Ankeny Area Quilters' Guild

Hello every one!!

WOW, today is the last day of January already!! Retreat will be here in three months. The three private rooms, semi private rooms have been taken as well as the handcap room and the 5 person room. Boy this is great, so be sure to sign up in February to asure your spot, for they are going fast!

I have finish all of the prizes, that I am giving out to all of you, retreat goers!! Is that a word? Any who, I have been getting boxes in the mail of donation for door prizes! YEA!! I love going thru them all and seeing what was sent!! I am so ready for this.

So far the vote for supper on Thrusday night is subs, so be sure to vote. Also don’t forget to pick up your pattern for the table runner if you want to join in the fun!
Thanks
MaryLee Martz
Retreat Chair

Louise called the meeting to order and requested cell phones be turned off. There were 31 members present. Vice President Tamara read a thank you card she received from the soldiers that received the pillowcases. They were very appreciative. Program Chair-Elect Janet discussed a possible bus trip to be offered to the International Quilt Study Center and Museum in Lincoln, NE. She is looking at either a one or two day trip for the fall of 2011. More information will be coming as available. Quilt Show Co-Chairs Janeen and Tamara announced that the raffle quilt has been accepted into the AQS show to be held in Lancaster, PA! The quilt has also been entered into the Paducah, KY AQS show. The quilt will be appraised. We will keep our fingers crossed for a win in the show, but what an honor to be accepted as a semi-finalist! The next free sewing night is this Friday, January 14th. Please let Tamara or Janeen know if you are coming so tables can be set up. They are planning for six baskets to be sold at the Country Store during the Quilt Fest. If you or your small group would like to “adopt” a basket, let Janeen or Tamara know. Retreat Chair MaryLee advised the sign up for the Retreat to be held April 7 – 10 is well underway. A pattern is available when you sign up to make a table topper to bring with you to the retreat. Each person who brings one to the retreat will go home with one (just maybe not your own). Program Chair Sharon reminds us there are still spaces available at the workshops. They are a great way to learn a new skill or improve on one you already know. All workshops are just $25 and all are on Saturdays. The Des Moines Guild is offering a wool workshop as well. Contact Sharon if you have any questions.
Our speakers’ husbands were prominent in our January program “Best of Show”. Linda McGhee’s husband came with her for the first time in the 15 years that she has belonged to AAQG. Linda (who said she would rather show than talk) showed a number of quilts that traced her quilt journey beginning with an adorable doll quilt made for her as a child. She also talked about her AAQG Best of Show quilt “Home Sweet Home”. Linda encouraged members to find a small group and strongly supported workshops. She told us how much she spends on workshops (at which point she wondered if she should have brought her husband!) Oh, and ask her about her “sick quilt”.
Mary Martin’s husband was responsible for the background fabric of the stunning appliqué quilt “Riley’s Garden” that won Best of Show at the Iowa State Fair. He so liked the “awful” lavender Christmas fabric with gold threads that she bought five yards so as not to hurt his feelings (and so he would continue to stop at every quilt shop in the country!) The fabric turned out to be perfect for the batiks she chose for “Riley’s Garden”, which was also juried into the 2011 Lancaster AQS show. Mary also showed anther beautiful appliqué quilt that was featured in the AQS Calendar. Mary credited Angela Lawrence for her inspiration and encouraged everyone to take Angela’s AAQG workshop on Sat. Feb 12.
We rounded out the meeting with Director-At-Large Elect Sharon awarding the fat quarter drawing. February’s fat quarter fabric will be a Valentine fabric theme. The door prizes were given and birthdays were honored. Show and tell finished out the meeting.
Respectfully submitted,
Kathy Evers

