PDF of Slides
The meeting was called to order at 10:03 by the president, Octavia Pitts (OP).
The treasurer, Susan Muszynski (SM) called for a moment of silence to honor those members that are veterans.
OP reminded us of the upcoming sewing day at Jackman’s Fabrics on November 18. There are still spots available for hand sewers and machine sewers. If you are interested, please register on the event page. Keep in mind that this event is for members only. If you are shopping at the sale that day at the St. Louis location, be sure to stop by the sewing room to say hi. Link to Event
OP - Elections for the 2024 Board will be held in January. Please contact Hope Wyss if you are interested in serving on the board. She is particularly interested in finding someone for the Secretary position. She can be reached at hope.wyss@gmail.com. If you would like to review the duties of each board role, please refer to this document. -Link to Officer Roles
The slide lists that the November Hand Sew Happy Hour has been canceled. That has now changed. Tess McMahon has graciously offered to host the event on November 14 (also a change) at the Bread Co. on Chippewa. Please see the event for the address. Link to event
OP also mentioned that we are attempting to spread out the hand sew events throughout the month in 2024 so if you want to attend all three, you can!
The slide also incorrectly indicates that the date for the David Owens Hastings event as January 24, 2024. The correct date is January 25, 2024. This event is virtual and free for members and $10 for nonmembers. We do ask that members register and that registration will open on November 26. An email will be sent that day. Link to event
Events for 2024 are now on the calendar. Please review the website/phone app frequently to keep up to date on what is being offered.
We are currently seeking committee members for 2024. The sign-up page is available on the website along with descriptions of the committees and current members. We will be also looking for leaders of the committees so please consider volunteering for one of those roles. Link to committee page
The early-bird pricing for the Quiltcon quilt show ends on November 30. Members that register get into the show for free. So even if you are not sure if you are going, you might as well register. Link to Quiltcon
Don’t forget that all library books need to be returned by the December meeting. It is also time to turn in any charity quilts that you have been working on.
Mark your calendars for the December meeting. It will be a celebration of what the guild accomplished in 2023. Please note that it is for members only and it is highly recommended that you register ahead of time. See the slide or event for a reminder about the Favorites swap. Link to Event
The quilt top has been pieced together and handed off to Emily Wall for quilting. The committee thanks everyone that helped by creating the blocks.
Quilt Show Committee
Robyn Passig, committee chair for the Quilt Show, updated us on the timeline for the show, which you can see on the slides. An event for the January registration period has also been added to the website calendar. A link for registering your quilts will be added to the event and Quilt Show page once it is available.
OP reminded us that the renewal of membership for everyone that joined prior to 2023 is happening now. Renewals for members joining in 2023 will be the date that member joined. You can see the date of your membership on your member profile on the website or the phone app. See below for more information if you are currently renewing.
OP reminded everyone that we are meeting at McAlister’s for lunch after the meeting. Thanks to the social committee for organizing these lunches. They have been great fun.
OP reminded everyone of the Free Table in the back and noted that Nancy Kingston evidently cleaned out her sewing room because she brought a lot of stuff for the table.
The Program - ENGLISH PAPER PIECING
Amy Suiter, the program committee chair led this month’s activity. Everyone worked on an English paper piecing project with a fall theme. We created bookmarks using hexagons. Attendees created either a straight bookmark or a very cute turkey bookmark. Link to pictures
There are links in the slides to various tutorials. A special thanks goes to our EPP Helpers; Leila Gardunia, Tess McMahon, Sally Koczan, Gayle May, Susan Muszynski, Janice Samson and Octavia Pitts who were on hand to help everyone with their project. Thanks to Amy, the committee and all the helpers for a fun activity.
2023 ROUND ROBIN REVEAL!
The final pass was made for the 2023 Round Robin Challenge and again, we were amazed by the talent of our members. 42 members participated in seven nests. A special thanks goes to the “mama birds”, the members that volunteered to keep their group (“nest”) organized; Marie Hill, Em Komiskey, Kristina Olson, Nichole Lewis, Edy John, Pam Hartig and Sybil Fisher. Check out the photos on the challenge page.
The winner of this month’s prize of a Carolyn Friedlander FQ bundle went to Jolene Grosch. An overall prize of a Cotton Cuts Modern Maker one-month membership went to Pam Waske. Congratulations everyone!
MORE PRIZES!
The monthly attendance prizes were drawn and once again, Susan M did not win. Remember to wear your handmade name tag to future meetings to receive a chance at the attendance prizes. If you have anything to donate for prizes, please see Susan Muszynski.
This month’s prize of the Riley Blake FQ bundle, Arrival of Winter was awarded to Candy Grisham and Robyn Passig. Thank you Cotton Cuts for your generous donation. Robyn Passig was asked at lunch about her frequent success at winning the fabric raffle and she just replied that she likes to increase her odds. So, be sure to participate in future raffles, you do not need to be in attendance to win. We raised $115 this month in the raffle and the proceeds will help pay for the meeting room.
SHOW & SHARE
We saw lots of great quilts in the show & share. Check out the photos here. Photo Gallery
ATTENDANCE / MEMBERSHIP
87 Members attended in person, with four attending by Zoom. We had six guests of which three have since joined. Membership currently stands at 215.
FINANCIALS
The guild’s checking account is currently $18,722.99. There was a big drop from October because the venue bill for the SewMeSTL retreat was paid.
The October Profit & Loss has been posted to the website. Link to Statements
MEMBERSHIP RENEWALS
For the vast majority of us, it is time to renew our membership. You can easily renew online at the website, stlmqg.org or on the handy smartphone app, Wild Apricot for Members. You use the same password and userid on the app that you use online on the website. You can renew at either place by simply going to your profile. The profile will tell you when your next renewal is in case you can’t remember if you have renewed or not (no judging here, it happens). The actual link is not highlighted on the website so it is easy to miss. The link says Renew to 01/01/2025 (The Website won't let me post a picture here).
You will be reminded again, 30 days before it is due and then again seven days prior. To avoid these annoying emails, just go ahead and renew! You are welcome to pay by check if you don’t like to pay online but please go ahead and start the renewal process and create an invoice. Your treasurer will mark it paid once the check is received. Doing this helps her save several steps and she thanks you for it. Her address should be on the invoice or you can pay at the meeting.
NEW YEAR’S RESOLUTIONS FOR 2024
Let’s get into the habit of registering for the monthly meetings ahead of time. This helps the board and committee with meeting planning by letting us know how many people to expect. Plus, once you register, it is very easy to add the event to your phone calendar.
CONTACT INFO
Email - stlmqg@gmail.com
Website - stlmqg.org
Facebook Page - St. Louis Modern Quilt Guild
Instagram - @stlmqg
If you need to find someone in the guild, there is a Directory on the website Members Resources and phone app (far left on bottom menu). If you don’t want to list your name in the directory, please go to the Privacy section of your Member Profile. It currently defaults to Member Only and the public cannot see this information.
Respectfully Submitted,
Gail Luther - Secretary, 2023
Note to readers. To streamline the meeting, items will be referred to in the Recap that weren’t discussed in the meeting. Please read through the entire Recap to stay updated on the Guild’s business.
PDF of meeting slides
Meeting called to order at 10:05 by the president, Octavia Pitts.
Notice to those attending via Zoom. Due to the ongoing issue with sound quality and the fact that not many members are accessing the guild meeting through Zoom, the board has decided to stop offering this as an option in 2024. It will be available for the November meeting but not in December due to the nature of the planned meeting. Zoom will continue to be available as a resource for committee members to host online committee meetings.
Also, because of the nature of December’s monthly meeting, it will be limited to members only.
Treasurer’s Report – We have $29,399.24 in the checking account though be aware that all the bills from the SewMe Retreat have not cleared yet.
Attendance this month - 89 members with two additional on Zoom. We also had three guests.
Please note that the December meeting will be on the 3rd Saturday of the month, December 16th and will be for members only.
