President's Message - December 2015

I look forward to seeing you all at the December 3^rd Christmas party meeting.  Mary Daigle and Mary Wolf have planned an evening with old favorites as well as the new.  Potluck is the format of the meal this year, with the guild providing ham and homemade brisket to accompany your appetizers, salads, side dishes and desserts.  If you’d like to participate, bring two or three fat quarters for Quilter’s Bingo and a quilty gift in the $15 range to exchange. Joyce Perry will bring the barrel to gather donations for the Shepherd’s Market food pantry. 

The energy at our December meetings is always special, partly because there is no business meeting, but also because it seems we are on the same wavelength during the holidays.  So in the New Year, whether you stand at the lectern, sit at a committee table, or find a seat in the audience, you all contribute to the dynamic of our meetings—think “River City begins with me.” 

Renee

President's Message - November 2015

The November meeting is typically the one when we share our Houston Festival stories and unveil the quilts we will be sending to loved ones at Christmas.  In addition, we’ll vote on our favorite Mystery quilts and hear about Quilt Market and Festival from Daisy Comeaux and Rachel Justus, two local quilt shop owners.    

Perhaps some members of the caravan will share a story from our Pensacola road trip.  I think I hold the honor of spending the most money at A and E from our group, and congratulations to Margie Bumm, the runner-up for GSQA’s Marion Maerke Scholarship, in recognition for her service to our quilting community.  She receives priority registration and a free class/registration for seminar in spring 2017. 

Come to see what’s in store for our December meeting and activities during the first quarter of 2017. 

As always, I’d love to hear your suggestions—think “River City begins with me.”

Renee

President's Message - October 2015

As summer draws to a close and we wrap up our travels to see friends and family (and the quilt shops along the way), come to our  October 1st meeting to hear about what your quilting family has been doing and what activities we have to share with you in the coming months.  

Check out the agenda that will be sent your way soon, to find out the details.  

Our speaker for October is Pat Van Burkleo, a local quilter who is passionate about modern quilts.  Even if this art form is not your thing, you will enjoy hearing about his design process.  

As always, I’d love to hear your suggestions—think “River City begins with me.”

Renee

River City 2015 Mystery Quilt - Part 6

Part 6 – Into the Station and No Longer Strangers

Part 1 – Look at the final diagram to see where the parts will go.

1.      Sew a 6 ½ x 66 ½ background strips to each side of the quilt.  Press seams toward quilt center.

2.      Sew the remaining 6 ½ x 66 ½  background strips to the top and bottom of the quilt.  Press seams toward the quilt center.

Part 2

3.       Cut fifty 4 inch squares each from the remaining 4 x WOF block pattern strip.  Make one hundred HST as before and trim to 3 ½ each.

4.      Following the diagram, sew twenty two  HSTs together in one long strip.  Half of the HSTs should face one direction and the other half should face the opposite direction.

5.      Repeat to make one more strip.

6.      Sew to the top and bottom of the quilt center with background fabric facing the center of the quilt.

Part 3

7.      Sew twenty eight HSTs together in one long strip in the same manner as in Step 4. 

8.      Repeat to make one more strip.

9.      Sew these strips to the right and left side of the quilt center with background fabric facing the center of the quilt. 

10.  Sew the 6 ½ x 84 ½ block pattern fabric strips to each side of the  quilt. 

11.  Quilt as desired

12.  Bind using the binding strips cut in Part 2. 

President's Message - September 2015

It's time once again for our annual aauction-fundraiser benefitting the children of Parker House and the guild's educational activities.  

I met with seven Parker House kids last month when Kids Draw for Kids delivered their quilted bed-runners which were pieced from their sea life drawings.  This was the final session following the event of stuffing their own teddy bears and selecting a pillowcase from the ones the guild members put together from Patti Jarreau's donated kits.  They truly enjoyed those hands on activities and were pleased to see their artwork turned into something very permanent and attractive.  

On meeting night the fellowship hall will be open early for Auction set-up, so bring your completed baskets, fabric yardage donations, and books/patterns as early as 5:45 p.m.  If you have questions regarding the auction, please contact committee chair, Barbara Lankford. (h) 272 0421 (c) 235 3203  (e) barbaralankford@cox.net

While the Auction committee auditors are tallying your bid sheets, we will play Quilto-Bingo for quilting notions.
 
