Modern Quilt Guild Affiliation - Guild Membership Approved

Hello Modern Quilters,

As you may remember from the post that was written last week, our guild had a decision to make regarding if we would be affiliating with The Modern Quilt Guild.

We sent out emails to all of our due-paying members, included documentation about the affiliation, the required changes to our by-laws, etc.  Thank you to all of those members who took the time to read the information and vote, your participation shows that you are invested in our guild's future.

As the votes were tallied, we did receive our majority and therefore our guild will be affiliating; which we are very excited to be doing. Thank You again!

So, you are probably asking yourself...What's Next??

First, we will be providing The Modern Quilt Guild with all required paperwork this week; which includes a copy of our amended By-Laws, our Financial documentation, List of Officers, etc. 

Second, we will be uploading all of our members into the database.  This database will not only make it easier for the Officers to manage our guild; but will provide each member with an opportunity to participate in The Modern Quilt Guild community site.  Each due-paying member will receive a confirmation email, asking you to verify that you are in fact a member of the St. Louis Modern Quilt Guild.  It is important that you click through to the link in the email and verify this information, otherwise the Officers will not be able to properly communicate with you.

Third, once you have confirmed you place as an STLMQG due-paying member, take some time to check out the new community site, play around and have some fun.  It is still a work in progress, and new features will roll out throughout the year. 

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We have updated our About Us section to include the amended By-Laws; but you can also find them here for quick reference.  As stated in the previous post and email sent to you, we were required to include specific wording in regards to 501(c)3 status.  The By-Laws were amended on Saturday, July 28th...after all of the votes were tallied.

Amended STLMQG By-Laws

If you have any questions, you can reach us at stlmqg@gmail.com

We look forward to seeing you at our next meeting on Saturday, August 10th.

 

Modern Quilt Guild Affiliation

Hello Modern Quilters,

 

If you have been following along with the Modern Quilt Guild (MQG) announcements lately, you’ve seen several mentions of “Membership opening soon”…and have probably wondered exactly what that meant. If you joined us at our July meeting, we shared with you our guild’s Past, Present and Future; which led up to the announcement.

PAST: We shared the amazing charitable work that our guild has put forth for our local community and on a national level. Additionally, our members have strong creative spirits and have had their work in travelling quilt exhibitions, been published in countless magazines, authored books or started their own small pattern companies. We also shared with you a behind-the-scenes look at what it takes to run a successful guild, and how we are continuously recognized on a national level whether it be through our programming, or social media efforts.

 

PRESENT: If you attended the meeting, you saw first-hand how much friendship, laughter and joy is always present; whether it was tossing around a ball of yarn during our informal icebreaker, or socializing with friends over a slice of cake.

 

FUTURE: We announced that in a few weeks we would be affiliating with the national Modern Quilt Guild and not only becoming an officially recognized 501(c)3 non-profit organization; but that we would have many great benefits including a streamlined membership tracking interface, a private members-only forum, and also the ability to collaborate with other guilds for fun things like swaps and challenges.

 

As mentioned during the meeting, the Officers are confident that this in in the best interest of our guild and our members; yet since there are a few changes that we need to make to our by-laws, we wanted to dot all our I's and cross all our T's. You might be asking yourself...

• What does affiliation means?
• How it will effect our guild?
• What benefits are there?
• What are associated costs? etc.

We know that while we have a guild of 80+ members, not every member is able to attend our meetings and this is an extremely important decision, so we are providing this info here on our blog and in an email that was sent out about 2:30pm (Tuesday) giving you ample time to review the documents below and to cast your ballot.

 

Below are two linked documents; the first is a brief PDF answering many of the questions you may have regarding affiliation. The second is the amendments we must make to our bylaws as required by the IRS (in order to receive the non-profit status).

• MQG Membership Info
• IRS Required By-Law Changes

Once you have reviewed both documents, please click the link that is in the email sent to you; which will direct you to a super simple 2 question ballot. You have until Friday, July 26th 11pm to vote.

 

 

Thank you for your support and enthusiasm these last 3 years!!

 

  

Meeting Recap (July 13th, 2013)

Boy, Oh Boy!!! Wasn't Saturday's meeting a lot of fun?  For those who missed out, it was our guild's 3rd anniversary and we had a lot to celebrate; but before we get ahead of ourselves, let's start with the business side of things.

