Wednesday, December 16, 2009

Christmas Party Pictures Available

09 TCQ Christmas Party


Just click on this photo to see the pictures of the guild Christmas Party.

Tuesday, December 15, 2009

Jeri Fickes Selected "Quilter of the Year"



Jeri Fickes was selected as "Quilter of the Year" for 2009. This was announced at the December guild meeting.

Tree City Quilt Guild annually recognizes a quilter from the guild who supports the purpose of the guild: “The purpose of the quilt guild shall be to create, stimulate, and maintain an interest in all matters pertaining to the making of quilts and to establish and promote educational endeavors through quilts.”

In the past, the following people have been chosen for Quilter of the Year: 2008-Barb Byler, 2007-Laura Nolletti, 2006-Mary Lou Nuzum, 2004 -Dorothy Pearson, 2003-Mabel Stocker, 2002-Effie Troyer, 2001-Betty Hofstetter. Members who have already been selected as Quilter of the Year are not eligible to be selected a second time.

Members select someone who exemplifies the guild's purpose. This has been someone with outstanding quilting skills, outstanding service to the guild, outstanding teaching skills of quilting and quilt related topics, outstanding leadership skills, outstanding people skills with members and guests, exemplary improvement in quilting skills, significant production of quilts and related projects or other attributes that promote the purpose of the guild.

Tuesday, December 1, 2009

December 2009 Newsletter

Meeting: December 14, 2009 6:00 PM
Parkview Church of Christ
1912 Burbank Road

DECEMBER MEETING: Christmas Party!
Notice we begin an hour earlier! We will be meeting at the church with our pot luck in hand. The committee will provide our place settings, beverages, bread and butter. We do the rest! Also, don’t forget your $10 gift exchange, if you would like to participate. The Snowflake Challenge is due…..Your project must be a minimum of 12 inches and a maximum of 30 inches. Somewhere in the quilt, or on the quilt, must be a snowflake or snowflake fabric. See you there!

RECIPES
Rita’s Walnut Flounder
4-6 flounder filets
1 ½ cups toasted walnuts (bake at 350 until they smell toasty) and chopped
¾ cup flour
2 tsp salt
3 Tbl. Dill weed
¼ cup grated Parmesan cheese
1-2 eggs
½ cup salad dressing of choice
Olive oil
Butter
3 shallow bowls
In one bowl mix flour, parmesan, dill weed and salt. In another bowl whisk eggs and salad dressing. Place chopped walnuts in the third bowl. In deep frying pan or wok, heat oil and butter. Pat filets dry. Dip and roll both sides of flounder in flour, shake off excess. Dip both sides in egg mixture, then roll in toasted walnuts. Place in hot oil. Repeat with each filet. Turn carefully to cook on both sides until golden.

Butternut Squash and Apple Soup
4 potatoes, peeled and cut into ¾ “ cubes
1 butternut squash, peeled and cut into ¾” cubes
2 large McIntosh apples, peeled and coarsely chopped
1 onion, chopped
1 can chicken stock
1 cup water
1 tsp pumpkin pie spice
Dash of nutmeg
Salt & pepper

Combine the potatoes, squash, apples, onions, broth and water in crock pot. Cover and cook on LOW for 6 – 8 hours or on HIGH for 4-5 hours, until potatoes are very tender. Stir in the pumpkin pie spice, nutmeg and salt and pepper. Let sit 3 minutes to blend flavor. Just before serving use a potato masher and moosh down the chunks to thicken soup.

UFO CHALLENG
This is your last chance! Are you stitchin’ away? We will show our last completed UFO’s this month and then draw for the winner of all the ½ yard cuts. Hope you have had a satisfying year…I have! And, I intend to keep on working at my list although I am allowing myself to begin some new projects. I am pretty anxious to cut and sew something entirely new….and complete it before it becomes a new entry on the list!

MEMBER PROFILE: If you have a member profile to turn in, please get it to me so we can get to know all of our members!

MINUTES TO SEW
I am always trying to keep organized in my sewing room. This past summer and fall have been especially trying as I have been bringing home nostalgic bits from my mom’s sewing room as she cleaned it out and moved to a new home. I just couldn’t throw out her old sewing box (!) Who cares that it is 60 some odd years old…it’s pretty! So…I just sorted and put all my rolls of ribbon and trim in that box. Now I’m “allowed” to keep it! I have also gone through my sewing supplies and sorted them into pretty photo boxes that cost me about $1.50 at Pat Catan’s. They look so nice stacked and labeled on my sewing counter. And, when I need binding or ribbon or hem tape…I know just where to find it!