As always, I'd love to hear your suggestions -  think "River City begins with me." 

See you soon,  Renee 

The Bring List

• bring Baskets full of Quilt/Fun things to Auction.
• bring  $$$$$$ and sign your name on the Silent Auction lists.
• bring $$$ for a new Christmas Lotto Block, return finished blocks for 2 chances. 
• Lotto Christmas blocks   4 styles (Gingerbread man applique, Pinwheels, Shoo Fly, 8 pointed Star). Turn in to Jackie Wood.
• NO Birthday table
• NO Fat Quarter
• NO Name Tag drawing
• Sept./Oct. birthdays will be next month.

River City 2015 Mystery Quilt - Part 5

President's Message - August 2015

A special "Thank You" to the many volunteers who made our Community Sew Day such a success.  Whether you were sewing with us or put together kits in the days before the event, it was truly a group effort to piece four large quilt tops (72 x 84) before the end of the day.  These four quilt tops, along with the first one pieced as a "test" pattern, are destined to be awarded to Louisiana veterans and military service personnel.

The forty two participants enjoyed a delicious lunch prepared by Jackie and John Wood.  

At mid-afternoon they joined in a QOV award ceremony presided over by Roxanne Brown, LA QOV coordinator. Four finished quilts funded by an NQA grant were presented to Mrs. Brown to fulfill requests for Louisiana veterans quilts.  As a surprise, one of those four was presented to Ernie Wright, husband of  River City member, Paula Wright, in appreciation of his military service in the US Air Force.    It was a very touching moment for us all.

Speaking of the Air Force, we will be visited by some unusual "UFOs" in exhibit at our August meeting.  Suzanne Elliott will award ribbons for viewer's choice and oldest project, then the participants will share the stories about their quilts.
 
As always, I'd love to hear your suggestions - think "River City begins with me." 

See you soon,  Renee

River City 2015 Mystery Quilt - Part 4

President's Message - July 2015

The purpose of River City Quilt Guild is to create, stimulate, maintain and demonstrate an interest in all things relating to quilts and quilt making. This shall be accomplished through sponsoring and supporting community service endeavors, through quilting shows, seminars, workshops, demonstrations and lectures.                

by-laws 1989-1990, rev 1992, rev 1997

At this halfway point in the year, thank you for being a part of River City through your membership, helping at meetings, and by joining a committee.  It takes a little money, some time, and a lot of teamwork to transform our many ideas of what the guild should be, into something that appeals to us all. 

       
As always, I’d love to hear your suggestions—think “River City begins with me.”

Renee

the Bring list---- 

   

    - bring your Show & Tell

    - bring Fat Quarters for F.Q. Lotto drawing

    - wear your Fiber Name Tag:  Sign in.

    - if July is your birthday month, bring an item for the Birthday Table

Quilt of Valor Sew Day - Saturday July 18

A community sew day to create quilts to honor Louisiana veterans and military service members will be held on Sat. July 18 at St. Paul’s Lutheran Church, 2021 Tara Blvd. in Baton Rouge, 9 a.m. – 3 p.m.

These special quilts, called Quilts of Valor, are part of a national grassroots effort founded in 2003 to provide comforting and healing quilts to service members and veterans touched by war. To date, over 100,000 quilts have been donated.

Volunteers from River City Quilt Guild, The Wasted Women’s Bee and The Giving Quilt, Inc., co-sponsors of the event, will be on hand to assist anyone wanting to help sew, press and assemble the blocks into quilts. Pre-cut fabric kits for sewing the assorted quilt blocks will be provided for the day’s activities along with lunch and door prizes. Blocks have been chosen to fit a variety of skill levels so beginners to advanced quilters are all welcome.

Through a 2015 National Quilting Association grant, four QOV quilts were completed this year and will be donated to special guest Roxanne Brown, Louisiana Quilts of Valor state coordinator, to award to Louisiana veterans. For more information on this unique organization, contact the Quilts of Valor Foundation at www.QOVF.org.

Interested participants should bring a sewing machine, basic sewing supplies and an extension cord. For more information email thegivingquiltinc@gmail.com or reneehoeprich@yahoo.com, 760-815-5305.

