April 2015 Newsletter

President's Letter

Dear Guild,

So, how many of you have invited your friends and family to attend our show? It is going to be great. We can, and should, invite people who can't quilt to the show. Remember, there was a time when we couldn't quilt either. Let's inspire our neighborhood. We are tremendous artists and it is time to show everyone, not just fellow quilters who already know how great we are. Studies show, and I don't use "studies" lightly, studies should be statistically significant and not just random science created to support any old side of an argument. The studies about hobbies and stress are good science. We all need that creative outlet that makes us feel good. Spread the word, quilting is a wonderful hobby and the show gives us a way to show everyone what can be done when you give things a try.

Our April meeting will be about the above mentioned show. We will create adorable felt birds for the Acorn Shop. The final volunteer forms will be completed. Everyone is volunteering, right? There are lots of opportunities. Do you prefer to sit? Help with registration of the raffles. Do you like to walk around and talk about how great quilting is? Be a white glover. Do you like to eat? Help in the kitchen. We have something for everyone. Helping is fun. The people who attend the show are fun. It is going to a great weekend. 

Come to the April meeting pumped up for the show. I don't think we have to worry about weather cancellations any more - is it tornado season yet? Doesn't matter. We meet in a basement. 

See you on the 13th!

Leslie

Programs Committee

Suzanne Doonan and Betsy Moses

Our April program is our last chance for show prep.  We have a number of last minute details to finalize with regard to sign-ups and sharing show details.   Pat and Helen have an activity planned to finish up Acorn Shoppe items.  You'll be pleased with the variety of new and old favorite items for sale in this year's show as your hear show committee reports.  

Antiques from the Smithfield Barn and take-home cookies in quilting motifs are possible Mothers' Day gifts that your friends might pick up at the show.  Quilts from Remarkable Rectangles that were displayed in the Martingale booth at Houston will be available for viewing.  Delicious food in the Dresden Plate cafe will be popular.  We have new vendors featuring ribbons and beads to appeal to quilters and crafters alike.  Mini-quilt raffles, gift baskets, door prizes and our beautiful quilts will be there as well. 


HOSPITALITY
The snack list for April is: M. Paluba*, J. Lonaric, L. Paylor, N. Rubinelli*, P. Sherman, P. Smith, R. Smith*, E. Lance, M. Lewis, R. Lodi, K. Meanix.  A star after your name indicates that you bring a beverage for the group instead of a snack.  Remember to switch your responsibility with a friend if you can't attend the meeting and let me know.

Membership: Ellen McMillen/Rita Marie Smith 
March was our first meeting in 2015. Forty-two members were in attendance with two guests. Helen Hofbauer was the winner of the door prize. See you all in April!

April Birthdays
Dana O'Connor                13-April
Myrna Paluba                   13- April
Jean Fox                             14-April
Suzanne Doonan             24-April
Marion Stevenson          30-April
Many happy birthday wishes ladies! Enjoy your special day. 

Fabric Swap

This month's fabric is "black and white". Please bring (23) 10" squares in a ziplock type bag with you name on the inside. Please remember to choose fabric that is not older than 2 years old. If you are not going to be at the meeting please contact me.
Next month's blocks will be "yellow prints". Please pay special attention to the size, make sure they are 10" squares and please make sure you have 23 blocks, count them twice! I have bought just a bit more fabric to allow for a cutting mistake. To make it easier on yourself, cut off the selvedges before you cut your blocks.

May will be our last swap and I will bring the last fabric squares (yellow prints) to the June meeting. Please let me know if you will not be at the June meeting.
Kelly----questions?    kellymx@aol.com or 610-873-7211

Quilt Show 2015

Hi Guild,

OK, THIS IS IT. Our show is one month away. 

Denise Blake, 2015 Quilt Show Registration Chair, and I are instituting a new process to obtain tickets in advance for our May 1-2 Quilt Show.

If you, as members, want to prepay for friends’, families’ or acquaintances’ tickets, we are instituting a “Will Call” Process.  You need to send me, Suzanne Stiverson, a check made out to Penn Oaks Quilters for the amount to cover the number of attendees for whom you are paying.  Each ticket is $8, so 5 tickets would be $40.  With the check you need to list the names of those who will be coming to the show.  They will be asked for IDs and will be checked off a list at registration.  The check and list must arrive before Friday, April 24.  This gives you another option to help bring in more people, who may not come normally.  If they do not attend, the monies will not be refunded, but go into the Guild’s treasury.  You can give the person a note

or just tell them about the gift.