• Kelly, our Secretary, announced that we had 80 due-paying members
• Rene, our Treasurer, provided us with our financial status
• We then started into announcements and misc. quilting news
• It's not too late to participate in the AQS Modern Quilt Challenge, the entry deadline is August 2nd.  Click here to read more about this opportunity.
• Do you fancy yourself a Modern Block Designer? Or want to get into the business?  Modern Quilts Unlimited magazine is hosting a Designer Block Challenge and it could land you in their magazine.  Click her to read more.  Entries are due July 31st.
• We announced new rules regarding "Children at meetings".  Essentially, nursing moms with babes in arms are always allowed, as are children up to the age of 1 year.  Should you find yourself in a situation where you need to bring your children to a meeting, we are collaborating with The Heights to help provide "Tot Care".  If this is something that you need info on, please contact us and we'll send the info along to you for future reference. 

• Can you believe that it's almost time for Jacquie Gering to visit St. Louis...it seems like it was so far in the distance; but we are only days away now.  If you missed the announcement, check out this link.  Both events are closed to due-paying members only.
• Our Members' Swap/Challenge Committee discussed the Ohio Star Challenge; which is currently underway.  If you missed the announcement at June's meeting, it's not too late to get in on the fun as the quilts are due in September.  Check out the Challenge tab at the top of our blog to get all the details.
• We cut the cake and spent some time socializing with one another, preparing for what would be an interesting Icebreaker/Game to follow...let's just say a skein of red yarn was all it took to get the group laughing.  Well, that and a few misplaced throws :-)

• We closed out our meeting by looking back at our guild's past accomplishments, enjoying our present and looking towards our future as we joyously affiliate with the MQG in a few weeks time.  Keep your eyes here on the blog and in your inboxes, as we'll be sending you info on what affiliation actually means and how it will help our guild continue to be one of the strongest in the nation.

In closing we wanted to Thank all of our members for another great year, and for those new faces

and guests that joined in on our fun...Welcome!

 

Just as a reminder, if you want to know more about our guild, this blog is our main "billboard";

but we also have a home on Flickr, Facebook and Pinterest too.

Meeting #35 - July 13th, 2013

Hello Modern Quilters,

Can you feel the excitement?  YAY!!!  It's our 3rd anniversary this month and we are so excited to be sharing it with all of you.  We have games, some prizes, cake (who doesn't love cake) and some announcements that we can't wait to share with you. 

Date: July 13th, 2013
Time: 10am - 12:30pm
Location: The Heights

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Agenda:

-Welcome & Guild Business
   :: Membership #s for 2013
   :: Financial Information
   :: Special Announcements/Quilting News
-Monthly Fabric Raffle
-Jacquie Gering (Volunteer Sign-Up, Workshop & Presentation Info)
-Ohio Star Challenge Q&A Session (Members' Swap/Challenge Committee)
-Games
-Cake Break
-Show & Tell 
-STLMQG Past, Present & Future
-Mix & Mingle

***Make sure that you wear your modern quilting nametag each and every month. It shows your appreciation for your fellow member and the guild.

***We want to see your modern Show & Tell projects, fabric, books, etc.  Let's limit this to no more then 2 pieces/items a member please as we have a lot to do this month.

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Here's us in our humble beginnings, at our 1st meeting in September 2010. 

I believe there were 11 of us in attendance that day.

 

 

 

And here's us just a few months ago.

 

See you Saturday!!

The STLMQG Welcomes Jacquie Gering

We are so overjoyed to welcome Jacquie Gering to St. Louis this July for two member's-only events.  If you are not familiar with her work, her book or her story, you are in for a treat.  If you know her and love her like we do, then be prepared for a great adventure.

Though she has been sewing all her life, quilting is a newly found passion for Jacquie. The improvisational spirit of the quilts of Gees Bend inspired her to make her first quilt and the improvisational approach provided the freedom she craved and the opportunity to explore her creative potential. Jacquie’s quilt designs fuse her Mennonite background and respect for tradition with her modern design aesthetic. Quilting Modern, Techniques and Projects for Improvisational Quilts is her first book.

Jacquie is a contributing designer and author for Stitch, Modern Patchwork, Quilter's World and a regular columnist for Quilting Quarterly and her quilts have been featured in other national and international publications. She is one of the designers featured in the books, Block Party and We Love Color. Jacquie is a leader in the modern quilting movement and serves on the Board of Directors of the National Modern Quilt Guild and is one of the founding members and former president of the Kansas City Modern Quilt Guild. Jacquie teaches and talks quilting across the country and shares her designs and quilting knowledge on her popular blog, Tallgrass Prairie Studio.

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Friday, July 19th 

Quilting Modern : Honoring Tradition

In this 1 hour lecture, Jacquie shares her journey to find her voice as a modern quilter. 

