Big Red Quilt Guild November 16, 2020, Zoom Meeting

Betsy Muir, president, opened the Zoom meeting at 7:00 p.m. from Kris Kennedy’s home. Betsy and Kris have created several Christmas quilts that they showed the group with the help of their husbands, Jim Muir and Roger Kennedy. We thank these men for their outstanding quilt holding—and quilt walking!
Among the quilts displayed were those featuring Tumbling Trees, gnomes, Christmas trees, snowflakes, the Milky Way, gnomes with Twister snowflakes, Christmas houses with trees, and one with three trees
and a gnome.
Kris also gave information about where to find patterns, one of them free, for several of the quilts:
1) Tumbling Trees table runner by http://www.thefatquartergypsy,com (uses a 30 degree triangle template)
2) Twister Gnomes by http://www.aroundthebobbin.com also available on Amazon (uses Lil’ Twister tool)
3) House table runner from Modern Holiday Table Runner pattern—download from Fat Quarter Shop (on sale now and includes several holiday runners)
4) Scandinavian Tomto pattern (1 large gnome with three large trees) download from http://www.rebeccamaedesigns.com
5) Jelly Snowflake Mystery Quilt—free from Fat Quarter Shop Jolly Jabber Quilting Blog https://blog.fatquartershop.com/jelly-snowflake-mystery-quilt/

Before the meeting, Betsy had emailed all BRQG members a copy of the proposed budget put together by our treasurer, Karen Keip, and approved by the BRQG board. Betsy called for a vote on the budget; it was unanimously approved by the 31 members in attendance via Zoom.

Then the program moved to the four kits that had been distributed to BRQG members who signed up for the Make and Keep ornaments project. The ornaments could be used to decorate a Christmas tree or as gift tags on packages.

Kris began with the felt tree topped with a gold star. She suggested using tissue paper behind the star when stitching and using pompoms or buttons for decorations on the tree.

For the Scottie dog ornament, Kris suggested tracing around the pattern on tissue paper or freezer paper, attaching the paper to the fabric and then stitching around the dog shape, leaving an opening in the belly area for turning. She advised to be patient when turning so as not to poke a hole through the stitching. Betsy placed her dog shape on the bias of the fabric for a slightly different look. Be sure to clip the fabric near the stitching for the neck and the tail of the dog in order to make a good dog shape.

Betsy then discussed the three fabric trees. She used Steam and Seam Two to stabilize the tree fabric. Only one ribbon is included in the kit, so makers will need to use some of their own ribbons for two of the trees. Be sure to fold the ribbon in half and enclose the ends between the fabric pieces of the tree. Kris used garland on her tree while Betsy used rickrack for decorating hers.

The last project involved holly leaves. Betsy traced the pattern on freezer paper, ironed it on fabric, cut out the shape and stitched around the edges, leaving an opening for the stuffing. She made one leaf of fabric and one of felt. Either pompoms or small red buttons could be used for the berries. She
suggested sewing the pompoms on rather than gluing them.

Kris thanked Nora Slikkers and Carole McLean for preparing the kit materials, and the BRQG board for packaging and delivering the kits to the members. Betsy noted that some of the ornaments would be good projects for making with kids and/or grandkids.
The Zoom meeting ended at 7:35 p.m.
Respectfully submitted,
Lorelle Eberly

Meetings and Programs:

• In-person meetings canceled through November 2020.  
  • In alignment with current direction from the State of Michigan, BRQG has canceled in-person meetings, workshops and retreats through November 2020.   Details of electronic programming follow.  
  • We look forward to resuming our in-person meeting schedule at our new meeting home at Tiara Yachts at the beginning of 2021!
• August 17 meeting–your Guild will host Nancy Roelfsma via Zoom on Monday, August 17.  Her program, “Why We Quilt”, including a trunk show, will be available via Zoom. 
  •  We will send out an invitation to the membership three days before the event (Friday, August 14) by our email list. 
  • The daytime workshop, “Paper Piecing Basics” has been canceled.
• August 28 Tile Backgrounds Workshop, to be rescheduled–Barb Bredemeier has contacted participants to advise that this workshop will be rescheduled when we are able to meet safely.
• September 21 meeting–this scheduled in-person meeting will be replaced by a presentation delivered via Facebook Live, hosted by Betsy Muir and Kris Kennedy.  (If you’re not already, now is a great time to become amember of the group, Big Red Quilters Guild, on Facebook.  https://www.facebook.com/groups/bigredquiltersguild/ .)  
  • Theme–“Simply Scrappy September” in honor of the by-product of all this quilting we are doing!  We will focus on techniques to organize scraps for optimum usefulness and will demonstrate a project that we can all enjoy using during our increased “stay at home” time!  It also makes a great gift!  
  • Nora Slikkers will be our special guest and will share her special tips on this pressing problem/opportunity!
  • The interview and demonstration will be LIVE in the Big Red Quilters’ Guild Facebook page at 7 pm, 9/21/2020 and will be available there afterward; a link to the recorded material will be provided by email after the event so that everyone can have access regardless of Facebook user status.
• September 22-24 retreat–the planned retreat will be rescheduled to March (dates TBD).  More information on this to come.  
• Future meeting dates–we are planning to host a Facebook LIVE event at least monthly during this time (on our regularly scheduled meeting dates), to include interviews, projects, tips and tricks, and other topics of interest!  If you have ideas or things you would like to share in this way, reply back to this email and we’ll get working on it!

