Bloomington Quilters Guild
at a glance: September 2024

Follow the links to get more details about what’s going on and to explore the website.

OUR Next MEETING is ON Tuesday, September 3, 2024.

Time: 6:00 PM Social Hour
6:30 pm Meeting start

PROGRAM: Mary Beth Simms (Yellow Door Quilts)- Myth and Symbolism found in Aboriginal Fabric.
SHOW and TELL
Location: BETH SHALOM 3750 E 3rd St, Bloomington, IN 47401

September Meeting

Our September 3rd meeting will feature a talk with Mary Beth Simms, owner of The Yellow Door Quilt Shop in Nashville, IN.  She will focus on the myth and symbolism depicted in the designs of Aboriginal fabric.  See you there!

November Meeting

On November 12th, our own great Julie Higgins will talk about her technique for making pet portraits.  Sign up for her workshop on Nov. 13th, and learn from the expert!

Upcoming meetings; note several important changes

• September 3, 2024 – normal time and place

• October 2024 – No October meeting to focus our time on Quilts from the Heartland show.

• November 12, 2024 – meeting the second Tuesday this month because the first Tuesday is Election Day.

• December 3 - normal time and place

Time to Pay Membership Dues

It is time to pay our annual dues! Payment information can be found on the membership web page. As usual, you may pay online or you may pay via check at the July and September meetings or by mail. Members who have paid their dues by the end of October will appear in the next membership directory. You must have paid dues to exhibit a quilt (other than a challenge quilt) and to attend the October retreat.

Mail payments to

Bloomington Quilters Guild
PO Box 5802
Bloomington, IN 47407

Quilts from the Heartland - IT IS TIME TO SUBMIT A QUILT AND SIGN UP TO VOLUNTEER FOR THE SHOW!

Our quilt show is only SIX WEEKS AWAY and a lot of work is under way. Now it is time for the general membership to step up and contribute! There are several ways you can help out!

1. Volunteer to work at the show. There is a sign-up genius sign-up form here. A PDF with the job descriptions is on the volunteer web page.

2. Enter your quilt(s). THE DUE DATE IS SEPTEMBER 6, 2024! Our guild show is an opportunity for you to share your work with no judge or jury. Just as our guild is for all quilters of all levels of experience and all types of quilts, so is our show. We welcome all quilts in the show from all skill levels. Examples of all quilting styles are also welcomed: Hand or machine, “big stitch, traditional, custom or edge to edge.  There is a prize for the best hand quilted entry. More information is on the quilt entry webpage. If yoo do not want to use the online form, please printout the form and bring it to the September Meeting. Entries mailed may not make the September 6 deadline! Contact us at quiltshow@bloomingtonquiltersguild.org if you have questions.

You can find much more information on the quilt show webpages. The top link www.bloomingtonquiltersguild.org/quilt-show-2024

Registration for Fall Retreat is OPEN!

The BQG fall retreat returns to the Waycross Camp and Conference Center, from Oct 31 - Nov 3, 2024! The timing could not be better as we will all be inspired by the quilt show earlier in October! Online registration closes Septembert 13, 2024. You must have paid your membership dues to attend the retreat.

As with last year, there is a price savings if you pay by check or in person at the June, July or September meetings. For more information see the Fall Retreat webpage and/or download two related PDF files: the retreat flyer and mail-in registration. The address is:

Bloomington Quilters Guild
PO Box 5802
Bloomington, IN 47407

You may want to combine the money for your dues and fall retreat registration together! Please make sure you disgnate what items you are paying for with your check so our treasurer, Cathy O’Bryan, knows where to allocate it in the books.

Calling all unused Cookie Jars

Waycross collects cookie jars throughout the year, and they display them in the dining room. Cookie Jars are great conversation pieces and while some are permanent residents, most of the cookie jars go to Waycross Cookie Jar Outreach. Each year around the holidays we partner with several local food pantries to deliver cookie jars (filled with Waycross Cookies!) to families in need. When these families come in for a holiday meal, they are also able to pick one of the cookie jars to take home with them.  Look in the back of your cabinets for that cookie jar your couldn’t live without years ago, and donate it to Waycross.  

If attending the Fall Retreat, bring your cookie jar with you.
If you are unable to attend this years Fall Retreat, bring your cookie jars to the September Guild Meeting, Jo Ann Sporleder & Bobbie Mentzel will collect them to deliver to Waycross.

Any questions contact fallretreat@bloomingtonquiltersguild.org.

Winter 2025 retreats

The 2025 winter retreat will be held at McCormick’s Creek January 30, 31, February 1, and 2. We will use the same format as this past retreat. Pay one price for access to the sewing room for the entire weekend. You are resposible for meals and lodging. Day Sewers are welcome!!!

