Hi Quilter friends,

Our next event is a Sew-in this Monday, May 22.  We will be meeting in The Lodge at  Beechwood Church, 895 Ottawa Beach Road, Holland from 6 to 9 PM.  Thanks to Sue Fabiano and Sally Leep for offering to bring snacks.  Bring hand or machine work or just come to visit and make new friends!   We would love to see you there!

UPDATE
What a fantastic meeting we had on April 24!  Our own members presented a program on favorite tools and techniques.  Seven members presented tips in just seven minute intervals.  Who knew that a toilet bowl brush was a necessary item in a sewing room?!  But thanks to Kathy Mueller we know that it will pick up wayward thread from your carpet.  No more tangles in the beater bar of your vacuum cleaner!

So many great tips!  Thanks to Sally Zenas for showing us how to make perfect circles, Barb Bredemeier for showing her “lap app” (lap desk) and many other tools, Janet Haines for sharing her Square in a Square ruler by Jodi Barrows, Sue Schultz for sharing her Stripology ruler by Creative Grid, Jody Rietsema for demonstrating her Go cutter, and Nora Slikkers for showing us her travel case and for donating one as a door prize.  And too many other tips and tools to count!

UPCOMING EVENTS
June 27-Sandy Klop of American Girl Fabric will present a program .  She will also hold a workshop with her Wagon Wheel paper pieced pattern. The cost of the workshop is $50 and the pattern is $9.  Contact Kathy Mueller at lapkat@charter.net  for more information.  This should be a fun workshop.  There are a few openings left.

July 24-Sew in at The Lodge

August 28-Tim Latimer will present the program

September 25-Rummage and bake sale at Beechwood Church.  This is a great opportunity to donate fabric and quilting related items and to shop for items you didn’t know you need!  And who doesn’t like baked goods?!!

October 23-Linda Thiefoldt will present a trunk show and also have a workshop on machine quilting

November 26-0ur members will show their completed Row Robin quilts.  So excited to see them after seeing bits and pieces.

December-No meeting

Don’t forget to check out our website, bigredquiltersguild.org for more information.  Also check out our Facebook page at www.facebook.com/#!/groups/988849431132488

Sally Leep
Membership

BRQG FAVORITE TOOLS NIGHT

APRIL 24, 2017

Part of the Mission Statement of Big Red Quilters Guild states that our mission is to ensure textile and needle arts continue for generations through education and promotion of all quilting styles.

Those who attended last night’s meeting were educated by their fellow members who shared their favorite tools and techniques.  It was clear that those in attendance had a fun evening and were amazed that they learned so much in seven ten minute intervals.  Rather that write every little detail, I am encouraging readers to join BRQG, meet your fellow area quilters and know that there have been several requests to repeat favorite tools night.  I learned that a toilet brush with a ribbon on it is an indispensable item for thread clean-up if your sewing area is carpeted!

Huge thanks to Barb Bredemeier, Janet Hanies, Kathy Mueller, Jodi Reitsma, Sue Schultz, Nora Slikkers and Sally Zenas, teachers for the evening.  You and your hand-outs were/are fantastic!

In Pat Navis’ absence, Barb Bredemeier opened the meeting at 7:00 pm.  She asked people with June or July birthdays to sign up to provide snacks for the July meeting.  She also had guidelines and fabric swatches available for the Butterflies Are Blooming Ultimate Guild challenge.

Mary Botsis reported that the ideal size for charity quilts for the Holland Fire Department is (minimum) 40”x60” – (maximum) 50”x70”.  As of now, we have a good fabric supply on hand.

Kathy Mueller said there is still space available in the Sandy Klop workshop which will be June 26.  Cost for the workshop is $50 and the pattern is $9.  The evening lecture is open to all.

