NeedleCraft Plus/needlecraftplusvolume1.iso/quilt/q-guildi/q-guildi.txt

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Quilt Guild Program Ideas FAQ


>From: [e-mail] (Jane Evans)
Date: Tue, 15 Jun 1993 13:05:56 -0400

My guild has a couple of on-going raffles at each meeting:

1.  The Basket - as you enter, you have an opportunity to buy chances
for The Basket (usually .50 or $1).  The Basket is a small wicker
basket filled with quilting "stuff" - usually some fabric and a few
notions.  The person who wins the raffle gets to keep the contents
of the basket, but must bring the basket itself back to the next
meeting, filled with other goodies.

2.  Blocks - every other meeting or so you can choose to participate
in making a block.  Someone hands out directions, which often include
a background fabric, and instructions about what types of fabrics to
use for the rest of the block.  At the next meeting everyone brings
their completed blocks, and they all get tacked up on the wall.  Each
person who made a block gets a raffle ticket, and all the blocks are
given to the one who wins the raffle.  Block patterns have ranged
everywhere from nine-patches to May baskets.

Another fund-raiser that we do each year is a "Chinese Auction":

Everyone brings in stuff that they don't want - half finished projects,
fabric pieces or scraps, magazines, whatever.  Anything goes as long
as it's craft related.  The contributions are laid out on tables, and
each item or group of items has a paper bag taped to the table next to
it.  You sell raffle tickets for .10 each.  Everyone goes around and
puts a ticket or tickets into the bags next to the stuff they are
interested in.  After a while, everyone sits down, and a winner is
drawn for each pile of stuff.  You'd be amazed at how much money we
raise just exchanging junk!  It's always a lot of fun, and almost
everyone goes home with something new.

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>From: [e-mail] (Joan Skoglund)
Date: Thu, 17 Jun 1993 15:52:59 -0400

Since I am rather new to quilt guilds, the following idea may not be new to
the rest of you, but anyway --

In August we will have a Brown Bag fabric swap.  Each one who cares to
participate packs in a brown bag the following lunch (fabric): Place in a
sandwich bag two 10 in. squares of ''bread''fabric, one 10 in. square of
``meat'' fabric, lettuce, tomatoes and cheese are optional (any size). Add
a fat quarter of some ``fruit'' (tropical print or fruit print) and for
``dessert'' add a fat quarter of some luscious fabric.  In another
sandwich bag add ``munchies'' - leftover strips or scraps no smaller than
2 in. square.  Put your name and address on a slip of paper in the bag.
These will be swapped at some point in the meeting.

The other things we do I think have already been mentioned:

Each month this year there is a raffle.  You bring as many fat quarters of the
fabric designated that month as you care to.  You're given one chance for each
quarter you bring.  The fabric is bundled into groups of 12.  This month it is
white on white, next month red, white and blue (of course), in August hot
colors, May was M&M colors, and April (the meeting I missed, drat it!)
was purples.

Also, at each meeting $1 gives you three chances of winning a door prize -
there
usually are anywhere from 3 to 10 of these - quilt related items, and sometimes
(and there is always eeking and squealing over these) even quilt tops or a
number of blocks.

All you people who sounded off about UFOs made me feel sooooooo much better!!!
There's so much hope for me I think I'll run right home and start another!

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>From: [e-mail] (Ida Tendam)
Date: Tue, 3 Aug 93 16:47:02 -0500

We have two types of programs in my guild.  I am the current chair of the
outside speaker committee.  In fact, tonight I plan to distribute a survey
to find out what the members want.  But we also have monthly programs that
are generally conducted by guild members.  This evening one of our members
is doing a program on hand made cards.  Don't ask, I don't know.  Others
have done programs on applique, scrap quilts, quilted clothing, labels.
You'd be surprised at the talent *within* your guild.  Now as for my commitee
I am asking in the survey just how often do you want an outside speaker.
An outside speaker usually does a Friday evening lecture that is free and
open to the public and then also does an all day workshop on Friday and
again on Saturday.  These workshops can the same content or different content.
Some of our speakers (Nancy Pearson, for one) have opted not to do the
lecture.  If Virginia has a state guild, perhaps you could advertise in the
state guild newsletter.  If a teacher doesn't appear from that, perhaps
another guild would be willing to go in with your guild to get a good
teacher and help share the cost.

