Post mortem on Holiday cooking

After a battle, the generals get together and discuss how they thought the battle went, what worked and what didn't.

After our "battles" of cooking for Thanksgiving, holiday parties, and Christmas, I think it's time we have a little post mortem of our own! What did you cook that was awesome? What did someone else cook that was awesome? Discover a new bakery or source of ham? Share with us your battle scars!

Here's something I added to my holiday cooking that I can highly recommend: Arugula, Pear, and Goat Cheese Salad with Pomegranate Vinaigrette

With all the heavy comfort foods that are traditional with Thanksgiving and Christmas, I certainly had been hankering for something light, green, and healthy. If you bring this to several potlucks, it makes getting yourself a box of Harry and David's Pears more than worthwhile...and with the arugula and pomegranate seeds, it looks like you're eating Christmas holly!

Your turn!

- Cassandra G.

P.S. Reminder that Piecemaker's in  Costa Mesa will hold it's annual New Year's Day sale again this Monday January 1st with everything in the store is 40% off!

New Year's Resolutions for Quilters

Time to start thinking about your New Year's resolutions! Here are some quilting related suggestions for you:

City Celebration by Elyse Marinos

1. Be honest with yourself. If you really don’t want to complete that quilt that’s been in your closet for the past five years – you no longer like it, or it no longer suits your home décor – get rid of it. Give it to a friend to finish, or donate it to your guild. And don’t feel guilty about it. Someone else will love it, and you are contributing to the good of quilting!
2. Love what you sew and eliminate "Quilt Envy" from your life.
3. Make a pact to not purchase any new fabric or patterns until you have finished one (or all) of your UFO’s. (Ed. note: Or at least think about finishing one...that counts, right?)
4. If you have multiple projects, create an assembly line. Maybe you have several quilts that need to be quilted. Rather than completing one quilt before you move onto another, quilt all of them. Same goes for the binding.
5. Get up and walk around to break up your sewing time, it will feel good. And be sure to drink plenty of water.
6. Don’t try to tackle a project all at once. If your resolution is to clean out your sewing room, do it in stages. Give yourself 15 minutes and do one portion of it – like separating all your fabrics into similar groups. Organize your thread drawer tomorrow when you have another 15 minutes.
7. Accept all sewing compliments, say thank you, and do not point out mistakes.
8. Sew and quilt how you want, not always how someone else does it!

What are some of your resolutions?

- Cassandra G.

December's Block of Month now available

Elly H. would like to share that December's BOM pattern, Rail French with a Twist, is now available!

- Cassandra G.

Ho Ho Ho! Time to laugh!

Comic by Scott Nickel

Q:  Where do snowmen keep their money?
A:  In a snow bank.

Q:  How did the ornament get addicted to Christmas?
A:  He was hooked on trees his whole life.

Q:  What do you call a kid who doesn’t believe in Santa?
A:  A rebel without a Claus.

Q:  How do you help someone who’s lost their Christmas spirit?
A:  Nurse them back to elf. (ed. note: I hear spiked egg nog helps)

Q:  What do you get when you deep fry Santa?
A:  Crisp Cringle.

Q:  What should do you if you plan on going away for the holidays?
A:  Leave Santa a note, asking him if he'd mind watering your plants.

- Cassandra G.

Help make quilts for victims of the Thomas Fire in Ventura & Santa Barbara Counties

From Southern California Council of Quilt Guilds (SCCQG)...

The Ventura Modern Quilt Guild has launched an effort in support of the Thomas Fire Victims. Scott Griffin, VP of Ventura Modern Quilt Guild, has designed a beautiful Perkiomen Valley Block to make as relief for Thomas Fires victims.

There is no deadline on block submission, but they would like to get quilts assembled out to the needy folks in January and February as they begin to rebuild. The guild will assemble them into quilts for those in need after this devastating fire. VMQG will be arranging sewing and quilt finishing soon. Visit the VMQG website or email VMQG for more information.



P.S. The Thomas Fire has burned 270,000 acres (an area that more than twice the size of Lake Tahoe) and completely destroyed over 1,000 homes and other buildings; it is only 45% contained. :(

- Cassandra G.

Join us on Facebook to share your quilted Christmas gifts!

Join us over on our Facebook page to share your quilts!

https://www.facebook.com/groups/RaincrossQuiltGuild/

If you're already on our Facebook page, please remember to add other guild members that you're friends with and thanks!

- Cassandra G.

Raincross December Guild Meeting Cancelled

I'm very sorry to be the bearer of bad news, but unfortunately we have to cancel our guild meeting this month, scheduled for Tuesday December 19th.

The Janet Goeske Center takes a two week vacation each December and unfortunately for us, this year their vacation starts next week and we will not be able to use the building for our meeting. The Raincross Board considered a few other options, but in light of how late the notification was*, we decided that it would be too difficult to find another venue close enough to the Goeske at such short notice.

So, we're moving Christmas to July! Join us on Tuesday, July 17th for CHRISTMAS IN JULY! We'll have our annual Christmas potluck, see Christmas quilts, have Christmas themed demos, and even have a Christmas themed Sew Day (date TBA)...just in time to start getting ready for Christmas next year!

