QUILTERS GUILD OF GREATER KANSAS CITY
Post Office Box 22561 Kansas City, Missouri 64113
Website: http://www.quiltguildofgkc.org
Facebook link: https://www.facebook.com/sarah.rathjen.980
nd
Meeting 2 Tuesday of each month at First Lutheran Church 6400 State Line Rd.
Mission Hills, KS 66208 Social Hour 9 AM Meeting & Program begins at 10 AM
VOLUME 39 ISSUE 4
April
2015
President’s Letter
Do you remember who introduced you to quilting? My grandmother taught me to sew, knit and crochet,
although I haven’t knit or crocheted in many, many years. My aunt was a very good seamstress and taught me how to
make clothes, which I did during my early working years. My mother sewed and took up cross-stitch in her later years.
She made a quilt top from a cross-stitch pattern and had it hand-quilted by a group of ladies from the Lutheran Church.
I am the lucky owner of that quilt today. But no one in my family quilted. If you learned about quilting from a family
member, I hope you realize just how lucky you are.
I learned about quilting from public television. I watched Eleanor Burns, Kaye Wood, Georgia Bonesteel and
Alex Andersen whenever I could. I especially enjoyed watching Eleanor Burns. She seemed to have so much fun when
she was ‘stripping’ and tossing her scraps over her shoulder! She made it seem so easy that anyone could do it. Not
only did she inspire me but she gave me the confidence that I could do what she was doing. Isn’t that what every
beginner quilter needs – someone who will not only teach them but also encourage and give them confidence that it is
not beyond their reach.
I have always been crazy about Christmas. Eleanor’s “Quilt in a Day” series on PBS which covered 12 pieced
Christmas blocks was just the kick start that I needed. I watched this series of 12 programs faithfully and thought this
would be the perfect quilt for me to make. I ordered the book. It was “Christmas Traditions” by Wendy Gilbert.
Eleanor Burns came to Olathe in June 2008. I can’t remember which guild sponsored her but her program was open to
the public, for a fee. It didn’t matter; I was going to meet Eleanor Burns.
She was the same in person as she was on TV! Of course, I bought a couple of her books and stood in line for
her to sign them. I had taken my “Christmas Traditions” book even though she was not the author. When it was my
turn, I explained how her programs using patterns from this book had inspired me to start quilting and asked if she
would sign it. She graciously did so. This book holds a special place of honor in my library and Eleanor Burns holds a
special place in my memory. I have not made even one of the blocks from this book but one of these days I will. Even
so, it is a much treasured possession.
Once I had my inspiration, I signed up for a beginning quilting class at Prairie Point. It was so much fun
shopping for the class – my first rotary cutter, ruler, cutting board, pins, thread and fabric. We were to make a six block
sampler which consisted of pretty simple patterns. The first thing this class taught me was that this was not going to be
as simple and easy as Eleanor made it look. Do you know just how important that quarter-inch seam is to quilting?!?!
Close wasn’t good enough in this case. The second thing I learned was how to ‘un-sew’. I never did finish that sampler
but I kept those blocks, some finished and some only partly finished, as a reminder just how important it is to pay
careful attention to what you are doing and to make sure those seams are truly a quarter-inch.
We are having an Enriching Stitching session after our guild meeting in April. Bring something to work on, it
doesn’t matter what it is. If you need some help, have a question or two about how to do something, or would like some
advice, then bring it and someone will be able to help you. If you would like to be somebody’s “Eleanor” by providing
some encouragement and inspiring confidence, then this is the place you need to be. Come and join us. See you there.
