Minutes of the General Meeting, via Zoom Oregon Coastal Quilters Guild February 11, 2021

Published by Nancy Nash on 03 Mar, 2021

The meeting, via Zoom, was called to order by President Meralee Wilson at 1:03 p.m.

Nan Scott introduced a new member of the Guild, Phillis Walden who hales from Bethlehem, PA.  Phillis is an online member of various quilt guilds and Quilts of Valor is her particular passion, as is the study of the Vietnam war.  The members in attendance had a warm welcome for Phillis.

Chris Benedetti moved to approve the Minutes of the January 14, 2021 General Meeting and Barbara Kinzel seconded the motion.  The motion passed and the Minutes were approved without objection.

COMMITTEE ANNOUNCEMENTS:

The Challenge Quilt Committee announced “not many people have signed up” for the Challenge, and members were urged to put on their creative hats and join.

The Fire Fund Committee announced the last check, in the amount of $4,999.00 and gift cards were sent out to Nancy Cross who responded with a Thank You card which Janet Sylvester read out to the members.  Janet Sylvester has received one additional donation and she suggests that any member who wishes to donate should send a check directly to Nancy Cross.

The Quilt Show Committee.  Darcy de la Rosa announced there is not a lot to report.  The Quilt Show is still at the mercy of Covid-19 and Governor Brown.  Darcy suggests there is a 40% chance of putting on the show.

The Membership Committee.  Patti Stephens announced the directory has arrived and those members who paid an extra $4.00 will have the directory mailed to them.  Members who did not previously pay the extra $4.00 can send in a separate check and the directories will be mailed to them as well.  The check should be payable to Oregon Coastal Quilt Guild and sent to Janet Sylvester.  

The Veteran’s Project.  Rose Shaw announced the Open House at Community Quilters took in eight or nine quilt tops which are already being quilted.  The quilt top kits are helping a lot and the committee is almost caught up with the number of quilts to distribute to veterans.  

Having no further business, Jane Szabo introduced our program and speaker.  Sandy Fitzpatrick, from Cary, North Carolina, is an applique quilt designer who delights in creating unconventionally fabulous patterns for quilters to make and enjoy.  Her full-size patterns range from holiday coasters to Mama Llama Love.  Working with different fabric lines, from batiks for her Sun, Sea, Serenity pattern to beautifully coordinated checkered fabrics for A Spot of Tea, Sandy brings her imagination and ingenuity to bear in each phase of quilt making and gave her presentation “Why Didn’t I think of That?”

A few of Sandy’s tips include:

  1. To make a blanket stitch which imitates the notches on a ruler, make three normal stitches and then a fourth which is a bit more wide.  If you have a sewing machine with memory, you can program the stitches.
  2. If you enjoy working with embellishments such as impossibly tiny beads, put them in a small bowl on top of a piece of paper towel.  Wrap some scotch tape around your index finger sticky side out and then just dip your index finger into the bowl.
  3. We all have many decorative stitches on our machines.  Sandy encourages us to use these stitches instead of the standard satin or blanket stitch for applique.
  4. If you enjoy the effect of tall stitches, use a tailor tack foot which has a blade in the middle and creates a stitch about ¼” high.  But the entire length of the stitch must be secured with glue or it will unravel the first time someone touches it.
  5. A pin-tuck foot and twin needle gives your quilt a pin-tuck look.
  6. You can get a nice effect by using the blanket stitch creatively.  With one color, sew your blanket stitch.  Then using an accent color, start at the same point, shift the fabric slightly, and stitch in blanket stitch just below the first row.
  7. If you like to chain piece, but don’t like to waste time cutting the connecting threads, stand a seam ripper, point up, in a spool of thread and cut the connecting threads that way.  
  8. If you are taking supplies to another venue to sew with friends, lay out a piece of cloth, put your supplies on the fabric and then cover with Glad “Press n’ Seal.”  Then just roll it up.  All of your supplies will stay put until you unroll the fabric and take off the “Press n’ Seal”.
  9. Label your quilt before you make the quilt sandwich, and the quilt is quilted.  This way, the label is quilted onto the back, the quilt design is not interrupted, and it is impossible to lose the label.
  10. To make a flange when you are binding your quilt, cut the main fabric 1 ½” wide and the accent fabric 1 ¾” wide.  Sew them together and then match the raw edges.  The accent fabric will be visible.  Sew your binding to the back edge of your quilt and fold over to the front where your decorative flange will show.  Then stitch in the ditch between the two fabrics and you have attached your binding without any hand sewing.

Show and Share followed Sandy’s presentation and included:

  1. Jean Amundson presented one quilt – Forest Shadows – which measured at about 90” x 70” and is made of forest greens and brown fabrics.  She quilted a leaf motif in the dark brown border.
  2. Lindanne Perdue presented colorful Aunt Mary’s Quilt which is entirely made of fabrics from the thirties through the fifties.  Lisa Taylor quilted the quilt.
  3. Judy Line presented four quilts.  The first of Christmas trees and stars in traditional colors.  The second is a throw with a pumpkin quilting motif.  the third is a pieced quilt of pumpkins in traditional oranges and browns and the fourth a tabletop pieced quilt of hearts which can also be used as a throw.
  4. Jan McQueen presented a veteran’s quilt with intricate center blocks fussy cut from a panel.
  5. Carol Nelson presented – Humming Along – A laser-cut quilt pattern of hummingbirds and flowers in shades of blue which has a stained-glass effect when the sun shines through it.  Carol also showed us her design wall which always has two – five projects in the works.  In one of her projects, she is making blocks for her brother’s eightieth birthday.  He is a hunter, and the blocks are in silhouette.  Carol and her granddaughter worked together on a fun project of a laser-cut seahorse.  And the third project has a Hawaiian motif.
  6. Nan Scott presented her Poinsettia quilt in which the sashing forms the red flowers which she made for a friend at church.  Nan also presented Home Tweet Home, a table runner.
  7. Linda Shroup presented her own purse design with a dog panel and matching colorful borders.
  8. Phillis Walden, our newest member, presented the flying geese quilt she made as an entry to a Challenge and for which she was awarded third place.  Phillis also presented Fractured Jewels, which was made the second day of a Zoom workshop and was part of a veteran’s quilt project.

Door prizes, patterns donated by Sandy Fitzpatrick, were awarded to Jean Amundson, Viki West, and Sally Morris.

REMINDERS:

A reminder to the Executive Board – the next meeting is Thursday, February 18, 2021, at 10:00 a.m. via Zoom.

The Community Quilters next meeting is March 4, 20212 from 10-2 in Waldport at Lee Palmers.

Meeting adjourned at 2:52 p.m.

Respectfully submitted,

Barbara L. Kinzel, Secretary.