December 2022
/December Holiday Celebration
December 13 at 6:30 pm - In Person
Please RSVP Immediately if you haven’t already by sending your check for $10.00 payable to Village Quilters to Carol Swartz at her address in the directory. Feel free to contact Carol if you have any special needs and the committee will try to accommodate.
Please join us for a fun-filled evening! Dinner will be served!
Menu includes: Hot Chicken Salad, Rolls/Butter, Lettuce Salad with all the trimmings, Cheesecake with Raspberry or Strawberry sauce, punch.
Bring a wrapped grab bag item that costs around $15.00 if you wish to participate in the fun gift exchange.
Pease bring a donation to our December 13 holiday celebration. Your donations will be delivered to The Phoenix Rising Foundation Food Pantry which provides food for Lake Forest, Lake Bluff and North Chicago communities. Last year we filled a car with your generous donations.
What is needed
Fruit
Graham crackers
Non-sugared cereal
Almond milk, powdered milk
Ramen noodles
Spaghetti sauce
Tomato sauce & pasta
Soup- particularly "meal" variety, broth and chicken noodle
Canned tuna, canned chicken
Rice
Vegetables
Pork & beans
Peanut butter, jelly/jam
Hamburger Helper, Tuna Helper, etc.
Pancake mix
Maple syrup
Tea, coffee, drink mixes
Cake and muffin mixes
Toilet paper, paper towels
Detergent, cleaning supplies
Personal items: shampoo, bar soap, toothpaste
Disposable diapers all infant sizes and adult diapers
We can’t wait to see everyone and celebrate the season!
January 17, 2023 – Brown Bag Hustle – In Person
We did it before and we can do it again! The Ways & Means Committee made $2,318 for the guild at our Hustle last August. Following the footprint of that remarkable success, we are planning another Silent Auction and Brown Bag Raffle. We have become famous for making something big out of YOUR donations. There are many activities going on now but we ask that you set aside left-over treasures from your stash and pull out those "space grabbers" from the back of the closet to start building another Brown Bag donation.
Here are the particulars again:
Date & Location: Tuesday, January 17th, Grace United Methodist Church in Lake Bluff
Time: 5:00 pm for member drop off. 6:00 pm for a short meeting with the Hustle immediately after.
Raffle Ticket Prices: 6 for $5; 15 for $10; 20 for $15; 30 for $20
Cash, Checks and Credit Cards will be accepted.
No guest fee!
Please invite your friends! Interested quilters love these events! Interested antiquers love these events! Charity organizations love these events! They just need to know about them!
Contact Donna Fitzgerald for more information.
January Workshop: Kearstie Grenier: Designing Quilts with BB+ & EQ8
Session 1: Saturday, January 21, 2023 9:00am – 1:00pm CST via Zoom
Session 2: Saturday, January 28, 2023 9:00am – 1:00pm CST via Zoom
Join Kearstie for an adventure in computer-aided design. This two-session workshop will be primarily for quilts made from pieced blocks, but if you prefer applique, you may piece interesting background blocks in session one and then explore the applique tools in the second session.
The first session (January 21) will start with an overview of both programs, then focus on designing and making pieced quilt blocks using the software. Participants will learn to choose and/or draw a pieced block, then print the rotary cutting instructions, templates, or Foundation Paper Pieces needed for assembling their block(s). We will work out how to put the block(s) together and participants will begin cutting and sewing. As homework between sessions, participants will finish sewing the block(s) which they will bring to the second session.
Session two (January 28) will focus on putting the block(s) into a quilt. We will look at different settings and how to achieve them easily using the EQ8 software, including on point settings, the use of alternate blocks to bring in secondary designs, how to add borders, change colors, and more. Time and interest permitting, we will also look at using the applique designs and quilting motifs built into EQ8.
The sessions will be geared for beginners as much as possible, but more advanced tools will be demonstrated for those with more experience. Both sessions will look at the built-in help functions, lessons, and other aids included with the program and participants will receive written step-by-step instructions as needed, so that when they are ready for the more advanced concepts, they will know where to start.
You will need a working copy of either Blockbase+ (BB+) and/or Electric Quilt 8 (EQ8). The two programs can be linked together, but each can be used alone. BB+ is less expensive and contains more blocks in its library, but is very limited for designing. You need to install the software before class and have a printer available to print your pattern and block instructions.
If you have questions, please contact Kearstie Grenier for more information.
Christine’s Chatter
I trust you all had a wonderful Thanksgiving with family and friends and were able to take some time to contemplate all of your blessings. Anytime a great meal is needed, my husband shines. I think every year our celebration meal is even better than the year before. We had no shortage of carbohydrates along with four different pies. Ask me about the chocolate cream! It’s absolutely delicious.
I can’t believe it is already December. This year has flown by and here we are at the Christmas season. This year we will be having a holiday celebration dinner together as a guild. The meal will be prepared by our own members, Carol Swartz and Rae Bradley. If you haven’t already signed up, please send your check to Carol for our meal. This social is a great time for our guild. Bring a gift to share to enhance the party atmosphere. Please remember that we are meeting a week prior to our regular meeting. Hope to see you December 13th for this event.
