Time For Another Guild Member Of The Month!

Every month during meeting nights Show & tell, we are always in awe of the many project our fellow quilters have to made for themselves and others! We at the Crossroads Quilters Guild are also lucky to have a large number of quilters in our group that quilt for charity, and this months member is one of the most generous of them all. Every months she takes the time to set down at her sewing machine and make a few quilts and crocheted afghans for Project Linus & W.I.C. She has also been know to bring in a few dozen completed Doo-Rags for the local cancer center as well!
Lets all give a big hello to this months featured guild member Joyce C.!

 

Joyce C.

 

1. Joyce, Can you please tell us how long you have been a member of the Crossroads Quilters Guild and why you decided to join?
As I can recall, I think I have been a member since 2004 after seeing in the EDN (Effingham Daily News) that the guild meeting was on third Monday of the month and to contact Sharon D. for info and I did attend the next meeting

2. How and when did you become interested in the art of quilting?
After retiring and getting bored, I decided to find out how to get started quilting. Went to Angies and picked out Eleanor Burns “Log Cabin” book and got started I was hooked and made several quilts before branching out.

3. If given a choice would you rather quilt by your self or with a friend/group of friends and why?
I really enjoy sewing with others but tend to get more done by myself. Wonder why!!!

4. What do you look for to inspire you when you start a new quilting project?
Fabric and quilt magazines.

5. Do you have a color of fabric that you just can’t stand to use in your quilts? If yes, can you let us know why?
(I) Do not have any special color I don’t like.

6. Do you do any other crafting besides quilting? What kind of items do you like to make?
I do crochet while watching TV and have made several prayer shawls, afghans etc. and now am trying to make some poncho’s for my small great granddaughters

7. Have you been able to pass on your art of quilting to a new generation of quilters?
I also have sewn with the Dietrich grade school third graders helping them sew blocks together to make quilts for foster kids. What a joy that is!!

8. Have you seen any new quilting patterns lately that you are interested in trying out?
Have made a “Bargello” quilt recently but don’t think I will attempt another one anytime soon.

9. The internet is playing a large part in the quilting world today, do you use the internet in anyway (such as shopping) for you quilting?
I do buy online for fabric and yarn . Very convenient especially this past year when I couldn’t leave my husband alone very long.

10. Do you have a favorite internet web site or blog that you like to visit?
I am on “face book” and have several quilting “likes” on there and enjoy reading what others are making.

Joyce C.

11. Who do you make quilts for? Family? Friends? Charity Donation?
All of them but like doing for charity as I know some child might really need one.

12. Joyce, you are very involved with making quilts and other items for donation to the local W.I.C & Project Linus Organizations, can you tell us a bit about why you love to donate your time a skills to help others?
Its just my way of giving back and feel that its what God me to do. Give back your time and talent.

13. Can you take a guess at how many quilts you have donated over the years?
I have never kept count but in all the years I suppose have made several hundred.

14. What do you enjoy the least about quilt making?
Layering quilts is not my favorite thing

15. What do you enjoy the least?
Love piecing quilts and trying new patterns and reading my quilt magazines!

Thank you so much for taking part in our Quilter of the Month post here on the guild blog Joyce!!! Are there any closing comments you might like to add?
Thanks Beth for asking me to be a “Quilter of the Month”

This month I leave you with a few photos of quilts Joyce has made and entered into our guild quilts shows! Thanks so much for stopping by!

Log Cabin Star, Joyce C.

 

Chinese Coins, Joyce C.

 

Spinning Spools, Joyce C.

Guild Member of the Month Kathy S.!

OK, Yes i know, i am way behind on this blog project. But in defence on my own behalf a number of guild members who signed up to take part in this project have now decided the are not as willing to do so. Please remember that in no way would i or will i be forcing anyone on the list to take part if you no longer want to do so. But because of so many of you changing your minds i will be passing around a new list at the next meeting. For now however lets get started!

This months Guild Member of the Month is Kathy S.! First off I want to thanks Kathy for agreeing to take part in the GMOM project and thanks so much for send me her info so fast! Now on to the show!

This Yellow brick Road quilt was made by Kathy in 2006

1. Kathy, can you please tell us how long you have been a member of the Crossroads Quilters Guild and why you decided to join?
10 Years. Steve and I had just moved to Effingham, and i was looking to join a quilt guild. I was a fairly new quilter and wanted to learn more about quilting; I also wanted to make new friends.

