More information on Raincross 2020 Curbside Christmas Party

Sleigh Bell Quilt by Edyta Sitar

Thank you for your patience while the Board figured out the logistics and plan for this yuletide shindig.

Most members of the Board plus a few volunteers have divided up all the greater Inland Empire located members and will be delivering your Raincross Curbside Christmas goodie box this Saturday, December 12th. Your elf will be contacting you Thursday or Friday to confirm if and when you'll be home, as well as your street address. If you are not available on Saturday, no problem, please let your elf know when is a good time and we'll reschedule delivery.

When they arrive, they will deposit your goodie box by your door, ring your door bell, and then stand 6-10' away. Please refrain from physically hugging your elf! We must keep our distances so that everyone stays safe. Other than that, feel free to chat with your elf and enjoy your goodie box!

Other items you can exchange during your meeting with your elf:

A. Raincross Guild Quilt 2021 Membership Dues
We will be receiving membership dues for our 2021 membership, February 2021-January 2022. If you would like to give your elf your dues, please do the following:

1. Print and fill out the 2021 Membership form. If you do not have a printer, there is a copy of the Membership form in the goodie box, so you can fill it out while your elf waits.
2. Place your dues of $25 as either check made out to Raincross Quilt Guild (preferred) or cash and your filled out Membership form in a sealed envelope. Your elf will not be carrying change, so if you choose cash, you must have exact change.
3. Please write your name and either "check" or "cash" corresponding with your payment method on the outside of the envelope.
4. Hand the envelope over to the elf and say thank you!

If you're not ready to pay your 2021 membership dues now, no problem! When you are ready, please fill out the Membership form in the goodie box and mail it plus a check for $25 to Dawn M.

If you have any further questions regarding membership, please contact Dawn M.

B. Charity Pick Up/Drop Off
If you have charity donations for Happy Bags (either bags or goodies to go in Happy Bags for next year), Quilts of Valor, Hospice Quilts, Neonatal quilts, etc., please let your elf know when she calls to confirms your delivery. If you are interested in receiving a charity quilt kit to piece, quilt, or bind or you need batting for a charity quilt you're working on, please let your elf know when she calls to confirm delivery so that we can arrange for her to put a kit in her sleigh.

If you have chopped salad for doggie beds, please refer to the doggie beds sizes printed in the directory so that you can make and stuff your own doggie bed. Elves will not be accepting chopped salad.

Edit: Julie M. is planning on dropping off finished doggie and kitty beds soon, so if you have any finished beds, please give them to your elf!

If you have any questions, please feel free to ask in the comments or ask your elf when she calls!

P.S. Yes, Virginia, there really is a Santa Claus, and yes, we really will have our virtual guild meeting next Tuesday at 6pm, same Zoom information as before. Cassandra will make another post about it in a few days, along with the Block of Month.

- Raincross Quilt Guild Board via Cassandra G.

Drive-through 2020 Christmas Party changed to Home Delivery!

June Tailor's Quilt As You Go Tree Skirt Tutorial

To help keep everyone safe and "ho-ho-ho"ing and in respect of the recent Regional Stay Home Order to help reduce the spread of coronavirus, the Board has decided to forego the planned drive through Christmas Party scheduled for this upcoming Saturday and will instead make home deliveries to all members, like we did in April.

More news and schedule will be coming soon, but we wanted to inform everyone of this change as soon as possible. Thank you and we look forward to seeing you from a safe distance during our home deliveries!

- Raincross Quilt Guild Board via Cassandra G.

Virtual Guild Meeting Reminder & Block of the Month Patterns

Folks, sorry I'm a few months behind on posting our 2020 Block of the Month, Be My Neighbor, so without further ado, here you go!

September Block 10

October Block 11 and Block 12

November Block 13

In other news, our November Virtual Guild Meeting approaching quickly, so it's time for you to get your Show and Share pictures into Cassandra so that she can get the November presentation together. This month we welcome you to share whatever you've finished recently (of course), plus any fall themed quilts didn't show during our Halloween-o-palooza last month and since it's been cold recently, any blue and white or "chilly" quilts or projects that hint at that winter chill! Deadline inclusion in the Show and Share presentation is Monday November 16th 8pm.

