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                                             DATE CHANGE ALERT!! 

Our Veterans Project Sew In for July has been cancelled.  We now have a more dedicated schedule in place with the Siletz Grange.  We are so fortunate to have the Grange free of charge.    Please note on your calendars!   The up coming dates are:     3RD WEDNESDAY OF EACH MONTH…AUGUST, SEPTEMBER, OCTOBER, NOVEMBER.  10AM- 4 PM      The Grange is now renting the building so we’ll need to set up tables ourselves.  If you can come early and  help with set up we’d sure appreciate it.        When we get closer to August 18,  Betty will ask for confirmation of who can attend.  Our thanks to all who step up and sew for our veterans.  Please keep on sewing for them!!                                                      Plan to pick up a few blocks at Quilters Cove to stitch up.  They will be there by the 3rd of each month. 

We appreciate all of you.  Thank you!

Veteran’s Project Committee

The meeting, via Zoom, was called to order by President Meralee Wilson at 1:01 p.m.

Chris Benedetti moved to approve the minutes of the May 13, 2021, General meeting.  Nan Scott seconded the motion.  The motion passed, and the Minutes were approved without objection.

GENERAL AND COMMITTEE ANNOUNCEMENTS:

Virtual Quilt Show.  Meralee Wilson announced Paulette Steinberg suggested a virtual quilt show considering the cancellation of the 2021 Quilt Show.  Each entrant could enter one-to-five digital photos of their quilts with each quilt bearing a label with the creator’s name and size of the quilt.  For those entering more than one quilt, they would be required to designate in which order the quilts should be displayed in the event of numerous entries.  Digital photos of the quilts must be sent to Nan Scott no later than July 31, 2021.  There will not be any judging of the quilts and entries may be re-submitted at the 2022 Quilt Show for judging.

Online Auction.  Chris Benedetti announced a virtual auction via 32auction.com.  Chris specifically requested that members donate small quilts but also stated that any size quilt may be donated.  Each quilt will require a hanging sleeve and label.  Quilts can be donated through Viki West, who lives in Yachats, Jane Szabo who lives in Waldport, Jean Amundson who lives in Newport, and Roseann Berton who lives in Lincoln City.  Quilts must be submitted by August 15, 2021.

2021 Raffle Quilt.  Nan Scott announced ticket sales are going fairly well.  All ticket stubs and sales income should be mailed to Nan Scott at her home and not to the Guild’s post office box.  There are thirty packets still to be sold.  Ruth Hutmacher announced the Merchandise and Raffle committees will have a 10X10 booth at the Newport Fair on July 2-3, 2021, from 10:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m. on Saturday and from 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. on Sunday.  Nan requested volunteers to man the booth.  Debbie Mosley announced she sold $100.00 worth of tickets at SeaTownes “Fourth Friday” event.

Merchandising.  Becky Mershon announced the panels and bags with the new design are in and the committee will take e-mail orders for both.  

Veteran’s Projects.  Rose Shaw announced 74 quilts have been given out since January 2021 and there will be a Sew-In at the Grange in Siletz on July 16, 2021, from 9:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.  Attendance is limited to twenty people.  Rose Shaw further announced there will be an exhibit in the Main Exhibition Hall at the Lincoln County Fair.  This exhibit is not limited to quilts for veteran’s but is open to all types of quilts and textiles such as such as knitted and crocheted items.  To enter, members can go to thelincolncountyfair.com, then to “Open Class” where the member can download the 2021 Open Class Handbook.  Scroll down to “Textiles,” then to “Quilts,” to view the entry categories.  The date to bring entries, which is under “Textiles,” is incorrect.  The correct date to bring entries is June 27, 2021, between 10:00 a.m. and 6:00 p.m.  All entries should be brought to the Main Exhibit Hall.  There will be security at the Fair, so members can feel confident about leaving the entries there.

2022 Retreat.  Georgia Sabourin announced there is one slot left which will probably go to the Guild’s newest member.  If not, that the slot will be open to the public.  

2022 Raffle Quilt.  Viki West announced that the 2022 Raffle Quilt is moving forward and should be finished by August or September 2021.

Programs.  Jane Szabo announced the theme of July’s “Show and Share” will be “Finally Finished”.  Digital photos must be submitted to Nan Scott by July 5, 2021.  There will be prizes in four categories: oldest project, best story behind the project, favorite quilt, and best excuse.  

2021 Challenge Quilts.  Nan Scott announced eleven quilts have been entered into the Challenge and displayed them virtually.  Nan Scott has sent an e-mail to all members with information as to viewing and voting on their three favorite entries.  

Membership.  The committee announced there were 56 members in attendance at this General Meeting.

Having no further business, Jane Szabo introduced our program and speaker: Brita Nelson, The Questioning Quilter.  Brita is a quilter and blogger, with her own website and her first You-Tube video.  Brita’s rule is that a quilter “doesn’t have to sew things together in the same way they were taken apart.”  Brita predominantly works with disappearing blocks including 4-patch, 9-patch, and pinwheel blocks.  She began her quilting journey when she was making charity quilts for boys and girls.  While there were many feminine and cute designs for girls and young women, there were very few for young and teenage boys.  One day, the lightbulb went on and she decided to work with a disappearing 4-patch block.  A disappearing 4-patch is made by making four cuts in a 4-patch block, two vertical and two horizontal cuts.  That results in nine pieces.  Turn each piece 180 degrees and sew the blocks back together.  This is popular because the exact dimensions of the cut do not matter, the quilter still ends up with a block that works.  

