminders/Items Due ------------------------------

:: Don't forget to post your pictures of your Improv Piecing on IG using the hashtag #stlmqgskillbuilder or email us at stlmqg@gmail.com to be entered to win this month's prize.