1 Jun, 2022

President’s Message – 06/22

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Viewers Choice-Norma Lopez Burton-When Life Give You Scraps Make Quilts

As our first year as presidents comes to an end, we wish to thank you all for making it such a rewarding (and, yes, exhausting) experience. Seriously, ALL of you have helped in so many ways…volunteering, putting up with our hiccups, offering advice and just generally being cheerful. (Isn’t that the true nature of every quilter?!?)

With all the challenges new leadership faces, we had a few extras with changes of quilt show venues, workshop venues and meeting schedules. But with help and cooperation from many of you, we can honestly say we think this year has been a success and look forward to a positive one next year, as well.

Our final gathering is Wednesday, June 15 @ 6 pm, for our annual Salad Supper. Please bring a salad or cold dish, see details in the following Hospitality section.

We sincerely look forward to seeing you all.

Jody and Margaret
Contact president@northernstarquilters.com

Best of Show(small)-At the Bazaar-Linda Schoenfeld

Best of Show(large)-Good Times Bad TImes-Barbara Camoagna

2 May, 2022

President’s Message – 05/22

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‘Put a Heart on It’ Challenge

This newsletter is most likely arriving in your in-box right after A World of Quilts XLI has ended. In case you are wondering, 65 NSQG members submitted 162 quilts and 16 non-members also participated. We sincerely thank everyone who contributed their time, effort and talent to make this show a success. Special thanks go to Lisa Alfonzetti and her competent and amazing committee for all they did to bring us back to an in-person and fabulous experience in this new venue. We look forward to hearing your opinions.

Chris Economos, who is coordinating the collection and delivery of quilts to Ukraine from NSQG and NYCMQG and others, has informed us that she will have about 100 quilts to send soon. As wonderful as that is, it’s a sad reminder that the need for comfort and support is ongoing. Chris has said that this effort will continue and she will let us know about future collection dates.

Be sure to review the information about our Annual Meeting and Board Election below. We still have an opening for the appointed position of Activities Liaison. Several of the events that fall in this category have been filled so much of the work has been done. We just need one of two members to head up the committee. Please consider volunteering!

The guest speaker at our May meeting is our own Lisa Mason who will present a trunk show of her beautiful quilts. You are in for a big treat! Two lucky people will win our charity raffle prizes! And don’t forget your Show n Tell!

Looking forward to seeing you on Wednesday May 18!
Jody and Margaret
Contact president@northernstarquilters.com

Notice of Annual Meeting and 2022-2023 Board Election
Wednesday, May 18th, 2020 – 6pm

The annual meeting and election will take place prior to our regular business meeting.

Slate of Officers

Co-President: Margaret Cibulsky

For most of my adult life, I lived happily on Long Island where I taught Kindergarten and First Grade for 32 years, where my husband worked for SUNY and where we raised two sons. Three years ago, I moved from Long Island to Stamford, Connecticut and a few months later I joined NSQG, and participate in both Comfort Quilts and the Improvisational SIG. I came to quilting 15 years ago, filled with grief after my husband passed, but I was able to sort out my life by working with my hands, mind, and heart. A few years later, 2010, the NYC Metro Modern Quilt Guild formed, and I have been an active member ever since. That is where I fell in love with improvisational and scrap quilts. Hoping our year ahead is filled with positive energy, good health, and lots of time to quilt.

Co-President: Jody Sullivan

I am married to my high school sweetheart Jim for 54 years. We raised our three children in our 150-year-old house which we were constantly renovating ourselves. When it was finally “finished” after about 30 years, I found time to buy a sewing machine and discovered quilting. I started by taking several classes at The Country Quilter and was hooked! I have now joined the fabric hoarders’ society and spend much of my free time (particularly these past years) making quilts (when not helping with eleven grandkids). I joined NSQG a few years ago and discovered an amazing group of fellow quilters and look forward to continuing in their future.

