Saturday, May 23, 2020

June 2020 Newsletter

President's Letter
Hello Guild members!!

We are still asking for photos of your projects! Sadly, I haven’t had any extra time...I’ve had to work full time through this all. And whether you’ve been home or have also had to go out to work, I do know that we are all mindful to take precautions to keep ourselves safe. That is the thought the board members and I have when we had decided to do virtual meetings, for our safety, pet the governor’s mandate and to continue a way to stay connected to one another as a whole group.
We had not gone into this decision as a means to replace our meetings to virtual on a permanent basis, but only use it temporarily. I still prefer the face to face interactions myself! And I’m sure most of you do, too.
Plus, we are looking into still providing a entertaining program with searching for virtual speakers. And uniquely so, we have thought this may be a positive advantage...we may now start to widen our search for speakers from locally to all over the country...and maybe even globally!!
It’s rather exciting to think about. But it’s still a challenge to see if “regular” speakers are willing to change their methods to go virtual. Fingers crossed! 
In the meantime, please bear with us and know we want to provide a good experience within our guild. We are still here to support one another in all manners.
So, we do plan to have another virtual meeting for June. And I will be announcing the winner of the Volunteer award at that time. I hope to see you there!!

Helen Hofbauer

Membership - Kathy & Bob DeCarli and Marianne Caporale
Hi All
We had a very successful meeting on Zoom with 23 attendees. Our only downside was we could only speak one at a time. These virtual meetings can be fun. We had members attending for whom it is difficult to come out late in the day. I can’t wait to see how the speakers can adjust to our new way of life. I am so impressed with the way how people have made the necessary changes.

   We have 15 birthdays this summer
   Sara Borr ....July
   Donna Daley...August
   Kathy DeCarli..August
   Bob DeCarli .....June
   Helen Hofbauer...August
   Delores Holzwarth.... July
   Ellen McMillen...June
   Eileen Mincarelli.....August 
   Sarah Reindel....June
   Pat Smith....July
   Suzanne Stiverson....August
   Kathy Timko....August
   Page Toghill...August
   Cindy Vognetz.....June
   Jean Zubert....August



Our first Zoom meeting! It was fun and a great way to connect. We hope you will meet us for our June 8th meeting. An email with the link will be sent before the meeting.

Newsletter Articles - Kelly Meanix
As always members are invited to send items to be included in the newsletter. Please send them to Kelly Meanix at kellymx@aol.com Items are due no later than the 24th of the month. The newsletter is published on the 25th, except for holidays. Please send them in an email and not as an attachment.


Nominating Committee - Maureen Carlson and Kelly Meanix


Update From the Nominating Committee:
 The motion was made and seconded by e-mail to accept the following slate of candidates for the coming year’s board. The election was conducted by email having the voting deadline of April 30th. There were no dissenting votes and the following were elected to be the 2020-2021 Penn Oaks Board:

President:  Lynn Telson
Programs:  Jen Burke
Recording Secretary:  Kelly Meanix
Corresponding Secretary:   Maureen Carlson
Ways & Means:   Robin McMillen
Treasurer:   Ellen McMillen
Membership:   Bob and Kathy DeCarli and Marianne Caporale(Not a board member)                                        

 We are still actively looking for a Programs Assistant who will shadow and assist Jen Burke this year while planning the 2021-2022 Penn Oaks programs.  This is a two year commitment.  Please consider volunteering for this vital position and support your guild.  The 2020-2021 guild year is not considered to be a board position though the program assistant typically attends board meetings.  During the 2021-2022 guild year, you will be the Programs board member and have a programs assistant whom you will mentor and train.   Here is a brief position description:
-      Assist current year Programs person while learning how they developed and managed getting speakers for the guild.   
-      While not every guild meeting is a speaker, there is some sort of activity or program.  Work with current board  and other guild members in the development of these non-speaker meetings.  Examples of such programs are:  Holiday Party; Challenge meeting; Sew-In’s – i.e. charity night sewing, et al. 
-      Manage speaker and program costs to approved programs budget
-      Determine speakers by networking with other guilds and consider speaker recommendations from any Penn Oaks members as a potential program speaker. 
-      Arrive early to meetings and help set-up the venue for speaker use.  Welcome speaker to the guild when they arrive.  Assist speakers with travel/directions and hotel recommendations as applicable
-      Communicate with speakers and as part of engagement for providing a program to the guild, ensure that Penn Oak’s speaker contract is signed by the speaker and returned to the guild stating the agreed upon fee and other expenses.  Provide copies of this signed contract to both the President (for co-signature) and Treasurer (for check payment). 
-      Communicate program lineup to guild membership via the Penn Oaks newsletter, send programs listing to the Website Chairperson and Social Media people. 
-      -Enjoy having the ability to determine and enjoy programs that are your interests. Get to know people in the guild better as well as quilting industry leaders through these interactions.   
IF interested reach out to Kelly Meanix or Maureen Carlson

Charity Outreach - Elaine Mayer

Dear Quilters!
I'm sure many of you have been busy sewing masks and scrub hats. Your efforts are appreciated more than you will ever know.
The Honeybrook Food Bank is in more need now than ever, as you can imagine. If you have donations, please feel free to contact me for a contactless pick up OR if you wish to donate non perishable food for those in need, St Peter Parish has a monthly food drive for Honeybrook Food Bank. There is a trailer in the parking lot and they collect the fourth Saturday and Sunday of every month (fourth full week). It is a no contact drop off.
2835 Manor Rd.
West Brandywine, PA 19320
(610) 380-9045   
stpeterchesco@comcast.net

You are all a very generous group!! You have big, loving hearts and it shows in so many ways. Saying "Thank You" just doesn't seem adequate.
For all of you who continue to work on the Chester Bears, please hold onto them a little while longer. Also, if you have pillowcases, we will collect them in September.
Again, thank you for all you do. If anyone is in need of fabric for charitable sewing, PLEASE let me know.
Stay safe and healthy,
Elaine Mayer

Mini Quilts


Home is where the heart is and we have seen a lot of our home in the past couple of months! This pattern is by Twiggy and Opal and it just may be a quick and fast present for you or someone you love!