Octavia Pitts went over the Board Updates. Charity quilts are due by November 30. If you are a new member in the past several months, make sure you pick up a new member bag at the Welcome Table.
Blocks for the Quiltcon Challenge quilt are due today. If you were unable to drop off your blocks, please contact Marianne Belcke at msbelcke@gmail.com as soon as possible. They are putting together the blocks next weekend.
There is an exhibit at the Buder Library of projects created by the group that meets there twice a month. Photos of Exhibit
We voted on the amendment to the Guild’s bylaws which passed.
It is time to start considering nominations for the board in 2024. The open positions are President, Secretary and Web Director. If you are interested in being nominated, please contact Hope Wyss at hope.wyss@gmail.com. These are two-year positions; Jennifer Deck and Susan Muszynski will fulfill their remaining year on their two-year terms as Vice President and Treasurer in 2024. Elections will be held in January. Oct. 18, 2023 Correction - the Web Director election will be for a one-year term while the President and Secretary are for two-year terms. Starting in 2025, the Web Director will transition to a two-year term.
Octavia reminded everyone of upcoming guild events which can be found on the website and the trusty Wild Apricot app.
Oct. 17 – Hand Sew Happy Hour – Chippewa Bread Co
Oct. 18 – Hand-Stitchers at Buder Library
Oct. 28 – Virtual Sew hosted by Susan Muszynski
Nov. 18 – Free Sew Day at Jackman’s Fabric – register for this on website
The after-meeting lunch was held at Cowbron’s and November’s lunch will be at McAlister’s Deli. Note to the Social Committee from the Secretary – let’s do Cowbron’s again, it was great!
Mary Beth Oberlin and Ann Regal of the Quilt Show committee presented an update on the quilt show planned for March 23 – 24, 2024. The committee is calling for volunteers to hold demos during the quilt show. This will be an opportunity to share techniques and skills in presentations of up to 20 minutes. Please email quiltshow@stlmqg.org if interested. Mary Beth reminded us of important dates; quilts will be submitted in the month of January and dropped off at the February and March meetings. Details can be found on the website. Keep working on those projects and watch for volunteer signups in February.
Octavia reminded everyone of the Favorites Swap that we have scheduled for the December meeting. There is no official signup required, just bring your favorite items as instructed below in a paper bag for the swap. The combined bag of items should be under $20. The random swap will be done with a version of left, right, and center game.
Your favorite notion
A FQ of fabric by your favorite designer
A FQ of fabric in your favorite color
Please make sure FQs are modern and quilt-shop quality.
Octavia thanked the SewMe Retreat committee for an excellent retreat and mentioned that some rulers and a rotary cutter were left behind. Our beloved raffle caller, Laura Patterson, also said that a cream colored sweater was left behind. So, if you left stuff behind, please contact stlmqg@gmail.com and let us know. We are trying to reunite these lost items with their owners.
Susan Muszynski thanked everyone that participated in the Chihuly mini-quilt challenge. There were 21 entries, and some were displayed at the meeting. We are working on building a web page of pictures of the entries and will let you know when that is available. The Board was blown away by the entries and once again, realized just how talented our members are.
Everyone that entered this year’s Log Cabin Challenge presented their projects with their artist’s statements. There were 33 entries. Photo Display. Again, our members showing just how talented they are. We are so excited to have all of these items in the 2024 Quilt Show!
After break, our featured speaker was Kacie Starr Long of Sew Hope Community Sewing Room. She talked about her journey and her mission and some of the many projects going on at the Sew Hope. If you are interested in knowing more about Sew Hope, please check out their website at www.SewHopeSTL.com.
One event that they have coming up is an Open House of their new annex. See details on picture.
Some of the attendees from the recent Barn Quilt painting event presented their projects. Nice job everyone. Pictured L to R - Jennifer Deck, Noreen Schneider and Susan Muszynski.
2023 Log Cabin Challenge
The winners for this year's challenged were announced after everyone shared their projects and artist's statements. Photo Display
1st place ($150) – Dottie Vaughn
2nd place ($125) – Angie Henderson
3rd place ($100) Mary Beth Oberlin
Honorable Mention ($25) – Gina Shelley, Patti Baymiller and Marie Hill.
Thanks everyone that entered, your projects were amazing.
The winners of this month’s fabric raffle of Tiny Frights by Ruby Star, generously donated by Cotton Cuts, were Dottie Vaughn and Melissa Eagan.
This month’s winner of a $25 Jackman’s gift card for the Round Robin challenge was Laura Patterson. Please remember that next month is the last month for the round robin.
The winner for the FQ Paintbrush solid bundle for the Chihuly challenge was Ann Mohan.
Show and Share photos
Other News –
Renewal of Membership – please read this post
Volunteer Opportunity – please read this post
Thanks everyone, see you next month.
Gail Luther
Secretary, 2023
Meeting called to order at 10:04 by the president, Octavia Pitts.
Octavia started the meeting by doing the financial review in lieu of absent treasurer, Susan Muszynski. Susan is taking a well deserved vacation in Europe though OP did note that she did not have official permission from the board to be absent.
As noted on the slide, the guild has $26,573.84 in the guild checking account. Specific expenses noted was the Tia Curtis workshop which had a loss of $2680.00. Other upcoming significant expenses include the SewMe Retreat next month.
Monthly attendance numbers remain quite healthy, June’s meeting had an attendance of 93. August’s attendance was 89 in person, 1 guest who has since joined and 6 via zoom.
Quick reminder; there are many ways to stay in touch with the guild’s board and other members. Facebook: St. Louis Modern Quilt Guild, Instagram: @stlmqg, Website: stlmqg.org, and Email: stlmqg@gmail.com.
Jenn Deck (vice president) went over the various events happening throughout the community. Please see the slide for the list and links. Special reminder to those wanting to register for QuiltCon this year, it’s a good idea to log on before the registration date to ensure that there are no issues with your membership on MQG. Contact stlmqg@gmail.com if you find that you can’t log on. Registration is August 15 so this warning may too late.
Jenn also went over the upcoming events/activities that the guild has planned; all of which can be seen on the website’s calendar (home page – very bottom, or the events page). Even more conveniently, they are all listed on the smartphone app where you can also register for events. Link to Events Page
Remember that there will be no guild meeting in September because of the much anticipated SewMeSTL Retreat on September 15 - 17. National Sew a Jelly Roll day just happens to be 9/16, so whether you're at home or at SewMe, grab that jelly roll and get sewing!
The board is looking for someone to host the Hand Sew Happy Hour on September 19, please contact stlmqg@gmail.com if interested.
Mark your calendar and save the dates for our 2024 speakers and workshops. On January 24 we'll host David Owen Hastings' lecture on zoom, April 12-14 for an in-person trunk show and workshops by Kitty Wilkin, Night Quilter and August 16-18 virtual trunk show and workshops via zoom with Carolina Oneto.
Octavia presented the current business. Again no meeting in September. She went over the proposed bylaw amendment to add a new officer position to the board that will be voted on in October. Link to PDF
She shared an online resource for new and secondhand sewing supplies at A Thrifty Notion.
Octavia discussed some tentative plans for the December meeting. Based on member feedback, we are changing the structure of the meeting to be more fun, fair, and reflective. Most notably, we will not need member donations for a raffle.
She also mentioned that she and Jenn are planning on sending a survey to see members' interest in future lectures and workshops. Stay tuned for that.
Committee Announcements -
Swap & Challenge - Jessica Schunke reviewed the rules for the current Log-Cabin Challenge. See the website page for all of the rules and prizes. She explained that judging would be based upon how well the completed project fit the given brief or criteria.