Community Quilts

As you know, Habitat for Humanity has served our community for many years.  The Monroe County chapter was started in 1988 and was completely run by volunteers until 1997.  Today Bloomington is providing 8-10 homes per year. Our Guild can be a part of this effort by providing one or two bed-size quilts for each of these much needed homes for families in our area.  Please consider donating to this cause. Individuals or a quilting bee’s efforts will be so appreciated.  These quilts not only provide warmth during the winter months, they also help to turn a house into a comfortable home. Thanks to all who contribute to Community Quilts.  They are very much appreciated by all of our recipients. 

Quilts from the Heartland

COLLABORAtion with other shows the weekend of Oct 4 and 5.

Wow! What a busy weekend for Bloomington on October 4-5! Several events are happening that weekend along with our quilt show! Monica has been working hard and leaders from LOTUS and the Wool & Fiber Festival are going to let their attendees know about the quilt show as we will let our quilt lovers know about theirs!

LOTUS

We are all looking forward to "Quilts From the Heartland," the weekend of October 4th and 5th. That same weekend Bloomington is full of events to look forward to. Here, we join hands with Lotus—World Music & Arts Festival, which is taking place all over town October 3rd-6th (lotusfest.org), to show you a new quilt by a new BQG member, LuAnne Holladay. It is a t-shirt quilt composed of Lotus t-shirts!  What better way to promote our exhibition and Lotus?! LuAnne's quilt is part of "Quilts From the Heartland."

Wool & Fiber Festival

Calling all fiber art enthusiasts! Join us for the Bloomington IN Wool & Fiber Festival on October 4th and 5th, 2024, at the Bloomington, Indiana Monroe County Fairgrounds from 9 AM to 4 PM each day.  We’ll have vendors with yarns, roving, fleece, spinning wheels, small looms, and endless fiber art supplies, all with free admission and free parking! We will also have a wool, skein and garment competition, as well as a fleece sale. Mark your calendar, and check out our website today: www.WoolAndFiberFestival.org!

Treasure Shop

Your treasure shop donations are due by the guild meeting on September 3. If you have questions please contact the treasure shop co-chairs ( Ginny Kopper, Becky Green and Sharon Beach) at treasure@bloomingtonquiltersguild.org.

Raffle Basket

The Basket Team recently met to see what is needed for donated basket raffle for the quilt show.  We have a list of possible donations we can use to supplement what we have so far.  

Here is what we need to supplement current donations:

• Gardening Basket:  trowel, garden gloves, seed packets, and flower pots

• IU Basket:  T-shirt, sweat band, gloves, hats, mugs, socks,water bottles—anything IU related

• Coffee Basket:  1 lb. of gourmet coffee, specialty syrups

• Beach Basket:  Sunscreen, Plastic toys, water bottle, funky sunglasses, flip flops

• Stationery Basket: Pens/markers

• Kitchen basket::  tools, dishtowels

• Wool basket: cute  lamb or sheep

• Cat basket:  Collar, toys, treats, scratching post, small snuggle quilt

• Civil War Basket:  fabric or kit or anything Civil War related

• Tea Basket:  Tea, cookies, tea cozy, chocolate, good book

• Missouri Star Basket:  Anything from Missouri Star

• Ironing basket:  Best Press, bottle to hold water for spraying, fusables

Remember items must be new.  Please bring to the September 3rd guild meeting and give to one of basket team. Look for Janice Arveson, Kathy Sheehan, Terry Pate, Kristie Soliday, or Susie Goodman. If you have questions please contact Susie Goodman. She can be reached at baskets@blooomingtonquiltersguild.org.

We will also be accepting the baskets you have been assembling  for this project. We have baskets to fill if you don’t have one to go along with your donation.  Thank you for your support of this project.

QUILT SHOW CHALLENGE

Now is the time to enter your Eclipse Challenge quilt. It should be entered on the quilt entry page. Please mark that it is a challenge quilt. As with all other quilts, it must be entered by September 6.

Are you interested in responding to requests?

The Guild regularly receives requests from people who want an old quilt refurbished, or blocks put together, or machine/hand quilting of a keepsake, etc. Sometimes they are prepared to pay for these services, sometimes they are hoping for mostly a favor. If you are interested in considering these tasks to earn some cash or help preserve someone's memories, let Legene know what you'd be willing to do so she can make a referral. Email Legene at president@bloomingtonquiltersguild.org.

REMINDERS:

• Don’t forget your name tag at the next in-person meeting!
• Bring used rotary blades to any in-person meeting for recycling.
———————————————————-—————

MORE INFO

~Contact us for a Membership Directory. A 2023-2024 directory was e-mailed in January. If you would like a printed copy see Legene White at the meeting.
~See our list of Board Members.
~See a list of upcoming quilt shows and shop hops. Let us know of other future events by sending mail to webmanager@bloomingtonquiltersguild.org.