--Free to STLMQG due-paying members, $10 if you forget to wear your nametag--

Doors Open:  7 pm

Lecture:   7:30 - 8:30

Meet & Greet:    8:30 - 9:30

Light refreshments will be served

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Saturday, July 20th 

Modern Crazy Piecing

--3 hour workshop = $35--

  Workshop 1    9am-12pm

Workshop 2    2pm-5pm

Workshop Supply List

*Due to the large number of members wanting to attend, we are offering the same workshop

twice (morning and afternoon session). 

**Both events are open to STLMQG due-paying members only, due to the nature and size of our guild**

Both the lecture and workshop will be held at:
Trinity Lutheran Church
14088 Clayton Road
Chesterfield, MO  63017 

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Workshop Sign-Up:

The cost is $35, of which $5 will be donated to a local charity on behalf of Jacquie. Sign-ups are first come, first serve.  You will reserve your spot by using the Sign-Up form; which will be emailed to due-paying members on June 15th.  This reserves your spot for 10 days. IF YOU DO NOT PAY FOR THE CLASS BY JUNE 25TH, YOUR SPOT WILL BE RELEASED TO THE FIRST PERSON ON THE WAIT LIST. Information regarding how to pay will be included in an email confirming your reserved spot.


Cancellation Policy:

If you sign up and pay for a spot then cancel before July 17th, you will be refunded $30, less the $5 charity donation. Any cancellations after 12AM CST July 17th will not be refunded under any circumstances.
 

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The STLMQG is also collaborating with Janie Lou Quilts on Manchester.  They are carrying Jacquie's book, available now (price is always 25% off retail).  They are also offering STLMQG Workshop attendees, a 15% discount on fabric/supplies.  YAY -let's support our local quilt shops. 

Thanks Janie Lou!!  

Janie Lou

10041 Manchester Road

St. Louis, MO 63122

Meeting Recap (June 8th 2013)

We were happy to see so many familiar faces at our meeting yesterday, and equally excited to see some new faces as well.  Thanks for spending your Saturday morning with us.

• The Sew-In Saturday Sign-Ups were sent out yesterday at 9pm.  We are close to "sold-out" already, so if you didn't get an email, please check your spam folder immediately...and if you received an email and haven't signed up yet...what are you waiting for :-)
• Lynne, our VP and Charity Committee Co-Chair, reminded us of some of the activities and collections that are going on around the nation right now.  Additionally, both she and Tonie, will be working on putting together a local activity in the next few months.
• Cindy, speaking on behalf of the Member's Swap/Challenge Committee announced our next Challenge featuring the Ohio Star block.  Everything you need to know about the challenge can be found under the Challenge tab at the top of the page.  For all those participating, the quilt is due in September.  We can't wait to see how you modernize this traditional block.
• We are excited to be bringing Jacquie Gering to St. Louis this July, where she will be sharing her amazing talent with our guild.  Look for a separate blog post and email later this week, highlighting info on her lecture and workshop.  These events are open to STLMQG due-paying members only.

Next month is our 3rd Anniversary as a guild and we could not be more pleased to be sharing in this celebration with all of you.  We'll have cake, some special giveaways and other surprises too.

Meeting #34 -- June 8th, 2013

Hello Modern Quilters,

We are looking forward to seeing everyone this Saturday.  New to our group, Welcome! Bring a friend, the more the merrier.

Date: June 8th, 2013
Time: 10am - 12:30pm
Location: The Heights

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Agenda:

-Welcome & Guild Business
   :: Membership #s for 2013
   :: Financial Information
   :: Special Announcements/Quilting News
-Monthly Fabric Raffle
-Challenge Announcement (Members' Swap/Challenge Committee)
-July Speaker (Volunteer Opportunities & Workshop Info)
-Show & Tell : Expanded Edition
-Next Meeting Date (July 13th)
-Remaining Questions/Comments
-Mix & Mingle

***This month's Fabric Raffle is a Fat 8th bundle of Rashida Coleman-Hale's Tsuru by Cloud 9 fabrics, this is organic fabric people...get excited.

 

 ***If you didn't bring your Room-By-Room Swap item to last month's meeting, please be sure that you bring it with you this month, otherwise drop us an email to let us know. 

***Make sure that you wear your modern quilting nametag each and every month. Not only does it show your appreciation for your fellow member and the guild; but it's a simple way to enter yourself into our monthly DoorPrize drawing.

***We want to see your modern Show & Tell projects, fabric, books, etc.  This month is an Expanded Edition; which is an opportunity to share a few more projects then usual with your fellow members.  Let's see your in progress and finished works, newest modern fabric purchases, etc.  Let's limit this to no more then 5 pieces/items a member please. 

See you Saturday!!