Secretary: Francine Jacobson

I took my first quilting class at The Niddy Noddy in Croton-on-Hudson in 1980 and I haven’t stopped since! I have a large family and mostly make quilts for weddings and babies. I worked for 30 years as an educator in Ossining and since my retirement I can dedicate more time to quilting. Since joining the guild a few years ago, I have begun to explore many new avenues in the world of quilting and appreciate the opportunity to give back!

Treasurer: Amanda Curley

When I joined the NSQG in 2015, the world of quilting I knew as a child had changed. I’ve been fascinated with the different quilting techniques and approaches and captivated with the quilts made and shared while enjoying the friendship of so many quilters. As we all know, there is a time to give back and in 2021 I decided to volunteer to be the Guild’s Treasurer. Your votes gave me the position and this journey has been as informative as have been the years as a new quilter. As your treasurer, I have managed the monthly accounting with the multiple transactions involved. I appreciate the different budgets and the Chairpersons who responsibly manage them. I humbly recognize the savings that was accumulated over years by diligent members. Being Treasurer has taken precedence over quilting, oh, my! I would like to continue as your treasurer. With the assistance of others, I would like to plan a budget strategy that will provide guidance on how best to prepare for our near future. As we all know, tomorrow’s changes are already here.

Vice President–Communications: Anne MacDonald

I began quilting in 2014, and it was love at first stitch. My mother had been a hand quilter in the 70’s and I learned how to machine piece from my sister-in-law after admiring all her creations. Quilting is a welcome change from using my brain at work, and I especially like the tactile and repetitive nature of the activities – cut, sew, press, cut, sew, press! I joined the guild in 2015 and enjoy being with others that are interested in all things fabric and creative. My favorite guild day all year is Super Saturday and I have found that smaller group activities are a good way to get to know other members. Although we have had some great remote experiences, I am excited that we are able to have in-person activities again! I joined the board first as the Charitable Activities Chair, and then as Assistant to the Presidents and have really enjoyed the experience.

Vice President–Programs: Kathy Tuttle

I am a retired educator who started Quilting when I was waiting for my second grandchild to be born. A good friend of mine told me I had to make a giraffe/measurement chart for the nursery, and she would help me. Having been a sewer for most of my life I thought it was a great idea. That was five years ago. While the project was way over my head, I fell in love with quilting. I am a self-taught quilter with a few classes here and there. I was delighted to join the guild last year, excited to meet wonderful people and learn from experienced quilters. Since joining the guild, I have realized through the many wonderful programs and workshop that my love lies with art quilting. I am a life-long learner and I look forward to in person meetings and workshops as the world opens its doors again in the not-too-distant future.

Vice President–Quilt Show: Lisa Alfonzetti

While being a supporter of the guild since the beginning of my business in 1987, I only became a member in 2021. And shortly after joining, I volunteered to take on the Quilt Show. We faced more than the usual obstacles this past year, including having to find a new venue, but with a great committee working with me we have accomplished a lot and The World of Quilts XLI is poised to be a great show. It makes sense to volunteer for another year to maintain the continuity and strive to make improvements in our new venue. One of the things from this experience that I am most grateful for is getting to know so many guild members better. There is a wealth of talent, knowledge and capabilities, and everyone here inspires me. It has been a great experience for me!

Vice President–Membership: Joanne Visovsky

I’m not really a quilter but was interested enough to join the guild in 2019. As a full-time real estate agent, I don’t have an abundance of free time. I wanted to get back into sewing and liked the idea of Comfort Quilts. As a young girl I hand-sewed doll clothes with my grandmother’s help. Started machine sewing in junior high and high school. Bought myself a Bernina Nova 900 after college and considered it a huge gift to myself! Then life took over and my machine sat idle for decades while I worked and raised our four kids. Now it’s time to get back to creating and I find all you guild members so inspiring! Being on the Membership Team has been fun for me and I look forward to continuing.

1 Apr, 2022

President’s Message – 04/22

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Read our show write-up in ArtsNews!

We had a successful and lively in-person meeting in March and were excited to see so many smiling faces. The Show and Tell aspect seems to be a real hit… and quite inspiring, too. Obviously many of you have been using your time creatively and productively. We look forward to our next meeting on Wednesday April 6 at 6:00.