Post meeting note from Jessica - Participation Survey for STLMQG Log-Cabin Challenge
--- As we mentioned at Saturday's meeting, the Swap & Challenge Committee is trying to gauge how many entries to expect for the Log-Cabin Challenge, which is due at October's meeting (details on the challenge can be found here. If you expect to participate in the Log-Cabin Challenge, please complete this quick, two-question form by Sept. 1: Questionaire
Don't worry, this won't lock you into participating if something comes up (and you won't be barred from participating if you don't complete it), but if you're pretty sure you're going to participate, please help us out by completing it. Thanks! ----
Kristy Daum went over the newest challenge issued by the committee. We are having a Favorites Swap at the December meeting. No need to sign in, just bring your items to the December meeting if you wish to participate. The challenge is to bring three “favorite” items in a paper bag to swap. Those items will include your favorite notion, a fat quarter of fabric from your favorite modern designer and a fat quarter of fabric in your favorite color. Please limit the total value of the items to approximately $20 and the items are expected to be new, not used. A random swap will be done with a version of left, right, center game. Please make sure the FQs are modern and quilt-shop quality. This swap isn’t listed on the website yet but will be added in the next week.
SewMeSTL - Kristina Olson reminded everyone that registration for next month’s retreat is still open. There are few openings left on Saturday and Friday and several openings on Sunday. Registration will be closed on August 15 at 5:00 pm to allow the committee to work with finalized lists of attendees.
Gail Luther would like to interject at this point and remind everyone to make sure they have paid if they are planning to attend. We had a hiccup with the payment processor during the initial sign-up. You may have thought you paid but it didn’t complete. Emails will be going out this week to remind those that haven’t paid to please complete their payment. If you are sure you have paid (have a receipt or confirmation) but your membership records says you have not, please contact Gail at secretary@stlmqg.org and we will get this straightened out.
Back to Kristina, raffle donations are being accepted. Please contact her at stlmqg@gmail.com if you have something to donate.
Additional volunteers are still needed for various items and duties, please use this link to sign up. Sign Up Link. Currently, two hotel rooms are being raffled off and the winners are listed at the end of this recap.
Laura Patterson commented that charity quilts would be an excellent item to work on during the retreat. We have 50 quilts donated so far. There will be someone at the retreat to accept any completed charity quilts.
QuiltCon Community Outreach Challenge - Leila Gardunia and her committee presented their much anticipated plans for this year’s Quiltcon challenge quilt. She described the challenge and explained this year’s theme is symmetry and the palette which can be seen on the slide (and eventually on the website).
Patti Baymiller described their design process and showed examples of various designs that they looked at and Marianne Belcke unveiled the final design which can be seen below. 140 blocks will need to be completed by members and the committee has prepared packets that contain the instructions and necessary fabric. We are asked to sign up for at least one packet and again, an excellent project for this year’s retreat. The blocks will be due back at the October meeting and they ask that the blocks be put in a plastic baggie if mailed.
All this information will be put on the website in the challenge in the coming weeks. Final Design -
Post meeting note from Leila -
--Each year the Modern Quilt Guild invites member guilds and individuals to make a quilt to be displayed at the next QuiltCon and to benefit charity. Our Community Outreach Challenge Committee presented their quilt design and members were invited to sign out quilt block packets and make a block for our challenge quilt. The packets contain both fabric and instructions for the block. Further detailed instructions can be found at: Tutorial
If you were not at the meeting, block packets may also be signed out any day of SewMe STL (Sept 15-17th). Blocks will need to be returned at SewMe STL or at the October 15th meeting. Blocks may also be mailed back if posted by Oct 7th.--
Quilt Show - Robyn Passig caught us up on what the quilt show committee has been doing.
The show will be on March 23 - 24, 2024 with setup on March 22 and will be held at Greensfelder Recreation Complex at Queeny Park. Some important dates to keep in mind: submission of quilts online will be the month of January, the drop off of quilts will be at the February and March meetings.
Robyn asked for a show of hands on members planning on entering at least one quilt and there was a majority of hands which bodes well. Robyn went over the requirements which can be found in the slides and on the website.
She reviewed the jury process which she reminded us is separate from the judging process. She also went over the definition of modern quilting; the guild will be following the definition set forth by the Modern Quilt Guild She presented the categories that will be included; new this show will be Art Quilts and Maximalism.
Most importantly, because the show has been moved up several months, the committee needs to expand and they are looking for more committee volunteers. She listed the various subcommittees with the hope that we are able to have two volunteers for each subcommittee.
In addition to volunteering for a committee position, we can all help now by distributing postcards to quilts shops and posting on social media. There is a website page just for the Quilt Show and Gail will ensure that it is updated in the coming week.
Hope Wyss asked if there was a description of the duties involved in the subcommittee. Here is the description that was included in a guild-wide email last month.
Publicity – Create communications (print ready postcards, social media posts) for members, other guilds, quilt shops, newspapers, and quilt lovers.
Vendors – Contact vendors and invite them to vend at the show. Track acceptances and payments, be their main contact for any questions or setup needs.
Registration – Find software package to allow members to register their quilts. Copy quilt info into individual documents (placards) for printing.
Quilt Storage – Accept quilts at meetings and store in animal-free room, grouped by rows.
Staffing – Using SignUpGenius, ask members to sign up for shifts for Friday Set up, Sunday Take Down, Saturday/Sunday Admissions, Raffles, white glove walking, etc.
Display – Draft area layout to include rows of quilts, Admissions, quilt booths, vendor booths etc. Determine the flow of quilts in each category.
Wood conduit purchase, sanding, varnish – Yep, We will need more!
Admissions – Review past year's processes with Treasurer to see what can be streamlined and emphasize welcoming our guests
Set up – Coordinate running quilts to correct section, demo how to hang quilts on Friday (create a video?)
Demos / Modern Quilting presentation – Ask members to share their skills, coordinate presentations
Program, ballots, raffle tickets, quilt placards – Create Print Ready copies
Show Chair Apprentice – Learn how to coordinate all committee efforts, contract with venue and convention center supply vendors, and prepare budget with the goal of being the Show Chair for 2026.
Sign up form to join committee. Link.
Em Komiskey commented many libraries throughout the area have quilting groups; those might be a good place to drop off some postcards.
Another member asked if quilts submitted in the Guild Challenge category would count against the limit of 9 per member. The answer is Yes!
Jenn Deck reiterated that high need for more volunteers so please consider volunteering. A SignUpGenius form will be set up in the coming week.
Social - Allison Maestri announced another social event; Barn Quilt Painting Night Out on September 30th, 6:30 to 9:00 pm. An event has been created, you should have received an announcement email. You will sign up for the event through the vendor’s website, AR Workshop. All of the information will be listed on the event in our website calendar.
August’s after meeting lunch was at Raising Cane’s in Maplewood, the October after meeting lunch will be Cowbron in Maplewood, check the event calendar for more details. Event will set up soon.
Member Announcements -
Melissa Eagan announced that she and Annamaria Lu were hosting a sew-in day on Sunday August 13th to work on blocks for a community quilt to contribute to You Are Not Alone quilt to benefit the AFSP which is an organization devoted to suicide prevention programs. You will have missed the sew-in day by the time you get this recap but you can contact Melissa for more information, Melissakae08@gmail.com. This picture is a screenshot of the post she made on Facebook.
Nancy Kollmar announced that she was selling raffle tickets for a Dear Jane quilt. The proceeds go to help offset the costs of a quilt show hosted by Circle in the Square Quilters, a fellow guild. Here is a screenshot of a Facebook post announcing the show. If you are interested in buying raffle tickets, you can use the QR code.
Octavia, standing in for Susan Muszynski, who is gallivanting around Europe, reminded everyone that the UFO Challenge was officially over and the prizes would be drawn later in the meeting. The Mini-Quilt Chihuly Challenge is still going on and you have until September 30 to submit your projects. Description and rules are listed on the website.
Octavia went over a bylaw change proposal submitted by the Board. You can read the proposed changes here, but essentially the board wants to add an officer position that will be dedicated to maintaining the website. The other work will be shifted between the other four directors to even out the workload. This change will be voted on in October. You must be a dues paying member and present at the meeting to vote.
