MEETING MINUTES - Wednesday, July 5, 2017 ~ Inspire. Educate. Give.

MEETING MINUTES

Wednesday, July 5, 2017

Maitland, FL

ICEBREAKER

There were 52 present including 1 guest and 3 new members. Jane, our Member at Large, introduced the 3 new members, including 2 former members renewing now, and 1 guest, Paula’s mother. Then she divided everyone into 3 groups for a 5-minute Icebreaker scavenger hunt in purses and other bags, thanking everyone for not claiming someone in their group to be a “seam ripper,” since we are all that at times.

PRESIDENT

President Sarah reported that the board has developed a new spending policy limiting board members from spending over $50 without approval by the board. She also said that the guild would like to send cards to members when they should receive our congratulations, sympathy, get well wishes or other message, and she asked that members email the Secretary (Mary Sm) to let her know of the circumstances when cards should be sent from the guild to any of our members for any reason.

Sarah reported that the Makers Faire will be at the Orange County Fairgrounds on October 21-22 this year. We have participated twice, but did not last year, and she asked if there are volunteers who would be willing to man the OMQG booth, if we apply to have one this year, to which 6-7 raised their hands. If the board decides to proceed, a formal signup will be available online for volunteers. It’s a nice opportunity to include quilters among the makers in the community and a fun event for those who man the booth.

Sarah showed us the catalog for the UCF exhibit commemorating the Pulse shootings, “Resilience: Remembering Pulse,” June 8-30, 2017 at UCF Art Gallery. The catalog includes a thoughtful description of the Quilts for Pulse project written by members and UCF assistant professors of digital media Anne Sullivan and Anastasia Salter, “Quilting for Pulse: A Crafted Community Response to Tragedy,” as well as a number of photographs of Pulse quilts throughout. Anne has provided a number of catalogs for members to take today, and, if more are requested, she can get us more.

VICE PRESIDENT

Vice President Paula announced that we will have a program on Tools, Tips & Gadgets in the future, with each participating member taking about a minute to describe the tool, tip, or gadget they want to share with the guild, because she hopes we will have a lot of them. She asked members to fill out a form with their name and email address and what they plan to contribute, and asked anyone who wants to participate to email her if you didn’t give her a form for that today.

CRE-ACTIVE CLUB

Caroline, who is in charge of the Cre-Active Club, is out of town, but this meeting is when those participating show their finished #2 UFO, so they 13 members came to the front with their finished project and spoke a bit about their now-finished UFO. There was a drawing for a prize for someone who had their #2 project today, a book, which was won by Dar.

#4 was drawn as the number of the next project to finish on your list of 6 UFOs, if you are taking part. That finished UFO #4 is due at the September meeting.

BLOCK OF THE MONTH

This month’s Block of the Month is a tree block made of two half rectangles. They were won by Alejandrina.

The Block of the Month for August is a hashtag block shown by Paula. She said that the members who attended the 1^st Facebook Community Summit recently in Chicago (Rene, Michele, and Mary W) came back with plans for the guild to use more social media, and the hashtag block was chosen to encourage and expand our use of hashtags.

The challenge for members is not just to make one or more hashtag blocks for the August meeting, but to also take a selfie with you and a block and post it on Instragam or the members-only Facebook page with your name, one fact about yourself,

AND include the hashtag “#OrlandoMQG.”

The hashtag blocks should have a white or low volume background and modern bright print or solid for the hashtag itself. Instructions for the hashtag block will be posted on the blog today. Those using the guild hashtag correctly on social media will be eligible for a prize. Someone asked whether members not on social medica could email their picture with their block to someone, and that will be considered. Paula pointed out that there is a button at the bottom of an Instragram posting allowing it to be posted on Instagram and Facebook at the same time.

TREASURER’S REPORT

Marge reported that income in June included membership fees, the Education Basket and a check for a fabric auction IOU. Expenses included fabric for the QuiltCon 2018 charity quilt.

Marge asked for several non-board members to volunteer to audit the guild books, as now required by our bylaws annually. Zonetta and Beth volunteered.

RETREAT

Marge reported that there have been some issues for members trying to make reservations at Wyndham Ocean Walk in Daytona Beach for the retreat, Nov. 2-5, 2017, but she thinks they have been resolved. There are still 1- and 2-bedroom rooms available; the 1-bedrooms have 2 queen beds; the 2-bedroom has 1 king and 2 queens. You can stay 2 or 3 nights, but there is a 2-night minimum for our group’s discounted rate. When making reservations, let them know it’s for the “Orlando Modern Quilt Guild Convention” to get that rate. To receive a refund of your deposit from Wyndham, you must cancel 2 weeks before Nov. 2.

She said we have the ballroom for our sewing space from 2 pm Thursday through noon Sunday; though we may be able to stay longer, most have left by then at previous retreats. October is the deadline for reservations, but Marge would like to have a head count of everyone intending to go by September; she needs the total number so the guild can plan for swag and giveaways for everyone. She noted that Beth and Alejandrina are the committee trying to get swag donated by quilting vendors, with Debbie K’s help, so please let them know if you have ideas or contacts.

