Meeting Minutes ~ Inspire. Educate. Give.

MEETING MINUTES

Wednesday, April 5, 2017

Maitland, FL

WELCOME

Jane, the guild’s new Member at Large, introduced and welcomed three guests and two new members and then conducted an Icebreaker, with everyone standing and sitting to answer her questions. There were 57 members and 3 guests present.

New Member Kate

New Member Aradria

OFFICER REPORTS:

PRESIDENT’S REPORT

Sarah reported that the board recently learned, from larger guilds, and with input from the Modern Quilt Guild (MQG), that the guild should have general liability insurance and D&O (directors’ and officers’ liability) insurance, to protect the guild and its board in case of lawsuits, so insurance is being purchase, the requirement of maintaining insurance was added to the bylaws, and the cost of insurance was added to the new budget for this year.

She announced that the guild was presenting a lot of “programming rollout” for the year at this meeting. She invited everyone to participate in as much or as little as they like, no one is obligated to take part, and she especially hopes that no one feels overwhelmed by the number of possibilities. Everything is going to be explained on the blog within a week of the meeting, so that will be your resource to find details.

VICE PRESIDENT’S REPORT

Programming

Paula reported that 11 were present at a Program Committee meeting on March 22, and the guild will have many offerings available for members with a number of them introduced today. She said we will have a bee starting in the fall. She invited everyone to find the details on the blog but also on our other social media platforms, whichever each member likes to use –Facebooks, Instragram, Twitter, etc., as well as email blasts to members.

Cre-Active Club Challenge

New UFO program: Caroline presented the guild’s new Cre-Active Club Challenge, in which anyone wanting to motivate themselves to complete UFOs will choose 6 they love and would like to complete this year and make their own numbered list, #1-6. Every 2 months, Caroline will choose a number between 1 and 6, and everyone doing this challenge will work on that UFO on their list for 2 months. A UFO must be a project that has fiber involved and that has been started. If you are doing this and miss a meeting, the number of UFO to work on will be on the blog. If you keep up with this, you will have completed 6 UFOs by the end of the year.

Unmodern Made Modern Challenge

Alejandrina showed a number of photographs of modern quilts made with nonmodern (all eras of traditional) fabric and noted that Denyse Schmidt, who was the first QuiltCon keynote speaker, and is a big in the modern quilting world, always uses nonmodern fabrics in her modern quilts. The challenge to guild members is to use nonmodern fabric, not necessarily cotton, to make something modern. Comment on the Unmodern Made Modern segment on the blog to sign up; bring your plan for what you are doing for this challenge to the June meeting; complete your quilt by the September meeting. Photos and instructions will be on the blog. This is a personal challenge. Use #omqgunmodern to post photos on Instagram.

Quirky Scrap Quiltalong

Jodi arranged for the guild to take part in its own Quirky Scrappy Quiltalong, based on a quiltalong of several years ago posted by Laila Gardunia at sewnbylaila.blogspot.comhttp://sewnbyleila.blogspot.com/, and ours will be in association with Laila. She is linking with us on her blog and joining our quiltalong. You can find her Electric Quilt drawings of two versions of the quilt on the blog. It requires about 6 yards of scraps, and it is recommended that you use at least 24 fabrics. Members will be emailed information, and it will be on the blog this weekend. Jodi said the quilt is made of only 4 kinds of 4-1l2” blocks (to finish to 4”): square, half square triangle (HST), 4-patch, and quarter square triangle (QST). The quilt is 13 x 16 blocks finishing at 52” x 64”. The signup will be by email. This quilt is to keep yourself or donate if you wish. Jodi suggests you start by sorting your scraps by color.

Nametag Challenge

Paula challenges all members to have a nametag for meetings and has explained this challenge on the blog. There are many nametag ideas on the guild’s Pinterest board, and Paula will be working on her nametag at next Monday’s Sew Day. Melissa has offered a Sew Day at her home for making nametags, if members would like that. Paula said the person with the winning new nametag will win a Sewing Studio gift certificate.

SECRET FACEBOOK PAGE

Sarah explained that the board decided to have a “secret” Facebook page (using the Facebook terminology of a site that is available only to those invited to join). Everyone who has joined the OMQG for the coming year will be invited, and must accept the invitation, to be granted access to the page. The guild uses the blog, email and other social platforms, so no one has to be on Facebook to get guild information, but we will also now have this member-only Facebook page.