Octavia called for a vote on a guild donation of $1000 to the City Sewing Room to help build their new annex which will be dedicated to Quilting. Ballots on the vote passed. The donation will be made in the coming weeks. She also announced that our speaker for October will be from Sew Hope which is a sister organization with the City Sewing Room.
Break Time - comment from Gail. Many people had difficulties buying raffle tickets online during break. I suspect the problem was volume and you might consider in the future, buying tickets before the meeting. The link is always included in the email that goes out the Tuesday before the meeting.
Program - Preparing to Send Your Quilt to a Longarmer
Our program was presented by Annie Cook, Dottie Vaughn, Emily Wall and Lilo Whitener-Fey, all professional long-armers. This presentation had a lot of information from questions to ask before you hire a long-armer, to prepping your tops, prepping your backs and preparing to mail or drop off. They also discussed things to expect from your longarm professional with suggestions on what to do if you are unhappy with the results. Please check the slides for their tips and a Resource list. So much useful information.
Unfortunately, because we went so late (so many questions for the long-armers!), we did not have time for Show and Share. Be sure to bring your projects to the October meeting.
Raffle winners -
Round Robin - Kathy Bridges won a book on Improv
Fabric Raffle - Generously donated by Cotton Cuts; thank you Cotton Cuts! We made $210 this month. The winners of two FQ bundles of Tula Pink Everglow are Nancy Dlugosz and Tess McMahon.
SewMe Hotel Room Raffle - Generously donated by Marriott St. Louis West. We raised $200. The winners are Stephanie Sachtleben and Gail Luther (YAY ME!)
The UFO Challenge - FQ Bundle Paintbrush Studios from Warm n Cozy in Columbia, IL-
Marshmallow Milk - Annamaria Lu,
Strawberry Jelly – Nancy Dlugosz,
Astronaut Drink - Dottie Vaughn.
Dottie Vaughn also won a t-shirt for submitting the most projects. Kudos to Warm n Cozy for these excellent bundle names!
Meeting Adjourned - See you at SewMeSTL 2023!
Respectfully submitted,
Gail Luther, Secretary 2023
Link to Slides
The meeting was called to order at 10:08 with a variety of room issues including a janky microphone and a broken projector screen. We persevered through.
Octavia Pitts (President) started through the initial slides and reviewed the financial slide that is usually covered by our treasurer, Susan Muszynski, who was off trying to find someone to fix the microphone.
OP covered the financials; the Board feels that we are still in good shape though running at a deficit, meaning we are spending more than we are bringing in. It would help greatly if we could fill the workshops. We still have some space in the July workshop, please sign up.
OP – The attendance at our last meeting was a very healthy 93. Today’s attendance was 85 with one guest who has since joined, and four attending on zoom.
OP went over the various ways that members can be in contact with the guild through social media. Please see the slide for the social media names and tags.
Jenn Deck (Vice President) went over the various events happening in the community and they are listed on the slide. Please note that the Craft Alliance has since closed their registration.
JD also went over the various activities that the guild has planned; all of which can be seen on the website’s calendar (home page – very bottom, or the events page). Even more conveniently, they are all listed on the ever so useful smartphone app. You can also register for events on your phone app – soooo convenient. Link to Events Page
JD – We need a host for the Hand Sew Happy Hour on July 18. There was a signup sheet at the meeting, if interested email Jenn at vicepresident@stlmqg.org.
JD – We will not be having a July guild meeting because we are hosting a trunk show and workshops on July 28 – 30 with Tia Curtis! The July 29th workshop, Free Motion Quilting is now full and there is a waiting list. However, there is plenty of room in the July 30th workshop, All Star Improv and lots of space in the Friday night trunk show. The trunk show is free for members and $5 for guests (bring guests!) and the workshops are $50 for members and $75 for guests. The events are now open to guest registration. Link to Events Page
JD – There is a quilt show in Belleville on June 10 and 11. Hopefully, some members were able to attend.
Carol Taylor brought us a postcard advertising an event titled Shipshewana Quiltworx Academy on September 18 through 22, 2023. Here is a link with all the details. - Shipshewana Event
OP – Knotandthread is hosting a sew along starting on June 9th for the #patchworkDufflesSewAlong. I couldn't find a link to the sew-along but here is the website, https://knotandthreaddesign.com/.
She reminded us that St. Louis County Library members have access to Creativebug through their library membership. There are a lot of resources available in Creativebug. [Link to CB library access]
There will be a survey after the Tia Curtis workshop to help us in planning future events. Please watch for that in late July/early August.
Here is a link to all of the events on our website - Events. You will need to log-in for member-only events.
Just a reminder that all quilting work is welcome in the monthly show-n-share. The modern aesthetic as defined by the MQG is our priority, and encourage regular engagement with this style.
OP presented her regular “Is it Modern?” spot; she contrasted two different quilts featuring houses. Check out the pictures in the slides and decide what you think.
OP – Committee Reports
Swap & Challenge Committee - The Log Cabin Quilt challenge is due in October. The committee asked us to clarify that the prizes aren’t cash, but gift cards.
Quiltcon Challenge Committee - The committee is busy working on a design for the current gauntlet laid down by MQG. More info on that to come.
Charity Committee - It’s time to start turning in your charity quilts. Tonya Cass will be available at guild meetings and SewMe Retreat to take your quilts.
SewMeSTL Committee - Kristina Olson brought us up to date on the committee’s plans. There will be fun tutorials available such as free motion quilting, digital labels, and perfecting your piecing. Raffle items for the daily raffle are being accepted now; please only quality items that you, yourself would be happy to win, with a preference for modern items. Registration will start on July 15th, a Saturday at 5:00 pm. We do think that Saturday will fill up so don’t wait to register. The attendance fees will be changing slightly this year; $40 per day on Friday and Saturday and $30 on Sunday. Sunday’s hours are shorter, thus the smaller fee. Volunteers will be needed for valet duties and the registration table; watch for the sign up notification August 1.
Quilt Show Committee – Stephanie Sachtleben caught us up on the Quilt Show committee planning. First off, they are moving up the quilt show to March 2024. This will put us on a similar schedule as the Bits & Pieces guild. The two guilds will trade off each year in hosting a show. They have booked Greensfelder Complex in Queeny Park, like Bits & Pieces does. This will give us a lot more room and flexibility in setting up the exhibits. We will be needing more quilts to show though, so hang on to your quilts; especially the challenge ones. The venue switch will also allow us to bring in more vendors. Details on submitting quilts will be coming later, but please remember that first and foremost, they must fit the modern aesthetic. One question that was asked at the meeting was the price to submit a quilt and it is free for members. Right now we do not know what the limit per member will be. Last year each member was allowed to submit nine quilts. Stephanie reminded us that the quilts don’t necessarily need to be bed sized; they will also be looking for mini-quilts, hangings, bags, etc. Keep an eye out for more details. An expanded quilt show is very exciting.
Because of the change in date, the due date for quilts will now be January 2024.
Social Committee – Jenn Deck reminded us about the Chihuly exhibit at the Botanical Garden on July 22nd. The plan is for the group to meet inside the gates by 10:30 am. Contact Em Komiskey at em_komiskey@yahoo.com for any questions.
Jenn also reminded us that the after-meeting lunch is at McAlister’s for June. In August, we'll meet at Raising Cane's in Maplewood. You can get an address from the event on the website.
Melissa Eagan announced that she’s hosting a sew-along, Weather the Storm QAL. The link for that is QAL Link and it starts 6/12/23.
Dottie Vaughn announced that she is a representative of the Gammill Longarm company so if you have questions about those machines, come to her.
Susan Muszynski announced that the UFO challenge will be ending at the end of this month. So far we have had 87 UFOs completed and she is confident that we will make 100 by June 30th. The prizes are some beautiful fabric bundles from Paintbrush Studio and there is a mystery prize for the member who has completed the most UFOs.