Brita then worked with disappearing 4-patch blocks in three colors, turning each block around which resulted in a diagonal stripe.  Brita displayed a quilt in dark purple, light purple, and yellow which exemplified her work.  Her next step was to use the same disappearing 4-patch but with six colors and turning each block 270 degrees.  Displaying a quilt in the same purple and yellow colors, but also with dark green, light green, and pink shades, the quilt gives a pot-holder effect.  This was known as the Civil War pot-holder style as approximately 250,000 such quilts were made by quilters during the civil war, predominantly by Northern women.  Sashing was not included in the quilts; each block had its own binding which were then whip-stitched together.  As an historical note, the quilts became the shrouds for those soldiers who did not survive the battles in which they were engaged.

Continuing to experiment, Brita worked with disappearing 4-patch and 9-patch with many complimentary colors including, browns, yellows, reds, purples, light green. blue, and light orange.  Then Brita asked herself, what if she turned the blocks 90 degrees instead of 180?  There are more than 381,000 different layouts a quilter can make with disappearing 9-patch blocks including a quilt Brita made for her son in patterned blue and white fabrics in which the blocks resemble socket wrenches, the courthouse steps pattern, and snail trails as well.  One of Brita’s students originated a block which resembles a spanner wrench.  Another block represents angle brackets and depending on the colors used, a diagonal line jumps out at the viewer.  In using positive and negative values, the quilter highlights the negative by turning it to the center.  A “Chain Block” in three colors, red, orange plaid, and yellow plaid, resembles rickrack. 

For a small wall hanging, one yard of each color would be sufficient.  Some patterns are pre-cut friendly and particularly for Charm Packs.  For example. the Angle Bracket pattern is Charm Pack friendly, but not the rick-rack pattern. Brita’s website has a free table for disappearing block size yardage and Charm Pack requirements on her website.  

Because the quilter is encouraged to experiment with the placement of the cuts, she or he can create many designs.  For example, using the same chain pieces, but arranged differently, with the orange plaid, yellow plaid, and a blue pattern batik instead of red, the chain pattern instead looks like a crown.  The possibilities are almost endless.  

Brita works with other disappearing blocks including the hourglass, which creates a Hunter’s Star pattern.  This is a Charm Pack friendly pattern in which the quilter makes two vertical cuts and two horizontal cuts, then turns each piece 180 degrees.  Other results mimic Moroccan Tile. 

Brita is working on her first book, the progress of which was slowed somewhat by her six-week work on her first You-Tube video.

Members are encouraged to visit Brita’s website for information and inspiration.  There is a 10% off coupon, the code for which is “coastal” (all lower-case letters) through June 17, 2021.  Phillis Walden volunteered she attended Brita’s workshop and that it was fun.  The cost is $475.00 with a maximum of twenty attendees.  After September 1, 2021, there will be a price increase but if the workshop is reserved before September 1, 2021, the $475.00 price will be honored.  There is also a pattern fee of $9.00.

Show and Share followed Brita’s presentation and the following quilts were displayed.

Melissa Hollenbeck displayed two quilts.  The first quilt is entitled “Twice Painted Butterfly” and is an art quilt which Melissa created from a photograph which she first painted and then thread painted.  Vibrant with blues and complimentary colors, the quilt is a testament to Melissa’s expertise.  The second quilt is entitled “Running with Cell Phone” and, again, is a quilt created from a photograph of a runner, in silhouette on the beach clutching her cell phone.  Silhouetted against the orange of a setting sun and the burnished sand of the beach, the quilt has humor as well as detail.

Nan Scott displayed a quilter’s tote which she made from two nautical panels entitled “Whale of a Day.”  The tote, in colorful blues and complimentary colors, is a detail of design meant for the quilter with sufficient pockets and to carry almost any project.

Jane Szabo showed the membership three quilts.  The first was made from a Community Quilter’s kit and sewn from strips made at the last retreat.  The second quilt was for the Veteran’s Project and made, in traditional red, white, and blue for Jane’s brother-in-law who soon turn seventy.  This quilt was quilted by Phillis Mitchell.  The third was an adorable baby quilt in pastels made from nine panels and layer cakes from Tula Pink.

Diane Tillotson showed us three quilts.  The first quilt has nine Sunbonnet Sue panels which Diane machine embroidered.  The second quilt is a colorful sampler quilt which was begun by one of Diane’s close friends who tired of the project and suggested Diane finish it.  Thinking her friend made more progress than was accomplished, Diane undertook the king-size project and recently finished it.  The third quilt is a vibrant king-size quilt titled “Braided Beauty.”  Beginning with a table runner pattern, Diane decided to keep on going until the quilt covered her king-sized bed.  

Phillis Walden displayed her musician’s quilt which she created drawing Betty Boop pictures from calendar designs, hand-embroidering them, and setting the squares in a fabric pattern of Betty Boop dancing on a piano keyboard.  The quilt was hand-quilted by a local church group  

REMINDERS

A reminder to the executive Board – the next meeting is Thursday, June 17, 2021, at 10:00 a.m. via Zoom.

The next guild meeting, via Zoom, is Thursday, July 8, 2021, at 1:00 p.m.

The next Veteran’s Project Sew-In is on July 16, 2021, from 9:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. at the Siletz Grange.  Attendance is limited to twenty people.

The meeting adjourned at 3:16 p.m.

Respectfully submitted,

Barbara L. Kinzel, Secretary.