INTER-GUILD SWAP

Diana is organizing an inter-guild mini quiltswap and asked how many members are interested in taking part. Of those present, about 20 responded but, because not everyone is at the meeting, she will look for a guild with 25-30 members interested in a mini quilt swap with our guild, like the one we had with the Las Vegas Modern Quilt Guild last year. It will take place in the fall. Everyone taking part will be asked to fill out a form listing their likes and dislikes to go to the member of the other guild who will make a mini for them and will receive a similar list from the person whose mini they will make. Some post photos of what they like on Instragram to help the person making their mini, some give no information. A mini for this purpose will be under 24” on each side. There will be a 2-month time frame. Minis will be shown at a guild meeting, shipped to the other guild, and another showing will be made of the mini quilts received.

TREASURER’S REPORT

Marge reported on income and expenses for the past month, and noted that currently the guild has paid for the general liability policy but not the D&O insurance yet. She presented the Budget for this year, explaining that the board would like a reserve of one year’s expenses to carry over each year, and this budget is short of that. She pointed out details showing that the guild subsidizes the cost of classes with teachers it brings in to teach. She is closing registrations so asks that members either pay dues or tell her they intend to; she will put out a new roster this month of current members.

SECRETARY’S REPORT

Mary Sm reported on updates to the bylaws made by the board, which include a section requiring the board to maintain general liability and D&O insurance each year, sections required by the insurance company (an anti-discrimination policy and an anti-harassment policy), the change in name from Charity Coordinator to Community Outreach Coordinator, and the addition to the board of the Education Coordinator, Community Outreach Coordinator, and Member at Large.

COMMUNITY OUTREACH

Mary W reported that the guild’s big community outreach project for the year is making quilts for older children in foster care, requested by the Legal Aid Society. The Legal Aid Society has a goal of 221, but the guild’s goal for the year is 100 quilts (5 were turned in today). They want twin-sized gender neutral quilts, which will be collected at each meeting. They will be collected and presented at the end of the year. Donna Haynes of the Legal Aid Society will have someone at Monday’s Sew Day to share his story of being a foster child.

Mary W said the guild also has a short-term project of making ShareBears for children in the hospital as part of a project by UCF students to make 1,000 bears for children in Orlando, Gainesville, and Fort Lauderdale hospitals. The UCF students provide the fabric and already have the pattern marked on it; members only need to stitch and stuff. The pieces ready to make into bears will be available at Sew Days. Members can make them there or take them home. Mary provided a handout which will be on the blog.

She also reported that Debra J is heading the committee to work on the QuiltCon 2018 Charity Quilt. Mary W needs someone to head the committee to work on the Festival of Trees quilt. She invited all members to consider joining Community Outreach subcommittees.

Beth reported that she will be collecting quilt blocks for guilds seeking blocks for disasters and needs in their communities this year, and she will notify the guild of those requests. She asked that members let her know if they hear of such calls for blocks or quilts. She collected one top and wonky cross blocks for the current project for tornado victims in Georgia and Mississippi.

Mary W reported that the Quilts for Pulse Legacy Committee has received requests for 27 more Pulse quilts for some who provided services after the shootings, and also that it is circling back to OUAC to see if more are needed for survivors and victim families. She said we have about 130 left. Debbe K noted that Val Demings, whose husband received a Quilts for Pulse (QFP) quilt as Orange County Sheriff, has requested one for her Congressional office; Debbie will forward the contact information to Mary W. Dar asked if survivors and others interested can see the notes and letters the guild received; Mary W said she will ask Pamela and her team at the Orange County Regional History Center, which has that information, about that access. She also noted that the QR code is not working and she is still following up on that.

EDUCATION

Exhibits

Education Coordinator Anne described two exhibits that will be part of marking the 1 year date of the Pulse shooting. The exhibits will include photographs and information about our QFP project. One is UCF’s CitizenCurator project. They plan to have a digital show of QFP quilts as well as having some quilts on loan from those who received them. The other exhibit is one focused on human rights at the Pick Museum at the University of Northern Illinois at DeKalb, IL. The QFP exhibit will included in the part of that show about memorial quilts. That exhibit will be mostly digital and will include other famous modern quilts, including Jacquie Gering’s “Aftermath” and ChawneKimber’s “The One for Eric,” as well as one about a shooting that took place on that campus.

