Pacific Piecemakers Quilt Guild
Bits & Pieces
March 2005 -- Volume 10, Issue 3
Jackie Gardener, Editor
www.pacificpiecemakers.org

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March

Joe Cunningham 

The Quilter Guy

March 18th at Gualala Arts

12:30pm Social Time 

1:00pm Meeting

         Joe Cunningham is an unusual guy.  He’s the first to admit it, and his wide following among professionals and amateurs in the worlds of art, craft, and music would agree.  As if being a “quilter guy” weren’t rare enough, Joe’s long collaboration with Gwen Marston and their resulting quilts, seven books, many articles and videos, put him in a class by himself.  Add music to the mix, (he’s a guitarist/song-writer) and you have a fascinating and eclectic microcosm in this bigger-than-life person. 

            We’re very fortunate to have Joe Cunningham return to our guild for a lecture complete with many quilts to touch, inspect, and admire.  Joe’s quilts are a celebration of the art and craft of quiltmaking, past and present.  Artist in Residence at the Phoebe A Hearst Preschool in San Francisco (he likes kids!), Joe enjoys demonstrating his skills and his love of the arts for audiences young and old.

New Calendar

         Starting this month, there will be an insert in your newsletter with information about all our upcoming workshops and events. Details will be provided including costs and dates, which should make it easier to plan out your time and funding for the quilting events you want to participate in the most. Hopefully, this new tool will make life simpler for you and for us newsletter editors, too!

Note Of Interest

Cynthia Chilton Hauck sent a note letting us know thatConnie Barney Wilson is putting together another Fabric of France trip  set for September 1-12 this year.Email Connie at connie@francealacarte.net, or check her website at www.francealacarte.net. Several of us can vouch for this trip!

March Birthdays

Mona Innes                    1st

Karel Metcalf                 8th

Pam Carlson                    15th

Pat Peterson                   20th

Mary Suhr                      25th

Suzy Bates                     26^th

To the Guild:

Words fail. But I’ll try anyway to find a few to express our gratitude for the beautiful quilt you made after our daughter died. It is a work of art we’ll treasure always. The thoughtfulness, generosity and creativity shown in this gift appropriately express those qualities our Ellen had as well. My husband and I are overwhelmed with what you have done - designing, preparing fabric and more by the Monday I quilters, squares made by dozens of others, adding to the vibrant colors in spectacular ways. I counted over 90 names. To everyone, thank you more than I can say.

                                                Pat Ditzler

Membership News

RENEW TODAY!   Don’t miss out!  This is your last chance to pay your dues for 2005 or suffer the consequences!  Mail your check for $35 made out to “PPQG” to Pam Wilson, POB 53, The Sea Ranch, CA  95497 today.  We plan to enclose the new roster with the April issue of the newsletter. 

We have several new members since last month:

Jennifer Dewey,  21265 Coast Highway 1, Jenner  95450, phone 847-3881, birthday December  13, & email is mrsjen13@earthlink.net

 Sharon Malachowski,  9644 Bodega Hwy, Sebasto-pol  95472, phone 823-9056, birthday July 10, email is s.malachowski@hotmail.com

 Mary O’Leary, 46750 Iverson Rd. Pt Arena  95468  

 Gail Spencer, POB 1489, Gualala 95445, phone 884-5458, birthday   June 27, email gbs88@yahoo.com

 Barbara Wendt, POB 77, The Sea Ranch 95497, phone 785-3104, birthday October 31, email is   blwendt@mcn.org

 Also, Mary E. Long now has an email address:    wa6mub@mcn.org

ARE YOU SEARCHING?

         Are you peering inside yourself, looking for who you are?  Have you already found yourself and have begun making an artistic statement?  Well, it’s time to get serious about the 2006 Challenge Show!  Quilts are due June 9, and while that sounds like a long way away, you know how quickly those months will fly by!  So switch into high gear and contemplate the theme:  “The Quilter Revealed:  Portraits and Self-Portraits.”

         Any technique is acceptable, including quilted clothing.  Piece, fuse, appliqué, paint on fabric, draw with threat – any and all might be the technique that best represents your inner nature.

         Minimum size for quilts is a 96” perimeter (or 24” by 24”); limit two quilts per entrant.  We encourage beginners to enter and will give special consideration to those first-timers.  The gala opening will be June 11th, during which we’ll cover the names of the quilters and see if we can guess who’s made what.  Do we know each other well or not?  Let’s find out!

