Mennonite Church of Normal
805 S. Cottage
Normal, IL 61761
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September - May
​First Thursday of the month
7:00 - 9:00 p.m.
The Guild's next meeting will be held  at 7:00 p.m. on Thursday January 2, 2020. Our guest speaker is the Guilds own Pamela Riss. Pam was the featured artist at the Guilds Quilt Spectrum in 2019.

President's Message

No UFO’s Left Behind!
Happy Thanksgiving members!

Have you started your holiday sewing yet? Or maybe you are one of those who started right after the holidays last year and have been finished for quite a while. Me, I do have some holiday sewing to do but thankfully what I do have to sew will not take me long. One of these days I would like to make a Christmas quilt but right now I don’t want to add it to my UFO collection.

Doug Leko was a great speaker and instructor at our November meeting. I heard from several members that who did take a class from him that they were glad that we had an instructor that was left handed. For me being a right handed person, I have never really understood why it is different for others. And, I understand that his books are wrote for quilters that are left handed, which I will have to check out in the book that I purchased from him. If you did enjoy him as a speaker or an instructor, please let the program committee know. This helps them as they contact future instructors for our guild.

In December we have the privilege of quilter Lisa Bongean joining us for “Remembering the Past”. I hope that you will be able to join us on December 5.

In January 2020 will be the guild’s winter retreat on Friday and Saturday, January 3 & 4, with our general meeting on Thursday January 2nd.  We will not be having the silent auction during this meeting but will be during the May 2020 salad supper. Please look for article in this newsletter regarding the silent auction. The meeting will be a general business meeting followed by a small program.

Remember to please check our Facebook page, the cancellation list on the Pantagraph or listen to WJBC during inclement weather to see if the general meeting is cancelled. We are that time of the year when if the weather is bad or forecasted to be, our meeting could be cancelled due to we don’t want our members out during weather that is dangerous.
 
See you in December.
​
Connie Borth
President

Library

With Lisa Bongean's December lecture and classes, HAAQG Library has a few interesting books on applique. An older book, from 2000, is Heart-Felt Wool Applique by Lorinda Lie. Filled with wool prep basics and projects, the author shows various stitches, methods and sources.

For February's lecture and classes with Christa Watson, we have two books. First is Machine Quilting With Style by Christa Watson. Great book highlighting Christa's methods using her domestic machine. The second book is The Ultimate Guide to Machine Quilting by Angela Walters and Christa Watson, which was reviewed in the September 2016 newsletter.

We will continue to take new or renewal subscriptions to Fons & Porter Love of Quilting magazine. Please be sure to pay with personal check, payable to Love of Quilting.

If you have books or magazines to donate to Library, please contact Mary Weakman BEFORE you bring to meetings. We have very limited storage space available. 
​
Connie J Carstens
Library

Mentoring

​Our guild is large and has many wonderful groups from which to choose. Whether you are a new member or have been in the guild for many years, you are welcome to come to the mentor class and meet quilters who enjoy quilting and learning new skills just like you.
 
December – No mentoring class
 
January 15, 2020 – Sewing for your sewing room
 
February 20, 2020 – Twister Pinwheels
​Mystery Bags for Quilt ​Sprectrum
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We still want your fabric scraps!  Please bring your quilt scraps for the mystery bags for the 2020 Quilt Spectrum.  The MARCH meeting is the LAST time fabric will be accepted, or until we have 600 bags, whichever comes first!  Fabric scraps need to be quality cotton and no smaller than 2 inches. You may put your scraps on the counter outside the kitchen.  Please, no clothing or books.    

Thank you for your continued support of this program.  To date we have 200 bags completed with another 20 almost ready.
 
Ary Anderson
​Programs

2019-2020
​Guest Speakers

Click image to go to speaker's homepage

Normal Public Library Quilt Display

​Quilting is alive and well in Central Illinois!

Our guild has been invited to display labors of our love in the art gallery at Normal Public Library during April, May, and June of 2020. The gallery is a rather compact and protected space near the front entrance but will allow a variety of options.
Optimum sizes would be LESS than 60 X 60 inches.
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Good items would be children’s quilts, lap quilts, fidget quilts, projects from some of the classes such as Dresden plate, crazy quilts, paper piecing, applique, bags, modern, and others. Projects may be offered for sale if the owner wishes.