The evening ended with members showing recently completed beautiful quilts.
Raffle ticket winners were Sheryl Sanford, Barb Mezeske and Sonja Swanigan.
Name tag order forms are available at the check in desk at all meetings.  Cost is $15.00.
Meeting adjourned at 8:50

Sally Zenas, Secretary
April 25, 2017

Our meeting last night was demos in tools that our demonstrators have found useful in their quilting. Lots of great tools and ideas! Thanks to our demonstrators: Sally Zenas, Sue Schultz, Barb Bredemeier, Kathy Mueller, Nora Slikkers, Jodi Reidsma and Janet Haines, 

BIG RED QUILT GUILD
FRIEDA ANDERSON WORKSHOP AND LECTURE
MARCH 27, 2017

Twenty eager Big Red Quilters gathered for a workshop at Beechwood Lodge in the morning to learn from Frieda Anderson.  She taught her method of fusing to make “Seaside Village”, using her beautiful hand dyed fabrics. No sewing machines were needed!

In the evening, a general meeting was held at Beechwood Church where Frieda was the guest lecturer.  During her slide presentation, she showed her dying technique and methods for fused and pieced quilts based on nature. It was a day and evening of inspiration and delight as we viewed her bright, artisitic creations. For more information, go to http://www.friestyle.com and frieda@friestyle.com.

President, Pat Navis, announced that BRQG has donated 44 quilts to the Holland Police Department.  Donation slips for tax purposes are now available for fabric and batting purchased for charity quilts, and other out-of-pocket donations.  They will be available at the sign in table at future meetings.

Pat welcomed 6 guests and 2 new members.

Kathy Mueller, Program Chair., explained the need for long white tables to be kept in the lodge for future classes.  By the end of the meeting, thanks to budgeted money and member donations, we only need to come up with funding for one more table. Kathy is looking for a couple of additional members to demonstrate their favorite tools at the April 24 meeting.

Barb Bredemeier, Vice President, invited those present to join the Ultimate Guild Challenge entitled “Blooming Butterflies”.  Application forms were available at the meeting and are available on the website.

Colleen Dekker and Beth Wright from 2017 Tulip Time Quilt Show  announced that they would like more entries from the BRQG Red and White Challenge for this year’s show.  Also, they would like members of BRQG to volunteer to help greet and take tickets at this year’s show.  Contact Carol Keen if you are willing to help:  616-396-1170 or bckeen1@att.net.

Lucky door prize winners were:  Jodi Rietsema, Pat Navis, Kathy Ryzenga and Annette Ekkal.

NEXT MEETING:  FAVORITE TOOL DEMONSTRATION APRIL 24.

Sally Zenas, Secretary

To find the Tulip Time entry form go to: tuliptime.com, click on get involved, then click on forms & applications and there you will find the quilt show entry form line – click on it and then you can print out the form from there.

BRQG GENERAL MEETING (pictures will be coming soon!)

NOVEMBER 28, 2016

Over forty Big Red Quilters gathered from 6 – 9 pm at Beechwood Reformed Church in Holland to learn the beautiful craft of Wool Applique.  Each person went home with the ability to complete a small project thanks to excellent instruction from members Jackie Bailey, Kathryn Bandstra, Kathy Mueller, Pat Navis, Barb Post, Sue Schultz and Mary Voss.  The instructors had an inspiring display of their own work available for viewing.

President Pat Navis showed 8  completed charity quilts which will be donated to the Holland Police and Fire Department.  She has an ink stamp that will be used for labels on all Big Red charity quilts.

Several members shared their recently completed beautiful creations at Show and Tell.   Special thanks to all who helped prepare kits, taught a class, brought refreshments, set-up and knocked down tables and arranged for door prizes.

FUTURE EVENTS:

DECEMBER – NO MEETING

JANUARY 23 – Sew-In at Beechwood Church Lodge, 6:00 – 9:00 pm.  Bring your own handwork or sewing machine.

FEBRUARY 27 – Sew-In with hands-on “Iris Folding” quilted greeting card project demonstrated by Barb Bredemeier.  Bring a UFO that you have completed in the past year for Show and Tell.