GUILD GLIMMERS

By Jeri Taylor

         A crowd of avid quilters turned out for last month’s Comfort Quilt Workshop, cutting, stitching, sandwiching and quilting for the better part of the day.  The productivity was at a high level and we’ll soon be able to replace the coffers of our depleted stores.

         The day also included a meeting of the Steering Committee, the last one under President Donna Blum’s tenure.  And after that there was a general business meeting of the membership, during which the new slate of officers for the 2005-2006 year was presented. 

         It was a busy, satisfying day, full of sewing, chatting, and general camaraderie.  If you didn’t make it to this one, be sure to attend the next:  it’s the best thing we do!

SOUND THE RETREAT!

         The first annual PPQG retreat is now history, but the glow of the event has stayed with everyone who attended.  What a great three days!  We sewed like mad creatures, unencumbered by duties and responsibilities, phones, televisions, housework, and cooking.  We were served three wonderful meals a day and enjoyed a lovely cocktail party each evening.

         It was truly a special occasion, marked by a closeness with our fellow quilters and the opportunity to get to know better people we didn’t know so well.  Advice was easy to come by, and to see the incredible work everyone was doing was truly inspirational.

         Anita is already at work planning for next year, and hopes to find a venue with a larger work room so that more of us can enjoy this delicious expedition.  A word to the wise:  as soon as reservations are accepted, get yours in, because you won’t want to miss out.  You can’t imagine what a treat this was, and so need to experience it for yourself.

Slate of Officers for 2005-06

President:                      Lynne Atkins

Vice President/Chair of Ways & Means Committee:

                                    Carol Tackett

Ways and Means Committee:

                                    Current Pres: Lynne Atkins

                                    Vice President: Carol Tackett

                                    Treasurer: Kathye Hitt

                                    Program Chair: Barbara Dunsmore

                                    Three Volunteers:

                                    Donna Blum

                                    Linda Warnock

                                    Laurie Mueller

Treasurer:                     Kathye Hitt

Secretary:                     Bette Covington

Programs:                       Chair: Barbara Dunsmoor

                                    Marilynn Limbaugh, Janet Windsor, and Gail Sims

Membership:                   Pam Wilson

Calendar Mgmt/Publicity: Paula Osborne and Donna Blum

Comfort Quilts:              Polly Dakin, Joyce Gaudet, and Dee Goodrich

Web Mistress:                Bonnie Toy

Library:                         Ann Graf

Newsletter:                   Jeri Taylor and Jackie Gardener

Challenge 2005;              Anita Kaplan and Jeri Taylor,

Challenge 2006:              To be determined

Name Tags/Greeter:        Joan Jordan

Hospitality:                   Lola Delongoria, Laura Hamilton, and Joyce Gaudet

Fanny Basket:                 Dee Goodrich & Mary Ellen Blohm

Block of the Month 2005: Janet Sears & Bev Sloane

Mystery Quilts:             Diane Cunningham

Special Events 2005:       Anita Kaplan

2006 Anniversary Year:   Anita Kaplan

Historian:                      Paula Osborne

AIR Quilt 2005:             Linda Warnock and Miram Littlejohn

Mailing Newsletter:        Katy Horn and backup Pam Wilson

 

LIBRARY CORNER

 In response to requests from members, we are adding these books to our collection:

Bold, Black & Beautiful Quilts by Debby Kratovil  746.46 KRA   Conventional techniques are given a contemporary boost.  Dramatic, rich texture emerges by adding black fabric. Jewel-toned and mottled fabrics take on an unexpected luster.

Quilt & Embellish in One Step!  by Linda Potter, 746.46 POT.  2004  Inspired by  sashiko and the decorative embroidered embellishments of Victorian quilts, hand quilter Linda Potter has developed Needle Magic, a fast and easy technique to make any quilt sparkle with gorgeous hand quilting, applique, and beading!

Fat Quarter Quilts by M’liss Rae Hawley, 746.46 HAW,  l999  With just six coordinating fat quarters and a background fabric,  stitch up a fabulous & easy quilt top.  Great for comfort quilt projects.

Triangle Tricks - One easy Unit, Dozens of Gorgeous Quilts by Sally Schneider, 746.46   With this neat technique you can create triangles in your quilts without cutting or sewing a single one! The combinations for unique patterns are endless.  There are great tables for making blocks of all sizes.