Susan also announced a new Mini-Quilt Challenge inspired by Chihuly Glass. The challenge will run from July 1st to September 30th. Quilts are to be a mini-quilt (no larger than 18” x 18”) inspired by Chihuly glass and be in the modern aesthetic. A picture of the completed quilt is to be accompanied with a picture of the Chihuly Glass that inspired the quilt and with a short artist’s statement. By short, we mean that the sentence, “I liked the color”, would be perfectly fine. The winner will be announced at the October meeting. Use #stlmqg2023CC on Instagram or email the photo to stlmqg@gmail.com. If you can’t go to the guild event at the garden just google Chihuly and you will see many examples of the art. Keep it modern.
Members were reminded to vote on the bylaw amendments and to buy raffle tickets while we took our break.
This month’s program was titled My Modern Quilt Journey: We All Start Somewhere…
Janice Samson from the programming committee led the program introducing the members and their quilts.
These quilts are pictured on the website, please use this link. [link to slide show]
The following members talked about their first quilts; Melissa Eagan, Susan Muszynski, Abbie Stolzer, Patti Baymiller, Marie Hill, Annamaria Lu and Octavia Pitts.
We encourage everyone to show their first quilt on Instagram (use #stlmqg) or the Facebook group.
After the really interesting program, we announced the winner for the Round Robin - Sybil Fisher! The winners of the fabric raffle generously sponsored by Cotton Cuts were Mary Beth Oberlin and Susan Hoernshemeyer! Thank you everyone; we raised $185.
We ended the meeting with our usual Show and Share, please use this link to see the quilts that were shown. If your quilt isn’t in the gallery, please email a photo to me at secretary@stlmqg.org, a couple of the picture files were corrupted.
We had a few questions and comments at the end of the meeting.
Tess McMahon mentioned that our quilt show allowed us to use other people’s patterns but we did need to acknowledge the pattern creator.
Kathy Bridges asked about the artist statements for the Log Cabin Challenge. The requirements for the challenge are listed on the Challenge page on the website. Link to Challenge Rules. Marie Hill from the Challenge committee mentioned that the committee was looking for the inspiration behind your quilt.
Dottie Vaughn suggested that since we have so many new members, perhaps we should start introducing ourselves on social media and the website.
Tonya Cass asked when there would be rubrics or guidelines on submitting quilts for the quilt show. The guidelines for submission will be posted on the website and the categories should be similar to last year. Stay tuned.
Another member asked why batik fabrics were not considered modern. Here is a link to an article that Octavia found, hopefully this will help with some of the questions. https://carolelylesshaw.com/modern-batiks-for-modern-quilters/
Ballot Results for the Bylaw Amendments – this was not announced at the meeting because we didn’t do the count until after the meeting. The amendments passed with the following counts.
80 total ballots turned in.
67 ballots in favor of all measures.
2 ballots opposed all measures.
4 opposed Article 6, Sec. 1 – Dues
2 opposed Article 9, Sec. 1 – Candidates
4 opposed Article 9, Sec. 2 – Candidates
6 opposed Article 9, Sec. 3 – Election
The bylaw amendments can be found in the slides.
The new bylaws are now on the website (Main page, there’s a link under the Officer name list). I will adjust the end dates of members that joined after the first of the year, this week. An email will be sent to those members, once adjusted.
Link to slide pdf
Meeting was brought to order at 10:06 am by our president, Octavia Pitts.
Octavia (President) opened the meeting with our usual Zoom instructions and welcoming remarks.
Susan Muszynski (Treasurer) presented the monthly financial report. We currently have $22,076.61 in the checking account. Some upcoming expenses include the speaker for the July workshop approximately $5,100, the speaker in January, 2024 for $400 and another estimated $5000 for the speaker in April, 2024. Susan outlined the loss ($2,050) we incurred for the April workshop due to speaker and venue cost. The board is looking for ways to keep the costs for future workshops as low as possible.
Susan reported that attendance at the March meeting was 104. At this time, this day’s attendance wasn’t known but it was later reported that we had 88 members attend with an additional guest who ended up joining and 4 members attending via zoom. Current membership was reported at 195 (as of this writing, the membership is now 196).
Jenn Deck (Vice President) reported on various community events coming up. All of these are listed in the slides; the link is at the beginning of the post.
She also reviewed upcoming guild activities. All of these can be found on our website or phone app event calendar with more details.
· May 16: Hand Sew Happy Hour, Brentwood Bread Co 6-9PM, Host – Laura Patterson
· May 17: Hand-Stitchers
· May 20: Sew-In at Jackman’s Fabrics
· No Virtual Sew in May
· Jun 7: Hand-Stitchers
Jenn also discussed an upcoming trunk show and workshops with Tia Curtis on July 28 – 30. The workshops are Free Motion Quilting on the Domestic Machine and All Start Improv. More details can be found on the event portion of the website. Registration will open for members on May 25th.
Jenn also mentioned that the library has a couple of new books. One of them is the catalog of the most recent QuiltCon exhibit. Be sure to check out the library.
Octavia went over the recent announcement from MQG (Modern Quilt Guild, our national organization) on their updated definition of modern. The changes are minor and include maximinism and items on Art quilts. Click here to see the article from MQG.
Octavia reminded everyone about the Welcome table, if you are new to the guild, please stop at the welcome table, the committee members can give you all sorts of info. She mentioned that while the Spring Walk was basically rained out there were a few stalwart people that managed to participate. She also talked about the recent workshop with Rebecca Bryan and the success it was. There are pictures of the trunk show and classes.
Another website that Octavia brought our attention to is Feel Good Fabrics A resource for destashing your fabric and a place to shop for more fabric!
Octavia went over briefly the suggested bylaw amendments. You can find the proposed bylaw changes in the slides PDF listed at the beginning of the blog. Please review before voting in June. Briefly, the board would like to move to a rolling membership date and eliminate the prorated memberships in the middle of the year. Membership would be a year’s term ending exactly a year after joining. Members that joined prior to the beginning of 2023 would retain their Dec. 31st end date.
The other proposed change is a modification to the election schedule of new board members. This would move the election and start of new board out of the busy holiday season.
The June meeting will have a vote on the bylaw changes, the third pass of our Round Robin, opportunities to register for the July workshop and the end of the UFO challenge.
Committee Announcements –
Laura Patterson of the SewMe Committee requests donations from the members for the raffle at SewMe. Please only donate items that you would be happy to receive in a raffle.
Tonya Cass of the Charity Committee described some changes to the throw pattern to enable ease and safety of the users. She also reminded everyone that she has labels that are to be used on the throws. Charity will have a table at the Sew-In event at Jackman’s if anyone has any questions.
Robyn Passig of the Quilt Show Committee brought us up to date on what the committee has been looking at. They are diligently researching larger venues for the 2024 show and are getting excited about the choices. She asked everyone to get their quilts ready and reminded us that they don’t necessarily need to be bed sized, smaller quilts are welcome. They do need to be modern though. Definitely save your challenge quilts because there will be a section for those.
Octavia described the program for the June meeting. Following is the request from the programming committee.
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Sign up for the June Program: My Modern Quilt Journey - We All Start Somewhere
We all start somewhere with our modern quilt journey. In June, the Programming Committee is encouraging STLMQG members to look back at the first modern quilt they completed. We need volunteers to bring their first modern quilt to show to the guild.
When they show their quilt, members will be asked to answer one of three questions:
There will be a supportive emcee to chat with you and a team to help hold your quilt. Plus sharing your first modern quilt gives you a chance to look back at how far you’ve come and inspire other members.
Did you give your first modern quilt as a gift? Don’t worry! You can still sign up as long as you have a photo of your quilt (high-quality photo please). We will put the photo up on the screen for all to see.
We are looking for 5 more folks!
