Wednesday, July 29, 2009

Auction to benefit Parker House is to be held at the Thursday, October 1 meeting

It’s too hot out to do much in the yard. What a great time to go through your stash!

Do you have some fabric that you don’t think you’ll ever use? Donate it to the auction to make room for those winning bids you’ll bring home.

Do you have some notions that you no longer use? Have you replaced your old rotary cutter with a new one or gotten a ruler that you like better than that old one? Have some scissors or a tape measure? A quilting hoop? Patterns? Templates? Have some great books or magazines that you don’t really read anymore? Make room for new ones. You know what they say, “One person’s trash is another person’s treasure”.

We also need baskets, tins, and other appropriate containers for the auction.

The auction committee will be collecting donations at the August and September meetings, so get busy and recycle your quilting items for Parker House!

Friday, July 3, 2009

Congratulations Glenda!

from Glenda Parks -

CyberFriends Quilt Guild, a national internet guild, holds their Annual Spring Quilt Show online each year in June. This year, I entered four pieces and ended up with four placements! It was quite exciting!

  • 1st place in Machine Pieced Miniatures ‑ Journey to the Center of the Earth
  • 1st place in Small Art Quilts (Mixed Media)
  • 2nd place in Medium Art Quilts (Mixed Media) ‑ Valerie Skis!
  • 3rd place in Small Bed Quilts (Machine Pieced, Machine Quilted) ‑ Matt's Baseball Quilt

I have not received my package of winnings, but certainly there will be ribbons and "large" cash prizes!

How the Para Challenge Came About.......

There were many hands working together for this success:
  • Margie Bumm, 2008 president, set the wheels in motion by presenting the idea as a guild challenge linked to a group entry into AQS Quilt Show.
  • Hurricane Gustav ‑ that event pushed the deadline forward to Feb. 2009, and afforded some members extra time to finish it.
  • Mary Woltmann, 2009 president, who along with Margie, Joni, Kathy Perevosnik, and several others pushed hard to keep the idea alive, filled out and forward entry forms, made digital photos, and did whatever it took to get the Para quilts into the view of the AQS judges.
  • And, last but not least, the participants:
    • Paraphernalia ‑ Barbara Lankford ‑ a small wall hanging done as inspiration, finished with beading and embellishments (shown but not judged).
    • Parasol ‑ Debbie Ingram ‑ (2nd place) used boning to make umbrella edge stand out
    • Parallelogram ‑ Marilyn Halvorsen ‑ Lone Star block is a parallelogram
    • Paradiddle ‑ Diana Maloney (3rd place) ‑ a real word, that means a tempo of drum rhythms (with real sound effects devices on the quilt ‑ Wow!)
    • The Moon Is Making Me Paranoid ‑ Joanna Wilson ‑ (1st place) ‑ a whimsical graphic wall hanging
    • Paraclete ‑ Joyce Perry (2nd place) ‑ a dove on red cross blocks, representative of the Holy Spirit
    • A Pair of Paramecium in Parallel Worlds ‑ Janet Cundiff (2nd) ‑ pears dissected with parallel strips
    • Carter's Playtime Paraphernalia ‑ Debbie Hulett (2nd place)‑ rendition of grandson's toys as applique blocks
    • Paradise Quilt Shop ‑ Nina Delaune (3rd place)
    • Paradise or Pears and Dice ‑ Georgia Narrow

    Who knows what characteristics the jury was looking for?? They saw something in the whimsy, the level of development of theme, and the diversity of the "Para" challenge. Cheers all around for a job well done

P.S.‑‑What about next year??

Pictures of the "Para" challenge quilts are listed in the gallery for the February 2009 Meeting.

President's Message Jul 2009

Hi everyone!

I hope everyone who attended the June meeting was pleased with our "wedding shower," that was the surprise theme. The tableau was a takeoff on the movie, 27 Dresses, that we switched to 27 wedding engagements with 27 quilts that reflected the interests of 27 suitors. It was a hoot, particularly when the audience anticipated a "Robbing Peter to Pay Paul" quilt, which the securities broker prospect had absconded with. It was a very special occasion with so many of YOUR Very Special Quilts.

The REAL BIG SURPRISE was the announcement that our "Para" Challenge had been accepted at the AQS show slated for July 22-25, 2009. I could hardly contain my excitement and pride. Such a thrill !! My thanks to all the participants. (a recap of the challenge is found later in the newsletter)

My thanks go out to the wedding planners who helped me with so many details, to secure the food, decorations, and door prizes. Credits go out to Amelia's Quilt Shop (Amelia Beadle), Connie Ewbank, Beth Jessup, Joyce Perry, and Melanie West who baked the cake. My humble regrets if I forgot anyone.

Joyce LeFleur will be our guest speaker this month with a truck show of a lifetime of quilt-making.

See you soon,

Happy Quilting! Mary

Things to bring to the meeting:
~~ bring the July birthday raffle gifts - see Barbara Hoffman
~~ bring your projects from Beth's Kwik Krazy Tote Class
~~ bring money for Christmas lotto, $2.50 each.
~~ bring your patriotic quilts to hang
~~ bring your regular show & tells, plus tell us about the Louisiana Cotton Pickin' Shop Hop.
~~ F Q Lotto "Red, White, or Blue" - in any combination.