Same Zoom time, same Zoom info - it will be on our Facebook page or feel free to email me to get it if you need it!

- Cassandra G.

Local Quilter Selling Out Stash this Friday and Saturday 11/13-11/14

 A local quilter and long time member of early Raincross Barbara is selling her stash and more this coming weekend. Check it out.

- Cassandra G.

Reminder: Virtual Spooktacular Guild Meeting next Tuesday!

Hello my ghoulfriends! It's just about time to be bewitched by some drop dead gorgeous quilts! So drag yourself out of your coffin, unwind some cotton from your favorite mummy, and stitch together a quilt (after your done stitching Frankenstein's head back on, of course).

We want to truly suck the marrow from the bone on all the good stuff you've been making, so please be sure to send pictures of any projects you completed recently to Cassandra (don't worry, ghosts don't show up in pictures) so that she can put together the slide show.

And since it's once in a blue moon to have a blue moon on All Hallow's Eve (and say a prayer for medical professionals working in Emergency Department that night since it will be the Bermuda triangle of a Saturday night, Halloween, AND a full moon), we want to be frightened at how amazing all of your Halloween inspired quilts and projects you've made in the past! So open up your crypt and send Cassandra pictures of your screamingly awesome Halloween stuff for a heart stopping segment - and don't turn out the light!

And while we're all sitting around our virtual campfire, we'll be sharing our scaring stories in another segment, "Nightmare in the Sewing Room"! Had to seam rip an hour's worth of quilting because the backing fabric shifted? Dropped a rotary cutter, blade out, on your foot? Gremlins stole your scissors (or worse, used them to cut paper?!)? Be prepared when the Grim Reaper calls your name!

Finally, even if you don't have a quilt or scary sewing room story to share, we invite everyone to join in the fun and dress up in your spooktacular best, even if you just wear a fun hat - broomsticks not required!

- Cassandra G.

African Queen Charity Quilt(s?!) for Weinsteins2Uganda

I think all of us have fallen in love with the Africa Queen block and quilts and together, we're planning on making at one (and potentially more, depending on how many blocks get made) to auction or raffle off with all proceeds going to Jeff and Yvonne Weinstein for their missionary work in Gulu, Uganda.

Tami A. and Yvonne collected names at the guild meeting last night for those who'd like to make one or more blocks. They have kits available which includes fabric for the background (which we want to be the same for the entire quilt) and fabric for the dress and headdress - you will provide brown fabric for the face and hands. You can make any blocks as you want and if you want to use your own Ugandan fabric for the dress or headdress, Tami has plenty of extra background fabric for you to make more, just let her know.

Please contact Tami to request kits, to ask any questions, and either arrange to have a kit/kits mailed to you or arrange a time to pick them up from Tami's house. This is the pattern we are using. Please note that there are variations of this pattern available on the internet, but the dimensions and cutting sizes may be different; please only use the Africa Queen block pattern linked above.

Tami's goal to have all kits out by Tuesday, September 22nd and give everyone two weeks to make your blocks and get them back to Tami so that she and Yvonne can get the quilts together in time for our October guild meeting.

Yvonne shared some wonderful pictures and stories about their work and life in Uganda at our September guild meeting last night. I will get it published and linked on here as soon as possible!

Click here to read the Weinsteins blog.

Click here to see their Facebook group.

- Cassandra G.

September Virtual Guild Meeting Reminder

Sorry for the last minute reminder - I've had a jaw smacking busy week, I mean I really put my nose to the grindstone*!

*For those who may not know, I had an accident while walking and fell hard on my face - nothing broken, but let's say I looked like I went a couple rounds with a prize fighter. Almost all healed now though!

If you would like to get your quilts and projects into the PowerPoint presentation like we did for the August meeting, please have your pictures (including dimensions, description, title, etc.) to me via email or text by today, Monday September 14th, at 6pm so I have time tonight to put it together.