River City 2015 Mystery Quilt - Part 3

A Couple of Strangers on the A-Train        

President's Message - June 2015

This month's message is a preview of the items we will cover in the meeting agenda, as I want to share with everyone the many activities at the guild, whether you are at the meeting or out of town for an early summer getaway.
  
As you know, suggestions have been collected from the membership to allow the finance committee to present options to spend the surplus that has accumulated due to the cancellation of two national teachers.  Please contact Bebe Tulley, Finance Committee Chair, if you wish to serve in this capacity. 

This summer, we will have two special one-day community service events:  a Day of Sharing at Parker House (June 20th) and a Community QOV Sew Day (July 18th).  Ongoing activities, during Saturday Sew Ins, include sewing a quilt for the Family Resource Center and continuing to make quilts for children in our community. Please contact Connie Ewbank to volunteer or obtain additional details.

In addition to running our sewing machines and cutting miles of fabric, we will challenge our creative abilities with Gaye Smith's Introduction of the River City Guild Challenge.  My apologies to Gaye for delaying her presentation by a month, so I would be available to share the graphics she will present to make the details of the challenge clear to all.

However, it will not be all work and no play, as Candy Bergeron will be the Chairperson for our Road Trip to Pensacola!  Other events in the works previously shared with you will be updated at the meeting.  Our VP of Programs, Judy Momenzadeh, has been in constant contact with our rescheduled performance artist Miss Duvet, so I am pleased I will not miss her storytelling.
  
And lastly, a very appreciative thank you to Cynthia McGee for presiding over the May meeting so I could attend my youngest son's graduation from the Runnels School.  Brent is off to ROTC/basic training June 2nd and will return in nine weeks to register for classes, to join his older brothers at LSU.  
  
As always, I'd love to hear your suggestions-think "River City begins with me."
See you soon,  
Renee 

The Bring List

• bring Vanishing Squares Lotto Blocks -  Drawing is tonight.  See Brenda & Beverly.  If all the blocks are returned, then there would be enough blocks for two quilt tops!!
• bring items and monies for the Birthday Table Extravaganza. 
• bring fabric for Fat Quarter Drawing - Grays either solids or prints (1 or 2 FQs)
• bring 2-1/2 inch strips of purple or gold fabric for the Community Sew-In - Connie
• bring all that Show & Tell; Your latest creations
• bring & wear your Fiber Name Tag:  You could win $20 !! BeBe hands you your prize.
• bring your finished pillowcases for Parker House - remember the visit date is June 20th
• bring $3 to purchase the "Handy Pressing Tool" that will be for sale at the birthday table. We will demonstrate how they are used.  There are 32 to sell, but we can make more for July if we need them!

Pictures from May 2015 Meeting

See them here

River City 2015 Mystery Quilt - Part 2

A Couple of Strangers on the A-Train 

Part 2  - Cutting it up                                                                 

WOF means Width Of Fabric

                                                                                       

Background Fabric

• Eight 4 x WOF strips
• Four 2 ½ x WOF strips  -  subcut to eight 2 ½ x 14 ½ strips
• Four 3 ½ x 36 ½ strips
• Two 3 ½ x 54 ½ strips lengthwise strips
• Four 6 ½ x 66 ½ lengthwise strips
• One 14 ½ inch square
• Forty Four 3 ½ inch squares

Block Pattern Fabric

• Four 6 ½ x 84 ½ lengthwise strips
• Two 3 ½ x 54 ½ lengthwise strips
• Five 4 x WOF strips
• Four 3 ½ x 36 ½ strips
• Eight 3 ½ inch squares
• One 7 ½ x WOF strip  –  subcut into four 7 ½ inch squares
• One 6 ½ x WOF strip –    subcut into four 6 ½ inch squares
• Three 4 x WOF strips
• Four 2 ½ x 14 ½ strips
• Four 3 ½ x 36 ½ strips
• Eight  3 ½ inch squares

Binding Fabric

•  Ten 2 ½ WOF

President's Message - May 2015

By now, I hope you've found a River City activity that is inspiring you to try something new or to add another layer of interest to a pattern you have already mastered.
            
