Gold Coast Quilt Guild members: The June Newsletter is online now. You can find it by logging in to the site on the left hand side of the home page, then looking under the "Members Section" tab at the top of the page.
If you have any problem logging in, contact Liz or Raine.
After receiving this, we were on a high. Then the Friday afternoon of the Show, we received another e-mail from Mancuso, saying that: “Everyone is so impressed with your Guild’s exhibit that we can’t let go of it. We are having a special Quiltfest of New Jersey next year, February 28-March 3rd. So, we are looking for the best of the best in exhibits. The Show is in Somerset NJ which is close to NYC and the home of the other great Red and White quilt Exhibit. (the one that inspired our challenge) We would like to invite RWB to be in the show. We think it might possibly over shadow the special instructors/lecturers—Kaffe Fassett and Liza Lucy. Exciting yes? We would really Love to have this exhibit in NJ and in 2013.”
Gold Coast Quilter's Guild member Stormy Schevis recently passed along information about not one, but two incidences of quilt thefts. In both cases, the victims are well-known teachers in the quilting community. All of us know the number of hours and love that goes into a hand-made quilt, so we should all be vigilant to not only be on the look-out for these quilts, but also to make sure that this doesn't happen to one of us.
The quilters involved are Patsy Thompson and Karen Combs. Many of us recall hearing Karen speak and taking her workshop when she visited us, and in fact, taught the exact pattern of the stolen quilts. For more information visit the websites below.
Patsy Thompson's stolen quilts: http://quiltville.blogspot.com/2012/03/quilt-jacking-alert-please-help-spread.html
Karen Combs' stolen quilts: http://karencombs.wordpress.com/2012/03/18/quilts-stolen/
Gold Coast Quilt Guild Retreat 2012: St. Augustine, Florida
Back on the bus, we enjoyed the 2012 Soldier Ride video produced by our talented historian, Carol Stoltenberg, and were inspired to make a Quilt of Valor for the next ride. Our bus turned off the St. Augustine exit before our rooms were ready but a quick call to MAGRIETA’S shop in the historic district echoed the theme of hospitality in town—“no problem”—come on in! She and her staff planned on staying open after hours for our bus, she was happy to go home at quitting time and we were anxious to see her shop. During our stay, we returned daily for needed supplies—the shop was just a few blocks from the hotel.Soldier Ride 2012 (part of the national Wounded Warrior Project) is our 4th annual Quilt of Valor ceremony in which quilters from 3 quilt guilds in South Florida were honored to present quilts to the brave men and women who have voluntarily served and sacrificed for the United States and our freedoms. A special shout-out goes to the photographers and Wounded Warrior Project personnel at the Miami VA Healthcare Systems facility who were very helpful in making our Quilt of Valor ceremony a success and who generously provided many of the photographs used in this video.
See more quilts at the Quilts of Valor Website
Our Guild’s Appliqué Special Exhibit “Quilting Outside the BLOCKS” at the World Quilt Show FL was held at the Palm Beach County Convention Center, Thursday Nov. 10 throughSaturday Nov. 12. We received lots of great comments and even a personal letter from Mr. Mancuso thanking us for a wonderful exhibit. A BIG THANK YOU to all who participated!!!!
At the October guild meeting, we had fun kicking off the Guild’s 2012 Quilt Challenge “RED, WHITE, and BEAUTIFUL”. Since then, we have received 72 commitments from our members to create red and white quilts. Since our original goal was at least 50 quilts to form our 2012 Special Exhibit at the World Quilt Show FL, we are thrilled with the enthusiastic response from you all.
These quilts will need to be completed and delivered to the committee for judging on Oct. 2nd 2012 at the Community Center. The awards will be presented at the October 16thGuild meeting. The World Quilt Show will be the first stop on our “RED, WHITE, and BEAUTIFUL” exhibit journey. Plans are underway to take this exhibit to many other exciting venues. Any questions : Marianne Haycook lifenart@bellsouth.net or Louise Moor eaglequilt@aol.com
See the guidelines for this 2012 “RED, WHITE and BEAUTIFUL” Quilt Challenge.
If you are an officer or a committee chairman, please use the proper form when turning in money or requesting a reimbursement. You can find the form under Governing Documents.
Thank you.
Calling all GCQG Quilters!. Plans for our 8th annual 2012 GCQG Retreat are underway! Join your fellow quilters for hours of stress-free quilting in beautiful St. Augustine! There will be limited shop stops along the drive up and back, with the option to visit local shops and attractions while we're there. Natalie has put together a really great Friendship Star project for this event. We'll be staying at the newly refurbished Holiday Inn where your bedroom and our conference room will be on the same floor of the hotel. The rooms have in-room amenities (premium cable/microwave/coffee/mini-fridge) and room service available, all in the historical setting of our country's first city.
Breakfast each day is included and lunch and dinner will be at your choice, either in the hotel cafe or at any of the hundreds of restaurants right in town. Local restaurant options information can be found at http://www.therestauranttimes.net/dining.html; so you can plan.
So... get on board the bus and be a part of one of our most fun and fulfilling events... its worth every penny and you'll be so glad you came! Find more information on the Retreat page.