2. Has the guild helped you to improve your skills in any way? If yes can you tell us about one?
I have learned that I don’t like paper piecing at all!!! I have also learned the importance of a correct 1/4″ seam.

3. How and when did you become interested in the art of quilting?
I once asked my mother if i ever finished a quilt top would she quilt it for me. I drew up a block pattern i saw in my mind and made two tops! She did hand quilt both tops for me. Steve’s grandmother and his mom both helped me piece the blocks for the two full sized quilt tops. It was many years later before I pieced another top.

4. What do you enjoy the most about the quilt making process?
The most favorite part for me is the piecing of the quilt top.

5. If given the choice would you rather quilt by yourself or with a friend/group of friends and why?
What fun there is in the fellowship of quilting together!!! The laughter, teasing, and working together to accomplish the project is better than and medicine for any ailment!

Kathy (second from left) quilting with some of her quilting buddies!

6. Where do you find your inspiration when starting a new quilting project?
Inspiration is not a strong gift for me. However, i so enjoy making quilts for children who need them, like the ones Linus needs. There can never be enough made if I worked until I die, but I just keep plugging along!

7. Do you have a color of fabric that you just can’t stand to use in your quilts? If yes can you let us know why?
I like color; the more the better for me.

8. Can you tell us the top five things you have in your sewing/quilting supplies that you can not live without?
Not necessarily in this order, but the top five tools for me would be a seam ripper, rotary cutter and mat, rulers, chalk marking wheel, and FABRICS!

Working on a painted art quilt wall hanging

9. Have you seen any new patterns lately that you are interested in trying out?
I purchased, of course, Southwest fabrics that I plan to put in a quilt, and yes i have just the pattern planned to use. I have it all ready with my fabrics, but right now I can’t remember what magazine it was in right now.

10. Who do you make quilts for? Family? Friends? Donation?
Making quilts for family and for Project Linus keeps me very happy.

Working on a Project Linus Quilt!

12. have you been able to pass on your art of quilting to a younger generation?
Two of my granddaughters have enjoyed making small quilts with me. The children in the third grade classes at Dieterich Elem. School have also sewn blocks with me. I hope they enjoyed the process as well.

11. Do you do any other crafting besides quilting? What kind of items do you like to make? Other than doing some hand embroidery work I do not do other crafts

13. Winter is headed our way sooner than any of us will be ready for it! Do you have any projects ready to work on during the cold months ahead?
Always!!!! Will never be through working on quilts

Playing with a friend's Longarm Quilting Machine

14. You have done a little bit of traveling this past year, was there anyplace special you would like to tell us about?
For the first time since our honeymoon 40 years ago, Steve and I took a trip by ourselves, and we drove out West. We visited NM, CO, UT, and AZ. The vastness of this country we call home impressed us greatly. The landscapes, colors, and my fellow America brother and sisters; it all impressed me. We started Spring in FL in late February with the birth of our Ninth grandchild in early March. by late March we were in TN for the 85th birthday of my Dad. We enjoyed Spring here and in late April headed West to enjoy Spring there. What a treat it was.

15. Thank you so much for taking part in our GMOM post here on the guild blog! Is there anyclosing commernts you would like to add?
You are welcome and no.

Thanks all for taking a few minutes to learn more about our fellow guild member! be sure to stay tuned for another GMOM post in just a few days!

p.s. here are a few more quilts that Kathy has made!

Adaptation Of Thimble Berries Kathy S. 2008

Autumn Logs, 2010

Scrappy Depression Block, 2010

Farmers Market, 2008

Guild Member of The Month : Connie!

OK, so i have been very very lax in getting the Guild Member of the month up on the blog lately. I swear i am sorry but family takes first place in my heart and i was needed so…I went! My sister gave birth to a sweet little boy named Paul Marius Trahan or as i like to call him, Cruzer! Well what can i say he just doesn’t look like a Paul to me And finally tonight my Aunt Geneva and i finished canning what has seemed like a endless amount of tomatoes. Tomato juice, Whole Tomatoes, Salsa, Ketchup…. if i see one more tomato i just might scream! Anyway i finaly had the time to set down ang get back in the swing of things here on the blog, so in the next few days you should see a few updates. So lets get started with a very much overdue Guild Member of  The Month!

This time around I sent a few questions to our chosen member Connie T. Now i know Connie doesn’t like her photo taken at guild so i am not going to upset her by hunting down a photo of her that i may have hidden in the guilds quilts show photos… ok so i looked and i couldn’t find any with her in them darn it! Anyway let get started!

