Meetings on the 3rd Monday of the Month 6pm Family Life Center, N side

For guild pictures, go to https://claycenterpiotiquequilters.wordpress.com/ (copy and paste into your search area)

March 15th - Tag Team - Bridging the Generations

 PRESIDENT'S MESSAGE 


Hi Everyone,
      It is time to start meeting again!  Hope you are all doing well, we are good here.  It has been too long since we have seen each other.
I have contacted many of the board members and we think it would be good to start meeting in April again.  We will try and meet in the large room at the Family Life Center where we can spread out a little more.  Please wear a mask!  There will be no refreshments served , so bring your own water, coffee, or what you want.  5:30 for socializing and meeting starting at 6:00.  There will be a program, "Intro to Collage", so get ready for a great meeting. Bring your projects you have been working on, I sure miss seeing what everyone is working on.  Hopefully we can get back to normal sooner than later, now that things have calmed down a touch.  I am so looking forward to this meeting.
Think Positive

See you April 19th 
Winnie Wells


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Several years ago I was sitting in on a county fair judging and I heard the judge (a KPQG member) mention that a contestants blocks would lay so much flatter if the person had used a clapper.  Okay – I was not the only one that did not know what that was.  After the judging was over, several of us stayed behind and asked – ‘What is a clapper?’  

That was the beginning of my loving relationship with a piece of close grained, heavy, hardwood that makes the best crisp and flat seams you have ever seen.  Thank you Ms. Judge!   Wonder what I am talking about?  Call a dress making friend or look up Tailors Clapper on the net.  (https://suzyquilts.com/tailors-clapper/ )  You can buy them, find plans to make them, and even find them at yard sales – cause no one else knew what they were either.  Since then, I have also added a ham and a seam roll.  And yes, all for Quilting, not tailoring.

  Point Press Clapper
Tailor's Ham
Seam Roll
 

The right tools make the job so much easier.


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PROGRAM

Tag Team - Pat G. and Julia R.

Quilters do more than just quilt.  Here are the stories of two - Grandmother and granddaughter and what they have been up to.

 (Pat in bottom picture, quilting on her crazy quilt.)








Pat Gilbert finds that her crazy quilt and her volunteer work for American Red Cross have a lot in common.

Crazy Quilt                                                          Red Cross & their Volunteers

  Different size and shapes of fabric                      Different age, ethnicity, experience and yes                                                                                  sizes.

  Stitched together to form top                               "Stitch" volunteers together to form the right                                                                                response team for each particular disaster.

  Put together with what you have                         Teams put together with volunteers available

  Need a backing                                                    Need monetary donations to keep going

  Gives comfort and makes memories                  Gives comfort and makes memories


Pat and her husband Ron, have been volunteering since his retirement in 2013.  She appreciates that they get to pick the areas they volunteer in and that they are there to help EVERYONE.  What they can do is very well defined by the Red Cross and they are supported every step of the way.

Pat remembers a mother breaking down and crying when she found out what Red Cross could do - She got to get diapers for her baby.  Pat remembers two older ladies that had been without food all day and were overjoyed with the monetary support so they could buy something to eat.  Whether it is Fires, Hurricanes, Tornados, Ice Storms, Flooding, what ever the disaster - Red Cross Volunteers are there helping, whether it is a place to shelter; replacing medicine, glasses or health type aides; blankets, comfort kits, or even a stuffed toy, they are there to help.

 (Red Cross ERV's lined up)


Pillow Case Project

One of Pat's favorite projects that she has had the privilege to be a part of is the Pillowcase Project.  It was born from hurricane Katrina.  Red Cross shelter workers noticed that college kids were bringing in their possessions in pillowcases.  The Pillowcase Project was developed for 3rd - 5th grade students.  Before Covid, volunteers would do presentations at schools to help the children understand what is important to take with them if they have to evacuate due to an emergency, along with ways to exit their home and other safety measures.  Unfortunately, due to Covid, this program is currently done only virtually.

I can not begin to tell you even half of the things that Pat wrote to me about her volunteering for Red Cross; however, you can read everything in her own words by clicking here.


Tag - Julia,  Your turn.

Both of Julia's grandmothers (Pat G. and our own Bev. R.) have helped her learn to sew and have taught her along the way.  Here is Julia's story in her own words:

"My name is Julia Rieger, I'm 16 years old and I have been an entrepreneur since I was 12.  I've always enjoyed sewing and creating with my own hands.  I love to make pieces that are one of a kind and eye catching.  My mom and my grandmothers have been very helpful to me as I have learned how to sew.  They show me tips and tricks that I wouldn't think of and I don't think that I would have the skills I do now without them.

I started making T-shirt quilts when my mom and I decided to give away one in our swim team's raffle as a prize.  The person who won the blanket asked if she could pay us to make another one for her.  At the time I was trying to make money for my 8th grade Washington D.C. trip, so I took up the offer.  I finished that blanket and put out an ad on Facebook to make more.  The response was overwhelming.  I thought this was an amazing job to have as a 7th grader.  I could stay home in my comfy clothes, watch TV in my basement and work on my T-shirt blankets.  I would guess that I made around 30 T-shirt blankets over the past 4 years.  But over that time the process definitely changed and improved as I practiced.  I learned easier ways to cut the shirts, better ways to add the backing and generally improved my sewing abilities.  Each blanket would take about 10 hours each, unless I added customization.   They are made with 20 blocks and a flannel or cotton backing.  I do not put batting inside because I wanted them to be lighter and was afraid they would get too heavy.  They are not quilted, though I used to tie them until I realized that the blankets looked better without and it would still stay together.

In my 8th grade year, I entered into a young entrepreneurs contest so that I could improve my business - JbevStudio and Design.  I won 2nd at the county contest and honorable mention at the state contest.  Winning these prizes came with prize money that I will use when opening my next business - Roaming Sun Coffee.  Soon I'm hoping to open a mobile coffee business where I will travel to surrounding festivals and events to sell gourmet coffee drinks.  Over my life I can see myself running all kinds of businesses.  Maybe sometime I will get back to the creative sales side, but for now I think it's time to try something new.

Pictured is one of my favorite quilts that I made.  It was made out of XXL men's professional softball jerseys which provided quite the challenge.  I used about 10 more shirts than normal and added many customizations.  It came out to be about the size of a king sized blanket.  I really like how it all worked together to capture his softball career in one glance.

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Thank you ever so much Pat and Julia.  Very interesting to hear what is going on in not only the Red Cross Volunteering area, but in our own young people's lives.  
Pat - you inspire us all with the work you and Ron have been involved with. Have you finished quilting that crazy quilt yet?  ha ha   I do so hope everyone got a chance to go read Pat's full story in her own words, it is worth it.
  Julia - not only do you tire me out thinking about all of your ideas at your age, but you also made me realize that I wasted a lot of time through my life.  Imagine, with all my years, I could have had 1,000,000 businesses by now.  hahahahahaha

Everyone keep passing along the traditions.
Stay safe.
Hope to see you in person next month for

INTRO TO COLLAGE

If you are working on or finished a collage - please bring your project in and share your own experiences with the group.  That's the fun of a guild - sharing what we EACH learn.







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