Display time may be one, two, or three months depending on the number of quilts received. Forms will be available at the December meeting.
Also please bring in orphan blocks with finished edges. The edges can be bound, serged, or zigzagged. These will be hands-on “projects” that visitors may touch. These can be brought in at any time.

This is the first time the Normal Library will display fiber art, and we want this to be equal to the usual FANTASTIC quilt show for which our guild is known.

Please feel free to contact me by phone or email—the numbers are in the Membership directory—if there are any questions.
​
Judy Bennington

Carribbean Quilt Cruisin'

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​We are happy to announce the ship is fully booked. Cruisers should expect boarding instructions to arrive in your email in December. ​We are excited to welcome everyone aboard.

We have a small waiting list and you are welcome to contact Bev Elder if you’d like to placed on the list.

Looking forward to casting off.

Cheryl Adam and Ruth Novosad
Cruise Ship officers

Silent Auction Date Change

​The Executive Board has approved changing the date of the silent auction FROM January 2020 TO May of 2020.  This will allow the program committee more time to accept your treasures.  Thank you for the lovely items we have received so far for the Silent Auction.  Marking your items for the ‘silent auction’, is very helpful.  We can tell the difference between scraps for the mystery bags and fabric for the auction, but we appreciate knowing so we only open the items for the mystery bags when we are sorting fabric.  All clearly marked items for the silent auction may be placed on the counter outside the kitchen.

Mentor Survey

Help the Mentor Program plan this year's classes by taking the Mentor Survey. The information you provide will help in deciding what classes Guild members are interested in.

You can take the survey online or print off the pdf form. You can return the printed form at the monthly meeting.​

Programs & Classes

Our speaker/teacher for December, Lisa Bonjean, is well known to many of you.  When she was here in March of 2017, both classes were full.  There is a waiting list for both of her classes. If you are registered for either class, the supply lists are on our web site.  Under “Jacob’s Ladder”, a travel steam iron and ironing board are listed. You will not need either item as pressing stations are provided.  All kits, listed notions, threads, and patterns will be available from Lisa before and during class.  Pattern for ​​“Snowman” is $9.00 and “Jacob’s” is $10.00.  If you are not buying her kit for “Jacob’s Ladder”, the ONLY thing you MUST do before class is to STARCH your fabric!

The menu for each day’s class will be sent after November 25, to those registered.

Here is Lisa’s schedule.
  • December 5– Thursday’s Program– Remembering the Past
  • December 6– Friday’s class- Snowman for Hire table runner
  • December 7– Saturday’s class – Jacob’s Ladder
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Looking Ahead
Our January program will be presented by our own Pam Riss.  Her program is “"My Quilting Evolution?”,  She was the featured quilter at the 2019 Quilt Spectrum.  Many of us were so busy “working the show” that we might not have had a chance to see and enjoy her exhibit.  This will be your opportunity to support her and view her artistic creations.L

Looking W-a-ay Ahead
Our speaker/teacher for March, David Gilleland, has openings in both classes.  Please visit his web site, www.vectorquilts.com and type in Equinox and Star Voyage in the search window.  Equinox will help to teach you the skills needed to progress to intermediate and advanced foundation piecing patterns.  Star Voyage along with the instructions and follow along videos will also teach you the skills needed to progress to intermediate and advanced foundation piecing patterns. Perhaps this will interest you to sign up for a class.  The Program Committee would like to see more members participating in his classes.
2019-2020 Programs & Classes
January 2, 2020-Pam Riss
Our January program will be presented by our own Pam Riss. Her program is "My Quilting Evolution?” She was the featured quilter at the 2019 Quilt Spectrum. 

January 3 & 4, 2020-Winter Retreat 
Theme is Caribbean Quilt Cruisin'

February 6, 2020-Christa Watson
Lecture: How do I quilt it?
Workshops: Walking Foot Wonders & Free Motion Favorites
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​March 5, 2020-David Gilleland
Lecture: Foundation vs. Traditional Piecing
Workshops: Equinox & Star-Voyage
 
April 2, 2020-Sheri Cifaldi-Morrrill
Lecture: Content, Concepts & Quilts
Workshops: Picnic Petals & Hawaiian Inspired Applique

May 7, 2020-May Salad Supper
​Ary Anderson
Programs & Workshops
Banner picture Copyright: maxcab / 123RF Stock Photo
​Calendar Photo Copyright: takasumi / 123RF Stock Photo