On September 24, 2011, Quilts of Valor (QOV) Co-Chair Kathy Cochrane had the privilege of participating in the Honor Flight to Washington D.C. Eighty five veterans of WWII were flown, free of charge, each accompanied by a guardian like Kathy, to see their memorial. For many of these veterans, the logistics of a trip such as this would be impossible if not for Honor Flight. All arrangements are made and transportation is provided. Doctors, nurses, and paramedics accompany the flight and are present throughout the day to assist as needed and to ensure safety.
Kathy’s description of the experience follows: “It was one the most powerful experiences of my lifetime. To hear and see the gratitude of each elderly veteran in attendance; to see tears in their
eyes in appreciation for this opportunity; to experience throngs of citizens who came out early in the morning or late at night to applaud, wave flags, shake hands and say "Thank You"... it was simply incredible. We were treated to Honor Guards at the airports, live bands playing patriotic music, escorts on motorcycles, a water tunnel by the Fire Department on departure and arrival at the West Palm Beach airport, and banners held by airport personnel on the tarmac. A strong handshake was given to each veteran by Marines at their barracks where lunch was served.”
Participants and guides visited Arlington National Ceremony and observed a changing of the guard ceremony at the Tomb of the Unknowns. We wandered leisurely at the World War II Memorial, taking photographs, reading the inscriptions, sighing. At the Iwo Jima Memorial we stood watching as these elderly men and women became lost in memories, some as fresh as if they occurred yesterday; some so painful that they have never shared with their families. Mostly, though, what I witnessed was pride and humility. "I was just doing my job" was heard from more than one of these members of "The Greatest Generation."
These proud, brave men were honored in so many ways. We boarded chartered planes without having to remove our shoes and belts, and bypassed the security gates. Congressmen and senators came out to greet the veterans. A reporter from the Palm Beach Post accompanied the flight. A videographer taped throughout the day and will produce a video to be presented to each veteran who attended. Personal letters were given to each veteran, written by school children and by politicians, thanking them for their service. At the end of a very long day, each of these veterans stood a little taller, and felt a bit more appreciated.”
I was so nervous; but as soon as the first book story was told and the room was a complete hush, I knew the GCQG/Jaffe Center for Book Arts Third Bi-Annual Book Challenge Program was going to be a success.
---Charlotte Noll
The National Quilters Association (NQA) conducted their annual Little Quilt Auction held in Columbus, Ohio on June 17, 2011. Quilters from across the country and beyond joined the Gold Coast Quilters Guild in donating little quilts for the auction. In particular, GCQG donated 58 little quilts that they made and are represented in this video. Proceeds from the live auction as well as the silent auction benefit the NQA Grant Program.Our guild has been a recipient of an NQA grant in support of our Quilts of Valor program.
The NQA also featured our guild in the showcase section of their website in April, 2011. Check out our page on their site at http://nqaquilts.org/chapter-showcase/GoldCoastQuiltGuildApr2011.php.
NBC Miami recently reported on a special celebration at Sandpiper Elementary School in Sunrise for military children from 14 different Broward County Schools, and noted that each child went home with a special plush 'friend.' Those special ‘friends’ were none other than the Pillow Pals that Gold Coast members have made. Read the full article here
Quilts of Valor Co-Chair Stormy Schevis sent the following to the event organizers. “Thank you so much for including us in the special event last night at Sandpiper Elementary. There was such a nice turnout and such enthusiasm by the community and school to honor children and families who are or have been deployed. It was a beautiful ceremony and [we] were humbled to be able to represent the Gold Coast Quilters Guild in donating adorable 100 PILLOW PALS made by so many of our members. Clearly, each child who received one of these special little "hugable" dolls has a new friend to comfort them.” Great work, Gold Coasters – we are making an impact on our community and putting a smile on the faces of many!
The Quilts of Valor committee chairs were recently contact by Sherrill Valdes, our contact at the VA Clinic, who asked for ideas about planning a reception in November to honor local QOV quilters. She hopes to invite Veterans who have received quilts to come together to meet us. This will be an exciting event!
If you'd like to be a part of this or if you have any ideas, please contact Kathy or Stormy.
Quilt Camp exists to provide members with 3 days of uninterupted sewing, locally! Instead of boarding a bus and heading out for distant parts, we convene at the Duncan Center in Delray Beach, with the option to sleep home, on premise, or anywhere your heart desires... we won't ask! The work room is available day and night, so bring a pillow if you plan to conk out right at your machine!! All meals are prepared, served & cleared by the staff so when it comes to meals, there's no need to lift a finger... just a fork or spoon to your lips!
We encourage attendees to bring whatever projects they would like to work on... Members bring class projects that need finishing, new quilts they've wanted to start, charity & challenge projects, binding & quilting. This year, Tammie Clarke presented a fabric ball project, Trudy Flynn demonstrated her Baby Lock Sashiko Machine & Jane Hill led us in an adorable 3-sided zippered pouch.
Quilt Camp, or any Retreat, is a fantastic investment in your experience as a Guild member and a quilter. Everyone meets new friends and existing friendships are enhanced. Input and inspiration is immediately at hand from fellow quilters,as we all create together in one big studio!!