Members present: Sharon Lesan, De Tapper, Louise Whitlow, Tamara Watts-McPhail, Janeen Pearson, Jan Heddinger, Connie Lovelady, Susan Body, Janet Neuschwanger, MaryLee Martz, and Kathy Evers.
Louise called the meeting to order and the secretary minutes were approved. The treasurer’s report was read by De and approved. Vice President Tamara shared a hand-made thank you card she received from the soldiers that had received the pillowcases. Program Chair Sharon discussed the program for next week will be “Best of Show”, with three award winners sharing their stories. There is a supper before the meeting at Yanni’s if anyone wants to attend. There are some upcoming workshops that still have some spots open. All workshops are held on Saturday and all are $25. Upcoming workshops are: Feb. 12—Applique by Angela Lawrence; Mar 12—Embellishing by Sue Kluber; Mar 19–Pineapple Nine-Patch by Cathy Wierzbicki; May 7 —Freeform Cutting and Piecing by Shelly Burge.
Retreat Chair MaryLee advised she has already received 9 paid applications for the retreat in April. She had begun receiving door prizes from vendors and is excited to share those. Forms are available for registration now on the web site as well as at the next meeting.
Director-at-Large Jan reminds us the fat quarter lottery for the upcoming months are: January – Color outside the box – keeping the quilt show theme in mind; February – Valentine’s Day; March – Shamrocks; April – Easter; May – Flowers; June – Red, White & Blue; July – none and August – Children.
Communication Director Susan has been receiving POSITIVE comments on the web site. Several new members found our guild from our new web site.
Quilt Show Co-Chairs Janeen and Tamara announced the exciting news that our raffle quilt has been accepted into the Lancaster, Pennsylvania AQS show as a semi-finalist. The quilt has also been entered into the Paducah AQS show. January 14, 2011 will be the next Free Sew Night at the church. Just a reminder that you need to sign up with Janeen or Tamara so they can set up enough tables. They also ask that you bring an extension cord and snack to share. There will be a short meeting of the Quilt Show Committee after the January Guild meeting. The Co-Chairs continue to work on obtaining food vendors for the Quilt show. The pins for the Quilt show have arrived and they are going to be a hot item.
Remember the President’s challenge will be due in February. Do you have yours done yet?
Meeting was adjourned.
Respectfully submitted,
Kathy Evers

Our speakers’ husbands were prominent in our January program “Best of Show”. Linda McGhee’s husband came with her for the first time in the 15 years that she has belonged to AAQG. Linda (who said she would rather show than talk) showed a number of quilts that traced her quilt journey beginning with an adorable doll quilt made for her as a child. She also talked about her AAQG Best of Show quilt “Home Sweet Home”. Linda encouraged members to find a small group and strongly supported workshops. She told us how much she spends on workshops (at which point she wondered if she should have brought her husband!) Oh, and ask her about her “sick quilt”.

Mary Martin’s husband was responsible for the background fabric of the stunning applique quilt “Riley’s Garden” that won Best of Show at the Iowa State Fair. He so liked the “awful” lavender Christmas fabric with gold threads that she bought five yards so as not to hurt his feelings (and so he would continue to stop at every quilt shop in the country!) The fabric turned out to be perfect for the batiks she chose for “Riley’s Garden”, which was also juried into the 2011 Lancaster AQS show. Mary also showed another beautiful applique quilt that was featured in the AQS Calendar. Mary credited Angela Lawrence for her inspiration and encouraged everyone to take Angela’s AAQG workshop on Sat. Feb 12.

Please remember winter weather policies.
If Ankeny Public Schools or Ankeny Public school related evening activities are canceled/dismissed early do to inclement weather, no monthly guild meeting, monthly board of directors meeting , or other quilt guild related activities will be held that evening.

Join us at 7:00 PM on Tues. Jan 11 for our program “Best of Show”. Linda McGhee, Mary Martin and Joan Naylor, all of whom have won “Best of Show” at area quilt shows will show their winning quilts and talk about their quilting journey. If you would like to join the speakers for supper at 5:00 before the meeting at Yanni’s at 401 S Ankeny Blvd, call Sharon at 965-5608 or sharonlesan@yahoo.com

Hi and Happy New Year to Everyone!!

I hope everyone had a joyful holiday season and are not ready to
get some serious sewing going for all those projects we have piled
up in our sewing room. I have decided to Color Outside the Line and do something really different for me to take to the Quilt Show.
I hope all of you will give it some serious thought and get going on something for the quilt show…remember there is a first time category and we are not judged.
I am trying to get my Color My Name project done for the February meeting and I hope all of you have been working on yours.
I will refresh you on the Color My Name challenge: you are to make something with the colors in it that will spell our your first name. I went to the crayola web site and found all the colors in my project that spell my name. If you have any questions let me know.

We have an exciting year ahead of us and I am hoping all of you are looking forward to it as much as I am.

Join us for our Guild meeting Tuesday, Jan. 11th at 7:00 P.M.
Best of Show is our program.

Happy sewing and “piece” be with you.

Louise Whitlow
President, Ankeny Area Quilters Guild