April 2016 Meeting Review

Forgive me for this being a bit late - life happens!

The April meeting was a fantastic feast of everyone's completed 50% Challenge Quilts. There were so many amazing finished quilts - well done everyone! Check out the slideshow, which includes the 50% Challenge, quilted baby quilts and regular Show N Share, to the right or click this permalink.

We also saw 6 beautiful baby quilts fully quilted and welcomed 6 visitors (Roberta, Janice, Sharon, Rhonda, Phyllis and Jean).

Our next Block of Month is the Hope for Hartford, which Elly H. showed us can be made in two color ways depending on how you sew it together.

Elly also issued our next challenge: The 2 Fabric Project, which is due at the July 2016 meeting. The challenge - make a quilt (or tote, jacket, whatever) any size, with just 2 fabrics, just TWO! Note: The binding and backing can be different fabrics from the two used in the quilt.

The Raincross Spring Retreat is just two weeks away and Barbara said she had a few spots left; give her a call if you are interested.

We're all looking forward to our speaker for the May meeting, Shelley Swanland. Shelley will also be giving a workshop on embellishment on Saturday May 21st at the Goeske Center. The workshop is $25 and Shelley will be selling kits to workshop attendees with all the ribbons, threads and assorted embellishment bits you need to complete the workshop for $15. Contact Stephanie Z. to sign up.

Also in May, all members who wear their Raincross Quilt Guild pin will receive an EXTRA ticket for the name tag door prize drawing, so don't forget! Pins can be purchased at the door for $5.

As noted on the blog previously, we have a new snack schedule and I will try to remember to bring some small print outs for those who want to staple it into your membership guides.

One last look: Ken made a huuuuuge stuffed shark which he shared during Show N Share, which became a gift for our own Elly H. Go Elly!

Finally, our door prize winners:

• Debbie W. = rotary cutter
• Susan Mc. = fabric
• Barbara M. = cutting mat and fats
• Ande B. = Aurifil thread and fats

- Cassandra G.

One more thing for Featherweight workshop attendees...

Late breaking news! Lloyd is asking all Featherweight workshop attendees to bring with them:

• some scraps of fabric
• two different colors of thread to facilitate checking the tension

And don't forget your addition to the potluck lunch if you feel so inclined. :)

- Cassandra G.

Reminder: Lloyd Askew Featherweight workshop this Saturday!

Hi folks, sorry I'm a little late on the guild meeting review - I promise I will get to it soon.

In the meantime, please remember that this Saturday is the Featherweight workshop with the fabulous Lloyd Askew, starting at 9am at the Goeske Center! There are two sessions, morning and afternoon, but you are welcome to come for the whole day as you can work on a make and take project when you're not participating in the workshop.

Lunch will a salad potluck, so you are invited to bring a salad add-on or side dish.

The workshops are full, but please contact Susan M. to inquire or if you have any further questions and get ready to get your Featherweight on!

- Cassandra G.

Reminder: Guild meeting tomorrow!

We are T-minus 24 hours (or something...I'm not good at math) and counting until our next guild meeting, which is tomorrow! Woohoo!

 This means you've got one day left to finish your 50% Challenge Quilts!

 So, remember to bring to Guild:

• Your name tag
• Your Raincross Quilt Guild pin
• Block of month
• If you're going on the Raincross Spring Retreat, $250 minus your deposit 
• If you were born in January, April, July, or September, a snack to share 
• your completed 50% Challenge Quilts
• Hugs and kisses to share with your guild mates. Find someone you haven't talked to (ever or just in a long time) and say hi!

See you all tomorrow!!

- Cassandra G.

New 2016 Snack Schedule now available!

Better late than never! We've crunched the numbers and now have (hopefully) a balanced snack schedule. You'll notice that several months now have 4 birthday months listed - this is intentional so that everyone is invited to bring snacks to 5 total meetings a year.

Click here to grab a PDF version. I will try to bring some small, printed copies that you can staple into your directory.

So, snack bringers for next week's meeting are birthdays from April, January, September and July!

- Cassandra G.

From Aurifil

Video: Nifty tutorial on Echo Quilting

Happy hump day!

Echo Quilting by Debby Brown, block design by Splendid Sampler

If you're not following along with The Splendid Sampler block series, you're missing out on some cute designs and such. Today, Pat Sloan of The Splendid Sampler linked to a cool related video tutorial by Debby Brown for doing Echo Quilting. Check it out!

- Cassandra G.

No Fools: Hancock Fabrics going out of business

In February, the long-troubled craft store chain Hancock Fabrics filed for bankruptcy for the second time in a decade. This time, there will be no reorganization. Read more on The Consumerist...

The website says everything is 20-50% off, so if you like the store, I recommend checking it out before they're gone.

I'm pouring one out for my homegirls at the Redlands store. :( I hope they'll be able to find jobs once HF is gone.

- Cassandra G.

One day sale at Jo-Ann's : Entire store, 50% off!

Yeah, you know that's not true - April Fool's!

But you really will be a fool if you don't get hot on finishing your 50% Challenges! You've got a little more than two weeks to get everything you can finished, all the way finished, binding, label, everything!

("I think I can, I think I can, I think I can, I think I can...")

- Cassandra G.