Happy Bags Day 2017

Many thanks to Debra W. as she's passed along a few photos from the Happy Bag day from last month! And thanks to Dawn M. for organizing Happy Bags! And extra special thanks to everyone who made Happy Bags, donated bag contents or cash...let's impress our Happy Bag Maven Dawn with even more bags (and flashlights!) this year!

Click here to see all the photos.

- Cassandra G.

National Quilt of Valor Sew Day this Saturday

On Saturday, February 3rd, we will be joining with quilters across the nation for a National Sew Day to support the Quilt of Valor Foundation (QOFV).  QOFV requests that all quilters planning to participate in the event register in advance. Registration is free!

We will be working at the Riverside Community College District, Office of Economic Development at 23555 Meyer Drive, Riverside (which is at the March Air Reserve Base) on Saturday February 3rd from 9am-4pm. It is located on the corner of Riverside Drive and Meyer Drive, across from the church. There is easy parking in front of the building. We'll have a salad potluck lunch, so please bring salad fixings, sides, breakfast munchies, all day munchies - you get the idea! Raincross will be providing pizza and dessert.

If you are not able to register yourself or you know someone who will be joining us who can't register for themselves, please let me know and I will assist you or them in registering on the website. Thank you!

- Cassandra G

January 2018 Meeting Review

Happy (Belated) New Year! We have another exciting year of making and sharing quilts and making and sharing memories. Remember every day is precious - reach out and tell someone you love them!

Opportunity Quilt for Clean Water

This month was our annual yard sale and everyone was in for the bargains! For those who sold items, please make sure you give 10% of your proceeds to the Susan C. for the guild.

Angie N. shared with us a beautiful opportunity quilt she was selling tickets for to help provide clean water to a village in Uganda, Africa. Thanks Angie - we hope the project goes well!

The Guild also gave us all belated Christmas gifts - a super nifty project bag AND a combination flashlight and screwdriver set! How cool!


The January meeting is traditionally when we nominate the Raincross board and chairpersons. Our nominees for 2018 are:

• President - Jeri R.
• Vice President - Susan M.
• Treasurer - Susan C.
• Secretary - Andie B.
• Membership - Dawn M.
• Nancy's Nifty Notions - Nancy R.
• Mystery Box - Shelly N. (February), Rose B. (March), Tamy A. (April) [Contact Jeri or Stephanie to sign up for a month of your own!]
• Humane Society Quilts - Samantha N.
• Neonatal Quilts - Jeanne H. & Mary T.
• VA Quilts - Andie B.
• QoV Quilts - Susan C.
• Childhelp Quilts - Gloria H.
• Happy Bags - Dawn M.
• Survivor Bags - Sandy S.
• Threads of Love - Sharon C.
• Hospitality - Sandy S.
• Retreats - Barbara M.
• Web Mistress - Cassandra G.
• Block of the Month - Elly H.
• Challenges - Elly H.
• Door Prizes - Jeanne H., Chris K.
• Show and Share - Dorothy M. & Nancy F.

We'll vote in the board at the February meeting.

Elly H. introduced our last BOM of 2017 and announced the theme of 2018 - "disappearing"! We're looking forward to seeing our first block next month!

Elly also announced our first challenge for 2018 - the 50% Challenge! Time to dig out your UFOs or whatever projects you consider 50% done and get them ALL THE WAY done and bring them to the April meeting.




Gloria H. introduced us to a new charity project, making lap sized quilts for the Childhelp Merv Griffin Village in Beaumont. Childhelp is a national organization that provides 24/7 treatment of abused, neglected, and at-risk children of California. They are asking for quilts to give to the children so that they can have something that is theirs to keep and to hold. The sizes can range between 36" x 42" to 40" x 50". Gloria has quilt top kits or you can make your own or you can simply donate money to the organization. Let's help these poor neglected and abused children, like the Turpin family children, know that they are loved and begin to rebuild.

Barbara M. announced that we are still on track for our Spring Retreat at Vinya de Lesstonnac and the final total is $270. If you've already given Barbara $50 to hold your reservation, any remaining balance up to $220 is due at the April meeting.

Susan C. reminded us that the national Quilt of Valor Sew Day is coming up on Saturday, February 3rd and we'll be at a new location this year: Riverside Community College District, Office of Economic Development at 23555 Meyer Drive, Riverside (which is at the March Air Reserve Base). This is located on the corner of Riverside Drive and Meyer Drive, across from the church. There is easy parking in front of the building. We'll have a salad potluck lunch, so please bring salad fixings, sides, breakfast munchies, all day munchies - you get the idea! Raincross will be providing pizza and dessert - what a deal! Please remember to register for free at the Quilts of Valor Foundation for the event.

Dawn M. reported that our Happy Bag distribution at the Loma Linda Cancer Board was another resounding success and that we handed out over 300 Happy Bags - fantastic work everyone! Work has already begun on this year's Happy Bags: we'll have some Sew Days coming up this year and don't forget to keep collecting those free flashlights from Harbor Freight!

We are also sad to announced the passing of Sharon Diekman from leukemia on January 15th. Please keep her friends and family in your thoughts and prayers. Dina B. also broke her arm and could use some prayers and quick phone call to cheer her up.

At our February meeting, we will welcome "The Batting Lady"; she'll tell us all about batting and (I think) will have batting for sale. Let's stuff some quilts!