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>From: [e-mail] (Susan Brazeal)
Date: Tue, 3 Aug 93 18:10 EDT

Our guild generally has a couple of "famous" speakers each year
and then local people and guild members the rest of the time.  This
month's meeting, one of the local shop owners is going to tell us what
is new in quilting.  June was guild member-led instruction in applique
and hand quilting.  Sept. is more member-led instruction.  In April or May,
a NJ woman, who happens to be a member of the Genie Online group, led a
workshop in fabric painting.

Who teaches quilt classes in your area?  There's potential for your programs.
Check with quilt shops in the closest "big" cities.

Anybody been on a trip lately and come back with a quilt slide show?

I think the "famous" people have to be scheduled well in advance.
Our guild has some speakers scheduled for late 1994/early 1995 already.

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>From: Anne Louise Gockel <[e-mail]>
Date: Tue, 03 Aug 93 18:38:30 -0400

I know that our guild had some great programs that were simply put on my local
crafters, often members.  One was a woman who makes and sells simple tote bags
who demonstrated each step in the bag she makes (with a simple set of
instrcutions; it's basically the bag I make now).  Another was a woman who
does lots of dyeing and painting who demonstrated painting leaves and pressing
them onto fabric.

I was surprised at how interesting these session were.  They were led by
locals who just liked to do something that's a little bit different than the
common things that everyone does.

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>From: [e-mail] (Marina Salume)
Date: Mon, 14 Jun 1993 21:18:06 -0400

One of our guild's favorite ideas is the fabric swap.
We try to do it once a year. Every person gets a
"ticket" for the number of yards they bring in, and
we are divided into groups, which take turns going
to the table piled with fabric. If you bring in 6 yards,
you can't take all six yards at once (unless there happens
to be a 6-yard piece you want :-) so that makes it fair for
the people who get to choose last--there are still some
good pieces left.

We tried a UFO auction one year, people donated unfinished
quilt blocks, etc. But everything went so cheap, except for
a couple of items, that I don't think we'll do it again soon.

For several years, we've had a "Holiday workshop", which
consisted of five different mini-workshops in which ideas
for Christmas ornaments or easy gift items were demonstrated.
Sometimes one of our affiliate shops would just show their
latest goodies, which were for sale. We rotated from one
workshop to the next at 15 minute intervals. One year I demonstrated
sashiko, showing quilted ornaments and a padded box I had
made using sashiko. I passed out copies of instructions so people
could try it at home (15 minutes isn't long enough to actually start
a project!)

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>From: ixevol![e-mail] (Barb Vlack)
Date: Mon, 14 Jun 1993 23:39:57 -0400

Our guild of 300 members is divided into two chapters -- one that meets
in the evening, and the other that meets the following morning.  We
repeat our programs.

One nice thing we do annually is a service project.  We come together
with blocks or tops and back and tie them for baby quilts, lap quilts,
or twin quilts and present them to different charities each year.  We
have made ABC quilts for AIDS babies, lap quilts for nursing homes,
twin quilts for a women's crisis center, and stuffed toys for a children's
hospital.  It becomes a wonderful meeting for sharing and fellowship --
and it's a great way to use odds and ends that beg to be included.

I have heard of -- but not experienced -- a nifty idea from another guild.
They have secret pals for the year.  You do nice things that range from
sending a card to making blocks or exchanging fabrics.  Sometimes handoffs
are made secretly at guild meetings.  In addition, they also do block
exchanges or block collections to be raffled off at the meeting.  Sometimes
they've had blocks that had themes, such as fruits and flowers, or garden,
or animal.  They have also had fabric exchanges with themes, similar to what
was suggested in Quilters Newsletter a couple of months ago.