Take next Tuesday as extra time to finish stitching your Christmas gifts, spending time with family, baking cookies, sampling mulled wine, making your list and checking it twice...and the warmest of Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays from the Board of the Raincross Quilt Guild!

*We promise to proactively work with the Goeske going forward to help reschedule our December guild meeting in the future if it falls within their vacation period and do that well in advance so that we all have time to adjust our schedules.

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We traditionally ask and receive nominations for Board and Committee positions at our December guild meeting, so this is your official notification of nominations. If anyone is interested in stepping forward to help, now is your chance!

The Board would like to thank Christine S. very much for her amazing work with the Mystery Box this year - Christine let us know that she'd like to pass on this unique opportunity to someone else, so if you feel up to the challenge, please let Jeri R. know!

Update: The Board would also like to thank Sharon G. for helping with Show and Share - she also would like to pass on this opportunity to someone else, so now's a great time for you to step up and help!

I will post nominations for the Board and Committee members before the next guild meeting in January and we will vote on the Board at the January meeting.

- Cassandra G.

Fantastic Feathers were Far Out!

Furiously fathomed fantastic feathers festooned festive and fancy fashions! Raincross Quilt Guild welcomed back Heidi Stagno from Heidi's Longarm Quilting Center in Calimesa to teach us how to quilt feathers, held at Rancho Cabelleros. And it was phenomenal! Check out all the photos.

- Cassandra G.

Correction! Heidi Class at Rancho Cabelleros!

Breaking news! I uncorrected posted that the Heidi Stagno Fantastic Feathers class being held Saturday December 9th is at the Goeske Center, but it is NOT!

This class will be at the Clubhouse at Rancho Cabelleros, from 9am-3pm.

- Cassandra G.

Announcing the official Raincross Quilt Guild Facebook page!

Hey so I figured out this Facebook thing is kinda cool and stuff and that we should have a page where we can share pictures and links of quilts and craft projects! Woohoo!

facebook.com/groups/RaincrossQuiltGuild

This a closed group (to keep out spammers, etc.) but anyone can join. Let's keep it focused on quilting and craft projects. Have fun!

- Cassandra G.

Coming up this month December 2017 at Raincross

Here's your monthly round up of upcoming events this month at Raincross Quilt Guild, specifically what to expect at our next guild meeting and any unique events beyond the usual scheduled events*. And don't worry - I'll still post a reminder blog a few days before the meeting with your list of things to bring. :)

*PLEASE NOTE: The second Friendship Quilters meeting that would normally be on Wednesday December 27th has been cancelled (since many people will still be playing with their toys Santa brought them - CHOO CHOO!).

Coming up at this month's Raincross Quilt Guild meeting...

Heidi Stagno from Heidi's Longarm Quilting Center in Calimesa will be joining us again, this time to teach us how to quilt Fantastic Feathers with our domestic machines. The class will be Saturday December 9th from 9am-3pm at the Janet Goeske Center Rancho Cabelleros and costs $35 dollars. Contact Elly H. to sign up for the class. Click here for the supply list.

Other unique RQG activities coming up this month...
The December meeting is our annual Christmas Feast potluck where everyone is invited (but not required) to bring a tasty dish or treat to share!

- Cassandra G.

November 2017 Meeting Review

We had a blockbuster of a meeting last Tuesday night which included our annual Grab Game with 57 members participating! Wow! Check out the pictures!

We had a lot to get through so there wasn't much meeting beyond Show and Share (which was fabulous as usual) and the Grab Game, however...

Heidi Stagno will be teaching another quilting class, Fantastic Feathers, on Saturday December 9th at the Janet Goeske Center Rancho Cabelleros from 9am -3pm with a Salad Potluck Lunch. The class is $35. Elly H. is taking sign ups. Supply list is available here.

On Saturday November 11th, Raincross Quilt Guild and Friendship Quilters held their annual Quilts of Valor presentation to veterans at the East Hills Community Church (click here to learn more and see photos). Susan C. wanted to extend thanks for Jeri R. and her husband Marty for helping us with accommodations at their beautiful church!

Sharon C. noted that if anyone still has out Threads of Love kits to please stitch them up and deliver them back to her. She also introduced a new item that Threads of Love are making, little baby dolls that absorb the smells and pheromones of the mother and are then left with the baby to comfort them. Please sure to contact Sharon to learn more.

Elly H. introduced our next block, Twisting Star. Instructions are available here.

We also had our last Row by Row exchange to make our last rows. The rows will be due in January when everyone will take their rows home. A few rowers did not attend the meeting - if you did not, please contact Cassandra G. so that we can coordinate exchanges. It is VERY IMPORTANT that ALL rows be brought (or sent with someone else if you cannot attend) to the January meeting!

Door Prizes

• Fall decor - Sherri
• Turkey decor - Valerie T.
• Pumpkin decor - Jean H.
• Picture frame - Katherine R.
• Acorn decor - Stephanie Z.

- Cassandra G.