Door prizes

• Fat quarter packs - Jean H.
• Quilt bag patterns and fats - Vangie
• Lipstick needle case and precut quilt pattern - Jeri R.
• Charm pack and scissors - Shelly N.
• 2yd white fabric - Jason R.

- Cassandra G.

Coming soon: Mini mystery quilt challenges!

Our very own Christine S. is organizing a series of Mini Mystery Quilt Challenges and would like to invite whoever is interested to join her - too cool!

The first one will be a very modern stash buster for an easy, very modern lap size quilt. Christine will tell us more about it at the February guild meeting. She intends for those interested to start this one in March and that it will take about two months to finish.

If you're interested, please contact Christine*. Who's in?!

- Cassandra G.

*If you don't have Christine's email, let me know and I'll get it to you. :)

News from Southern California Council of Quilt Guilds

We had a great meeting last Saturday. Prior to the program we had a discussion about the project initiated by the Ventura Modern Quilt Guild to help victims of the Thomas fires. They are collecting blocks, quilts, and more to donate to those who lost their homes. Little did we know on Saturday that more homes and lives would be lost in this week’s flash floods in the burn area. 

At the meeting we voted to award a $250 donation to a member of the Camarillo Guild who lost her home.  To date hers is the only name we’ve received from guilds in the affected fire areas. Please check within your guild (particularly those in the San Diego and Ventura/Santa Barbara/Burbank  areas) and let us know if there are others we can help. The only criteria is that they must be a member of a guild that belongs to SCCQG. Please contact Sonia Das (president@sccqg.org) or Pam Overton (insurance@sccqg.org).

During the discussion, there were many guilds that asked how they could donate to the SCCQG disaster fund. May we suggest that if your guild would like to do so, perhaps the best place to donate right now is to the Ventura Modern Quilt Guild. They are a registered non-profit and can certainly use the funds in a variety of ways to help finish the quilts and distribute them to those in need.

Road to California has generously offered the VMQG a booth at the show where they will distribute information about their project, provide patterns and kits, and collect blocks. But they aren’t a large guild and manning a booth for four days is a big task. VMQG needs help manning the booth Thursday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday. Please contact the VMQG President Tisha Maeda at president@venturamodernquiltguild.com so they can schedule a time slot for you. Whether you can help with the booth or not, be sure to stop by their booth (6H)! The booth is located in the corridor between the main exhibit hall and the ball room.

Here are the instructions for the Thomas Fire Victims Perkiomen quilt block created by the VMQG.

For those living near the Lomita/Torrance area, AAA Sewing and Fabric (2365 Pacific Coast Highway, Lomita, CA) and the South Bay Quilters Guild are hosting a Sew-In on Wednesday, January 31 from 1 to 4.  Bring fabric, sewing supplies, your sewing machine and/or your helping hands. We'll put you to work!

The SCCQG Board

Reminder: Guild meeting Tuesday!

Who's excited for the guild meeting this month?! Woohoo!

Here's your reminder list of things to bring:

• Your homemade name badge
• Your Raincross Quilt Guild pin, which is worth an EXTRA ticket in the door prize drawing! If you don't have one, you can purchase one for $5 at the door.
• Your new or gently used items for the yearly Yard Sale.
• If you are participating in the 2017 BOM, the eleventh two blocks.
• If you are participating in Cassandra G.'s Row by Row, THE FINAL ROW IS DUE!
• You're welcome to bring $25 for the 2018 membership.
• If you were born on January, March, June, or July, you are invited to bring a snack to share (but it's not required!).
• Bottled water or other non-alcoholic drink

See you all Tuesday!

- Cassandra G.

I resolve...to keep telling silly jokes.

Q:  What happened to the man who thought about the evils of drinking in the new year?
A:  He gave up thinking.

Q:  What's the problem with jogging on New Years Eve?
A:  The ice falls out of your drink!

Q:  What's the one group that hates New Years Day?
A:  The Times Square clean up crew.

- Cassandra G.

Coming up this month January 2018 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. :)

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

2017 Yard Sale

It's our annual yard sale! Bring your new or gently used items for the sale - 10% of your total sales will be due to the guild.

We'll also be voting on the 2018 Raincross Quilt Guild Board. We are still looking for people to step up into the following positions:

• Mystery Box Maven
• Show and Share Captain

If you haven't participated in a while (or ever!), now's your chance! Please contact Jeri R. if you're interested (or interested in nominating someone else!).

Also due are your Row by Row's, with everyone will be taking theirs home. If you cannot attend, please be sure to send the final row you took with someone who is attending and thank you!

You are also welcome to bring your 2018 Guild dues of $25, which will be due at the February meeting. Checks are welcome but as a reminder, they may not be cashed immediately, so you are also welcome to bring cash or cashier's check. Thank you!

Other unique RQG activities coming up this month...
There aren't any other official RQG activities this month, but of course the 2018 Road to California Quilt Show is January 18th-21st at the Ontario Convention Center!!

And while the following event is technically in February, the Quilts of Valor National Sew Day is Saturday February 3rd, so please be sure to mark it on your calendars! We're hoping to use the fabulous Clubhouse at Rancho Cabelleros again but will get you confirmation as soon as we know. In the meantime, please be sure to register for the event (registration is free)!

- Cassandra G.