Leading up to that gathering is a two day workshop with Heidi Parkes where she’ll be guiding us in creating framed quilts. The workshop will be held in our new venue for workshops, the Millwood Fire Company#1, from 9-4 on both Tuesday 4/5 and Wednesday 4/6.

Thanks to Lisa and the quilt show committee, A World of Quilts is well underway with planning and preparations. Please do your part and sign up to volunteer in some capacity. Check the website to see where you’re needed. Remember that a two hour shift gives you a free day pass to the show but of course we hope you’ll do more!

Membership will be voting in May on the proposed slate of elected officers for 2022-2023:
– Co-President Margaret Cibulsky
– Co-President Jody Sullivan
– Secretary Fran Jacobson
– Treasurer Amanda Curley
– Programs Kathy Tuttle
– Membership Joanne Visovsky
– Communications Anne MacDonald
– Quilt Show Lisa Alfonzetti

We’re still looking for someone (or several of you) to fill the position of Activities Liaison so that fun things continue to happen (member sponsored meetings, ugly fabric, Super Saturday, trips, games, etc). Please consider stepping up to help. This is meant to be a shared position with shared responsibilities.

On another note, our June Salad Supper at Kennedy will be held June 15th NOT June 22nd so be sure to redo your calendar if need be.

Looking forward to seeing you soon!

Jody and Margaret
Contact president@northernstarquilters.com

1 Mar, 2022

President’s Message – 03/22

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Clover Pattern

It’s almost time to meet again in person!

Reminder: Meetings will now be on WEDNESDAY evenings at Kennedy Catholic starting at 6:00pm. (Board meetings will continue on Zoom on the Tuesday the week before the guild meeting at 6:00pm.)

On March 16th, instead of a guest speaker, our Special Interest Groups will meet as well as talk with other members. If you are not a SIG member, we hope you’ll take this opportunity to visit the different groups, perhaps join one or maybe create a new one! Our hospitality table will have cookies and a raffle prize table. There will be show pins and charity raffle tickets, membership directories, workshop information, and all our usual meeting ‘stuff’. Bring your book donations for the quilt show to the library. Sign up to help with the Show. Remember to drop off your “Put a Heart on It” Challenge Quilt for the display and voting at our April meeting. And bring other pieces you have made for Show-and-Tell so that we can admire them and learn from you!

On Saturday, February 26, more than twenty-five members gathered at the North Salem Ambulance Corps to make Comfort Quilts. It was a fun day of friendship, giving, and good food!

We have successfully recruited candidates for the board positions for the upcoming Guild election in May. We have not, however, been able to find someone willing to take on the appointed position of Activities Liaison or other members willing to take on one of those many Member Activities we love.

·      If you would like to organize a Super Saturday sewing day, contact us!
·      If you would like to do a Pop-Up meeting, contact us!
·      If you have an idea for a Member Program Meeting, contact us!
·      If you would like to organize an Ugly Fabric Auction, contact us!
·      If you have an idea for our Challenge, contact us!
·      If you would like to organize a Trip, contact us!
·      If you have another activity you would like to sponsor, contact us!

Additionally, there are still many jobs to be filled for the Quilt Show. Sunday help is especially needed. Check the volunteer signup list or contact Helen May to find out what you can do.

Our guild is a success because you make it so!

Looking forward to seeing you soon!

Jody and Margaret
Contact president@northernstarquilters.com

1 Feb, 2022

President’s Message – 02/22

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VOLUNTEER!

Hoping you’re all keeping healthy and warm! These cold days are a perfect time to snuggle up with a quilt on your sofa and perhaps with the book THE SECRET LIVES OF COLOR. The author of that book, Kassia St.Clair, is next month’s guest lecturer. Her book is a top-ten best seller and has been translated into 20 languages. Maybe you have read her first book THE GOLDEN THREAD: How Fabric Changed History?

February newsletters in past years have usually announced events like Super Saturday and the Ugly Fabric Auction but COVID continues to interfere with our normal lives. This year, Comfort Quilts is offering a special Saturday meeting, pre-registration is required. Hopefully we will be meeting in person in March where April and Narci will be collecting the challenge quilts themed “Put a Heart on It”. We should have lots of submissions since we’ve had years to create them. It will be great having a large display at the quilt show.