Also due at this guild meeting is your Raincross Quilt Guild Challenge projects! So please send me those photos too of the wonderful quilt, bag, table runner, or whatever creative thing you've made, along with dimensions, title, etc. today by 6pm.

I will get next Be My Neighbor block of the month pattern up, along with instructions for the African Queen blocks we discussed at last month's meeting.

For the Zoom meeting, we will use the same Zoom meeting, link, and password as last time. If you need a copy of that, please let me know. It will be posted on on our Facebook page.

- Cassandra G.

2nd Annual Beach Retreat in Oceanside

Ahoy fellow Guild mates!

Announcing our 2nd annual Beach Retreat in Oceanside, right on the beach!

Oct 29 - Nov 1, 2020

YES, it's really happening  (with a few modifications,  of course - your health and safety is our prime concern!)

Same venue as last year - two story condo.

Registration opens Aug 18 with a $100 deposit, with the balance due on Oct 1. The total cost will range from $287 on the high side,  to $225, depending on the number of participants.  You may pay in the following ways:

Mail to Barbara M. (address in our directory) or drop off at Barbara's,  Jeri's, Andie's, or Shelly N. (treasurer). (Cash or check) Shelly and Jeri are both gone during the day, so make arrangements to meet them in the evening. We have 20 spots available,  first come,  first served.

Looking forward to an amazing time sewing by the ocean!

- Barbara M.

August BOM and Virtual Guild Meeting Reminder

We hope everyone is staying cool during this crazy heatwave. If you experience a blackout, PLEASE get somewhere cool - you've friends all over the Riverside area and someone will still have power! And please remember to check on your neighbors too and make sure everyone is staying cool. County of Riverside Cool Center

Our next virtual guild meeting is coming up tomorrow

If you have not already done so, please go ahead and download Zoom to your computer, phone, or tablet. Zoom uses the camera and microphone from your device to share your video and audio:

Zoom for iPhone/iPad

Zoom for Android

Zoom for Windows

Zoom for Mac

If you already have Zoom installed, please remember to check for updates about once a week as they are continuing to improve the application and tighten its security.

If you need a refresher, I highly recommend you checkout the Raincross Quilt Guild Zoom Cheat Sheet I created for us.

We will be using a new THE SAME Zoom meeting link AS LAST TIME which will be made available on the Raincross Facebook page. If you do not use Facebook, post in the comments below or email the guild and I will email you the link and password.

To make sharing easier for everyone, we'd like to try the following: please email or text Cassandra photos of your quilts and she will organize them into a slideshow so that you don't have to hold up your quilt/piece, you just have to talk about it.

Please include:

- your name

- name of the quilt/piece (if it has one)

- dimensions

- brief description

When you take your picture, please try to include the entire quilt/piece while it is flat on the floor, on your bed, or on a design wall. It's okay if it's not straight or the perspective is wonky - I can fix that.

We will be doing the same thing for our Raincross Quilt Guild challenge quilts, which are due next month.

August Blocks of the Month:

- Cassandra G.

July BOM and Virtual Guild Meeting Reminder

Greetings! We hope all our quilterly friends are keeping safe and sane and healthy out there and that you're ready for another thrilling virtual guild meeting coming up next Tuesday evening, July 21st at 6:00 PM on Zoom.

If you have not already done so, please go ahead and download Zoom to your computer, phone, or tablet. Zoom uses the camera and microphone from your device to share your video and audio:

Zoom for iPhone/iPad

Zoom for Android

Zoom for Windows

Zoom for Mac

If you already have Zoom installed, please remember to check for updates about once a week as they are continuing to improve the application and tighten its security.

If you need a refresher, I highly recommend you checkout the Raincross Quilt Guild Zoom Cheat Sheet I created for us.

We will be using a new Zoom meeting link which will be made available on the Raincross Facebook page. If you do not use Facebook, post in the comments below or email the guild and I will email you the link and password.