Upcoming Classes

Anne also announced that the signup for the Shannon Brinkeley Scrappy Applique class on May 6^th at Dr. Phillips Public Library runs from today for 10 days. Anne said Shannon will teach how to make the fabric from which scrappy appliqué is cut and will teach 4 finishing techniques for appliqué. You can use your own appliqué pattern, or you can find many on Shannon’s website for under $10 that include multiple sizes. Members must pay the class fee to be in line for a spot in the next 10 days; if there are more wanting to take the class than seats (20), there will be a lottery among those who have paid. Anyone requesting a seat after the 10 days will be on a waiting list. Anne will email a materials list when she has it. Future classes include Amanda Jean Nyberg on September 30^th.

MEMBER AT LARGE

Jane introduced herself and said that she is preparing a survey of membership to find out what people want in programming. It won’t be long and can be done online or at a meeting. She says there will be a chance at a prize if you turn yours in to her. If you have questions for the survey to suggest, please email them to Jane.

EDUCATION BASKET & DOOR PRIZES

Caroline returned the Raffle Basket for Rene filled with many special items, including fabric, pins, a pin cushions made by Rene, a Lego sewing machine, and books, among other items. The basket brought in a record high of $77 and was won by Diana.

MQG UPDATE

Debra J started a monthly meeting feature to educate guild members about the Modern Quilt Guild (MQG). She presented a tour of the MQG website and pointed out especially the “Resources (for members)” page under “Community,” where members can see all MQG webinars and all 13 episodes of “Fresh Quilting,” a PBS quilting TV show, among a great deal of other great information. Members who can’t log into the MQG site after membership is updated next week should let Marge know. The address of the international guild's website is themodernquiltguild.com. If they have not done so already, members should register to use it with a user ID (or email address) and create their own password.

BLOCK OF THE MONTH

The beachy colors Wonky Star blocks were won by CC. Susan showed next month’s block, Wonky Disappearing 9-Patch in black, gray and white. Instructions for the Block of the Month for May will be posted on the blog today and will link to a tutorial.

PROGRAMMING: MODERN PRINCIPLES CHALLENGE

Mary So said in order to emphasize “modern” in the guild’s programming, and using an idea for educating its members in the modern aesthetic and vocabulary that was used by the Sarasota Modern Quilt Guild (and related by Sarah), the guild will have 4-5 separate bi-monthly challenges which, together, will result in those participating making a modern mini quilt while learning more about modern quilting.

Step 1 for this challenge is to choose a traditional quilt block and reinvent and alter it to make it modern; Mary showed numerous examples. That block will be elaborated on in future steps. There will be a signup on the blog, and the 1^st block is due at the June 7 meeting. The first block each participant makes will be changed and manipulated at each step, a one-step-at-a-time project towards working modern.

The rules are that the block be: 8-1/2” to finish to 8”-- solid fabrics only -- in a modern palette

Mary discussed what modern quilting is and suggested a number of resources for members, including many at the “Resources (members only)” page under “Community” at the MQG website, including a glossary of terms. She suggested several webinars at that site, including “What’s Modern Quilting” by Heather Grant. She read a definition, which says that modern quilts are:

made to be used,

made with traditional techniques, and

use at least one modern design element [use of negative space, no borders, minimalism, bright graphic palette, improvisational piecing, gridwork, asymmetry, exaggerated scale].

MQG webinars she found especially helpful were those of Shannon Page, Corrinne Sovey, Jacquie Gering and Heather Grant, and “Fresh Quilting” season 1 episodes 6 and 7. She also suggested looking at #moderntraditionalquilt or #moderntraditionalblock on Instragram and the OMQG’s Pinterest board “Modern Challenge series.”

DOOR PRIZES

Door prizes included a quilt pattern, fat quarters and fabric chips, won by Debbie Z; templates with a Kaffe Fassett fat quarter won by Jeff and Aradria, a small iron won by Gail P, and a QuiltCon swag bag won by Patty.