We know that many of you have been busy finishing up your quilts, sewing on sleeves and labels as well as registering quilts for our show on our website. The show will be here before you know it. A special thank you goes out to Lisa and her committee that have been doing a yeoman’s job making all the arrangements so that we can celebrate the event. More volunteers are still needed. Again, see our website for all details relating to the show.

Feedback from the Improv SIG’s first pop up on January 15th has been positive and Part Two will be on February 5th (and recorded). Tamar Drucker’s pop-up on February 19th will demonstrate using uneven quilt edges. If anyone else, or another group, is interested in doing a pop up to highlight their work, please contact Kathy Tuttle. It’s fun to share and learn from each other.

Jody and Margaret, president@northernstarquilters.com

1 Jan, 2022

President’s Message – 01/22

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With the busyness of the holidays behind us and a new year ahead, have you thought about any quilting goals for 2022? We know that there is a lot of creative energy in our guild and we hope that you will share your knowledge and talents through active participation in guild activities.

How thrilled we were to see so many of you IN PERSON early in December! The excitement of being together was palpable. We all enjoyed the talent shared during our Show and Tell and look forward to seeing more in the future. Doesn’t everyone’s work show better and brighter in the cafeteria? We think we’ll continue to view it there because we can see our creations up close. Keep creating so there will be more to enjoy next time we meet in person! Special thanks to Nancy and Kathy for providing our tasty treats and decor and a big thank you to April for keeping us all engaged and entertained with games and challenges and prizes!

Mark your calendar for A World of Quilts XLI at SUNY Purchase April 30-May 1. A detailed email from the Quilt Show Committee is coming soon. Quilt Registration begins in a few weeks and it helps the Registrar if you get your entries in early. Your quilt does not have to be finished to register. Check our website www.northernstarquilters.com for up all you need to know about registration.

Hopefully you all had a joyous and restful holiday surrounded by family, friends and loved ones. Also, we hope that you’re weathering the latest “scare and strain” of COVID and that you are healthy and well. Take time to take care of yourselves.

A very Happy, Healthy, Prosperous and Creative New Year to all!

Jody and Margaret, president@northernstarquilters.com

1 Dec, 2021

President’s Message – 12/21

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Hopefully you all had a Thanksgiving Day that left you full of abundant thankfulness and joy as much as feasting with family and friends.

We are particularly thankful that we will be able to meet with you IN PERSON very soon. Don’t forget we’re meeting THURSDAY December 9th at Kennedy Catholic at 6:00pm. Vaccinations required. In addition to your face mask please wear your name tag! It’s been a while since some of us have actually seen each other. And be prepared to have a bit of fun because Narci and April have prepared a few games for us! Cookies, coffee and tea will be provided by the guild.

If you have a show and tell and want to share during the meeting, there will be a sign-up clip board at the welcoming table and we’ll make time for you as well. We know many of you have been prolific during this last year and simply can’t wait until the Quilt Show.

We hope you’ve been taking advantage of some of the many interesting and exciting workshops. Be sure to check our emails and website’s calendar from time to time for updates so that you can plan ahead and not miss out on any activities.

The Home page features this year’s charity quilt “Bright Star” with links on how to purchase Raffle Ticket Booklets online. Ticket Booklets will be available for pickup at our December meeting.

Please check out your Member Directory which you should have received in pdf form. We think it’s great to see color photos of members! Hard copies in black and white will be available at our meeting on the 9th if you were unable to pick one up at the last CQ meeting.

We wish you a very joyous and peaceful holiday season.

Margaret and Jody
Co-Presidents, president@northernstarquilters.com

1 Nov, 2021

President’s Message – 11/21

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We’re through October which began with a beautiful gathering outside for our “Fall Social”. And, as spooky Halloween approached, we had a few scares of our own with unsure in-person dates and finding a venue for our Quilt Show.