For the meeting, we would like to invite everyone to share:

• In honor of our Independence Day,  your red, white, and blue quilts - projects you've made in the past, projects you're working on now, even if you just have one block, or QoV quilts...anything you've got!
• If you're joining making this year's Block of the Month, Be My Neighbor, share with us your first four blocks.

Speaking of Block of the Month, here is this month's block and instructions:

Finally, we'd like to remind you that our first annual Raincross Quilt Guild Challenge projects using the lovely birdie fabric we all received in May will be due at the September guild meeting. More news on how we'll share these quilts soon!

- Cassandra G.

June Virtual Guild Meeting Information

Our 1st virtual guild meeting is coming up soon and we have more information to share with you! Everyone should review the Raincross Quilt Guild Zoom Cheat Sheet.

If you need help getting started with Zoom, we will have a Tech Support session Monday June 15th starting at 6pm. If you are already comfortable with Zoom, you do not need to attend.

We will officially start the guild meeting on Tuesday at the normal time of 6pm, but we will have the Zoom meeting going at 5:30pm to provide any additional Zoom help.

The Zoom meeting link will be provided on our Facebook page, as well as emailed to those who do not have Facebook or have requested a meeting link. Guests are invited and our normal guest fee of $5 will be waived. If you would like the Zoom meeting link emailed to you, please comment below or email us.

And now, a message from our President...

"Dear Quilters,

I would like to invite anyone to share with me the ups and downs of what is going on in your life right now.  Are you sad, glad, hurting, happy or something else! Would you like prayer for something?  Would you like the quilt guild members to know something special that happened in your life since we met in March? Is there anything you need help with? Do you need a socially distanced visit? It takes a Quilters Village to raise a Healthy Quilter! Send me your requests via email, on Facebook, or simply give me a call, and I'll pass them along at the meeting.

Special thoughts and prayers go out to all of you from me,

Jeri"

- Cassandra G.

Virtual June Guild Meeting!

While we still cannot get together in person out of an abundance of caution for all our members, we would like to still get together virtually!

The Raincross Quilt Guild meeting will take place via Zoom on our regular night and time, Tuesday June 16th at 6pm. To ensure the security of the meeting, the link to the meeting will only be posted to our Facebook page. If you do not have Facebook, please respond to the comments below, or email or call me and I will make sure that the meeting link is emailed to you.

If you have not used Zoom before, it is a free application that works on just about anything - a Windows computer, a Mac computer, iPhones, iPads, Android phones, Android tablets, etc. - whatever you've got. If you would like to get ready for the actual meeting, we will have a Tech Support session on Monday June 15th at 6pm to help you get Zoom set up and be comfortable using it. And we will also be available starting at 5:30pm on guild meeting night to help as well.

To prepare for that, please go ahead and download Zoom to your computer, phone, or tablet. Zoom uses the camera and microphone from your device to share your video and audio:

Zoom for iPhone/iPad

Zoom for Android

Zoom for Windows

Zoom for Mac

If you have used Zoom before, great! Please remember to check for updates about once a week as they are continuing to improve the application and tighten its security.

Please let us  know if you have any questions!

- Cassandra G.

June Blocks of the Month now available

I've really been enjoying seeing pictures of everyone's Be My Neighbor blocks on our Facebook page and I know everyone is excited to keep going, so here are the two blocks we are doing for June!

The instructions are available for Block 5 and Block 6. Enjoy!

- Cassandra G.

I spy with my little eye...

Your Raincross Quilt Guild board planning something cool - stay tuned!

- Cassandra G.

May 2020 Guild Meeting Cancelled, but something cool is coming!

My dearest sisters of the cloth, ladies of the longarm, mothers of the quilting mayhem, dames of the design wall, gals of the grain, lassies of the layer cake, broads of the Bernina's and Brother's (and Pfaffs and Singers and Juki's and Elna's and...)

As you may have guessed, our May guild meeting scheduled for Tuesday, May 19th has been unfortunately cancelled. We hope that you are all staying healthy and safe and enjoying any extra time to sew!