We have had door prizes made by members.  If you won one you had to make
one for the following month.  That only is good as long as the enthusiasm
and cooperation lasts.  Then you can come up with another idea.

Each November we have a Christmas ornament exchange.  Bring one and take one
home.  Again, that works as long as everyone brings their best.

Our show and tell is always a highlight of our meeting.  Sometimes it even
lasts as long as the program!

A guild challenge once or twice a year sparks interest in members.  The
challenge could be using certain fabrics, interpreting a special theme,
or using an assigned pattern/block.

We are presently working on miniature quilts to auction at our show a year
from October!  I love the foresight of the organizers.

Demonstrations of quilting techniques or easy projects presented in a round
robin makes a lively meeting.  If you can use in-house talent, it may be an
economical program, too.

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>From: JUDY CARROZZINO <[e-mail]>

One month we had a sale, each member brought in fabric, books, blocks,
patterns, tools, etc. that she no longer needed.  Each person put
their name and price on each item.  We had a great time going around
the room buying from each other.  Sometimes you had to go around the
room looking for the person to pay for your purchases but that was no
problem.  Everyone had a wonderful time and went home with some new
treasures.  One of the items I got was a wonderful applique book that
sold for $25.00 and I got it for $12.00.  It was such a good book, the
girl that brought it in had bought it twice for herself.  She also
teaches applique.

Another thing we have done is to set up workshops on saturdays with guild
members teaching a class.  We are fortunate to have such talented members.
This month we are having a shop come in for a trunk show.  I'm looking
forward to that.  These are a few things in addition to speakers and
demonstrations.  We also had a demonstration on paper marbling which was
excellent.  I belong to two guilds and really enjoy the programs.  Another
program was on quilting books and videos available at local libraries with
the librarian from the library in which we meet speaking.  We have several
libraries in our area and someone made a bibliogray of the quilt books for
different libraries and had them ready to pass out at this meeting.  A
different person was assigned to each library.  They also showed part of
a video available to check out.

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>From: Gayle Williams <[e-mail]>
Date:         Tue, 03 Aug 93 17:44:14 EDT


The situation you mention sounds slightly different from mine so bear that
in mind with my following remarks.  We meet once a month starting at 7:30 pm
and finishing around 9:30 pm.  Our programs are usually no more than an hour
since we usually have guild business to discuss as well.  There are about 50
of us.

Our programs are thus rather brief and we do pay an honorarium of $25.00 to
speakers who are not guild members.  In turn their programs are usually
along the lines of show and tell (some with slides) or very brief demos.  For
programs meant to provide full instruction of a technique or pattern, we have
about 4 all day Saturday workshops throughout the year.  Last year we did, for
the first time, bring in an expensive outside nationally known teacher for an
all day workshop plus a lecture the previous evening for the public and guild
members who weren't going to take the workshop.

Getting back to monthly programs, we beat the bushes in terms of local contacts
as well as relying on our guild members for some programs.  Here are some
examples from last year.  We started a community project a couple of years ago
to provide small quilts for children staying at the local shelter for battered
women and families.  Last fall we had one of the safe house directors speak to
our guild.  She went into the grim subject of spouse/child abuse and the
shelter's role but also noted the beneficial impact of our project.  Children
pick from the available stock of quilts and are permitted to keep them when
they leave.  They really become "security blankets".  Guild members appreciated
the program since it was a good reminder of why we started the project and it
was useful for introducing members who'd just joined that fall to the project
and encouraging them to donate to it.

I was aware of a local artist who is not a quilter per se but does quilted
silk screened wall hangings.  She spoke to us and used slides to show her
work.  She showed us several different series of projects (her cow quilts
have been very successful in some local galleries) and talked about her
construction methods.  She also brought some of her pieces so we had the
opportunity to examine them up close.