As we enter November, however, we are grateful that those issues are resolved. We have meeting dates locked in at Kennedy HS, have a contract with SUNY Purchase for the Quilt Show and a terrific line up of lectures and workshops.

We hope you all stay well, happy, fill your days with creativity and have plans to celebrate Thanksgiving with family and friends and good food!

Margaret and Jody
Co-Presidents, president@northernstarquilters.com

1 Oct, 2021

President’s Message – 10/21

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Hi fellow quilters!

What a wonderful start of a “new year!” It was so good to see so many smiling faces and hear your enthusiasm for our programs. While there have been a few bumps in the road, we all have kept a positive attitude and a “can do” approach and that seems to be paying off. It looks like we’ll be back to having an in person Quilt Show in May (actually 4/29-5/1) and we’re working on our in-person meetings.

Wasn’t our speaker, Giucy Giuce, fun and informative?! We look forward to hearing from those who took his workshop and seeing your work. Hopefully you’ll post photos on Facebook and Instagram (with lots of hashtags! — the more #’s the greater the audience).

Speaking of Social Media, we’re looking for someone willing to be our Social Media “expert.” It simply requires posting members’ photos onto the two guild sites. The more exposure we have the more interest we’ll attract. If you’re interested, contact Jody Sullivan or Karen Carlson for access information.

We hope to see a lot of you at our Fall Social (10/9 [rain date 10/16]) at North Salem Ambulance Corps. There will be an opportunity to view and bid on Comfort Quilts’ Summer Project Quilts, buy pins and boutique quilt kits and bags of books, renew your membership and have your photograph taken for the directory if you haven’t already, and get advice at “The Doctor is In” consulting table. And most importantly, you’ll be able to visit with each other in person!

Here’s to a continued year of happy quilting.
Margaret and Jody
Co-Presidents, president@northernstarquilters.com

1 Sep, 2021

President’s Message – 9/21

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Hi all!

We are excited to begin the “new year” with you and look forward to what lies ahead. We’re hoping for a healthy, happy and productive year. Many thanks to the “old guard” who have done an amazing job through challenging times and have created a calendar that looks to be a full one.

We, of course, were a bit stunned when we learned we could no longer have our Quilt Show at West Conn, but with the leadership of Lisa Alfonzetti and her committee we are confident we will find an alternative and Make It Work! There are several ideas being pursued and no stone being left unturned. If you have any suggestions and/or ideas, please share them with one of us.

Our board and guild meetings will continue mostly on zoom for the first few months at least. We’re hoping to have an in-person meeting in December and will keep you posted. Our first board meeting is scheduled for Tuesday September 14 and our first guild meeting will be the following week Tuesday September 21. You will be receiving a reminder with link information ahead of time.

We have been happy to see that many of the SIGs have continued to meet through the past year either with zoom, in person or a combination. Keep us informed as to what you’re doing and creating!

We are planning a social gathering at the North Salem Ambulance Corps some time in October… much like we had last year. It will be a good opportunity to actually see each other, view (and bid on) the Comfort Quilt summer challenges, see displays of other SIGs works, continue Membership work, buy books, kits and more. We’ll keep you posted as to date and times.

If any of you have any questions, information or ideas for us, please don’t hesitate to contact us. Also, if there’s a committee you’d like to participate in, please let us know. In the meantime continue to enjoy your summer and happy quilting.

Margaret Cibulsky and Jody Sullivan
Co-Presidents, president@northernstarquilters.com

1 Jun, 2021

President’s Message

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This June seems very much a time of new beginnings: Spring is bursting forth and seems to be lusher than ever, we are casting off our masks and slowly starting to pick up our pre-pandemic lives — and we have a new Board, ready and eager to take over the reins of the Guild. Thank you again to all those Board members who agreed to serve. We wish you all the very best in the coming year and we hope that you find your experience on the Board as rewarding as we have.

The past year has certainly been a learning experience. Among the challenges we can all be proud of mastering, count the technology that allowed us to continue getting together. Our Zoom meetings and lectures averaged over 65 members each month. Online workshops were full. Small group SIGs met together over the Internet. Not only did we become comfortable with the technology, we discovered its benefits. The online forums helped us get to know each other better, meet others for the first time, and allowed new members, some living miles away, to join us.