Please send the check and list of attendees to me at:

Suzanne Stiverson

2256 Diane CT

Pottstown, PA 19464-2690

Your quilt entries should be in.  We need your quilts to make it work.  Talk to Ellen McMillen if you just couldn't make the entry deadline.

We have 11 of 12 of our vendor booths booked. Penny Marble Quilt Designs has pulled out because of family circumstances.  The booth fee is non-refundable so we have 12 spaces paid for.   Timberline Patchwork; The Quilt Block; Pottstown Sewing (3 spaces); Jackie’s Woolens; Happy Valley Quilting; Donna’s Quits and Prims (name change); Ribbonsmyth (ribbons and embellishments); The Bead Lounge; and Alchemy Textiles are our vendors.  We’ve got a great mix of vendors so please save your money and support these vendors.  Go to our website:  www.pennoaksquilters.org ; to see what they vend.

Since Robin has taken on the food chairpersonship, I need a volunteer to help on the floor to help vendors—make sure they are happy, help them at the end to load up and anything else that comes up involving them.  It is not full time, but is very necessary.  Please raise your hand.

Our next Quilt Show meeting is Friday, April 3 at 11 a.m. at the Riverstone Café.  We’ll be making final plans for the show.

We really need you to sign up for tasks at the show.  Remember, you cannot attend free if you do not participate and give time.  We still need  volunteers in the Acorn shop; a few for registration and the small quilt raffle;  many for white gloving and a few are needed for raffle baskets.  Clean up during the show amounts to emptying the vendors’ trash boxes, disinfecting the food tables with wipes and checking the bathrooms for supplies.  A number of slots are open there.  For set up we still need floor set-up and tear down help from husbands, brothers, sons and you.  We need some strong guys (males) for Show Set up day—Thursday April 30 all day.  Please start talking to your family to chip in.  It is too hard for most of us to move the heavy tables and items.  Would love a few tall teenagers to help hold quilts during judging.  We have a lot of openings for the judging staff and scribes;  and for taking in the quilts and handing them back.  I’ll send the list one last time so you can send your sign-ups over email.  We also need some kitchen help on Saturday.  Please check over the list.

Please start having your friends put this great show on their calendars.  Attendance what the make the difference—bringing in raw revenue, folks to buy our raffle tickets, help our vendors and our Acorn Shoppe.  Each year we come down to the same results; we need attendees.

Of course your contributions, work on committees and support are critical and we appreciate every volunteer. But, do remember this is our FUND RAISER for the next two years.

Help Diana Smyrl get ads for our program brochure by giving suggestions.  The same goes for Pat Sherman, who is getting the door prizes.  If you know people or businesses (long-arm quilters, local companies, etc.) please get their phone information so Diana or Pat can contact them.

Raffle mini-quilts will be 18”X18”.  PLEASE START WORKING ON YOUR QUILT AS THEY WERE TERRIFIC FOR PUBLICITY.  TURN THEM IN TO KELLY MEANIX AS SOON AS THEY ARE DONE.  WE ARE ASKING EACH MEMBER TO DONATE AT LEAST ONE MINI-QUILT TO RAFFLE because this was a major fund raiser at our show. PLEASE NOTE----The absolute last day to hand in the mini raffle quilts is the April 13th meeting. I will be away right before the show and need time to prepare and will not be accepting any after this date.***

Quilt Show Chair:                                             Suzanne Stiverson                                                                   

Floor Plans/Set- up/Tear Down                 Bob DeCarli

Acorn Shoppe:                                                  Pat Smith and Helen Hofbauer

Props:                                                                   Pat Smith

Small Quilts Raffle:                                           Kelly Meanix

Door Prizes (letters--email):                        Pat Sherman

Raffle baskets/Door prizes:                         Jean Fox

Basket Delivery                                                 Marsha Paczok

Lancaster Area Vendors:                               Pat Sherman

Vendor letters:                                                 Suzanne Stiverson

Vendor on-site chair:                                

Registration/Admission:                               Denise Blake

Quilt Judging/forms                                        Ellen McMillen

Quilt Check in/out chairs:                             Jean Zubert & Cindy Vognetz

Ads for Programs:                                            Diana Smyrl

Program Brochures:                                        Rita Marie Smith

                                                                                Carolyn Davis

Publicity/Flyers                                                 Suzanne Doonan

Quilt description/signs:                                 Myrna Paluba

Viewer’s Choice Ballots                                 Myrna Paluba

Signage inside and outside venue:           Elaine Egan

White Glove:                                                     Marti Campbell

Clean-up:                                                            Marti Campbell

Food Chair                                                          Robin McMillen

Food Handler                                                     Robin McMillen

Our show will be here sooner than you think.

