Pictures are not working well for me in the emails so if you don’t have them, check the blog and web site.

February Meeting Information
Quilters – Let’s Talk About Design! Big Red Quilters’ Guild in Holland is welcoming special guest speaker Sue Cortese on Monday, February 26, 2018. Sue, a renown West Michigan quilter, fabric dyer, teacher, and quilt judge will be offering a lecture “Let’s Talk About Design.”  She will share how quilters employ the elements and principles of design in both traditional and art quilts.	​
​	Workshop Opportunity:  ½ Square Triangle Play The Big Red Quilters’ Guild is offering a full day workshop Tuesday, February 27, 2018 featuring one of Sue Cortese’s popular class offerings.  Explore color and value while making a scrappy look quilt. Students will make their own striped fabric in class then will learn a simple technique for making half square triangles in any size.  Cost is $45 for non-members, $35 for members. The class registration form and supply information is available at www.bigredquiltersguild.org.

• Ultimate Guild Challenge, Blooming Butterflies, quilts will be on display at the February meeting. You will be voting from 6:30-7 for the quilts that will be submitted for the AQS show. You will be asked to vote for 6 – the best visual punch and well made quilts.  Don’t miss your chance to vote!
• Charity Quilts are needed.  All quilts that were made have been distributed. Bring any you have made to any meeting or sew-in. Contact Mary Botsis for more information.

Some Reminders: 

• In case you haven’t looked recently, we will be adding local quilting related events to the Events page on the web site. So look there if you are looking for a quilt related activity.

Upcoming Events Sponsored by BRQG:

From our Special Events Coordinator – Barb Schippa
NATIONAL QUILTING DAY RETREAT, Saturday March 17, 2018…a full day of uninterrupted quilting with old friends and new….plus an optional short breakout class.

Retreat cost: $25 per person for members and/or guests. A perfect time to invite a quilting friend. The cost includes a day full of quilting time, your lunch, games and prizes.

When: Saturday, March 17 (Yes, St. Patrick’s day), 2018
Time: 9:00 am to 5:30 pm
Where: Beechwood Church main building

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Upcoming events not sponsored by our Guild but which may be of interest to you:

Bay Heritage Quilters Guild & Studio 23/The Arts Center present  30^th Anniversary Quilt Show & Exhibit “A Sharing of Quilts XIV”

 April 6 & 7, 2018 at Studio 23/The Arts Center, 901 N Water St, Bay City, MI.  Hrs:  11 AM – 7 PM.  Quilts will remain on exhibit through May 18.  There will be an opening reception Thu, April 5, 5 – 7 PM and a quilt “Walk Through Lecture” Sat, April 28, 1 PM. Approximately 100 quilts on display, Springtime Fantasy raffle quilt, vendors, silent auction, and more!  Handicapped accessible; free admission.  View more on the website.

Smith-Owen IQF Bus Trip

Anyone interested in attending the INTERNATIONAL QUILT FESTIVAL in Chicago on  Friday,  April 13,  Smith-Owen Quilt Shop is sponsoring a bus trip again this year. They have departure spots in Holland-Zeeland and Grand Rapids.

 For more information and on line registration:https://www.smithowensew.com/special-events-happening-at-smith-owen-sewing.htm

Lighthouse Quilt Guild – Grand Haven, MI

http://www.lighthousequilters.org

March 12, 2018

Program:  Darla Parks – Color application and embellishments trunk show

Class:  Tuesday, March 13.  Color application class with kit.  Class will run 10-4 in the Wiltse Center.  Fee is $65 for members and $75 for non-members (fee include a $45 kit that will include everything you need for the class).

April 9, 2018

Program:  Elise Vredenburg – Lecture and trunk show on “Creating a Winning Quilt” based on her Hoffman Challenge winning quilts.

Class:  Round Island or White Shoal Lighthouse wall hanging.  Fee is $55 for members and $65 for non-members, which includes the $10 pattern.  Class will run 10 – 4 with a half-hour lunch on your own

Happy Quilting!

Membership Chair
Janet Haines

November Meeting: Our fun-packed November BRQG  sew-in/meeting will be held at the Beechwood Lodge on Nov. 27th. You will not want to miss this meeting! We will start with refreshments at 6:30, program starts at 7 with a viewing of the Row Robin Quilts. Some quilts will be completely finished, quilted and bound. Others will just be assembled to show all six rows.

Next, we will have a lesson on making the smallest of quilts; a quilted postcard that can actually be sent through the mail. Warning! These little quilts can become addictive! They can be quite quick and simple or they can be works of art. They are the perfect greeting card that shows you really care. Kathy Mueller and Dee Dee Hanson will bring samples and instruct you in construction. You will each make a card, ready for stitching, and bring them home to complete.

You will see several options to finish and mail your card. Dee Dee will bring beautiful fabric to make the sunset card that many of you saw at the program table in October. Kathy will show how to make a landscape or other design out of your scraps.
The guild will provide a base to build your card upon and scraps of pre-fused fabric. We will show options for the message and address side of the card including a rubber stamp to use which looks authentic, but old.

You will need to bring: Sharp scissors, any scraps of fused fabric you are willing to share and paper, a glue stick, a small cutting mat and rotary cutter and ruler. If you have previously made postcard quilts, please bring them to show. Anyone with a small ironing surface and iron, please bring those… we can share.  Please do not bring a sewing machine to this particular sew-in – we don’t think we’ll have space.    (… from Kathy Mueller)

Thanks to those who signed up to bring refreshments:   Nancy Yetman, Andrea Aumick, Barb Bredemeier, Esther Tilton and Lorelle Eberly.

Name Tags: Let’s help newer guild members get to know other guild members by purchasing and wearing the guild name tag! It helps promote a friendly atmosphere by having our name tag on.  Please sign up to purchase a name tag at the registration desk. The cost is $15, payable at the time you sign up.

Membership: Annual membership runs from Sept 30 to Oct 1 each year.  If you haven’t renewed, please do so as soon as possible. If you are unsure, contact Janet Haines, Membership Chair. Your membership dues help us have great speakers, classes and sew-in activities!  You can mail in your membership using the form on the website or you can renew at any sew-in or meeting. Support your guild!

Guild Dates to Remember:

December – No meeting – Happy Holidays!

January 22, 2018 – Sew-in at the Lodge

 February 26 & 27, 2018 – Sue Cortese
Monday – Lecture
Tuesday – Workshop – sign-up sheet is online!
(this quilt can look modern or traditional depending on fabric choice and layout!)

March 17, 2018 – Special Event to celebrate National Quilting Day.  Save the Date!

March 26, 2018 – Sew-in at the Lodge

June 25 & 26, 2018 – Weeks Ringle or Bill Kerr
Monday – Lecture – Modern Quilt Studio
Tuesday – Workshop

In case you haven’t heard, the location of the Sale-A-Palooza has changed to the  Great Room in the main  Church building .  Lot’s of goodies are rolling in.   You don’t have to be a member to attend our sale  and it’s free entry for everyone.  See you at 5:30!

And don’t forget to bring your membership form and payment to be entered in the  very, very special gift basket drawing!