Thanks to everyone who has been sharing their lovely Be My Neighbor blocks that we are doing for this year's RQG Block of the Month on our Raincross Quilt Guild Facebook group. The pattern for the single block for May is now available (and early!), so get stitching!

Finally, to brighten your spirits, we have something cool in store coming soon, so stay tuned!!

- Cassandra G.

April 2020 Guild Meeting and Nunnery Retreat Cancelled

We are sorry to inform you all but our April 2020 Raincross Quilt Guild meeting scheduled for next Tuesday, April 21st has been cancelled. We are also sorry to report that the May quilt retreat to Vina de Lestonnac, aka The Nunnery in Temecula has also been cancelled.

While it is disappointing to not be able to come together, it is so important that we continue to stay home and stay safe, not only for ourselves, for those in our community who would become sick and potentially very sick from this terrible disease. Stay strong and reach out to your quilting friends and sisters! We're quilters - it's gonna take a lot more than this to seam rip us apart!

In regards to the quilt retreat, Barbara M. is reaching out to all the quilters who had signed up to attend. Vina is booked solid for the next year, so there is no opportunity to reschedule until this time in 2021. They already have us on the calendar, probably around the middle of the month - typically the weekend after Mother's Day. For those who signed up to attend, you can request no refund (and all of your money will be carried over to next year's retreat), a refund of everything but the $50 deposit (which will hold your spot for this retreat next year), or a full refund. Please contact Barbara to let her know your choice and if you have any questions.

In good news, we are SO PROUD of all of you for all of the masks you have been sewing together for medical groups, security groups, ChildHelp, friends, and family. Great job everyone! If you out of elastic, I recommend you post on our Raincross Quilt Guild Facebook group as there are several members who bought huge spools of it and may be able to get you some.

Be My Neighbor Block 2 and Block 3 (minus the birdie I haven't added yet)

Be My Neighbor Block 2 and Block 3
As a reminder, in order to get all 16 blocks done within the year, we will have one block one month, two blocks the next month, one block the month after that, etc. Here are the instructions for Block 2 and Block 3 for April.. If you cannot print out instructions and you were expecting to pick up a paper copy at the meeting, please post in the comments or give me a call and I will mail you a printed copy.

We typically show up our finished 50% Challenge Projects at the April meeting; this will be rescheduled. But, now you've got more time to get more UFOs done, so yay!

- Cassandra G.

Request for Fabric Masks by Childhelp

This approved request is from Raincross Quilt Guild member Gloria H. for Childhelp Village in Beaumont:

Hi Raincross Members!

I have received an urgent request from the Chief Program Officer for Childhelp. They need masks made for the abused children at the Childhelp Village in Beaumont. We need sewers to volunteer and make the masks for the kids. I have a pattern for you to use if you are able to help make masks. The pattern for the masks is simple and quick to make. The pattern is sized for both adults and children.  Please use a generic cotton tightly woven print for right side of fabric that does not have juvenile print nor is specific for males or females. Use a different fabric for the inside that is light or plain colored so it's easy for the users to identify the front side of mask from the inside. I know 1/4" elastic is hard to find and I can provide you some should you need.

Please contact me if you are interested in making masks for the children or if you have any questions (contact information in the 2019 Raincross Quilt Guild membership booklet or on our Facebook page).

I know this is a difficult time for everyone and for anyone that can volunteer to make masks for the kids it would be greatly appreciated. I understand if you can't. In advance, I am deeply grateful for what you have done in the past to support the Childhelp Quilt project, and I hope that you can help make these masks that are urgently needed for these precious children.

"For the Love of a Child"
Gloria H.

- Cassandra G.

Request for Fabric Masks by Riverside Kaiser OB/GYN

There has been a buzz lately as to whether we as sewers can help by making some kind of mask that can be used by medical professionals in some capacity. We have been asked by a labor and delivery nurse at Riverside Kaiser to make fabric masks.

Please use the instructions as laid out in either of the following videos. If you do not have access to elastic, please contact Jeri R. or Lisa S. (Jeanne H.'s sister). We are looking to make 200 masks.