March 27 – Workshop with Frieda Anderson at 9:00 am (lodge).  Guild meeting with Frieda Anderson at 7:00 pm (church).  Refreshments available at 6:30 pm.

APRIL 8 (SATURDAY) – BUS TRIP TO THE CHICAGO QUILT SHOW.

Mark your 2017 calendars.  BRQG meets the 4^th Monday of each month.  Sew-Ins begin at 6:00 and meetings begin at 7:00 with refreshments available at 6:30. Go to https://bigredquiltersguild.org/ for updates.

Sally Zenas, Secretary

Monday, October 24, 2016

Business/Announcements:

Pat Navis – Welcome

New Board members replacing:

–          Barb Schippa/Secretary nominates Sally Zenas to replace her for a 2 year term

–          Vicky Gray/Treasurer nominates Becky Baumgartner/Stevens to replace her for a 2 year term

–          Janet Haines/Webmaster – renew mid-term

–          All three were approved by unanimous vote

–          Volunteer photographers – nothing fancy, anyone with a smart phone –Ann Prins and Kathy Rycenga will work together to cover our events.

By-law proposals:

–          Article III – membership

–          Article IV – officers

–          Both were reviewed, proposed, 2^nd, and approved by unanimous vote

Refreshment – please sign up if your birthday falls in November/December

Holland Police Department Victim’s Advocates Group Charity Project needs:

–          Various age group (youth to older adult) quilt tops, minimum 40”x60” to larger

–          Cash donation to purchase batting

–          Anyone willing to machine quilt (long arm or regular machine) or bind

SAVE THE DATE/IQF Chicago bus trip Saturday, April 8, 2017 – Oh My!!!!

Kathy Meuller/Programs  

Monday, November 28, 2016 – “Working with Wool” hands on wool project.

–          6:00-9:00 PM at the Beechwood Lodge

–          Sign up tonight for the kit you want

–          Bring basic sewing supplies, chenille needles and size 8 or 12 pearl cotton, or wool thread in colors to coordinate with your kit selection

Monday, December 26, 2016 – Merry Christmas! No meeting….

Monday, January 23, 2017 – Sew In/UFO? from last year, get them done!

Monday, February 27, 2017 – Iris Folding program

Monday, March 27, 2017 – Frieda Anderson program/workshop (workshop fee $50+kit tbd$)

DEBBIE GRIFKA/ESCH HOUSE QUILTS – Big Red Quilters Guild is pleased to welcome DEBBIE GRIFKA from Ann Arbor, Michigan (www.eschhousequilts.com) as our speaker.  A lifelong sewist and maker, Debbie began quilting in 2002, finding inspiration in works of Weeks Ringle and Bill Kerr, Gwen Marsten, and Jacquie Gering and others in the modern quilt world. Debbie immediately found her way to her local Modern Quilt Guild, where she served as President.  Debbie describes her style as graphic, modern minimalism, making quilts with clean lines and bold shapes as her focus…whether the colors are deep and intense or low contrast neutrals, whether pieced or applique. Debbie’s work has been displayed at QuiltCon, Paducah/AQS, and House Quilt Festival and featured in various books and magazines. Her first book LINES BY DESIGN QUILTS was published in 2016. Having found her voice in the modern quilt movement, she shares her love of quilting thru lectures and workshops, and is an avid member of the fast growing modern quilt movement online thru many sources such as Instagram and Facebook.  We were treated to an overview of her quilting journey on line and samples of her work follows:

Raffle drawings went to:

Barb Bredemeier – Special thread from Smith-Owens

Peggy Claire – Fat Quarters from Debbie Grifka

Barb Schippa – Pattern from Debbie Grifka

Esther Tilton – tool

Pat thanked everyone and dismissed us about 9:00 PM, followed by tear down and clean up

Barb Schippa

Big Red Quilters Guild Secretary (signing off……)