Mennonite Church of Normal
805 S. Cottage
Normal, IL 61761
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There will be no meetings until Governor Pritzker cancel the coronavirus Illinois stay-at-home order

May Salad Supper Cancellation

Governor Pritzker has extended the coronavirus stay-at-home order until May 1. Since the order has been extended it is necessary to cancel the May Salad Supper. Please visit the Guild's web and Facebook pages for the latest Guild cancellations and activity changes.

All Guild Activities Cancelled Until Further Notice

​Members, the executive board has decided that with the CDC recommendations that groups with more than 10 individuals should not meet for the next eight weeks. So it has been decided that ALL HAAQG activities are cancelled until further notice, which also includes the Quilt Spectrum. This recommendation goes until May 3,2020 so hopefully the May salad supper & silent auction can still be held. For future updates, watch the newsletter, website or Facebook as the executive board will stay on top of this. Thank you members for understanding.
 
Thank you. 
 Connie Borth

President's Message

No UFO’s Left Behind!
Welcome to spring!

How are your projects coming along with all of this extra time to sew? Have you been busy sewing masks for organizations that have asked for them or maybe just for your own personal use, since come May 1st we will all be required to wear one. I know that I haven’t utilized my time for sewing to the best that I could. Instead I seemed to be doing more of my spring cleaning and organizing the closets and whatever else I come across.  This has even flowed over into my sewing room. I seem to be cleaning out fabric and projects that I know I will never use or sew up, so guess next year’s auction might be even bigger than what was planned for this year.

In reference to this year, everything is still on hold: salad supper, UFO auction, general meetings and the summer retreat for right now. When the governor and CDC decided that it is safe for us to resume our “normal” activities, the guild will begin to meet again. I hope that this will be in the near future but who knows. As of this time, the Quilt Spectrum is still planned for September 11 & 12, 2020 and our first meeting for the fall will be September 3, 2020 with workshops on September 4 & 5, 2020. Our speaker, Susan Knapp, for September agreed to change her engagement date with us by moving it up one week.

In this newsletter and on the website you will find the forms to renewal your membership and also to sign up for next year’s workshops. Remember that membership checks are to be dated June 1st, 2020 and any checks for the workshops are to be dated 60 days prior to the date of the workshop. Then just mail your registration form and workshop form to Pam Riss. Pam’s address can be found in the member’s directory.

Now for some unfinished business of the guild. The officers for next year should have been voted on during our March meeting and due to the time constraints, it was not done. So, you will be receiving an additional email or a letter in the mail, if that is how you receive your newsletter, explaining how the officers will be confirmed so that they may start their duties with the beginning of the Guild’s year, June 2020.

​The Guild also seems to have the problem that members do not want to volunteer for committees or officers and with this issue it is hard to keep this guild functioning as it should. It takes all of us to keep this guild functioning and not just the few that always seem to be the ones to step up. If members have concerns about something, take action by volunteering and helping the guild, just don’t voice it or discuss it behind the scenes and not be willing to help either by volunteering or offering a possible solution. Come to the board meetings with ideas or solutions. The board would be glad to hear, discuss and try to find a solution that will best serve the guild to the issue that is brought before them. Board meetings are held before the general meeting in February, April, June, August, October and December at 5:30 PM.

Members please stay safe and healthy and watch your email for a second email with directions regarding the election of our officers.
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Connie Borth
President

Mystery Bags

​Whenever we have our Quilt Spectrum, we will have over 500 mystery bags ready!   The “sorters”, Marge Ehlers, Nancy Powell, Jerry Schrock, Mary Wilkins, Noemi Bowers, Connie Borth and Ary Anderson have been working since October to get the bags prepared.  Again, you have exceeded your efforts in supplying scraps for this project.  THANK YOU!

2019-2020
​Guest Speakers

Click image to go to speaker's homepage

Programs and Classes

Our speaker/teacher for April, Sheri Cifaldi-Morrill from New Haven, Connecticut, has been rescheduled for September 9, 10, & 11, 2021.  Sheri's program and classes will be the same:
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  • September 9, Content, Concepts & Quilts: Approaching Quilting as a Graphic Designer
  • September 10, Picnic Petals
  • September 11, Hawaiian Inspired Applique.

​The supply list will be removed from our web site to make room for the 2020-21 programs.  It will be reposted for the 2021-22 program season.  Sheri's web site is https://www.wholecirclestudio.com.

​Registration for 2020-21 program    year

Registration for the 2020-21 program year opens on May 7, 2020.  Members can download the registration form from the Guild’s website and use the dates listed to pre-date each check.  Please write a separate check for each teacher and put the name of the class(es) on the memo line. If you want to look at the classes in more detail, here are the websites for the presenters for 2020-21 program year.

Sep. 3, ,4, & 5, 2020 Susan Knapp; www.quiltbranch.com
Oct. 1, 2, & 3, 2020 Monique Jacobs; www.opengatequilts.com
Nov. 5, 6, & 7, 2020 Gudrun Erla; www.gequiltdessigns.com
Dec. 3, 4, & 5, 2020 Cheryl Sleboda; www.muppin.com
Feb. 4, 5, & 6, 2021 Lori Dickman; www.quiltingwithlori.com
Mar. 4, 5, & 6, 2021 Mary Wilson Kerr; www.marywkerr.com
Apr. 1, 2, & 3, 2021 Carole Lyles Shaw; www.carolelylesshaw.com

Reminder:  Your membership dues need to be current to register for classes.  Members may send a separate check for dues with the membership form, also on the web site, with your class registrations.

Mail your dues and class registrations to Pam Riss, 1409 E. 2309th Road; Streator, IL 61364.
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SEPTEMBER 3, 4, &, 5, 2020 are the correct dates for the September meeting.  The September dates on the green bookmark were changed after printing.

​Quilt Spectrum

The Quilt Spectrum has been rescheduled for September 11 & 12, 2020 with set up on September 9 & 10. This is the only weekend that was available for it, so please continue working on your quilts to enter and maybe the Guild will be able to have a big display of quilts. Also, the Quilt Spectrum will still need lots of help, so please put it on your calendar.​

A copy of the quilt show entry form is included in this newsletter.
Gwynne Bettisch

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.​

Library - Check it out

Sooo. With no access to the Guild Library, I'm going to review a new book from my personal library. Petal + Stem by Amy Friend appealed to me because Amy is a gardener and a quilter. Flowers spark her creativity and color combinations. Amy writes "There are a lot of parallels between gardening and quilting." We plan, tend, labor then enjoy our results; in our gardens and in our quilts.

Petal + Stem includes 40 quilt blocks to mix and match. Fun with a modern twist. All paper pieced. Yes - all. (I'll overcome my paper piecing fear to make one of these quilts.) Also included are 7 quilt projects with alternate possibilities and all templates needed to complete all the blocks.

We tend our gardens, plan our garden beds, collect plants and look for inspiration. Ditto with quilting. We tend our sewing machines, plan our layouts, collect fabrics and see inspiration everywhere. Our individual gardens are so different yet include many gifted plants from gardening friends. Again, ditto with our quilts. Different yet may contain gifted fabrics from quilty friends.

Check out Amy's website duringquiettime.com 

The Library will again be taking used quilting books , quilting magazines, and patterns when HAAQG begins our year again. If you have a large amount, please bring it in smaller amounts. Our storage is limited. Questions contact MaryvWeakman, 


​Connie J Carstens & Mary Weakman
Banner picture Copyright: maxcab / 123RF Stock Photo
​Calendar Photo Copyright: takasumi / 123RF Stock Photo