Please sign up to share your quilt by emailing the Programming Committee – programming@stlmqg.org – by May 31st!
Can’t make it to the June meeting? Share your first modern quilt on Facebook or Instagram (don’t forget to use the hashtag #stlmqg)
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A reminder for the Sew-In event at Jackman’s on May 20th. There are a few openings left for tables; many openings if you just want a chair to do hand-sewing. There is no charge for members. They are looking for volunteers to bring ironing boards, irons, cutting mats and rotary cutters. Register for a spot on the event page of the website, email the social committee at social@stlmqg.org if you can help with the requested items.
Em Komiskey of the Social Committee described an outing to the Botanical Gardens on July 22, 10:30 am. Em is trying to get a big enough group to order discounted tickets. Please email Em at em_komiskey@yahoo.com to be included in this group. St Louis city and county residents are eligible for discounted tickets but you have to be there by a certain time (we think it’s 10:00 but are not sure). Members of the garden at certain levels can bring guests free of charge. If you would like to volunteer your guest slots please contact Em.
Sarah Linker reminded us that the after meeting lunch gathering is to be at Fuzzy’s Taco Shop in Webster Groves. For the June meeting, they are planning on meeting at Pizza World which is just down the road from the community center.
Tess McMahon reported that the City Sewing Room would be having a large sale on Saturday, May 20th from 10 to 4 and Sunday, the 21st from 12 to 4.
Em Komiskey came back and told us about a place to get quilt themed t-shirts, Maker Valley.
Jenn Deck mention that the board is looking for hosts for Hand Sew Happy Hour and Virtual Sew. There was a sheet for signing up at the meeting. If you are interested please email Jenn at vicepresident@stlmqg.org.
Amy Suiter announced that everyone was to change tables to the one that had their zipcode. We represent many zipcodes so the tables were arranged by area; west-ish, south-ish, so on.
There were a flurry of activities to be done at break time, least of all, turning in magnets for the magnet swap. See pictures of the magnet at the beginning of the post.
After the break, member Leila Gardunia presented a program on Three Strategies to Help You Choose Fabric for Scrap Quilts. Be sure to check the slides in the PDF linked at the beginning of the post. She also presented a trunk show to illustrate the different strategies. After the presentation, everyone participated in a activity using scraps brought from home. Meeting Photos.
The Swap committee then presided over the swapping of magnets.
Tess McMahon was the winner of this month’s Round Robin and was presented with a $25 gift card to Heyde Sewing. Don’t forget to email a picture of each of your rounds to either president@stlmqg.org or stlmqg@gmail.com.
Another sew along was mentioned that members might be interested in. Kitty Wilkin (@exhaustedoctopus) is hosting a Summer Lovin Seaglass. Check here for details.
This month’s winners of the lovely fabric bundle, Curio by Melody Miller is Gina Shelley and Jenn Deck. Congratulations! Thank you Cotton Cuts for your generous donation.
Check out the pictures of this month’s Show and Share.
Meeting was adjourned.
Members displayed their starting blocks for the 2023 Round Robin Challenge.
Slides presented at meeting - File edited 4/7/2023
Meeting was brought to order at 10:03 by our president, Octavia Pitts.
Susan Muszynski (Treasurer) presented the monthly financial report. We currently have $24,484.33 in the checking account. We have an upcoming bill for the April speaker of approximately $3,500. The Profit & Loss statement is posted on stlmqg.org under Member Resources/Finances.
Gail Luther (Secretary) reported that attendance at the February meeting was 91. At this time, this day’s attendance wasn’t known but it was later reported that we had 97 members attend with an additional 3 guests and 4 members attending via zoom. Four joined as members at the meeting. Current membership was reported at 177 (as of this writing, the membership is now 182), this includes 24 new members since the beginning of the year (now 29).
Gail went over the communications slide, pointing out to new members the different ways to have contact with the guild. She forgot to mention the smart phone app that’s available which allows members to easily access our website on their phone. Some functions are not available in the app; however, it is a quick way to view the guild’s calendar and membership directory. Seriously, everyone should get this Wild Apricot app.
She reminded everyone that all things guild-related should be on our website, www.stlmqg.org. Please log in and become familiar with the website. If there is something that you think should be included, please contact Gail at secretary@stlmqg.org.
Follow the guild on Instagram @stlmqg. Use hashtag #stlmqg for general items you want to the guild to see, #stlmqgufo2023 for the current 2023 Modern UFO challenge and #stlmqgRR23 for the 2023 Round Robin challenge. You can read more about these challenges on the website under the menu tab, Guild Activities.
Jenn Deck (Vice President) reviewed upcoming guild activities. All of these can be found on our website or phone app event calendar with more details.
Mar 15: Hand-Stitchers, Buder Library 5-7:30 PM, Host – Lynda Mueller Drendel
Mar 21: Hand Sew Happy Hour, Brentwood Bread Co 6-9PM, Host – Jenn Deck
Mar 25: Virtual Sew, 10 am - 12 pm., Host – Susan Muszynski
Apr 8: NO REGULAR MEETING
Apr 18: Hand Sew Happy Hour
Apr 19: Hand-Stitchers
Apr 22: Virtual Sew
Jenn discussed the upcoming workshops on April 28 – 30; Rainbow Remix and Design Improv with Triangles by Rebecca Bryan. See website to register for trunk shows and workshops. Registration is required. Registration will open to non-guild members on March 17th. Secure your seat now!
Jenn also went over some activities happening in the community. All of these are listed in the slides; the link is at the beginning of the post.
Member Announcements
Candy Grisham spoke to us about the upcoming quilt show hosted by Bits ‘N’ Pieces guild, Fanfare of Quilts on March 18 – 19 in Queeny Park. It’s the first show by this guild in five years and should be fabulous. There is a group of our members planning to attend on Saturday at 11:00 am and another group on Sunday. So, plan to work this into your weekend schedule.
There is a play scheduled at the Alton Little Theater on March 24th, 25th (7:30 pm) and Mar. 26th (2:00 pm) about the Gee’s Bend quilters. The play was written by Elyzabeth Gregory Wilder and centers on a family from Gee’s Bend in Boykin, Alabama. The tickets are $20 and more information can be found at www.altonlittletheater.com.
Susan Veenstra told us about The Midwest Fiber Festival scheduled for April 28 – 30 at St. Louis Community College, Meramec Campus. More information can be found at https://www.midwestfiberfest.com.
Committee Announcements
The magnet swap is due at the May meeting. Find more information on the website under Guild Activities.
Sarah Linker (Social Committee Leader) reported that the March meetup location is at McAlister’s Deli at Deer Creek, conveniently located near Joann’s. The May lunch meetup will be at Fuzzy Taco’s on Watson in Webster Groves.
There is an event on the website for Walk & Picnic on April 15th at Creve Coeur Lake at 10 am with the picnic schedule for 11:30 am. Registration not required but helpful. Link for event and more info here.
The Sew Day event on May 20th will open for registration on Monday, Mar. 13th at 7:00 pm. 20 tables will be available for 40 members with machines (2 machines to a table) and additional spaces for hand sewers. Snacks are highly encouraged but no slow cookers or coffee machines. No charge for members, you should have received the announcement by the time this recap is published. Sew Day link.
Watch for an announcement for a social event to visit the Chihuly exhibit at the Botanical Gardens sometime in July.
Kristina Olson (SewMe STL Committee Leader) reported that the first committee meeting was held on March 2nd for introductions and subcommittee assignments. Future committee meetings will be held the 2nd Thursday of the month with the next one on April 13th at 7 pm via zoom. Three more volunteers are needed on the committee. Save the date, September 15 – 17, 2023.
Tonya Cass (Charity Committee Leader) and the rest of the charity committee presented their plans for the charity activity this year; Lap Quilts and Wheelchair Quilts. The organizations that will be getting the donations –
Patterns, videos and other resources will be added to the website soon.