We want to express our sincere gratitude to those who made this possible. First, the Board who were unstinting in their support of all the changes that had to be made and so willing to step up and do what was needed to keep the Guild and its programs going. We think everyone will agree that Linda Stern deserves a special shout-out for the wonderful variety of programs that we have enjoyed from creative quilters around the world and Anne MacDonald acted as the perfect emcee, hosting our meetings and allowing us to take part, to chat and to vote. Kudos too to all those volunteers who were willing to take on SIGs and pop-up workshops to meet our need to be together and share our interests. We have been enriched too by the quilts and their stories that members have shared with us.

During the last year, members have been busy quilting! In particular, six of our members – Donna Chambers, Susan Fasnacht , Linda Finegan, Jennifer Larrabee, Judy Simek and Rona Spar – now have their work displayed at the ArtsWestchester Exhibition “Together apART: Creating During COVID”. Congratulations to them all! The works will be on display at the ArtsWestchester Gallery at 31 Mamaroneck Avenue, White Plains. Reservations are required and can be purchased here: https://artswestchester.org/together-apart-creating-during-covid/.

Despite the pandemic, our raffle this year hit a record. At the next Guild meeting, a check for $9,000 will be presented to SHORE/ICARE. Dee Plouffe did an amazing job of organizing the raffle – distributing the tickets, receiving the proceeds and enlisting her lovely granddaughters to pick the winners. Thanks also to Pins and Needles and SHORE/ICARE who rallied their customers and supporters.

Next year’s 2022 raffle recipient will be Friends of Karen. This charitable organization provides emotional, financial and advocacy support for children with life-threatening illness and their families. Judy Gignisi and her helpers will be displaying the wonderful quilt they have created for this raffle come fall. And Rosemary DePaola has generously agreed to organize the assembly and quilting of a striking contemporary quilt for 2023 (we do think ahead)!

The lecturer for our June 15th Guild meeting will be Elizabeth Eastmond. In her lecture, the Abecedary of Quilts, she will talk about the power of quilting and tell stories about how our creative efforts affect our lives and those of others around us. We hope to see you there for our final meeting of the Guild year.

We wish all of you a relaxing and fun-filled summer and look forward to having you back in September, rested and bursting with creative ideas!

Best, Karen and Anne
June 2021

3 May, 2021

President’s Message

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Those of us who were able to attend the Spring Fling last Saturday, had a real treat. The weather stayed fine and even the gusty winds could not sweep away our good spirits and pleasure at seeing quilting friends again. We heard about weddings planned, grandchildren visited, vacations booked —all signs that the spring is bringing new freedom into our lives. We also got to see evidence of how our quilting has taken us through some difficult winter months to reach this point, with beautiful quilt displays from the online SIGs and other Guild members. Thank you to all the volunteers — who set up, manned tables, dispensed quilting advice and handed out goodies — to make this event such fun, and to all of you who came and shared your work and your stories.

This month is the Annual Meeting, and we will be voting on the slate of nominees who have generously stepped forward to serve on the Board and lead the Guild over the next year. Their names and bios are in the Newsletter and we hope that you will come to the business meeting and take part in the voting.

The speaker at the May meeting will be Lisa Walton, all the way from Sydney, Australia! Her lecture is “Traveling Textile Inspiration,” and she will be taking us on a world tour to show us where she has found inspiration in creating her beautiful textile art.

Pop-up Zoom Tutorials this month are about making an NSQG Fabric Name Badge by Karen Carlson on May7th and ideas for making Quilt Label by Linda Stern on May 28th.

We hope that you are all enjoying watching things come into bloom and are looking forward to seeing you at the May meeting.

Best, Karen and Anne
May 2021

President’s Message

Notice of Annual Meeting and 2022-2023 Board Election Wednesday, May 18th, 2020 – 6pm

Slate of Officers

Notice of Annual Meeting and 2022-2023 Board Election
Wednesday, May 18th, 2020 – 6pm