Tote Bags for WC&S

Lovely case workers at WC&S

Member Judy Irvin spoke at the February meeting about work she has been part of at the Women's Center & Shelter of Greater Pittsburgh.  Here is their mission from their own site:

"Women’s Center & Shelter of Greater Pittsburgh is a source of hope for survivors of domestic abuse. By offering a holistic approach to healing, our programs and services provide the safety and support survivors deserve. We welcome survivors of domestic violence at different stages in their journey and work with them to meet their personal, individual needs."

As part of their program, WC&S often provide physical resources.  The need for a sturdy tote bag to carry groceries or personal items is frequently there.  Donations of such bags are always welcome, said Judy.    

Other donation opportunities can be found here.

Totes should be anywhere from 15"x17" to 19"x22", with the larger size being very popular.  They don't need to be overly complicated, but should be finished cleanly and have strong seams.  Below are some of the links suggested by Judy.  Response to the survey sent out by Mary following the Feb meeting indicated that many members would be open to making totes at the May retreat.  

Please bring any finished totes to the guild meetings.  We will be accepting them through the June 2023 meeting.

Free Martha Market Bag pattern

Marie Elizabeth Tote Bag pattern

If you, or someone you know, is a victim of DV, help is available.

Hotline (24/7) | 412-687-8005

Text Support (9a–5p, M-F) | 412-744-8445

New Raffle Opportunities!

 

There have been some nice changes to the retreat raffle!

Now, when you participate in a variety of activities with the guild, you can earn tickets towards the retreat raffle.  In addition, taking part in the quarterly challenges now earns you 5 tickets!

● Completing Quarterly challenges - 5 tickets

● Bonus for completing all quarterly challenges - 10 tickets

● Presenting the Program for a meeting - 5 tickets

● Serving on a committee or event - 5 tickets

● Posting on social media must use #pghmqg- 1 ticket

● Participating in Show n' Tell - 1 ticket

Here's the dreaded fine print : When it comes to social media, you are on your own with remembering to use the hashtag.  Totals for the week will be tabulated on Sunday mornings.  This is not retroactive, so posts from 02/05/23-evening of 02/12/23 have already been counted. 

  January 2023 Meeting Recap

January meeting is a business meeting - recapping the previous year, giving a financial overview and electing a new leadership team.

Please congratulate our 2023 Leadership team:

- President - Mary Gregg

- Vice President, Programs - OPEN

- Vice President, Social Media - Cheralee Stover

- Vice President, Membership - Gail Gausman

- Treasurer - Jen Laverty

Mary's election as President leaves the Program position open. Leadership has decided to hold a special election at the February meeting to fill the position. Any members interested in running for the position, please submit your name and short bio to Judy Kay, Elections Officiate, by January 21st.

Quilt Workshops and Opportunities:

Quilt North is hosting a workshop with Maria Shell, Riffing on Tradition.  This two-part virtual workshop will be held Thursday, January 26 5:30-8:30 pm and Sunday January 29 2-5 pm. Cost for non-members  $70. registration or email quiltnprogram@gmail.com

Three Rivers Quilt Guild is accepting entries for their 2023 show March 30-April 1 at Hollywood Casino at the Meadows, Washington PA.  This year's theme is Drunkard's Path.  The entry deadline is Tuesday, February 21 by mail only.  entry rules    entry form or email threeriversquiltshow@gmail.com

A CMU research team invites marginalized Pittsburgh artists to participate in a virtual immersive gallery research study at the Andy Warhol Museum Pop District.  CMU information

Our next meeting is on Sunday, February 5th in Millvale. We hope to see you there.

  December Sew Day and Holiday Party

   We held our annual Holiday Party and Sew Day on December 3rd. We had a great turnout. 22 members showed up with many different projects to work on. We shared a yummy potluck lunch, held a short meeting with show and tell and exchanged handmade ornaments.

Sew Day

Show and tell

Ornament exchange

Our next meeting is on January 8th. It is a zoom meeting, members will get an email with the link. We hope to see you there.
 

 November Meeting Recap

 Announcements:

-We have a new Guild Committee - Tech Team. Thank you Anne George, Cheryl Hayes, Bernie Kovak and Karen Sandorf for helping the guild as the Tech Team

-Zoom meeting option will continue

-Upcoming election of officers:

  Both President and Social Media positions are vacant for 2023. Judy Irvin will serve as our Election          Officer. Members interested serving as an officer on the leadership team please contact Judy before            December 4th.

  Election will be held at our January meeting.

-Sew Day and Holiday Celebration is on Saturday, December 3rd. Join us anytime between 9am-8pm. We will host a Holiday Ornament Exchange.

Pot Luck Luncheon, 12-2pm.  

 

 - Our QuiltCon Community Outreach quilt is finished! Huge Thank You to Michele Krugh for designing, planning and executing our quilt.

Big Thanks to Sandra Schott for long arm quilting our quilt.

Shout out to all members who worked on the quilt.

- Final Quarterly challenge quilts due by the January meeting.

Our November Programming  : Round Robin Finishing your Quilts

-Facing your quilt - Vivian Benton

-Self binding your quilt - Cheryl Hayes

-Blocking and squaring your quilts - Karen Womack

-Machine binding - Gail Gausman

-Hanging sleeves - Zsofia Molgaard

-Documenting your quilts with labels - Mary Gregg

Show and Tell

Our next meeting is on Saturday, December 3rd 9am-8pm. It is our annual December sew day. We hope to see you there. 

 October 2022 Meeting Recap

Announcements:

-New Guild Committee - Tech Team

                  We are looking for 3 or more volunteers to support the zoom meetings with;                                                  setting up equipment, welcoming participants, responding chat surveys etc.

                  Training will be provided! If interested please reach out to leadership.

- QuiltCon registration is open.   QuiltCon 2023 - Atlanta, Georgia February 23-26 / more information is at the MQG website 

-MQG Sessions, a virtual conference with 20 workshops and lectures, is October 13-16. Sign up is open on the MQG website.

-Our Charity Quilt is ready for binding and label. We are looking for a volunteer to finish our quilt.

-PA National Quilt Extravaganza : we had 20 quilts on display, see below

Our October Meeting focused on bag making. 

Karen talked about :

                               -different styles of bags, 

                               -fabric choices

                               -interfacing

                              -zippers and

 Charelee talked about:

                              -how to use specialty fabrics

                              - how to use grommets

                              -how to upcycle leather and other materials

Karen and Charelee thank you so much for a very informative presentation. 

Show and Tell

Our next meeting is on November 6th at 1 pm. 

Topic:   Finishing your quilt.  Demos on binding, facing,  labels, hanging sleeves etc.

We hope to see you there.