Keep on quilting…..

Suzanne Stiverson

ACORN SHOPPE
Please bring all your acorn shoppe goodies to the meeting .  Donations which I must price and ready for the shoppe and all of your consigned things which you will price and supply  the inventory sheet for me.  Thanks....lets make this show  have a great shoppe!!!!!!!  Pat Smith  610-321-0631 questions 

Nominations for 2015-2016

President - Leslie O'Brien

Recording  Secretary - Helen Hofbauer

Corresponding Secretary - Suzanne Stiverson

Programs - Robin McMillen

Treasurer - Ellen McMillen

Membership - Carolyn Davis and Jamie Loncaric

Ad Hoc

Hospitality - Angel

Soldier Quilts - Delores Holzwarth

Silent Auction - Diana Smyrl

Patches of Love - Allie Barchi

Challenge - Kathy DeCarli and Robin McMillen

Mystery Box - Jan Brown

Getaway - Ellen McMillen and Pat Sherman

Newsletter - Kelly Meanix

Mailing and Phoning - DeloresHolzwarth

Web - Maureen Carlson

Historian - Sara Borr

Quilt Show 2017- Position is open

Parliamentarian - Jean Fox

Charitable Projects Development - Debbie Becker
Publicity - Jamie Loncaric(Facebook page)

 Mystery Box Time

A reminder that it is Mystery Box Time.  Be sure to bring those extra dollars (I take coins too) for the surprise in the box.  Tickets are $1.00 for one ticket  or $5.00 for six tickets, the more tickets you buy the better your chances are.

See you all soon,

Jan

Wow!  My stairway has never looked so good…these bears are from YOU!  What a wonderful and overwhelming response to the ChesterBear project, your contributions of fabric, ribbon and bears are much appreciated.  I had the privilege of delivering them to the hospital and on behalf of CCH, a huge THANK YOU to the group!

Several new folks have started coming to our regular monthly get-togethers and as a reminder, we meet the first Thursday of the month at my home from 1-4 and you are welcome to join us.  If it works for you to continue to make bears on your own, that’s great too and I am happy to collect them at our guild meetings.  For those of you interested in attending or if you have any questions, please feel free to contact me at sslongenecker@gmail.com or 6106929996…thank you beary much!

BOOK REVIEW

I'm a quilting book junkie and I loved this book.  Lots of inspiration here. - Suzanne Doonan

Quilting the New Classics by Michele Muska

Ten traditional quilt blocks interpreted in two ways

One is a traditional layout with contemporary fabric and the other is a modern quilt design that has something from the traditional block.

Amy Smart uses low-volume red/white fabric and monochromatic Dresden Plates in primary colors..

The Modern Flying Geese quilt in the book uses neutrals and high contrast fabric in a unique way.

Hint: ccls.org has two copies of this book.

Selections from Delores Holzwarth-

Sister - Rosamunde Lupton (a mystery)

Cutting for Stone - Abraham Verghese

Sarah's Key - Tatiana DeRosney

Snow Flower and the Secret Fan - Lisa See

A Deadly Wandering - Matt Richtel (non-fiction, about texting & driving)

From Kelly Meanix
My book club just finished A Tree Grows In Brooklyn. It is a wonderful classic book, even worth re-reading!

Quilt Happenings

The Ricky Tims Super Quilt Seminar - featuring Ricky Tims and Alex Anderson
April 16-18, 2015 (Thursday Evening, Friday and Saturday)
University of Delaware
Newark, DE
Ricky Tims Information

PA RELIEF SALE Quilt Auction 
April 17 and 18, 2015
Harrisburg Farm Show Complex
pareliefsale.ort

Mid-Atlantic MOD A Modern Quilters Retreat April 23-26, 2015 Lancaster, PA