MISCELLANEOUS THOUGHTS…..
Every year in November 2 of my quilting girlfriends and I go away for a weekend. For 10 years we attended the Shawnee Getaway but have now ventured into renting a cabin or room and doing our own getaway quilt weekend. During last month adventure I asked a question and now ask that same question to you.
When, at what point, does a project become a UFO?
Does it have to be incomplete a certain undetermined amount of time? Does having the pattern, fabric and the intentions of making a specific top make that a UFO project? We made certain decisions regarding these questions “just so we understand for the future!”
They have followed our TCQ UFO Challenge with interest and are waiting to hear who wins the fabric!

QUILT SHOPS, SHOWS, SERVICES, AND ITEMS FOR SALE
• Quilting by the Mill, Sarah Bistline, 10368 Old Mill RD, Spencer, Ohio 44275, 330-667-2257 or 330-606-6609, www.quiltingbythemill.com. You need to have your backing 4" longer and wider than your quilt top. Batting available.

Tree City Quilters Guild Officers 2008
President: Jeri Fickes
Vice President: Laura Noletti
Secretary: Jane Richardson
Treasurer: Bonnie Krueger
Members at Large: Lucille Lozier and Vicky Hartzler
Newsletter: Barbara Byler
Baquilter33@aol.com

Sunday, November 1, 2009

November 2009 Newsletter

Meeting: November 9, 2009 7:00 PM
Parkview Church of Christ
1912 Burbank Road

NOVEMBER MEETING: Fixing our Boos-boos!
Join everyone at the next meeting as we learn from each other! Bring a project to share: either one that has a mistake or you made a mistake and corrected it, or one that you need a remedy suggestion. Whew! This meeting could really get us past a “wall” and get a UFO completed!
Don’t forget to bring your Quilto block for the December meeting….Pat Hall has the directions. She needs them at the November Meeting!

DECEMBER MEETING
Are you working on the Snowflake Challenge for December? Your project must be a minimum of 12 inches and a maximum of 30 inches. Somewhere in the quilt, or on the quilt, must be a snowflake or snowflake fabric. Our December meeting is our Christmas party….$3.00, 6:00 at the church with a scrumptious potluck offering!

PROJECT LINUS
Richelle will be attending the November meeting to collect the Linus quilts. Keep on working on the quilts and be prepared to turn them in at the meeting!

2010 PROGRAM IDEAS
Is there something you think would be an interesting program for the rest of the guild? Please keep track of your ideas and bring them to the meeting…pass them along to Cassie and Laura.

RECIPES
PUMPKIN DESSERT
15oz can pumpkin
1 can evaporated (not condensed) milk
3 eggs
1 c. sugar
2 tsp cinnamon + 2 tsp pumpkin pie spice
1 yellow cake mix
3/4 cup butter
2 cups chopped walnuts or pecans
Combine first 5 ingredients. Pour into greased 9x13 pan. Crumble yellow cake mix on top. Melt butter; pour evenly over all. Sprinkle with nuts. Bake 1 hour @ 350*. Serve with whipped topping.

MAGIC ROAST BEEF
In roasting pan place beef roast of your choice, onions and carrots. Top with one can of Coke (not diet) mixed with one can Cream of Mushroom soup. Cover and bake at 350* until desired doneness. Gravy is magically already made! Serve with potatoes, noodles or rice.
CORN PUDDING COMFORT FOOD
1/2 cup butter
4 eggs, beaten
3T self-rising flour
1 jar pimientos, drained
2 c. milk
1 c. half & half
salt & pepper
4 c. frozen corn
2 T sugar
In skillet melt butter, Stir in flour until blended. Add milk and half & half; stir until smooth. Cook 15 min. stirring constantly. Remove from heat. Add all other ingredients. Mix well and pour into greased 9x13 casserole. Bake 350*, 30-40 min. Let stand 10 min before serving.

UFO CHALLENG
Only 2 meetings left to bring in those completed UFO’s!!! Are you stitichin’ away? This has been quite an inspiring year for projects….thank you Jeri for this challenge! The UFO challenge will end at the December meeting with a drawing for the 31 half yards of entry fee fabrics!