Some of our members provide programs.  There's a small work group that meets
on Friday to develop their skills in Baltimore album applique.  They did a
program on the history of Baltimore album quilts and the symbolism behind
many of the common images used (flowers, fruit, fauna).  One member knew a
woman who had recently inherited some old quilts from an aunt.  She brought
them and we helped her in identifying some of the patterns since she didn't
quilt.  Last spring a member and I collaborated on a quilt history program.
We got a free slide show from the American Quilt Study Group that explains
its role in promoting quilt and other textile research.  My friend also
told us about attending AQSG's annual meeting for the first time and I gave
a brief talk on good books for quilt history and research.

This year isn't still fully planned but I have some irons in the fire.  A
member went with her husband to Thailand in June and found some wonderful
fabric there so I hope to convince her to show it along with her slides of
their trip.  Another member is a long-time collector of old quilts.  Anytime
there's an estate sale in this area, she'll be there to purchase any
quilts of interest so I'd like to convince her to bring in some of her
favorites in her collection for a special show and tell.  I've met a doctoral
student in the university art department in their surface design program.
she's taught a class there on quilting and is familiar with other types of
textiles so I plan to contact her about doing some sort of program for our
guild.  Since she's not a member, she'll get the $25.00 honorarium.

You mentioned being in the Colonial Williamsburg area.  Check there or another
local museum to see if they have a textile curator who might be able to
talk about quilts in the area.  Does Virginia have a quilt documentation
project underway?  Some of its coordinators would be very happy to do a
program for you.  I don't know the sources but you can rent any number of
slide shows for recent quilt events such as the Fairfield fashion show of
quilted clothing held at the big quilt festival in Houston.  These are always
a good standby for a program.  Their rental fees are usually quite low and
sometimes free (like the AQSG show we used last March).

Go back to your members and invite them to do a program and share a new
technique that's simple to demonstrate, or they might want to talk about
being at one of the quilt shows or retreats this summer.  Someone always
seems to know someone not in the guild who nonetheless has a tie to
quilting and would have something to contribute.

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>From: [e-mail] (Tina Zizos)
Date:    Wed, 4 Aug 1993 10:18:57 -0400 (EDT)

My quild, Cocheco Quilters of Dover NH, has had some interesting programs this
past year.  One was a physical therapist who spoke about the various injuries
that quilters are subject to, and what type of exercises we could do to help
avoid them.  He came complete with a skeleton for demonstration.  It was an
interesting talk.

We've also had some members who have had problems with theft and getting
settlements from their insurance companies.  So we've had a quilt appraiser
speak to us (at a guild meeting) and then appraise quilts for the next couple
of days.  We also had an insurance agent speak to us about how to go about
insuring quilts in the home, when travelling with them, and if we use them to
teach.  That was, believe it or not, a very interesting session.

I can't help you with how to find quilt instructors, but I hope these ideas
help.  Good luck.

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>From: [e-mail] (MaryHelen Donnelly)
Date: Wed, 4 Aug 93 14:05:48 EDT

  I was the person who asked for quilt guild meeting
ideas. Having speakers was one of the ideas -- we
already do this. Beware -- instructors are usually booked
for a year -- we're working on getting instructors for
our 94-95 season. Judy Donovan from QuiltNet is coming
to our guild this fall -- you may want to try her.
I believe she's down in the Philadelphia area. I've
included the messages/ideas that I received.

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>From: [e-mail] (Ida Tendam)
Date: Thu, 10 Jun 93 14:36:00 -0500

Our guild had an all nighter once that I just loved.  You need to select one
pattern (and of course a place that will accommodate all the members
and their STUFF), and then let the members sew away the night.  Throughout
the night we had different prizes awarded.  I got one for the neatest work
table - my husband still can't believe that.  We were to bring old UFO's that
we did not want anymore, wrap them, and then we had a drawing and you got
someone else's UFO.  Now the guild is larger and we haven't discussed an
all nighter - I don't know if we could find a place large enough.