I have designed my QOV Challenge by taking a familiar pattern and adding additional piecing to the half-square triangle unit.  I'm very pleased with the complexity of color and texture.  It really adds to the overall design.  My next step is to apply the same perspective to a UFO project to make it interesting to me once again.
            
The May meeting program  will be "Your Special Show and Tell."  Please bring that quilting tool or "toy" that you cannot live without; it is used everywhere in your sewing. And what is that Go-To pattern when you have to make a gift in a hurry, baby shower or wedding gift?? Share what you like to make.  Gaye Smith will present the next River City Guild Challenge.
            
The May meeting will be on the 14th, due to the church's use of the space for the Mother's Day luncheon.  And if you haven't yet shared a suggestion regarding use of the education funds set aside for 2014 and 2015 following my email of April 17th, please put it in the box on our secretary Francie's table. 
            
As always, I'd love to hear your suggestions-think "River City begins with me."

See you soon,  
Renee               

(sorry - I will be at my son's graduation/commencement on meeting night)

the Bring list----  

• bring your favorite quilt gadget/toy - what makes your sewing easier??
• bring your favorite quilt gift pattern
• bring your Vanishing Squares Lotto block
• bring your Show and Tell 
• bring Fat Quarters for F.Q. Lotto drawing - Oriental Prints
• bring 2-1/2 inch strips of purple or gold fabric for the Community Sew Day - (no LSU fabric)
• wear your Fiber Name Tag:  Sign in. 
• if May is your birthday month, bring an item for the Birthday Table
• bring/share your ideas on use of the guild education funds - Francie has note cards

Pictures from April 2015 Meeting

The pictures are here

River City 2015 Mystery Quilt - Part 1

A Couple of Strangers on the A-Train        

IMPORTANT NOTICES

The quilt instructions will only be placed on the website.  To get the instructions each month you will need to go to the website to view it.

Follow along each month making the required number of units.  In two months there will be a significant number of pieces to be made.  This quilt should easily be completed in the time frame given. 

Have fun and enjoy the mystery of A Couple of Strangers meeting on the A-Train!  

PS:  McGee ate the final picture and I have taped it together. It will be amusing when you see it.  However, I was not amused.  


Part 1 – Choosing the materials

This is a 2 color quilt that can be either modern or traditional, classic or bold  –  depending on the way you choose your fabrics.

Look for two fabrics that compliment each other, but have strong contrast.  Large or medium prints with many colors are not suited for this piece.  Your fabrics should read totally separate.  If you want a small print, make your second fabric stronger and separate.  If not, your quilt will be muddled.

Your fabrics need to be a Couple of Strangers!

• 4 ½ yards of Color 1 – background
• 5 ¼ yards of Color 2 – block pattern 
• 1 yard binding (can be in background color, pattern color or another color)

Finished size – 84 x 96

President's Message - April 2015

I hope you made a special effort to celebrate National Quilt Day on Saturday, March 21st. Not just another excuse to buy fabric on sale (like you need an excuse), but some little something like donating fabrics you are tired of, planning a new quilt, considering a small focus group to join, re-visiting your scrap bin, or just washing and ironing some beautiful fabrics you are so fond of.  We celebrate our quilt vocation in different ways. NQD is a way to reflect on quilting for what it does.  Quilting fills your life with close friends, community service opportunities, family heirlooms, a sense of history and culture, and a feeling of pride for the treasure you created from cotton fibers and dye; simple items that placed in your hands create things of wonder.  

Remembering that the theme of my message in April 2014 was "River City Begins with Me." We can look back on our activities since then and this theme has carried over into new ideas shared through numerous guild committees, member participation in outside activities, and the informative content of meetings with engrossing programs and shared opportunities.  The balance of 2015 is ripe with promise.

This April's program will be about the Louisiana Northshore Quilt Trail, followed by committee news and activities updates.  There will be much to do and share.

As always, I'd love to hear your suggestions think "River City begins with me."

