Our Purpose

Established September 2014 through our shared interest, appreciation and desire to educate and promote all quilting styles including traditional, modern and art for future generations.

Thursday, June 25, 2015

Nona Jones presents "small quilts" trunk show inspiring us to explore new blocks

Monday, June 22, 2015

Janet Steinke opened the meeting at 7:00 promptly with the following business:

“Row by Row” has started nationally.  Stop by your favorite shop to pick up your pattern and get started!

“Red & White” challenge – your board listened to your size feedback and will add a small quilt category.  To clarify, we have 2 size categories and 2 style categories:
Small – anything below a total of 216” total (outside dimension)
Large – anything above 216” total (outside dimension)
The two style categories remain the same – Traditional and Art/Modern
This means you can enter 4 quilts, a small and large Traditional style, and a small and large Art/Modern.
Your entries need to be complete by our June 2016 meeting.  Entry forms will be made available later, and turned in at our April 2016 meeting.  For now…….get quilting!

Guild Fundraiser -  Start gathering things to donate for our quilty garage sale, September 28, the 4th Monday, in lieu of our sew in date.  All proceeds go to BRQG.  Items not sold will be donated to Gilda’s House. If you have questions or would like to volunteer, please see Vice President Marie Yutendale.  You can bring items to our August 24 general meeting.  Items will be organized and priced as follows:
Books - $3
Patterns - $2
Fabrics – $1 a yard

BRQG Member Pins – are available to guild members for $12, with $2 going to the guild.  Please see the member table when you check in at the next meeting for a form.

The Program Committee - lead by Barb Walsh is hard at work searching for interesting and new programs for the guild.  Some names being explored are Ann Loveless, ArtPrize winner, well known art quilter Sue Holdaway Heys, Kelli Perkins, author of the Stitch Alchemy and Edyta Sitar of Laundry Basket Quilts.  If you have ideas for a program, please let Barb know.  If you’d like to volunteer to lead or be a part of this hard working group, please let any Board member know as soon as possible as we will be voting on leadership in August, beginning your tenure for the next year.

Election of Officers – yes, it’s that time already at our August meeting.  If you’d like to run, or know someone who would be perfect, let us know immediately. Vetting will begin soon. The Guild does not exist without our generous volunteers, so if you'd like to step up, the newly appointed officers will start in October.  Possible positions are:
President (Janet would like someone to step up…..)
Vice President (Marie will be stepping down)
Treasurer
Secretary/Blog
Membership
Programs (3 people needed) (Barb will be stepping down)

August 24 Program – ‘The Bee from Downers Grove’, five ladies that have quilted together FOREVER, forming a wonderful bond of friendship.  They will present a large trunk show and share how they organized group challenges throughout their years.  Plan to attend and bee inspired to join a bee if you aren’t in one….you don’t want to miss this!

Welcome NONA JONES! - The guild was thrilled to welcome Nona Jones, long time quilter and teacher from Downers Grove, Illinois to our guild.  Nona has made hundreds of ‘small quilts’, or doll quilts as some refer to for many years.  She’s been in the same bee and guild for many years, thankful for the many wonderful quilters she calls close friends as a result.  Nona began quilting in 1975, and recommends everyone join a bee.  We are honored to see this ONE TIME ONLY trunk show!  Her quilts are mostly small, but she hopes they will inspire all of us to try new blocks, or color combinations or techniques by creating small quilts.  She wants us to leave saying “I can do that”…..then do it.  You can exchange blocks, use leftover blocks, or find blocks at antique malls…..just be inspired.  We thank Nona for her enthusiastic presentation!!  Here’s a sample of the quilts she shared including a few large ones for good measure:


































Guild Raffle - We’d like to thank these contributors for generously donating to our raffle, followed by the winners:
Doll quilt rack made by Jerry Nyhof (616)836-7448 – won by Barbara Schippa
Custom Quilts Unlimited of Fennville gift certificate – won by Mary Bos
Pressing Matters ‘red & white’ fabric collections (2) – won by Sue Schultz and Deedee Hanson
Slightly loved quilting books – won by Beth Schmidt

Show & Tell - Members sharing their lovely work this month:
Deedee Hanson, Joan Nyhof, Judy VanLoo, Linda Chambers, Lorelle Eberly, Beth Schmidt and Janet Haines 

Happy Quilty Summer!

Barbara Schippa
Big Red Quilters Guild Secretary



Wednesday, June 17, 2015

General Meeting Reminder - June 22, 2015

Our next monthly meeting is this coming Monday, June 22, 7:00 PM at Beechwood Church, 895 Ottawa Beach Road in Holland.

Big Red Quilters Guild is pleased to present NONA JONES. Nona has been teaching quilting for 12 years and is sharing her doll quilts which have been shown at the AQS in Paducah in the Quilt Engagement Catalog.

Be sure to attend, and bring a few friends.  Remember....no quilting experience needed, just a love of quilting.  Members are free, non-members are $5.00.  We hope to see you there!

Big Red Quilters Guild board.............

Tuesday, April 28, 2015

Tresa Keys presents "Gramma, Gracie, and me, a tribute to 1930's quilts and quilters

BUSINESS:
- Janet Steinke opened the meeting at 7:00 PM, Monday, April 27, 2015 covering the following business:
- A special thank you to Barb Schippa, Vicky Gray and Sally Leep for all the planning that went into the INTERNATIONAL QUILT FESTIVAL Bus Trip in March, which turned a small profit.  Everyone had a great time, and came home tired but very inspired.
- A reminder that the RED & WHITE QUILT CHALLENGE is underway to be completed summer of 2016.  Handouts explaining the rules were available.
- Guild name tags can be purchased for $12.00, $11.00 cost and $1.00 to the guild.
- Next SEW-IN night falls on Memorial Day, so there will be no meeting that night.
- Also a reminder to keep bringing your quilts for SHOW & TELL!!
- Tulip Time Quilt Show begins next week. See the Tulip Time website for details and hours.
- Upcoming programs reminders:
           June – Nora Jones from Downers Grove presenting her doll collection and doll quilts
           August – Downers Grove Quilt Bee will present bee challenges thru ought the years.

RAFFLE PRIZES went to:

- A lovely package of fat quarters from Queen Bee Quilt Shop – Rita Witteveen
- Quilting Essentials – Sharon Lowe
- Thanks to Tresa Keys for generously providing a raffle gift of 1930’s fat quarters and a ticket to their LITTLE TRAVERSE BAY QUILT GUILD juried show June 19-20, 2015, won by Peggy Cleair.

PROGRAM -  Tresa Keys from Harbor Springs, Michigan presented a wonderful and spring like trunk show titled “Gramma, Gracie and me” highlighting her extensive collection of antique quilts as well as quilts constructed using reproduction fabrics.  Her program focused on depression era quilts which she considers an enduring tribute to the resourcefulness of the quilt makers of the times. Her work and collections have been influenced by a longtime admiration and friendship with Judy Rothermel, and Tresa’s early Kansas roots, and her love of American Girl doll “Kit” from the 1930’s era.  Here's a snippet of Tresa's collection:






















 Guess Who???


Glad you could join us!

Barb Schippa
Big Red Quilters Guild Secretary