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>From: [e-mail] (Mair Geiser)
Date: Thu, 10 Jun 93 16:42:53 -0400

Two things that my guild have done that have worked out well are small
projects and member workshops.

For the small projects, we have chosen some project for members to work on.
They pay some amount of money to get a kit (typically $8 - $12), and we
set aside one or two meetings that are devoted to working on these projects.
There is usually an informal presentation to explain the general directions
of how to do this and the rest of the time is stitching and chatting.
The two projects we've had in the past 2 years are a guild tote bag
which included hand piecing, assembly of the tote bag, and hand quilting,
and a batting sampler.  The batting sampler had 8 different 4" strips of
fabric and 8 different battings.  The idea was to put a different color
over each, quilt the whole thing and document what battings are under what
color.  Then you can see how you like to quilt each, how each washes and
how each looks and how each wears.
Members who don't want to buy the kit are still welcome to come to the
meeeting(s) and stitch on their own projects if they wish.

The other activity that we've used that works out well is small member
workshops.  This isn't as formal as it sounds.  We talk about 6 of our members
into bringing in some sort of project that they enjoy or have mastered, or a
pattern they like to use.  We set up tables for each throughout the room and
each of the demonstrators give informal instruction.  The members wander
around and pick up tips from each other.  It's another pretty social event.

These two have worked particularly well for our guild.  We have 80-100 members
60-70 of which typically show up to meetings.  When we have speakers who come
with lectures and slides, the members tend to sit and politely watch.  It
seemed
more like a huge college lecture hall than a group of friendly quilters.  Also,
our members range from quilt enthusiasts (who like to look, but don't stitch),
to those who quilt for a living, and everybody in between.

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>From: "Gail Jahn" <[e-mail]>
Date: 10 Jun 1993 13:51:29 U

When our guild has a speaker they also generally have a workshop taught by that
speaker. Our meetings are on Saturday afternoons so the workshop is in the
morning (or the next day if the workshop has to be a whole day). We've had
trunk shows and speakers from textile museum.

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>From: [e-mail] (Marina Salume)
Date: 8 Sep 1993 20:31:00 GMT

Every month, a "motivational speaker". Sometimes we have affiliate shops
or members demonstrating techniques instead (frequently around the holidays,
we demo quick gift ideas).

Every month we draw a name for the Friendship Block exchange. The chosen one
gets to decide what they want--they can supply a pattern, fabric, or both.

We also have show and tell of course. We have a large library of quilting
books and magazines that can be checked out for one month at a time.
Next month we are doing a silent auction, members donate quilt-related
items and we bid on them. Every other year, we do a quilt show, the
alternate years we hold a quilting retreat. We make a raffle quilt every
year to raise money for the guild.

We just started "secret pals" and we hold "sewcials" once a month on a
Saturday, usually we baste quilts for members. Every 3 or 4 months we
holda Quiltathon and spend one day making quilts to give to local charities.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------
From Cathy Kleeman [e-mail]

Demo night - Once a year we call upon the talents of the members of the
guild and have them present demonstrations. These demo run concurrently -
that is we have 10 or so demonstraters who each set up and present their
stuff while the members circulate to find what interests them. Some of the
topics have been machine quilting, using a rotary cutter, paper piecing,
transferring photos to fabric, techniques of handquilting, trapunto,
writing on quilts, etc. Nothing is very complicated or difficult to
present, but both new and experienced quilters find something that is
useful.

This past year we sponsored a "field trip" to the Maryland Historical
Society which had a display of Baltimore Album Quilts. Since the museum
is downtown (and not in a very nice area) the guild hired busses to take
the members down so there were no parking problems and everybody felt
safe. The Guild also paid the entrance fees into the museum. In order to
order the correct number of busses it was necessary to have each member
who wanted to attend phone in a reservation to the program chairperson.
There was a time set for departure (which was earlier than our regular
meeting time) and people had to be on time or miss the bus. Many members
who would have never gone to see this exhibit on their own were very
grateful that we had done this.