Susan (Treasurer) reminded us the UFO challenge has begun. Post your completed modern UFOs on Instagram with #stlmqgufo2023 or email a picture to stlmqg@gmail.com. Tips and information are posted on the challenge page on the website. As of March 7th, we have 27 UFOs completed, can we make 100?
Octavia then led a discussion of what is modern and what is not. See the slides for examples and information on the modern aesthetic.
After a few miscellaneous business items and a reminder that there wouldn’t be a regular meeting in April, Octavia excused the guild for a brief break. The first round of the round robin was exchanged during the break.
Program - Modern Quilting
Kristy Daum led a very interesting discussion on what makes a quilt modern. See the slides for pictures and examples of the various components typically considered. There were many questions/comments from the members. Here are a few that were noted –
If upcycling fabric for a project, be sure to check the integrity of the fabric. Old fabric can be very fragile and may not be suitable for your project.
Many people wonder how the MQG goes about picking quilts for the Quiltcon show and how they judge them. Kristy who has worked separately as a jurist and a judge at Quiltcon (at different shows) explained the jurists pick the quilts that will be in the show, the panel of judges are separate people and use different processes. Different jurists/judges will value various aspects differently. She mentioned that various quilters are currently posting the comments that they received from their judges on Instagram.
Dottie Vaughn also commented that judges for the MQG pay a lot of attention to the artist’s statements that are submitted with the quilts.
Someone asked for a list of fabric designers that are considered modern and the committee said that they would look into that.
Lilo Whitener-Fey presented the rules for the 2023 Log Cabin Challenge. All the rules are on the slide and on the challenge page on the website. This challenge comes with generous prizes this year and we were all reminded that this is not to be expected for all the guild’s challenges. These slides are also available on the challenge page on the website. The committee said that they would welcome emails if a member wanted to run their ideas for the challenge by them. You can email stlmqg@gmail.com and the board will forward the email to the committee.
Marie Nicholson-Hill and Gayle Larson then demonstrated various things you can do with log cabin blocks. Pictures of this demo are included on the slide PDF.
Octavia mentioned that we are collecting pictures of Quiltcon for the website. If you have some to share please send to Gail at secretary@stlmqg.org.
After the program, we drew attendance prize winners. The winners of the fabric raffle donated by Cotton Cuts were Suzanne Domalewski and Wilma Schmitz.
Check out the photos from our Show & Share, Photo Album.
Meeting Adjourned
Submitted
Secretary, STLMQG
Slides presented at meeting
Meeting was brought to order at 10:07 by our president, Octavia Pitts.
Octavia (President) opened up the meeting with our usual Zoom instructions and welcoming remarks.
Susan Muszynski (Treasurer) presented the monthly financial report. We currently have $24,162.86 in the checking account. We recently paid the annual MQG renewal of $2,100 and everyone’s membership in MQG should be updated in their database. We have an upcoming bill for the April speaker of approximately $3,500. She reminded everyone that needs or will need to be reimbursed for guild expenses, to please make the requests in a timely manner.
Gail Luther (Secretary) reported that attendance at the January meeting was 91. At this time, this day’s attendance wasn’t known but it was later reported that we again had 91 members attend with an additional 9 guests and 6 members attending via zoom. Current membership was reported at 167 (as of this writing, the membership is now 174), this includes 17 new members since the beginning of the year (now 21).
Octavia went over the communications slide which included the Wild Apricot for Members icon to look for in the app store. This app allows members to easily access our website on your phone. Some functions are not available in the app, however it is a quick way to view the guild’s calendar and membership directory.
She reminded members that we have switched platforms and all guild information from 2023 can now be found at www.stlmqg.org. Please log in and become familiar with the website. The old website, stlmqg.blogspot.com will be kept as an archival of guild activities up to 2023.
You can also join our Facebook group, St. Louis Modern Quilt Guild. Within that Facebook group we have an active chat for those of us going to QuiltCon 2023. There is also a separate Facebook group for Quiltcon goers called STLMQG@QuiltCon , but it is not used often.
St. Louis Metro Area Shop Hop 2023 will be going on the month of March. More information can be found on this Facebook group - link.
AI Art Quilt Challenge - While not a guild activity, participants will use the power of AI to help design a quilt throughout the year. More information can be found in these two links – Flyer and Signup Form.
Jenn reported that the committees and committee leader positions have been filled. She thanked everyone for stepping up. Committee leaders and members can be found on the Committee page on the Website.
Sarah Linker (Social Committee Leader) reported that starting in March, the Social Committee will be hosting informal lunches at various restaurants in the area to provide more opportunities to get to know each other. The lunches are casual and are listed on the guild’s calendar. An informal headcount may be taken at the meeting. The March meetup location is McAlister’s Deli at Deer Creek, conveniently located near Joann’s.
The Social Committee is planning a social event for April so watch the website for details.
Tonya Cass (Charity Committee Leader) reported that the Charity Committee has come up with some good ideas and will be presenting those in detail at the March meeting.
Jessica Schunke & Lilo Whitener-Fey (Swap & Challenge Co-Leaders) along with their committee announced the first 2023 Swap. We will be creating magnets of tiny quilt blocks to exchange in a modified “white elephant” game at our May meeting. The 2023 Swap page has some examples plus the instructions. Magnets were provided to attendees and If supplies last, will be available at the March meeting. You are also welcome to supply our own magnets and make more than one.
The committee will announce their Traditional to Modern challenge at our next meeting.
Susan (Treasurer) reminded us the UFO challenge has begun. Post your completed modern UFOs on Instagram with #stlmqgufo2023 or email a picture to stlmqg@gmail.com. Tips and information are posted on the challenge page on the website.
Octavia (President) apologized on behalf of the board for the chaotic review of the 2022 BOM quilts last month. Be sure to check out the slide show of these quilts on the website’s home page. If you completed the 2022 BOM and there isn’t a picture of your quilt in the slideshow, please email it to Gail at secretary@stlmqg.org. Captions are not currently available.
Octavia also went over the Round Robin challenge again and how it works. Rules for the challenge can be found on our website. Groups will be announced this week by email. The first pass will take place at our March meeting.
Tess McMahon (2022 Charity Leader) welcomed Mary Ann Owens of The Women’s Safe House back to our meeting. This group was the recipient of our 2022 Charity effort to create quilts for the families being helped by this organization. Mary Ann thanked us for our generosity and told us that the first family had just received their new quilts as a celebration of their starting their new lives. Everyone that participated should feel proud of your efforts
Octavia asked to please let us know if you have a quilt hanging at QuiltCon, so that we can take pictures of them for the website. Gail is compiling this list at secretary@stlmqg.org.
Guild members attending QuiltCon are encouraged to meet up at 4:45 pm on Friday, February 24 by our charity challenge quilt for a group photo. If you are attending, please put that on your calendar.
Octavia discussed the various clubs that have sprung up; some officially associated with the guild and some not. We are happy to put a gathering on the guild’s calendar if it would interest our guild members. Please contact Gail at secretary@stlmqg.org to submit an event.
Octavia also led a discussion of what is modern and what is not. See the slides for examples and information on the modern aesthetic.
Hope Wyss (House Leader) has asked that any free table scraps smaller than 2” x 2” be placed in a ziploc bag and labeled “small scraps; must take all.”
Octavia and Amy Suiter led the group activity Improv is for Everyone. Members used improv methods to make paper collages during timed rounds with different shapes. The slides include links and book suggestions for further information on Improv piecing. Photo Album of activity - scroll down page.
After the program, we drew attendance prize winners. The winners of the fabric raffle donated by Cotton Cuts were Gayle May and Patricia Meyer.
Meeting was called to order at 10:06 AM.
Link to the Slides Shown at Meeting
Susan (Treasurer) went over the current financial situation of $24,654.30 in the bank account. The balance seems high but there are a couple of reasons; our membership jumped quite a bit in 2022, SewMe did not cost as much as budgeted and the workshop that we held in 2022 was prepaid in 2021. She reminded us that we will be paying for the MQG membership soon which is a major bill.