QUILTER OF THE YEAR
This is it! At the November guild meeting, we will elect the Quilter of the Year for the Tree City Quilt Guild. This quilter is selected by all the members of the guild and is announced at the Christmas dinner.

Tree City Quilt Guild annually recognizes a quilter from the guild who supports the purpose of the guild: “The purpose of the quilt guild shall be to create, stimulate, and maintain an interest in all matters pertaining to the making of quilts and to establish and promote educational endeavors through quilts.”

In the past, the following people have been chosen for Quilter of the Year: 2008-Barb Byler, 2007-Laura Nolletti, 2006-Mary Lou Nuzum, 2004 -Dorothy Pearson, 2003-Mabel Stocker, 2002-Effie Troyer, 2001-Betty Hofstetter. Members who have already been selected as Quilter of the Year are not eligible to be selected a second time.

You may select anyone else who exemplifies our guild's purpose. This may be someone with outstanding quilting skills, outstanding service to the guild, outstanding teaching skills of quilting and quilt related topics, outstanding leadership skills, outstanding people skills with members and guests, exemplary improvement in quilting skills, significant production of quilts and related projects or other attributes that promote the purpose of our guild. Everyone's vote counts. Please consider this upcoming election for Quilter of the Year and help select the most worthy recipient.

WORKSHOPS
Mark these dates on your calendars. Any questions, please direct them to Laura Nolletti

Saturday, November 14 ROSE OF SHARON with Sharon Chase
9:30 – 3:30 at Parkview Church of Christ
Cost is $10 plus a dish to share at a potluck lunch
Sign up at the September or October meeting and receive a supply list

MEMBER PROFILE: Sue Jusli
Sue has been married for 23 years. She and her husband have 2 sons, both married, and 5 grandchildren! Spending time with them is something both Sue and her husband enjoy. Sue has worked at Wal-Mart for the past 12 years; you may have seen her in the fabric department. Sewing has been a part of Sue’s life for over 30 years! Mostly garments but the birth of their oldest son began her journey into quilting. Other interests include crocheting, some knitting, good movies, and flower gardening. Sue enjoys celebrating the holidays with her family. Lastly, dear to her heart are Life, family, health, and good friends. Thanks for being a part of our guild!

If you have a member profile to turn in, please get it to me.

MINUTES TO SEW
I find that I always want something that I can relax with in front of the TV or with my husband while he works on something. So, while I’m sewing, I think of steps that can be completed without my machine….bindings, embellishments, mending (I know, YUCK…but I’m getting it done, too!) cutting out appliqué, trimming, etc. I set them aside in a pretty box or carrier that I have waiting to take upstairs. Sewing supplies are ready in this carrier so I don’t have to hunt for stuff. This way, I keep time in my sewing room moving along at my machine and I don’t feel as if I am wasting my time on the couch in front of the TV.

A BIT OF HISTORY
Photographer Solomon Butcher documented the settling of Nebraska in the 1880’s with fifteen hundred portraits of frontier families. A folklorist ahead of his time, Butcher also collected the stories of life within the walls of the simple sod houses he photographed. Many of the families chose to drag their sewing machines outside for these portraits, a fact which says a great deal about how important that tool was to ordinary nineteenth-century Americans. The extraordinary sales of sewing machines in the Civil War period and the decades following foretell a growing consumerism and are proof of the “improved” marketing techniques of the period. Isaac Merrit Singer was an especially brilliant promoter of his product. He gave free sewing machines to many ministers’ wives, knowing that, since those women were the arbiters of taste in America’s small towns, the other women in the parishes would want machines, too. He was, of course, quite right: in 1858, Singer sold 3,591 machines; sales figures for 1870 had soared to 127,833 units!

Hearts and Hands, Women, Quilts, and American Society
Elaine Hedges, Pat Ferrero, and Julie Silber, 1987



QUILT SHOPS, SHOWS, SERVICES, AND ITEMS FOR SALE
• Quilting by the Mill, Sarah Bistline, 10368 Old Mill RD, Spencer, Ohio 44275, 330-667-2257 or 330-606-6609, www.quiltingbythemill.com. You need to have your backing 4" longer and wider than your quilt top. Batting available.

Tree City Quilters Guild Officers 2008
President: Jeri Fickes
Vice President: Laura Noletti
Secretary: Jane Richardson
Treasurer: Bonnie Krueger
Members at Large: Lucille Lozier and Vicky Hartzler
Newsletter: Barbara Byler Baquilter33@aol.com