Final Musing on Women’s Suffrage Year.
The 19th Amendment granting women the right to vote was ratified in August 1920 making this year the 100th anniversary.  I’ve been following the Pennsylvania Piecemaker blog written by Michele McLaughlin who was one of our speakers last June (Can you believe it’s been a year????).  She’s has some interesting posts in this Blog.   The COVID-19 pandemic has shuttered many planned exhibits and events planned to celebrate this anniversary so I’m going to wrap up this series with this last newsletter article.  Hopefully some of you will find another topic of interest to periodically share your readings with guild members.
For this last post, I’d like to highlight this Pennsylvania Piecemaker entry  - Suffrage Cookbooks!!!!   http://pennsylvaniapiecemaker.blogspot.com/2020/04/suffrage-cookbooks.html)
This post especially caught my attention with the 2nd paragraph talking about sourdough bread.   One of my Mother’s Day gifts this year was a loaf of homemade sourdough bread made by my wonderful son-is-law!!!  He’s promised me some starter to make my own.  Does this sound familiar?  Many new articles today are highlighting how people are cooking more while staying home – including Michele’s co-author Beth and her daughter making sourdough bread.  What have you been cooking recently????
I know I’ve delved back into my old cookbooks and even resurrected some of my Mother’s old, old recipes again.  Talk about what’s old is new again…..   The blog post contains links to two suffrage cookbooks that are now e-books in the public domain.  I’ve spent some time looking through these cookbooks and am amazed at the number of recipes that are basically the same as recipes in more modern cookbooks that we use for every day meals!!!!  Including in the 1886 cookbook a recipe for spaghetti using boxed spaghetti pasta!!!!   (We have a weekly pasta night –do you????)    There is also a recipe for a "Lancaster County Pie" that seems very similar to what we know as Shoo Fly Pie!

I hope you enjoy looking at the Pennsylvania Piecemaker Blog entries and have learned more about our ancestors, their struggles to obtain many of the privileges we take for granted today as well as having many of the same “Trials and Tribulations” as we have today (i.e. 1918 pandemic and political activism with widely differing points of view, et al). 

Sampler Sew Along - Kelly Meanix
How is it going? Has everyone caught up with the blocks? Are you enjoying the bonus blocks? Only one more week and I will be sending out the next set of blocks. Questions? Call or email me. Below are mine up to date, 21 blocks.

Don't you love the book block?



Fun Tool!

At our last Zoom meeting, Jen Burke alerted us to this cool bias tape maker made using a 3D printer.
You can read all about it and see a video HERE , the site is called Purple Hobbies. Check it out, thanks Jen for the tip! Another reason to join us for our Zoom meetings!





Interested in finding out more about your ancestry?
All you need is a library card with the Chester County Library. While the library is closed you can log into your account and access Ancestry.com remotely. You will see the link on your account log-in page. There are literally billions of records to aid you in your search. You can review the US Census from 1790 to 1940 (1950 will not be available for another two years), birth, marriage and death records, and immigration and travel records. You'll find published stories, memories and family histories that may have information about your family. And tons of other stuff! Just a warning - this can be addicting. Note that Ancestry.com has been available on the library computers and may not be available remotely once the library re-opens.
Ellen McMillen



Recipe 
Hi quilters I wanted to share a recipe that I especially love this time of year. 

Warm Tomato Salad from Pioneer Woman.  This is the tomato salad I served at the getaway and it is always a hit. 
It is delicious served over greens or added to a sandwich wrap. 

I also invented my own Sriracha Mayo when we ran out and I had to make due.  It is spicy but it is great with some pan fried tilapia or on an omelet. 

1/2 Cup Mayo
2 TBSP Sriracha hot sauce
1 1./2 TBSP Sesame Oil
1 TBSP Sugar
1 1/2 TBSP Cider Vinegar
1/2 tsp mustard (I used Dijon)
1/2 tsp granulated garlic. 

I enjoyed visiting with you all on the meeting.  I look forward to seeing you in June. 
-Robin

Robin McMillenhttp://sewwhimzy.wordpress.com

(610)836-1363(610)873-2950

Show & Tell

Maureen Carlson:




Suzanne Stiverson's 90" long runner that she started at the Get-Away



Two beautiful quilts from Myrna Paluba





A Pandemic Quilt by Kelly Meanix. There is more information on my blog about how to make this quilt. You can also email me for the paper piece pattern. Go to Pinkadotquilts to read more.



Another wonderful Show & Tell! don't be shy, we all want to see what you are working on!

Thursday, May 14, 2020

Paper Pieced Book Block


This is the Book Block for our May paper pieced blocks. I wanted to show you how I made the books. It is not hard but it does take some measuring.


Here are the 4 "books" I chose. First make sure the fabric word you want to use fits the space. Some of the books are wider than the others.


This one was easy. I just made sure that it would fit in the space width wise. Next I added the top and bottom of the book. As always with paper piecing it is over sized and trimmed down.


You do the ones going vertical the same way. First sew the top and bottom pieces to your word.



Bottom section.


Next add the sides. Again OVERSIZE! It will save you lots of grief. If needed pin or use the glue stick to hold in place. Sew as usual for paper piecing. You can go to this POST to get a refresher on paper piecing if needed.
Have fun! Let's see what books are in your library.

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