Gail (Secretary) reviewed the December meeting attendance of 66 and mentioned that the average attendance last year was 73. This year we will be striving to keep closer tabs on our attendance to help with planning of meetings. The website does allow for pre-registration of monthly meetings. Because there is no fee involved, it is not required but could be helpful when planning meetings that require supplies.
The final number for the January meeting, which was recounted at least three times, came in at 91 in-person, 6 zoomers and 6 guests. Three of the guests joined the guild at the meeting. (HOLY COW!)
Our current membership now stands at 162 (it was 144 at the meeting; people are renewing as we speak). Last year at this time, it was 150. The new membership system archived 64 members that had not completed their renewals. We suspect some of those will come back when they realize they have been removed from the membership rolls.
We also have 17 new members since last November which in the Secretary's opinion, is a little nuts! WELCOME EVERYONE!
Please monitor the website for updated news. There is a phone app available that has the membership directory and the calendar on it. That app is called Wild Apricot for members. It uses the same userid (email) and password as the website. If you have not changed your password since you were set up, the original password was Welcome. If that is your password, please change it to something more secure. If we have to cancel a meeting for any reason, we will post everywhere we can think of. It will definitely be on the calendar so get in the habit of checking the calendar (on your handy phone app) before heading out.
We do plan on keeping the Zoom option available through the March meeting and will assess the need for continuing at that point.
Jenn (Vice President) went over all the coming events.
Jan 25 & Feb 1: Hand Stitchers -- Buder Library, 5-7:30PM Host - Lynda Mueller Drendel
Rebecca Bryan will lead a trunk show and two workshops on April 28 - 30. We will be posting more info on this in coming days.
What's Happening Elsewhere -
Quilt Alongs -
Lynda Drendel (muellerdrendel@gmail.com) is coordinating a new in-person group, STLMQG HandStitchers. The events are a couple of times a month and are included on the Guild's calendar. Email Lynda to be included on a group text. Meeting details are on the calendar, and they would love everyone to come.
Melissa Eagan reported that she will teaching a four-week class at the Craft Alliance starting Feb. 27. The class is about transforming traditional blocks to modern blocks. See this link for more details. Link
Suzanne Galli Koenen invited us all to her show at the Webster Groves Library (301 E Lockwood Ave, Webster Groves, MO 63119) during the month of February during normal library hours. The opening reception will be on Friday, Feb.3 from 6 pm to 7:30 pm. Her show features paintings that look like quilts. Everyone is welcome!
Nancy Dlugosz told us about a Bernina service repairman that she highly recommends. His contact info is Aaron Pucci, aaronsmachinerepair@gmail.com. He only works on Berninas. He will pick up and drop off machines.
Annual Plea for Committees -
Jenn (Vice President) led the annual call for committee leaders and members. The 2022 Committees Leaders were invited to come up and describe the activities of the specific committees.
Update after meeting - There was a great response in signing up for committees. We still need committee members for Programming and SewMe, please sign up on the website if you are interested. Website Link Thanks everyone for stepping up.
Octavia (President)
Octavia thanked members who took the time to complete the annual survey.
She noted the bylaws are always available for members to view and invite input on potential updates. The bylaws may be accessed through a link on the Home page in the box listing the Board. Feel free to peruse.
Octavia then presented the board's focus for the guild this year as we plan to emphasize the Modern quilting aesthetic and create sustainable practices for our growing guild.
2023 Challenges -- Our new challenges were presented; Round Robin and Modern UFO Challenge. The descriptions, rules and schedule can be found on the website under Guild Activities; 2023 Challenges.
After the break, we played a mixer game; one where you had to remember the name in order of various items that players bought at the fabric store. Then a fun game of Never Have I Ever... with 2 1/2 square inches of fabric that everyone brought.
Everyone that participated in the 2022 BOM Challenge showed off their quilts and they were simply fabulous. Check out the pictures on the 2022 Challenge page. The winner of the grand prize of quilting from long-arm quilter Dottie Vaughn was Marie Hill. Congratulations Marie!
The two winners of the fabric raffle sponsored by Cotton Cuts went home with a selection from the collection Birdsong by Gingiber for Moda Fabrics plus a surprise addition of thread. Thanks so much Cotton Cuts! The lucky winners are Octavia Pitts and Pat Davis.
Check out the pictures of Show & Share on the 2023 Picture page.
With that, the meeting was adjourned. See everyone in February.
Gail Luther, Secretary
Instead of a recap of the December meeting (Huge raffle, lots of winners!), we are going to recap the year 2022. The Guild had a very busy year, let’s break it down.
The Big Events – After three years, in July we hosted our third Quilt Show with much success. Over 770 people came to see 168 fabulous quilts all which were pieced by members of the guild. You can check out the winners on our website. Also, after waiting a long three years, the guild hosted SewMeSTL 2022. Almost 100 guild members attended the fun filled three-day weekend in October. In May we had a virtual workshop with the terrific Jenny Haynes of Papper, Sax, Sten and learned how to do Skinny Inset Curves and her signature Thistles, Cogs and Caterpillar Wheels.
Other programs – We learned how to do Kanzashi Flower Folding, Rebecca from Bryan House Quilts taught us the elements of graphic design, Lisa from Urban Breath Yoga showed us yoga exercises to help with our bad sewing posture, we had an excellent presentation on batting by member, Dottie Vaughn, we had fun with a mixer and lastly, we were entertained by an ugly quilt show. We did learn that ugly, like beauty is in the eye of the beholder.
Charity – Over 200 quilts, many made from quilt kits assembled by the quilt committee, were donated to the Women’s Safe House. A cash donation of $1000 was made to SewHopeSTL to help with their flood recovery efforts. The 2021 Quiltcon Challenge quilt, The Divide, was raffled at the guild’s Quilt Show in July and raised over $900 for the St Louis Area Foodbank.
Challenges – Many of us participated in the year long Block of the Month challenge led by board member, Em Komiskey. We also had an Inspirational Fabric Swap and an Ugly Fabric challenge.
Raffles – Every month we held a raffle of beautiful fabric donated by the wonderful Cotton Cut company (Thank you!!!). We had an additional raffle of Accuquilt dies and cutter donated by a non-member and the annual December raffle which raffled off items donated by many, many members.
Over the year we increased our membership to 207 with an additional seven new members slated to start with the new year. We started the move to a new website, www.stlmqg.org, that will allow the board to use some tools to help with the administration that comes along with this membership increase.
If you haven’t renewed yet, it’s time. Log into your profile in the new website and complete it there. (link to video)
We say goodbye to 2022 Board Members, Cathy Jones and Em Komiskey and thank them for their service. We welcome Jenn Deck and Susan Muszynski, new to the 2023 Board along with existing board members, Octavia Pitts and Gail Luther. Here's to a good year.
Happy New Year Everyone! See you in January!
Guild Business
PerennialSTL: Intro to Mesh Embroidery, Saturday 11/19, 10am - 1pm Upcycled Quilt Coat, Wednesday 12/14 & 12/21, 6pm - 9pm
Jackman’s: Christmas Stocking, Thursday 11/17, 10:30am - 2:30pm Build Your Own Bargello Quilt, Saturday 11/19, 10:30am - 4:30pm
Do you know of some quilty fun? Be sure to share it in our Facebook group or Instagram page.
Kanzashi Flower Folding
We had a chance to mingle with our fellow guild pals while learning how to fold fabric Kanzashi style. After you fold a few petals you can string them together to make a flower. Between chatting with friends and working with our hands, it seemed like everyone had a good time. Thank you to the Programming committee for coming up with a fun activity!
Committee Updates
Other Items Covered
St. Louis Modern Quilt Guild is a 501(c)3 non-profit organization. 216 Parkland Ave, St. Louis, MO 63122