Mask Choice A
PLEASE NOTE THAT THE TITLE OF THIS VIDEO SAYS THESE MASKS ARE COVID-19 - THEY ARE NOT! But this pattern is easy and with the available pocket for single use filters, this makes this type of mask a good choice and will help reduce the need for other masks, such as N95 masks that are required for staff working with COVID-19 patients.

Mask Choice B
Again, this mask will most likely not protect against COVID-19, but might be usable by medical staff in non-surgical and non-COVID-19 situations to help alleviate the total demand for masks staff need when working with COVID-19 patients.

Please contact Jeri R. or Lisa S. if you have any questions, or better yet, hop over to our Facebook Group for discussion with Jeri and Lisa (or to get Lisa's phone number as she is a fairly new member to the guild). Lisa S. is coordinating this effort.

As a reminder, the very best things you can do to help the fight against COVID-19 is to stay home and to wash your hands with soap. Stay safe everyone.

- Cassandra G.

March 2020 Guild Meeting Cancelled

We are sorry to inform you all but our March 2020 Raincross Quilt Guild meeting scheduled for next Tuesday, March 17th has been cancelled. Jeri has called the Janet Goeske Center to confirm and was notified that they are closing the Center starting tomorrow Saturday March 14th through at least the end of the month of March.

We are as disappointed as you are that we won't be able to join together and share our love of quilting, but out of an abundance of caution it is important that we care for the well being of every guild member and guest and Goeske Center staff member during this time.

On the flip side...MORE TIME TO SEW!!

Be My Neighbor Block 1

As we won't be having the meeting and getting started on our first Block of the Month for 2020, here are the instructions. If you cannot print out instructions and you were expecting to pick up a paper copy at the meeting, please post in the comments or give me a call and I will mail you a printed copy.

In hopes that our April meeting goes as scheduled, remember that your 50% Challenge Projects are due at the meeting. We now have no excuses to not get something done and ready, so get stitchin'!

- Cassandra G.

February 2020 Guild Meeting Review

Veteran Rose B. (USAF) greatly accepts her QoV

What a fabulous quilt guild meeting we had this month and what a blessing to get to start with a beautiful presentation of Quilts of Valor to several very deserving veterans. Susan C. was happy to announce that the Quilt of Valor National Sew Day on Saturday February 1st was a great success with lots of quilters and helpers joining in. Susan was also happy to announce that Phyllis H. has stepped forward to take over the Quilt of Valor charity on behalf of the Raincross Quilt Guild. We all can not thank you enough, Susan, for your service to the guild and our beloved brave veterans - Thank you!

As a part of the Quilt of Valor festivities, guest Peggy M. reported that there is a small of group called the Stars & Scrappers who get together at a few locations around Riverside, such as Easy Quilting Corner and the Mead Valley Library, to work on Quilt of Valor quilts. Contact Faten at Easy Quilting Corner to find out when they'll be there next.

Dawn M. is still accepting membership dues for 2020; the February guild meeting was the last one to make sure your information gets added to the booklet, which will be distributed at the March guild meeting. Contact her ASAP if you've missed getting your membership in and you want your contact information in the book.

Lots of people brought notions for Paula W. to send to Yvonne and we know Yvonne is yelling a big "Thank you!" all the way from Africa. Yvonne is still looking for some notions, so please feel free to raid your stash or pick up some of these items on discount:

• Singer machine needles
• hand sewing needles
• bobbins (size 15)
• fusible interfacing
• light gray thread
• small rick rack (preferably in black, brown, navy, and red)
• yellow Clover chaco chalk liner powder
• blue or white pencils

After another successful Happy Bags 2019, Dawn M. and Jeri R. gave us an excellent presentation on the items we should be looking to grab for this coming year. They want us to think about gathering items in quantities of 10 or something, 20 of something, 40 of something, etc.