COMMUNITY OUTREACH

Festival of Trees

Wendy presented samples of the wonky tree and star blocks members who volunteer will be making for this quilt, and she has the fabric packets for those wanting to make the blocks to take today. Finished blocks due at the August meeting, so the quilt can be assembled, quilted, and bound by the end of October. Both blocks were Block of the Month blocks in the past year, and there is a link to the instructions for both on the blog.

Legal Aid Society Project

Mary W was not present, so Beth filled in for her. She reported that there are several groups working together on this project for the Orange County Bar Association's Legal Aid Society, to complete twin bed quilts for young adults aging out of foster care. She said eight are done with two ready for quilting. She also reported that there are ShareBears that are sewn that just need stuffing and finished bears were collected.

EDUCATION

Sarah reported for Anne, who was not present, that Debra J is generously offering the guild a free Leftovers Quilt class on August 19, 10 am, at the Dr. Phillips Public Library [there will be no Dr. Phillips Sew Day in August]. The class will be limited to 20 students, so there will be a lottery if more than 20 sign up. Email the guild to sign up at orlandomodernquiltguilt@gmail.com. Debra showed a quilt in the style of the class and described some of what will be covered – sewing tiny pieces, how to keep it flat, how to avoid birdsnests on the back, etc. If you get into the class, a supply list will be emailed to you. Those getting into the class should take food to share.

EDUCATION BASKET

Paula returned the Raffle Basket filled special needles, a needle threader, Frixion pen, charm squares, and a quilter’s cookbook by Amy Gibson. The basket was won by Ede.

MEMBER AT LARGE

Survey

Jane reported on the survey results which show that most guild members consider themselves intermediate quilters, so she believes we are ready to learn. She listed the top topics people are interested in learning more about: curved piecing, ruler work, FMQ (free motion quilting), big stitches and Sashiko stitching, and geometry in quilting designs. Our members are very active, and active in community service projects, and equal numbers are interested in our two Sew Days, at Maitland Public Library and Dr. Phillips Public Library.

Mentors

Jane described a new Mentor program. She is hoping to get 10 experienced non-board members to mentor newer members, to help them stay on top of our many activities and feel a part of the guild. Sign up with Jane to be a mentor or if you would like to have one.

ADVERTISING ON THE BLOG

The board has decided we should have a space on the blog where members can advertise their businesses, whether quilt-related or not (longarm quilting, binding, photography, CPA, etc.). If you are interested in being listed on the blog with your business information, email the information to the guild at orlandomodernquiltguild@gmail.com.

GUILD LIBRARY

Guild librarian Yanick brings the guild’s library of modern quilting books to meetings. The book list is available at the guild website. Books may be checked out for a month and must be returned at the following month’s meeting.

DOOR PRIZES

Our guest won the first prize and donated it back to the guild. Four members won then won the bright colored door prizes provided by various vendors, including Marcus Fabrics (which gave us 2 yards of a lovely batik), selected by random number generator. The prizes were fat quarters with thread, the batik yardage, and a book with several templates. Winning door prizes were: Mary Sm, Dar, Debbie H, and Joy.

PROGRAM – PROJECT 70,273 – JEANNE HEWETT-CHAMBERS

New member of our guild Jeanne Hewett-Chambers gave a moving program about her 70,273 Project to commemorate the 70,273 physically and mentally disabled people murdered by the Nazis over a 21-month period in 1940-41. They were victims of the Nazis’ practicing efficient mass murder before they began the genocide of the Holocaust.

Jeanne is an engaging speaker, who told us about this project through the personal stories about her sister Nancy, which made this project especially important to her, as well as the horrific history of mass murder by the Nazis, while also being a charming and inspiring speaker.

When she learned this history of systematic Nazi murder of so many disabled people from a WWII documentary on TV, she decided she had to make sure that every one of those lives is commemorated, so she put out a call for blocks and quilts and other needlework with white background and two red X’s, each set of Xs representing one murdered disabled victim. They were put to death when their files, reviewed by 3 doctors who never saw them in person and did not know what was going to happen to the them, were marked with red Xs by 2 doctors, indicating that they were “unfit”; the Nazis called them, “useless eaters.”

3 worked on by our guild members

Jeanne showed a number of the quilts and other needlework pieces that people have contributed to this project, and accepted 3 pieces our members participated in creating. She told us about her recent trip to France, where the quilts hung in a cathedral and 1,272 of the murdered were commemorated. Next year two cathedrals in England will also hang many of the quilts in special commemorative events. She is hoping to finish the project within 21 months, to match the 21 months of the killings in 1940-41. She launched the project on Valentine’s Day 2016.

The nonprofit to commemorate the 70,273 has goals of helping people learn to communicate about what happened and educating everyone who will listen. She wants everyone to know what happened, so it won’t ever happen again. To participate, members can mail blocks to her, ask her to send blocks to be assembled and quilted – piecing or quilting or both, or embroidery or any other method for adding sets of 2 red Xs [the pieces will not be washed].

Beth said our Call for Blocks at this time will be for the 70,273 Project, and the information for making blocks is on our blog. Blocks must be sent with a provenance form (not per item but per mailing). The link to the form will also be on our blog. See Jeanne’s blog for more information: the70273project.org or the Facebook page.

Anyone making blocks for the Grenfell Towers fire victims in England should get them to Wendy, who will be taking them to England.

SHOW AND TELL