June 2009 Meeting Minutes

minutes of –June 4, 2009 Meeting - Mary Woltmann, president, welcome, 38 members, 2 guests
ANNOUNCEMENTS:

  • introduction of guests
  • UFO opportunity reminder
  • retreat info
  • July 2nd, next meeting
  • Tote Class with Beth, reminder, sign up on June 13th
  • road trip planned for Friday to quilt shops in Lafayette
  • South LA shop hop, passports on sale July 7th, $15, available at Amelia's
  • Introduced Judy Holley, quilt teacher, gave a showing of her quilts. She shall teach a New York Beauties II class on Sept. 12 to the guild, GSQA member =$20, non-members =$30. Her other circuit class: pet portraits.
  • AQS - our "Para" Challenge had been accepted at the show slated for July 22-25, 2009.
  • Christmas Challenge Lotto Blocks will be available at the July meeting
  • Studio M opens in Denham Springs [see info in store listings]
    PROGRAM
    Memory Blocks - Suzanne Elliott
    Decisions to make. What do you want the end result to be?? Wall hanging or what size?? Is it square within a square or on-point, what fabrics? Use white muslin or creme'. Draw seam allowance on block to control where participants write the mementos. Use Kona fabrics for stiffness. Use freezer paper ironed to wrong side. Cut with rotary cutter. Ultra Fine point Sharpies for signatures.
    Labels - Joni DeVilbiss
    Remember that all quilts have value and part of the value is the history of its origin. Remember the five (5) W's of journalism - who, what, when, where, and why. The minimum info is the name of maker and for whom it is made. This can be a simple 3x5 inch muslin rectangle place on the backing. Other hints: include a narrative on how it was made and washing instructions. Attach label before quilting, then it is nearly impossible to get off. A label protects your quilt from an easy theft. "Write" your name in the quilting. Write your name hidden under the label, under the sleeve, or placed under the binding. Different types of labels: pre-made, cross stitch, machine embroidery, painted, and stamped. Try different permanent pens: Zig, Pigma, archival inks.
    Quilt Diaries - use a 3-ring binder with clear page sleeves. Make/print pages with digital images of front, back of quilt, details about construction, close-up photos, designer, blocks, fabric samples, batting
    BREAK - A surprise wedding reception/shower was celebrated. There was a "bride" questionnaire that each member filled out by asking questions of fellow members, such as, who eloped, made her wedding dress, married on Valentine's Day (Tommie Morden), married by justice of the peace, saw the movie Father of the Bride?, lots of cute things, plus plenty of cake, cookies, dip, and punch. It was a sweet surprise and a lot of fun. There was a tableau called 27 Dresses. Then there was a drawing for "shower gifts" - recipients were Kathy P., Stella G., Nina D., Pat K., Elaine G., Norma P., Alice F., Kathleen W., Karol G., Suzi M., Caroline D., Linda B., Suzanne E., and Joyce Perry
    Birthday raffle winners: Joni, Suzi, Joyce Perry, and Cynthia,
    Fat Quarter winner: Beth Jessup
    Name Tag winner: Elaine Gosselin
    Treasurer's report from Beth J. - the current status of the River City Guild Accounts
    Balance brought forward from December, 2008 $2,260.63
    + 922.85
    Current Checkbook Balance $3,183.48

    2009 Income $4,166.04
    2009 Expenses 3,243.19

    Currently Ahead from this time last year 922.85
    SHOW AND TELL
    - Joni - scrap quilti called "Fractured rails" and "Lucky Star"
    - Glenda Parks - Carrie's shower quilt, memory quilt of graduation, making a double wedding ring for Carrie (newly wed), and a divorce quilt for a friend (lemons and lemonade)
    - Beth - new tote "Potato Chip" bag 4 hours to make, hobo bag
    - Nina - a tell about Mama's Bus tour
    - Brenda Gauthier - baby quilt applique from coloring book images
    - Jo Paula - 1/2 log cabin made from batiks, spool quilt for husband's aunt
    - Janet Cundiff - inlaid tile quilt, Lynn R Brown class project in blue and yellow
    - Judy Holley - 4 charity quilts made with Wasted Women at Quilt Corner (they take donations) make quilts for Brave heart, Hospice, BR Crisis Intervention; Chinese coins, flower power, bow ties, stars
    - Joyce Perry - double wedding ring for mom. a 1st quilt category winner at 2005 GSQA show. made LSU raffle quilt for church
    - Elaine Gosselin - 8-pointed star - 500 1/2 square triangles Glory Bound
    - Katy P. gifts from secret sister in Ohio guild, wallet and tissue pack. made penguin fabric quilt for new niece
    - Valerie Barth - tote, quilt retreat, miniature scene of clothes line
    - Linda Baumann - lime, purple, & blue tote
    - Marlene Lewis - round robin embroidered centers, chicken blocks from annual retreat with New Jersey friend
    - Cynthia McGee - Lynn R Brown class project scrap quilt, 9-patch blocks
    Reminder to bring auction items in August.

the end