First and foremost i want to say thank you for signing up to take part in the Guild Member of the Month article here on the blog! i have been getting some great feedback from our guild members about Guild member of the Month so it looks like it will be here to stay, at least for now! Alright, lets get down to business shall we?

1: Who or What got you interested in quilting in the first place?
- My Mom introduced me to piecing quilts.

2: How old were you when you made your first quilt?
- In my 30′s, never did finish it.

3: Have you ever taught another person to quilt? if yes who was it?
- I have started to teach my granddaughter to sew hopefully someday quilting also.

4: What part of the quilt making process do you enjoy the most?
- Piecing the quilt

5: What part of the quilt making process do you enjoy the least?
- Putting the top, batting and backing together.

6:  Do you have a favorite quilt pattern?
- Friendship Star

7:  Have you ever designed your own pattern for a quilt?
- No

8: Are you working on a quilting project now? If yes what is it?
- Several star block quilts

9: Do you have a fabric brand of fabric that you always seem to go back to when you start a project?
- Moda and Red Rooster

10: Have you ever done any embellishing on your quilts? Would you ever?
- No, I have not embellished, but I’m sure i will some day.

11:  If you had to pick a favorite off the quilts you have made, which one would be at the top of the list?
- Christmas log cabin

12: Do you enjoy quilting more by yourself or with friends?
- I prefer to quilt with friends.

13: Do you have any tips you might want to share with use before you go?
- Measure pieces of batting, put in Ziploc bag with sticky note with measurement.
- Cut thread at an angle before threading needle.

Once again Connie I would like to thank you for helping us out this month I do truly appreciate it!

Be sure to look forward to our next Guild Member of The Month : Kathy S.! Talk to you all again soon!

June’s Guild Member of the Month!

Hello fellow quilters! It’s that time again… Guild Member of the Month time!

This June 2011 Karen R. is our lucky member of the month! Karen was given a few questions that pertain mostly to quilting to answer so we can learn a few new things about her. Before we get started i want to thank Karen for excepting the challenge of being a guild member of the month and putting up with all my questions, thanks so much Karen!

I "borrowed" this photo of Karen from Facebook it was posted by Karen's good friend, and a former Crossroads Quilters Guild member, Cheryl Briseno

Can you please tell us how long you have been a member of the Crossroads Quilters Guild and why you decided to join?
I was involved in the formation of the Guild.  I was involved in the HEA Quilt Show and several people were interested in learning more about the art of quilting. It started out as an Extension project, then evolved into its own entity.

How and when did you become interested in the art of quilting?
We had a former Mennonite woman join our church and she offered to teach us the basics of quilting.  That was probably in the 1970’s.

What do you enjoy most about the quilt making process?
Hand quilting!

Karen made & hand quilted this quilt for her son & daughter in-law.

What do you enjoy the least about the quilt making process?
Matching corners!

Where do you find you inspiration when starting a new quilting project?
Usually with a piece of fabric I can’t resist.

Do you have a favorite completed project that you love more than any other?
My first quilt was a muslin candlewick one – it remains my favorite.

Are you working on anything special now?
I’m anxious to work a deer wall hanging I bought the fabric for at last year’s show; and then there is the BIG EASY pattern I bought fabric in blues I’m anxious to do, and of course, there is the latest wall hanging pattern I bought in MO last weekend…

Quilting and the internet seem to fall hand in hand these days, do you have any favorite quilting sites that you like to frequent?
When looking for a particular block – either a specific pattern or a particular size, I go to Quilters’ Cache.  I also enjoy the Electric Quilt computer program.

Do you have a favorite quilting tool/gadget that you use more than any other?
I love all gadgets!

If given a choice would you rather quilt by your self or with a friend/group of friends and why?
I love the camaraderie of quilting in a group, but accomplish more by myself…

Do you have a favorite type of quilting? Pieced, applique, art quilting, etc. etc.?
Probably pieced, but I do love landscapes for wall-hangings.

Karen's landscape "Poppies At Home" won a second place ribbon in our 2009 Harvest of Quilts show. She also shared with us the photo that inspired the project.

There are many Nationally known quilters and quilt pattern designers in the public eye today, do you have a favorite?
Not really…it depends on my mood of the day.

Do you have any quilting Pet Peeves?
Probably the “snob” factor – and sometimes I am guilty of it, too.  You know, those ladies that pick apart every quilt they come in contact with…

Are you willing to admit how many sewing machine you have in your home?
Only 6!

