Pacific Piecemakers Quilt Guild
Bits & Pieces

June 2004 -- Volume 9, Issue 7
Jackie Gardener, Editor


 

 

J . U . L . Y

P . I . C . N . I . C

Friday, July 16, 12:30 PM

 33601 Highway 1, Gualala

 

        This month, a picnic will be held outdoors at the beautiful home of Naida Mauthe.  Members are requested to bring two salad toppings.  The greens, rolls and beverages will be provided. 

        Since parking is somewhat limited, carpooling is recommended.  Naida indicated that anyone wishing to golf, should bring their own seven or eight iron.  Members are also reminded to bring their Progressive Quilt Blocks.

            Directions:  From Gualala, head north on Highway 1.  Look for Mile Marker 6.48.  Naida's driveway is on the right, across from AmeriGas.

 

Invisible Angels

By President Donna Blum

 

            Did you know that it takes more than thirty quiet angels to facilitate our year-around guild activities and keep our guild in compliance with the requirements for non-profit organizations? Many members volunteer their time and energy to provide the individual activities, workshops and projects like our Comfort Quilt workshops, annual Challenge Show and Art-In-The-Redwoods Scholarship Quilt.

            Every month all members receive their newsletter beautifully written, designed, edited and mailed. Wonderful Munchies appear at our Guild Meetings to be enjoyed during our “Social time” before the meetings. Special projects like Block of the Month and Progressive Quilt are organized and presented for your enjoyment and education. Fascinating educational workshops and trips that often take months and years of planning are available to guild members and guests. Guild officers provide the structure and guidance to maintain our financial viability. These are our invisible angels that do the work that make our guild possible.

            If you are not currently active as a volunteer in the guild, we ask all members to consider volunteering in some capacity. Many hands make light work. If you cannot volunteer for a full year position or committee, consider helping out with some of the new projects that are announced and seeking volunteers. Setting up and putting away for the meetings is an ongoing need. If you (or your husband) can help, please contact the Hospitality Committee. If you are a long distance member, we are delighted to have you and look forward to your return visits to our meetings. Thank you all for your support.

 

 

 

 

Velda Newman

September 18-19, 2004

Layers, Form and Texture

        There are still a few spaces left for the Velda Newman workshop. The Program Committee will start promoting her class to neighboring guilds very shortly, so move quickly if you are thinking of taking this exciting workshop.  Send your check made out to PPQG for $130 to:

                        Laurie Mueller 

                        P.O. Box 314

                        The Sea Ranch, CA 95497. 

            For a look at Velda's work, check out her website at www.veldanewman.com.

 

Call for Quilts

        The Arts Center Theater is calling for quilts to grace the auditiorium of the Arts Center and to help baffle sound during its upcoming production of Neil Simon's London Suite.  Please deliver your quilt(s) to Kathye Hitt or Lynne Atkins on July 12 or July 13. 

        The show opens on July 16 with a Gala starting at 6:30 - and contunues on July 17 at 7:30 and July 18 at 2:00.  It runs again on July 25, 26 at 7:30 and 27 at 2:00. 

        Come see the quilts on display and stay for the show, but be sure to purchase your tickets early! The last Arts Center Theater productions have sold out!  For tickets, call Gualala Arts at 884-1138.

 

Let’s Be Progressive!

        We have another chance to jump on board for a wonderful adventure in colors, shapes and fabrics. Just bring your 12” or larger block to the July 16th picnic and embark on a fun project that will enhance your quilting acumen and add to your summer enjoyment.

        It will be similar to being online with your friends: each person responds to the work they are given for that month with their own ideas, sewing in their message rather than typing it.

        Finally, at the November unveiling, the original block owner gets back a wonderful quilt top that has blossomed like a flower into a thing of beauty and wonder.

        If you cannot make it to the picnic, call Ellen Soule at 785-2016, and she will get your block there and see that you receive your new block.

 

Membership News

Armer, Trudy  3435 Ocean Pk.Bl.#112, Santa Monica 90405, Birthday - June 10, phone

        785-164 or 310-396-5984, email is tarmer1@aol.com

Covington, Bette  PO Box 740, Gualala 95445 email same, local phone same

Hock, Diane  1701 Latigo Lane, Healdsburg  95448   Birthday - January 31, phone 431-2440, email is dphock@comcast.net

Young, Laurel  PO Box 849,  Gualala 95445, Birthday - December 12, phone 884-4721, email is scylay@mindspring.com

 

One Last Fish Story....

        What an outstanding evening we all enjoyed with the challenge show in the gallery and the Olympic quilts in the auditorium!

        Thanks to everyone who made the evening a success! You are too numerous to mention here. 

        While attending Melody Johnson's class, I was very pleased to see how many people came into the Art Center during the week and saw the show.

        Remember to pick up your quilts on Tuesday, July 6, between 10am and 1pm.  If that time doesn't work for you, please contact one of us and make other arrangements.

                                                   Mary Austin and Jan Sears

 

Bits of Trivia

        Reva Basch wanted to share this compelling bit of information with us from a friend who is living in Japan. The Shinto religion, which is womven into many aspects of everyday Japanese life, includes a festival in which needles that have given good service to seamtresses and housewives are retired with honor. People flock to the town of Asakusa to stick their old needles into tofu and pray for improvement in their skills for the following year.

            Perhaps this could become a part of our holiday traditions in December...

 

 

 

Guild Glimmers: Melody Johnson

& the Fine Art of Fusing

by Reva Basch

 

Melody Johnson is no shrinking violet. Nor does she shrink from red, blue, green, yellow, orange or any other color of the visible spectrum. In her June 18th presentation to PPQG members and guests, she admitted to having been labeled  theall colors all the time” quilter, but countered by showing examples of work in which she managed to restrict herself to shades of yellow and orange… with a touch of red… and, of course, a little bit of blue, green and purple for contrast.

            Melody began as a painter and later fell into quilting, applying her painterly techniques in a succession of art quilts that became less pictorial and more abstract over time. With fellow-quilter Laura Wasilowski, she established Artfabrik, a hand-dyed fabric business that eventually threatened to take over her life. Today, Laura runs Artfabrik while Melody devotes herself to the pursuits she loves most – creating quilts, teaching workshops, and spreading the gospel of the Chicago School of Fusing (www.artfabrik.com/csof.html). Melody and three like-minded colleagues established this influential, semi-fictitious institution to champion the use of fusible web among quilters, as an alternative to traditional piecing. Re-fuse-niks may raise their eyebrows