See you soon,  
Renee 


the Bring list
- bring - $2 for lotto block - Vanishing Squares -  Deadline is May.  See Brenda & Beverly
- bring - 2 1/2 inch strips  of purple or gold fabric for the Community Sew-In
- bring all that Show & Tell;  bring what you did at Seminar, retreat, class....
- bring items and monies for the Birthday Table Extravaganza. 
- bring fabric for Fat Quarter Drawing -    Cat or dog prints
- bring & wear your Fiber Name Tag:  You could win $20 !! BeBe hands you your prize.
- bring $1 if you wish to participate in the Mystery Quilt series - pay Glen Parks.

Pictures from March 2015 Meeting

See the pictures here

President's Message - March 2015

As our board and committees work to fill the calendar for 2015 and into 2016, I am adding events to my personal calendar.  It is a mix of outings with friends, commitments, and the little steps necessary to accomplish goals.  

As I move into my second year as president, I realize we need to move away from a calendar year mind set to one that includes planning guild activities within the framework of what's available to us now, so we can fill the calendar with a good variety of future events. 

With a good mix of activities and good people behind them, I foresee an interesting year for our guild.  

See you soon, 
Renee 


The Bring List

• bring your membership application and check for $20 to Bebe Tulley
• bring - $$$ for a new lotto block - $2/kit. See Brenda Gauthier or Beverly Amedee
• bring all that Show & Tell 
• bring fabric for Fat Quarter Drawing -    Fleur de Lis prints
• bring & wear your Fiber Name Tag
• bring $1 if you wish to participate in the Mystery Quilt series - pay Glen Parks

Pictures from February 2015 Meeting

See the pictures here

President's Message - February 2015

Our January meeting turned out so much better than I had imagined.  There were 17 quilts turned in for our TGQ Red Dimples Challenge.  Some of the quilts included the panels distributed by Wasted Women to be used as a jumping-off point.  The variety of quilts and the loving stitches put into each one was a beautiful sight to see.  

Before the meeting and during the break, most of the chairs were empty because you all helped out getting the quilts hung, visited with members, both new and old, and participated in all there was to see and do during the break, including signing up for guild committees!

The committees this year include buddies serving together as well as people working together for the first time.  The most dramatic pairing for the evening was Nanzy Stewart and Jackie Wood fussing over the new guild carpet sweeper!

Let's keep this momentum going, with our extended sharing period at February's program, Who are you, and what do you do?  Bring along a few items that reflect what makes your heart sing.

See you soon,
Renee

The Bring List

• bring your membership application and check for $20 to Bebe Tulley
• bring - return the "Army" block you assembled for TGQ Show.  See Renee.
• bring all that Show & Tell, regular and whatever you worked on at retreat??
• bring items and monies for the Birthday Table Extravaganza.
• bring fabric for Fat Quarter Drawing - Fish prints
• bring & wear your Fiber Name Tag:  You could win $20 !!
• bring $1 if you wish to participate in the Mystery Quilt series - pay Glen Parks.
• bring Your Fabric Swap - Bag o' Fabrics- for the Quilts of Valor - contact Judy M.

Pictures from the January 2015 Meeting

Click here to see the pictures

President's Message - January 2015

I hope you all enjoyed our Christmas get-together.  The good feelings from that Thursday night extended into the next day as I sorted through the lovely fabrics I received from you all.  My husband, Kurt, had to come into the laundry room to investigate when he heard all these expressions of "oh my gosh" and "this one is lovely" that he could hear from down the hall.  And now all that beautiful fabric has been washed, folded, sorted, and ready to be used.  One of the pieces has already found a home in my art piece for Michael Young's Quilt the Swamp show opening in January.  

Continuing with the fabric theme, I used it as a metaphor during our Christmas party to describe everyone's unique and singular contributions in 2014.  So in your preparations to participate in our January meeting, please keep in mind the following:

"I encourage you to take the opportunity to add to that pile of scraps we call River City Quilt Guild and in return, find friendships and inspiration that enrich your life."

See you soon,
Renee

the Bring list

• bring your membership application and check for $20 to Bebe Tulley.  Fill in comments for Joni.
• bring your $$$ for Judson Retreat, 1/29 - 2/1/2015, see details in newsletter. See Cynthia.
• bring all that  Show & Tell .
• bring items and monies for the Birthday Table Extravaganza. (December & January Birthdays)
• bring fabric for Fat Quarter Drawing - Black and White prints
• bring & wear your Fiber Name Tag:  You could win $20 !!