• Coloring books for young boys, girls, or gender neutral, as well as mature coloring books with more intricate designs for the older kids
• Play-Doh
• Colored pencils (we do NOT need Crayons - there are plenty leftover from last year)
• Fun socks
• Lip gloss/chapstick (no nail polish - spills happen and are a MESS)
• Pens/pencils and notebooks
• Hair scrunchies (bought or make your own!)
• Beanie Babies
• Matchbox cars

Contact Dawn M. if you have any questions.

Debbie W. shared with us a really neat outreach that her guild in Longmont, Colorado for those guild members who've experienced a personal loss. Each member makes a little Caring Heart block and sends it within a nice card to the recipient. Debbie explained she was overjoyed everyday the mailman brought her another Caring Heart. Debbie wanted to pass it forward and encourage Raincross to participate in this going forward and created a Caring Heart kit for each guild member. How awesome - thank you Debbie! Contact her if you have any questions.

Lois L. talked about the heart pillows she makes for Loma Linda University Medical Center. Patients who've had heart surgery use the pillows to apply pressure to the chests, help making recovery easier. Lois said that you're interested in helping make heart pattern to contact the LLUMC Volunteer Services at 909-558-8022.

Barbara M. announced that there are still a few spots open for the Raincross Quilt Guild Spring 2020 quilt retreat in beautiful Temecula wine country at Vina de Lestonnac (aka, The Nunnery). Come join us Friday May 14th through Sunday May 17th for a mere $295, including all of that UH-MAZE-ZING food! Contact Barbara to get in on the action!

Door Prizes:
2 yds green dot fabric - Pam W.
1 yd poppies panel - Julie M.
fall fats - Dorothy M.
grays jelly roll - Jennifer H.
Aurifil thread - Christine S.

Mystery Box: Barbara M.
Barbara shared that the mystery "bag" surprise of a wheeled sewing machine cart is a God-send since hers recently had become damaged beyond repair while being unloaded from the Catalina ferry during a recent quilt retreat trip. The ferry company is even going to reimburse her for the cart, so now she's got money for more fabric!

- Cassandra G.

Reminder: Guild meeting Tuesday and some special requests

Hello quilt fans! Ready for another great guild meeting?

Quilt of Valor presentation: Raincross Quilt Guild will be presenting a Quilt of Valor to a well deserving individual during our regular quilt guild meeting this month. As we will be enjoying the company of about 12 guests, Susan would like to invite more than our regular birthday snack bringers to bring something, if you feel so inclined, so that we have plenty to share with everyone. Susan is working on making sure we have enough seating so every is comfortable, but please be welcoming and accommodating for our special guests.

Sewing Notions for Yvonne: Wasn't it wonderful to have the opportunity to purchase those beautiful African fabrics last month and help support Yvonne Weinstein's missionary work in the process?! And how excited are you for the upcoming tea with Yvonne when she gets to spend some time with us this June (more details to follow). You may remember that Yvonne reached out to us via Paula to ask for some sewing notions a few months back - and she's reached out again! Yvonne said she needs Singer machine needles, hand sewing needles, bobbins (size 15), fusible interfacing, light gray thread, and small rick rack (preferably in black, brown, navy, and red). If you got some extras of these items in your stash, please bring them to the February guild meeting and give to Paula. She will collect them and get them sent to Yvonne.

We will start the 2020 Be My Neighbor block of the month in March - use this month to finish up your 2019 These Are A Few of My Favorite Things block of the month quilt and/or work on finishing up your 50% Challenge items to bring to the April meeting.

So, here's your full reminder list of things to bring:

• Your homemade name badge
• If you haven't paid yet, your $25 membership dues
• 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.
• If you have a birthday in February, May, or October, you are invited to bring a snack or dish to share (but it's not required)
• Bottled water or other non-alcoholic drink

See you all Tuesday!

P. S. We are expecting that the two eggs laid by the eagles Jackie and Shadow up at Big Bear Lake to hatch any day now so it's a great time to hop on YouTube and enjoy the show!

- Cassandra G.