Registration for 2021:

• It’s time to renew your membership to Big Red Quilters’ Guild!  
  • Dues for the 2020-2021 membership year, commencing October 1, 2020, have been reduced to $10 to acknowledge the challenges of these times, to each of you personally and as a Guild in delivering the membership year we all planned on!  
  • We plan to resume normal meeting cadence and programming content in January.
  • We will continue to do our best to provide content and engagement via electronic means wherever and whenever possible during this uncertain time!  We are all in this together!
• Membership form is available on the website (click here).  Return the form with your check to Karen Keip.
• Gift Basket–Members returning their membership forms and dues, postmarked by October 1, 2020, will be entered in a drawing for an amazing gift basket that is being assembled by your Board!  You’ll want a chance to win this!!!!

President’s Note:
Friends, I pray this message finds all of you safe, healthy, and at peace. Isn’t it wonderful we have quilting to keep us grounded during these times?  By the look of our  Quarantine Quilt Gallery, you all have been VERY busy!  Please keep the pictures coming!
I look forward to the day when we can all gather safely. Until then, Sew On!!
Betsy Muir
President
Big Red Quilters Guild

All–Greetings!
Checking in with reminders for July activities–see below.  
Important Note:  We’re all in this together!  In accordance with State of Michigan requirements, facemasks/coverings will be required to attend the in-person meeting and workshop.  Our new meeting space at Tiara Yachts is comfortable and large; seating/workspaces will reflect social distancing.  If you have any reservations about attending in-person, we understand and invite you to take advantage of the Zoom option!  We hope you will be with us in any case!
Until then, 
Bridget
July 20–first in-person meeting since February (!)

• Who:  Denniele Bohannon
  • author, Where Poppies Grow:  Quilts and Projects Honoring Those Who Served in World War I.
• What:  general meeting and program, “Forty Years in the Making” with Denielle Bohannon.
• When:  Monday, July 20, 6:30 p.m., program at 7
• Where:  
  • in-person–Tiara Yachts, 725 E 40th St., Holland
  • via Zoom–contact Betsy Muir for Zoom invite, kidshope.betsy@gmail.com
• Why:  A chance to reconnect with your Guild, in-person or via Zoom!

July 21–workshop

• Who:  Denniele Bohannon
• What:  “Celebrate”.  
  • A machine-pieced workshop using templates (provided by Denniele) and a rotary cutter.  Denniele reminds us that the appearance is more difficult than reality!  One must be willing to follow instructions to do something new with very interesting results!
  • use form attached to send registration and fee to Nora Slikker for both in-person and Zoom attendance.
• When:  Tuesday, July 21, 9 a.m. – 4 p.m.
• Where:
  • in-person–Tiara Yachts, 725 E 40th St., Holland
  • via Zoom–contact Betsy Muir for Zoom invite, kidshope.betsy@gmail.com
• Why:  because learning new things is fun!

Quarantine Quilt Gallery is LIVE! https://bigredquiltersguild.org/?s=quarantine

• Have a project you’d like to share?  Send photos to Janet Haines janethaines24@gmail.com ; include “BRQG Quarantine Gallery” in the subject line.  
• Note that you can click on any picture to open up a slideshow without the text on the photo. 

Charity Quilts–Kathy Ryzenga will be collecting Quilts for our charity partners, Project Linus and Mannasseh project.  

Village Quilt–Kris Kennedy has received 95 house blocks (see attached photo).  We need ~40 more to make the original 132-block quilt.  The instructions were included in the last several emails; contact me if you need them re-sent.

Greetings fellow Big Red Quarantine Quilters!  
We hope that this finds you well and enjoying (as you can) this time of staying home a bit more!  We hope that it has renewed your love of fabrics and quilting and  that you’re all ready for new content from your Big Red Quilters Guild!  Following is an update on meetings and programming.  At the end are two questions to help us gauge interest and comfort in gathering in July.  If you would be so kind as to respond to these questions, it will help guide us as we prepare to meet.
Meetings.  The Board met today, and based on most recent direction from the State of Michigan, we are canceling our June 15, in-person meeting.  That said, we are looking forward to the following meeting activity:

• Monday, June 8, 3 pm–Facebook Live demonstrations by Betsy Muir and Kris Kennedy.  
  • Rug demonstration.  Betsy will demonstrate a jelly roll rug technique that results in a rectangular rug, and 
  • Village Challenge.  Kris will demonstrate the House block for our Guild’s Village challenge, 
    • directions here:  https://bigredquiltersguild.org/members-page/
    • We are attaching a photo to show you the blocks received to date – see below!
• BOTEOM Lost and Found.  Finally, Betsy and Kris will host a “Block of the Every Other Month” Lost and Found Gallery!  We have blocks left behind at our last meeting (could that possibly be February???) that need to be returned to their rightful creators.  You won’t want to miss this!
• If you’re not already, now is a great time to become a member of the group, Big Red Quilters Guild, on Facebook!  https://www.facebook.com/groups/bigredquiltersguild/
• July 20, 6:30 pm–“Forty Years In the Making” program with Denielle Bohannon 
  • author, Where Poppies Grow : Quilts and Projects Honoring Those Who Served in World War I.
• July 21–“Celebrate” workshop with Denielle Bohannon 
  • More information on the program and workshop will arrive by email in the next few days!
  • Both the Monday meeting/lecture and Tuesday workshop will be held at our new location at Tiara Yachts, 725 E 40th Street, Holland.  
  • We will follow all guidance provided by the State of Michigan regarding the safety and comfort of our members.
• Your Program Committee is hard at work finalizing programming for remainder 2020 to include as much content as originally planned as possible!  More to come on that!

Pulsecheck.  In an effort to gauge how we can best put our programming forward, please send an email to bigredquiltersguild@gmail.com by Monday, June 1, and let us know your interest in joining us for the July meeting and/or workshop.  We will plan to adhere to all guidance provided for meetings by the State of Michigan.  Additionally, we are working to provide the Monday meeting/lecture via Facebook Live.  

• Meeting and lecture Monday, July 20 (“Forty Years In the Making” program with Denielle Bohannon)–we plan to share our meeting via Facebook Live in addition to meeting in person (Choose one)

a) yes, I would plan to attend the meeting and lecture
b) no, I would not plan to attend the meeting and lecture, but would join online
c) no, I would not plan to attend the meeting and lecture this time

• Workshop Tuesday July 21 “Celebrate” workshop with Denielle Bohannon (Choose one)

a) yes, I would plan to attend the all-day workshop
b) no, I would not plan to attend the all-day workshop

Quarantine Quilting Pandemic Project Portfolio!  We know you’ve been busy, so Janet Haines, our webmaster, is going to help us create a gallery on our Guild website.  Send a picture of projects you’d like to share along with a description (for example:  name of the piece, basics of the project, inspiration, recipient–the sorts of thing that tell the story of your quilt!)  We will post photos as we receive them!
Thank you for reading–I look forward to hearing back from you on the Pulsecheck questions and Quarantine Quilting Pandemic Project Portfolio soon!!
Bridget Morel
Membership ChairBig Red Quilters’ Guild

Dear Quilters, We would like you to be aware of the following programming that has been cancelled or rescheduled as noted due to MI stay-at-home orders:

March 23       Deborah Richmond – Lecture –  “Best Quilters Tools & Gadgets” – will be rescheduled 

Mar 24-26      Retreat…… Move to September

April 20         School House – cancelled for now, will reschedule as time allows

April 28         Tile Background Class  (Barb Bredemier and Janet Haines) – will be rescheduled

May 18          Airing of The Quilts & Finger Food Buffet – cancelled

The following programming is pending future direction from state agencies:  

June 15/16     Denniele Bohannon – Lecture – “Forty Years in the Making” Workshop – “Celebrate”

July 20          Laureen Searing – “Joy of Sharing” lecture and trunk show

Aug 17-18      Nancy Roelfsmema –  Lecture – “Why We Quilt”
Workshop – Paper Piecing Basics 9-3

Sept 21         Sew In 1-9 pm in Lodge

Sept 22-24     RETREAT

Oct 19-20      Coleen Merte – Lecture/Trunk Show
Workshop: Pink Grapefruit (making curves quickly & easily without piecing)

Nov 16           Sew-In – Holiday Project “Make & Take” and Finger Food Buffet

Dec               No Meeting

Greetings to you all,

—

All,

The times are uncertain…looking for “what’s next” is a daily (or hourly!) event.  Never have we found ourselves with so much “discretionary” time!  Or at least it may feel like that…or it may not…this experience is different for everyone, I suspect!  

Attached, please find the instructions for the two remaining blocks as well as photographs of Betsy’s blocks.  We’ll get these up on the website soon as well!  I’ll also include the links for these online just to make sure everyone has access (we don’t need any additional technical issues, do we?  )

—

Dear Quilting Friends,

Both Holland Hospital and Spectrum Health are accepting handmade masks, per information offered on their websites.  We would invite you to consider this opportunity as a chance to contribute to the cause (and possibly make a dent in that stash… ).

Hello and Happy New Year to each of you!  We wanted to share reminders, notes and updates to get your Guild Year started!  So settle in for a bit of a read and keep this email handy!