Heather Kojan’s lecture in November was a great reminder to inventory all of your UFOs and make goals to finish them! It helped me to focus on what I’ve started. I have actually finished a stalled project since Heather’s lecture. I realize that if I take those projects one at a time, the dream of completion could become a reality!
January brings us another Brown Bag Hustle. When I take holiday decorations down, it helps me to organize and pare down items in my home. This year I will use some of that energy to sort items to donate to the Brown Bag from my sewing room!
Have a wonderful holiday season and hope to see you on the 13th!
Christine Tindell, President
Re-Cap of our November Workshop with Heather Kojan
Half Square Triangles - Who Knew…
They could be so much fun to work with? There are so many ways to make them?
Highlights of the workshop:
The Quilt in a Day ruler – what a game changer for trimming HSTs
Sharon and Marti sewing together at Sharon’s house
Enid finally used her rotating cutting mat after 2.5 years and Donna finally unwrapped her Quilt in a Day ruler (after how many years or decades?)
Learning an easy method to turn all of those left-over triangles into HSTs
A trunk show of Heather’s quilts and a fashion show of Heather’s two quilt coats
How many of the HSTs will make it into the quilt show next year? Or into one of our upcoming service projects?
Any day spent quilting is always a good day, but one spent with quilting buddies and learning something new is even better. Thanks Linda, Gayle, Gwen, Donna, Julie, Caren, Sharon, Sarah and Marti for making it such a fun day!
Enjoy some of our members showing off their work on the Zoom call! Their smiles say it all!
Images clockwise from upper left: Half-square triangles from Marti and Sharon, Julie, Donna, Gwen, Sarah and Linda.
Quilt Show 2023 – Boutique Announcement
Our Boutique Chairs, Barb Jolley and Madge Pierce, want to remind you that it’s not too early to start planning your projects to donate to the Boutique! Some ideas for items that people love to purchase are small quilts, baby/child items, table runners and place mats. Halloween, Fall, Thanksgiving, and Christmas themed items are always in demand, along with anything that gives you joy that you would like to share!
If you have any questions, feel free to reach out to Barb and Madge.
Spring 2023 Quilt Retreat Announcement
Village Quilters will be hosting a Quilt Retreat March 24 through 26, 2023. It will be held at the Hilton Garden Inn in Mettawa. We have had several retreats at this location and it has become a favorite. We sew in their ball room that is spacious and has an abundance of natural light during the day. We begin at 8:00 am on Friday and wrap it up on Sunday afternoon. At the retreat each quilter works on their own projects. We each have our own table and electricity for our machines.
The cost of the retreat is $60.00. This covers the cost of the ballroom for the 3 days. Quilters have the choice of staying at the hotel at night or going home each night. We have a block of rooms set aside for those who want to stay at the hotel. The cost of the rooms is $145.00 plus tax per night. The rate does not include breakfast.
If you want to attend the retreat you can register online beginning January 1, 2023. If you want to pay by check, you need to email Sharon Pierluissi and send a check to her payable to Village Quilters. We have room for 32 quilters. If the retreat fills up we will start a wait list. In the past we have been able to ask those on the wait list if they want to attend due to cancellations.
Treasurer’s Report
Balance as of 9/30/2022: $28,964.93
Income: $705.42
Expenses: $1,143.33
Ending Balance as of 10/31/2022: $28,527.02
The guild generated income from workshop fees and membership, and incurred expenses in programs and service.
Respectfully submitted, Donna Derstadt, Treasurer
Membership Report
Please welcome new member Rosemary Groenwald from Mt. Prospect!
Invite a friend to join our fun. Share the excitement of the annual Brown Bag Hustle with a guest or two or three! There is no guest fee for January, so bring a friend to the meeting to buy raffle tickets and vie for the treasures on hand.
Beginning November 1st through April 30th dues are $25 for the remaining 2021-2022 fiscal year. We love new members!
The VQ roster of members was updated and posted online in October. The roster is updated on the VQ website in October, January, and April. New member information and changes in current members’ information will appear in those months. If you are in doubt as to the accuracy of information on the website roster; e.g., there is no reply to an email you sent or no one answers the phone, contact Sharon Pierluissi for the most up-to-date data. If you have moved or had any change in contact information please email membership so that we can keep the roster up to date.
If you have any questions about VQ Membership, contact Andrea Krier or Sharon Pierluissi.
Happy December Birthday to the following members!
Jo Bailey – 12/17
Rae Bradley – 12/26
Pamela Eulberg – 12/6
Donna Fitzgerald – 12/27
Kearstie Grenier – 12/16
Sharon Pierluissi – 12/23
Kathy Sorkin – 12/14
Christine Tindell – 12/11
Viking Sewing Machine for Sale
“Sapphire 875 Quilt” from Viking Husqvarna. Original owner, gently used, great condition. $950 OBO - pick up in Lincolnshire. Download the sale flyer for photos and more information.
Giving Opportunity
The Lake County Haven has reached out to members of Village Quilters. The Haven provides shelter, housing and supportive services to women and children who are homeless and in crisis.They are asking for meal donations, financial support and/or in-kind donations. Please visit their website, LakeCountyHaven.org, to learn about giving opportunities.