BIG RED QUILTERS’ GUILD
GENERAL MEETING
AUGUST 28, 2017

President Pat Navis opened the meeting at 7:00 pm at Beechwood Church. Opening
announcements included: 1) Those with September and October birthdays were asked to bring treats on their birthday months. 2) Elections will be held in October and there is still a need for someone to be Program Chair or serve on the Program committee and one or two people to be refreshment coordinators. 3) Memberships paid before October 1 will be eligible for a drawing to be held at the October meeting. The winner will receive a basket of lovely sewing items.
Chris Kennedy and Betsy Muir presented an original promotional skit for the September
meeting which will consist of a Bake Sale, Rummage Sale and Auction. This fun event will
henceforth be referred to as the Sale-A- Palooza. If Chris and Betsy tire of quilting, they
certainly have a future in live theater!
The September 25 meeting will be held at Beechwood Church Lodge. Guests are welcome.
Donated items for the Sale-A- Palooza may be brought to the lodge beginning at 8:00 am the day of the sale. Early drop-offs may be made at Kathy Mueller’s (Holland), Betsy Muir’s (Saugatuck) or Sally Leep’s (Zeeland). There will be a consignment table for more expensive items, with the guild keeping 25% of the sale price. The schedule for the meeting is:
5:30 – 6:30 Sale-A- Palooza
6:30 – 7:00 Social Time
7:00 — Auction
Social Chair, Kathy Mueller made a request for volunteers to work various jobs the day of the sale. If you are willing to volunteer, please call her at 616-399- 4685.
Kathy also reminded members of the Machine Quilting class and lecture by Linda Theiboldt from Troy, Michigan which will be in October. There is still space in the class and sign-up can be done on the guild website.

Mary Smallegan, owner of Custom Quilts Unlimited in Fennville, graciously came to our rescue at the last minute when the previously scheduled presenter cancelled due to illness. A BIG THANK YOU TO MARY! Mary’s informative presentation was entitled “My Favorite Things”. She shared many items available in her shop that are quilter’s essentials, time savers, new products, as well as some of her own beautiful quilts. Mary hinted at some big changes coming to her shop beginning in January 2018.

The evening concluded at 8:30 pm with a drawing for an Edyta Sitar book, bobbin clips and fat quarters, all donated by Custom Quilts Unlimited.
Suggested follow-up to an enjoyable meeting: Road trip from Holland to Fennville.
Looking forward to the Sale-A- Palooza in September!

Sally Zenas, Secretary

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