This September we will be having our annual quilt show, The Crossroads Harvest of Quilts in a new location (The Thelma Keller Convention Center) Are you excited about the move? In what ways are you the most excited about?
I think the change is very exciting!  I think it will take our show to a new dimension…and definitely cooler!

How important do you feel our quilt show is to the community and why?
I think it is a great way to promote quilting…which could become a lost art without someone bringing it to the public to view.

Thank you so much for taking part in our Guild member of the Month post here on the guild blog! is there any closing comments you would like to add?
I’ve made some great friends through the Guild, and even learned to like our local Mexican restaurant….

Once again a big THANK YOU to Karen for helping out this month!
Please let us know what you think about the Guild member of the Month blog article, and if you have any questions or suggestions please let us know!

Your Guild Blogger: Beth Karnes

Guild Member of the Month!

Welcome to our first post on The Guild Member of the Month! Whats guild member of the month? Well each month a randomly selected Crossroads Quilters Guild Member that is willing to participate, is selected to answer a few questions about themselves and there quilting life@ i do hope everyone enjoys reading about our quilting friends as well as learning more about the people we set next to at Guild Meetings!

Our first randomly selected guild member was LeAnn S.!

1.  LeAnn, i know you have been a member of the Crossroads Quilters Guild for some time, can you tell us about how long and why you decided to join the guild?
I was at the first meeting of the “quilt guild”…..thinking that was in 2000! Wanted to learn more new “quilts idea’s”…..and i really have”!

2.  How long have you been quilting & what made you decide to make you first quilt?
Learned to sew very young as my Mother was a wonderful seamstress!  My first real quilt was a baby quilt for my “first” baby, 54 years ago!

3.  Do you have a favorite brand or color of fabric you like to work with more than others?
Really enjoy all fabrics, like the “texture and feel”!  Like reds, pinks and all pastel colors!

4.  Do you have a fabric brand or color of fabric that you just can’t stand to use in your quilts? If yes, can you let us know why?
No not really…..have made satin doll quilts…… which probably won’t be making a large satin quilt after those?

Underground Railroad Doll Quilt

5.  Most quilters i know have a favorite brand of sewing machine, once they find one they like they tend to stick to it forever! Do you have a favorite band of sewing machine and why is it your favorite?
Have always sewn on “Singers”, but now have a “small lite weight Janome” and love it, so easy to take to Guild and to “sewing days”!

6.  Can you tell us the top five things you have in your sewing / quilting supplies that you can not live without?
#1. Fiskars scissors in three sizes
#2.Purple disappearing ink pen for fabric
#3.seam ripper
4.Small 6 in. gauge ruler
#5. Long thin pens with “fancy tops” and pen cushion!

7.  Who do you make quilts for? Family? Friends? Donation?
Family, Friends, WIC, Linus, American Girl Dolls that need to keep warm!

8.  Do you have a favorite quilt shop or place to buy your fabrics? If yes why do you like it so much?
“Angie’s”……she has a lot to choose from and always willing to order what she doesn’t have that your looking for!

9.  To wash or not to wash? It’s a controversial subject in the quilting world, but do you prefer to pre-wash your fabrics or do you like to use them as it directly from the store?
Used to always wash all fabric years ago…..but now don’t, unless is to stuff with sizing!  I like the look and feel of a “new fabric quilt”!

10. Do you have a favorite quilting teacher / author?
Enjoy all the “Quilt Members” that give programs, also thought Ami Simms class was great fun!

Spinning Spools, Ami Simms workshop 2010

11. There are lots of quilting shows on TV today, do you watch them? Do you have a favorite that you just can’t miss?
Don’t have a favorite, when I “find” one on always watch it!

12. How about a favorite quilt pattern? Do you have one that you love to make more than others? One that you love to look at but wont even think about making yourself?
Enjoy making “pinwheels” in bright colors,  I keep “looking” at the “Wedding Ring” patterns….but so far haven’t tried it!

13. Do you do any other crafting besides quilting?  What kind of items do you like to make?
Have always enjoyed all crafts, cross-stitch, knitting prayer shawls, making American Girl doll clothes!

14. Have you been able to pass on your art of quilting to a younger generation?
My youngest two Granddaughters learned to make “one” nine patch each….then told me when they got “old like me they make big quilts”!

15. Thanks so much for helping me out on the first Guild Member of the Month here on the blog! Do you have any final words you would like to tell us before we say goodbye until next month?
I really enjoy going to our Quilt Guild, always feel as though I’m with a group of wonderful friends!

Be sure to watch for next months Guild member Of The Month Feature!
See you all then!
Beth K.