Last 2019 BOM Patterns and 2020 BOM Setting Instructions now available

The patterns for the December Cathedral Window and 

January Road to California blocks, 

the final two for the 2019 BOM A Few of Our Favorite Things, are now available.

In addition, the setting instructions, which include fabric requirements, for the 2020 BOM Be My Neighbor are also available. I did my quilt scrappy but used the same white on white for all the background (and for the sashing to come) but it will look amazing if you use scrappy lights or low volumes fabrics as well. Please note that I haven't added my birds nor flower heads yet and I made a few slight changes here and there, but by and large, I followed the pattern which was very easy to follow.

Have fun shopping your stash and filling in the gaps with purchases at Road! We'll start with Block 1 in March and then alternate between doing 2 blocks a month and 1 block a month with the last block in January of 2021.

- Cassandra G.

Quilts of Valor National Sew Day February 1st

from the QoVF Patterns collection

The next Quilts of Valor National Sew Day is coming up on February 1, 2020.

Register here: 2020-national-sew-day-registration. Each person must be registered to win. Membership is not required to participate or register for National Sew Day. Registration closes Friday, February 1 at 11:45 PM EST.

We'll be meeting at Susan C.'s office Riverside Community College District, Office of Economic Development at 23555 Meyer Drive, Riverside, starting at 9am with a salad potluck lunch. Please bring your sewing machine, notions, etc.; irons, ironing boards and cutting mats will be provided.  Non quilters/sewers are welcome and can help with pressing, layout and preparing kits. Susan will have kits made up for you to work on or bring your own QoV project. Contact Susan C. if you have any questions!

- Cassandra G.

Reminder: Guild meeting Tuesday!

HAPPY NEW YEAR! (I'm only two weeks late)

Winter Solstice by Annie's Craft Store

We've got a lot coming up this month:

Quilter's Closet Cleanout - It's a new year and time to tidy your sewing room and cupboards and get rid of fabric, notions, tools, and items you know you're simply not going to use. Bring your new or gently used items to sell at our January guild meeting. You are invited to make a donation from the proceeds of your sales to our Charity bank account, but it's not required. You are required, however, to TAKE HOME ANYTHING YOU DON'T SELL. If you don't want it, please throw it away at the end of the night.

2019 Round Robin Exchange - This is our FINAL exchange, so please finish the top you got at the November meeting and bring it to the January guild meeting in the original bag and with any leftover fabric AND add your name to the sign in sheet in the bag. Remember, once you get your top back, you can do whatever you like with it! If you'd like to finish it and bring it back to show it off, please feel free to do so at any meeting. And thank you for a great exchange!

2020 Memberships are due - Our 2020 Raincross Quilt Guild memberships are due this month, so be sure to bring $25 cash or checks made out to "Raincross Quilt Guild" (the bank won't accept checks made out to "RQG") to the meeting to give to Dawn M. You must pay your membership this month to be included in our annual directory. Contact Dawn M. if you have any questions. Membership sign in sheets will be updated for our March meeting, so please be patient with us if you've just joined and don't see your name on the sign in sheet at either the January or February meeting.

2020 Mystery Box Sign Ups - We're looking for volunteers to sign up to put together the mystery box! We are encouraging teams of people (2+) to participate as it's fun project and many hands make the work easy. Andie B. will be answering questions and taking sign ups at the January guild meeting.

2020 Quilt of Valor Sew Day - While technically this is the first day of February, we're announcing it now. More details coming in a blog post tomorrow, but the short of it: February 1st, 9am-3pm, Riverside Community College District, Office of Economic Development, 23555 Meyer Drive, Riverside, please register here: www.QOVF.org

And um...I think there's a quilt show or something happening...

So, here's your full reminder list of things to bring:

• Your homemade name badge
• Your December 2019 BOM
• Your final Round Robin exchange
• Your $25 membership dues
• Your yard sale items
• 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.
• If you have a birthday in January, June, or September, you are invited to bring a snack or dish to share (but it's not required)
• Bottled water or other non-alcoholic drink

See you all Tuesday!

- Cassandra G.