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.

February 15, 2018
For our February mentoring class, Carolyn will be teaching us a very useful market bag. This bag will take us two months.  Come join us to have a fun night with other quilters.

March 15, 2018
Finish our market bag.
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April 19, 2018
Come join us as we make Flying Geese.  There are many ways to make Flying Geese and we will be showing you several different ways and you can choose with which method you like.

Kay Bowen, Ruth Taha, Deanna & Richard Bilyeu

With the holidays behind us, we’re looking ahead now to the last three lectures and workshops for the guild year. We’ve got some great options coming up!  
The lecturer in February is our own Kathryn Lilley who will present a trunk show.  She’s created thirty new quilts for this trunk show (think about that – 30!!!) and she’ll bring some old favorites too.  You won’t want to miss this – come early to get a front row seat.

Many of our workshops are either full or are filling up.  Be sure and stop by the Programs table at the upcoming meeting to check out those you’re interested in. Here are the current number of openings (as of January 20):
 
February – (2-day class) 3 openings
March – (Friday) 4 openings / (Saturday) full
April – (Friday) full / (Saturday) 4 openings
Our speakers receive a welcome bag when they arrive here. Beer Nuts and The Olive Bin generously donate goodies for them and we encourage you to shop at these stores in Bloomington/Normal.

If you register for the February tote class, you'll need to purchase your pattern by Quilts Illustrated.  You have 3 sizes to choose from: ps058, ps054, or ps056. You’re encouraged to purchase the pattern and supplies now as the pattern gets back-ordered often.  Laurie has a pre-work sheet and she suggests you do some pre-work at home before the class starts. Stop by the Programs table to get yours.

If you register for the April "Paint Your Own Barn Quilt" class, please remember to include the $15 supply registration fee.  (One check for $45 (members) or $55 (non-members) is needed for registration for this class.)   The $15 supply fee includes the 2'x2' primed paint board, paints, patterns, colored pencils, etc.

Please make sure you have renewed your guild membership dues before registering for classes.   The membership form can be found on the HAAQG web site with Pam Riss's contact information for mailing your form & payment.  Per the guild’s guidelines, there must be a 60-day notice on cancellations in order to receive a refund for workshops.
 
Here's a summary of each month.  Photos of the workshops are on the registration form that's included in this newsletter.
  
February 2018 – Kathryn Lilley Trunk Show
Specialty: Fabulous eye for color.  Superb workmanship.
 
February 2018 – Laurie Schierer
Workshop: 2-day workshop - Tool Tote
See note above for supplies that need to be purchased and homework to be done prior to class.
 
March 2018 – Becky Goldsmith
Specialty – Wonky Applique and Color.
She's co-owner of the Piece O’Cake Designs.
Lecture: A Practical Approach to Color 
Workshops: Best- Ever Quilter’s House & Pick Up Sticks
Openings for Friday Best-Ever Quilters House.
Wait List for Saturday Pick Up Sticks.
 
April 2018 – Suzi Parron
Specialty – Barn Quilts
She’s traveled the country, chronicling barn quilts.
Lecture: Barn Quilts
Workshop: Paint Your Own Barn Quilt
Wait list for Friday's Barn Quilt workshop. Openings in Saturday’s Barn Quilt workshop.
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Debi Winchester & Linda Click & Jenny Pettinger

The Spectrum Quilt Show board members are feeling footloose and fancy free waiting for entries for the show. Get your entry forms filled out as soon as possible, and turn them in by the DEADLINE, which is Saturday March 17 at 5:00 pm. We have two forms to use:

1. The overall form, which you can use for Quilts and other Entries to be judged, Challenge Quilts, Youth Quilts, and Invitational Quilts.
2. A form specifically for Bed Turning Quilts.

Both forms are available in paper form at the meetings, and both are available online at the HAAQG website. Directions for turning them in are on the forms. I will have a table in the back at the next two meetings to collect forms and to answer questions A lot of work goes into getting the quilts organized and ready to hang, so the sooner we get your entries, the better off we are. We also want to include as many of the quilts members have made this year as possible. We hope for a lot of quilts to show guests what we do during the year. Your quilts do not have to be blue-ribbon winners to give people ideas of what they, too, can do and how they can enjoy the art of quilting.
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We are also collecting the following show items:

1. Unique Boutique needs handmade items to sell at the boutique. Carol Newberry will have a tub to collect these at the next three meetings. She can collect through early April.
2. Mystery Scrap Bags: Ary Anderson has room for scraps on the kitchen counter at the back of the hall at each meeting. Get your scraps in as soon as you can so Ary and her crew can sort them out by color and bag them. They were a popular item and generated a lot of excitement last year. Scraps should be two inches or larger.
3. Props: The sign-up form is available on the HAAQG website. Mary Weakman will also be passing around the clipboards at the monthly meetings. These props are something guests tell us make our show attractive and enjoyable. People take time to look as them along with the quilts. So, see what you can sign up to bring. Be sure to have your name on any items you bring.

VOLUNTEER SIGN-UP SHEET: Sign up to volunteer for the show in Sign-Up Genius, which is on the HAAQG website. We need people to work in shifts on Wednesday and Thursday to set up, on Friday and Saturday to run the show, and on Saturday to take down when we close. Willing hands make the work lighter.

Talk to me at the meeting or contact me by phone, text, or email if you have questions. My information is in the membership book.

Thank you,

Ruth Taha, Spectrum 2018 Quilt Show Chairman
 
 

Our Challenge deadline of March 1 is coming right up! Will you be done in time? I’m excited to see what members have made!
 
Things to remember: double-check the Challenge rules to make sure your quilt is within the Challenge guidelines/rules. Go to the HAAQG website to find the guidelines http://www.haaqg.com/mentorprogram-163718-668850.html. Click the orange rectangle button to open the document.
 
Your Challenge entry must be finished: top, middle and backing quilted together.
Maximum size is 48” on the longest side. If your finished quilt is too large, you are welcome to still enter it in one of the other categories of the April Quilt Show.
 
Challenge quilts will be anonymously displayed and voted on at the March 1 meeting.
 
Mid-to-late February I will be sending an email to all who signed up for the Challenge asking if you plan to bring your quilt to the March meeting. This will greatly help me plan needed display space on March 1.
 
All Challenge entries still need to submit a Quilt Show entry form and photo. Please mark the Challenge category on the show entry form. Forms will be available at the February and March meetings or online at:

http://www.haaqg.com/uploads/5/4/2/5/54259865/2018_quilt_show_entry_form_-_final_3.pdf.

All March Challenge entries will hang in the non-voting Challenge category at April 2018 Quilt Spectrum Show.
 
Questions? Email Challenge chair Lynne Conder, lynnejack99@frontier.com

The Library is no longer accepting books, patterns and magazines to sell at monthly meetings as their is no more room to store them. Remaining items will be sold at the January, February, and March meeting. The library will begin collecting  items again in the 2018-2019 Guild year.

If you have any questions please contact Mary Weakman.