We hope that you all enjoyed your Thanksgiving dinners and are looking forward to celebrating the winter holidays and the end of 2020.
December is the month of giving and the Guild offers many opportunities.
Hopefully you were part of the 45-50 members who were able to attend our special Friday afternoon workshop with Adele Scott teaching simple string piecing and came away with lots of ideas. The holiday “Happy Hour” afterwards split into groups of 5-6 several times over and offered members a chance to chat about holiday sewing, gifts, and plans. One popular gift idea was a ‘Soup Cozy’; we plan to offer a short ‘pop-up’ zoom tutorial on how to make them, possibly this coming Wednesday, December 9th – stay tuned for email details.
Kennedy Catholic will host their Holiday Auction online this year, we’ll be sending an email so you can see the quilts we donated and maybe pick up some gifts of your own.
Is the Guild on your holiday list? See Susan’s update about member gifts to the ArtsWestchester matching donation program. Remember, any donations to the Guild are always welcome! You can make a donation HERE.
Another way to support the Guild is by giving your time and talent. This might involve taking on a Board position or hosting an online SIG or volunteering for various subcommittees.
During the next few months, we will be looking for members willing to take on the positions of President, Vice President Communications, Vice President Quilt Show, Secretary, and Treasurer for the next guild year, July 2021 thru June 2022. The nominating committee will be meeting shortly and making calls. Please consider serving on the Board or talking to a friend about working with you. Taking part in discussions and decisions to keep the Guild alive and relevant to us all as members of a quilting community is rewarding and challenging (in a good way!).
In addition, the feedback we have received tells us that there is a real interest in forming small groups which allow the chance to socialize. One or two of our SIGs have been getting together very successfully online and we are looking at expanding that model to provide opportunities for members to meet around an area of specific interest – applique, traditional piecing, hand quilting – or simply to sit and sew or discuss a regular challenge with a follow-up show and tell. We can provide help with the zoom access, together with tips and support from experienced members. Please let us know if there is a particular group you would like to see take off and that you would be willing to host.
Everyone should have received the Member Directory in pdf form that you can keep on your computer or print out. This year, for the first time, the directory contains photos of members who wanted their picture included and it really helps to put a face to a name. See Carol’s update further on about obtaining your hard copy. A big thank you to Carol Sterk, Rosemary DePaola and Joanne Visovksy who did such a wonderful job of pulling the Directory together.
After the December Guild meeting, the lecture will be given by Bethanne Nemesh. The title of her presentation is “Walk the Creative Path,” and she will be describing her journey from traditional quilting to her beautiful pictographic silk art quilts, with tips and creative suggestions along the way. We will not be able to record this lecture, so try not to miss it. Bethanne’s workshop will be held on Saturday, January 16. Review Linda’s update further on for details and to register.
It is hard to believe that 2020 is coming to a close. This year has certainly been a demanding one, stretching our ability to respond to new norms and testing our resilience. For many of us during this period our quilting has been a lifeline – an enjoyable way to spend our time and also an opportunity to give to others by making masks and comfort quilts and sewing for friends and family. As we look back on this year, we give thanks for this wonderful gift.
We wish you all joy this holiday season.
Stay well.
Karen and Anne
December 2020