Carol
Nancy’s Program Notes
BOARD MEMBERS
President
Carol Crouse
1st Vice President
Program Chair
Nancy Wakefield
2nd Vice President
Workshop Chair
Mary Lou Strahm
Corresponding
Secretary
Marjie Dykman
Recording Secretary
Rosie Bralley
Treasurer
Jeanne Musgrave
Membership/Public
Relations
Becki Bardin
Member-At-Large
Gene Wall
Ways and Means
Becky Ball
Past President
Joan Pickens
Newsletter Editor &
Publisher
Marilyn Moss
2015 PROGRAMS
April 14 – Judy Hill—Trunk Show
May 12 – 13 – Eileen Urbanek –
Trunk Show and
workshop on Desert Sky
June 9 – Open
July 14 – 40th Anniversary of
Guild
August 11 – Lori East – Vintage
Quilts, Quilt Appraisal
Sept 8 – Ruth Powers – Dare to
be Different
Oct 13 – Charity Quilt Sew In
Nov 10 – Carl Hentsch, Color
101,
Workshop on curved
piecing
Dec 8 – Joann Webb – Put That
on a Quilt
Handy Things to Bring
to Guild Meetings
 Your nametag
 A camera
 Some paper and
pencil to take
notes with
May -- We are privileged to have Eileen Urbanek as our
speaker. She is going to discuss her quilts and have a
trunk show. She will also be conducting a workshop on
the Judy Neimeyer pattern, Desert Sky. The workshop
starts after the Guild meeting and lunch on Tuesday,
th
th
May 12 and then goes all day Wednesday, May 13 .
The cost is $50 for the day and a half workshop and
$19.25 for the paper piecing patterns.
June—Open.
Webmaster
Pat Jerez
Minutes of the meetings
& the Treasurer’s
Report are always
posted on the bulletin
board at the regular
monthly meetings.
Reminder – if on the day
of our regularly
scheduled meeting, KC
public schools are
closed due to
inclement weather, our
guild meeting is
automatically
cancelled…
Please submit
information for the
newsletter to Marilyn
Moss no later than the
23rd of the month.
April – Our own Guild member Judy Hill will
give a trunk show. Judy has a background in Home
Economics and Art. If you were able to come to the
last Quilt Show, you saw her wonderful quilts, and you
can see her Art influence. We are always excited to
showcase one of our Guild members. We are also
having a survey handout at this meeting. We are
starting on programs for 2016 and on; we would love
your input.
July– This is the annual meeting, but with a twist this
th
year. Our program will be the celebration of our 40
Anniversary. Quilters Guild of Greater Kansas City has
a rich history that many of us don’t know.
More information will be coming about this.
DESERT SKY WORKSHOP by Eileen Urbanek
MAY WORKSHOP
Desert Sky pattern created by Judy Neimeyer and taught by Eileen Urbanek.
Tuesday afternoon, May 12, from 1:00 to 4:00 and all day Wednesday, May 13, 2015 from 9:00
to 4:00.
You will need to bring a lunch both days.
Cost is $50 for the day and a half workshop and $19.25 for the paper piecing pattern (required).
You will also need about 24 fat quarters. Eileen will be at Quilters Station in Lee’s Summit on
Monday, May 11 from 2:00 p.m. until the shop closes to help with selection of fabric.
We request that you pay when you sign up. We cannot hold spots for this workshop.
Questions? Call Mary Lou Strahm.
2015 Mystery Quilt
Wall is 39”x39”, Twin is 57”x75” or Queen is 75”x84”
Clue #2
(See last month's newsletter for Clue #1)
Take out background fabric bag and Fabric B bag. At
the end of each background fabric rectangle that has
a sewn triangle, place a fabric B square so the
sewing line is perpendicular to the other already sewn
line. See diagram for fabric placement. Sew on the
line drawn. Trim seam to 1/4 “ seam allowance. Press
toward background fabric if dark or fabric B if
background is light. Repeat until all rectangles are
sewn. This is the “flip and sew” method. Put back in
background bag. You should have this amount of
background units: W – 40, T – 110, Q – 161. You will
be delightfully pleased if you sew all those cut off
half-square triangles! The design possibilities are
tremendous! Have fun! If you have questions talk
with Sarah Rathjen.
Quilt Shows
Kaw Valley Quilters Guild’s 2015 Annual Quilt Show, Ad Astra Per Aspera: Saturday, April 18th 9:00am – 5:00pm
through Sunday, April 19th 10:00am – 3:00pm. Crown Toyota – 3100 Iowa Street, Lawrence, Kansas. Admission: $5
(children under 12 free). For more information, go to kawvalleyquiltersguild.org
Trail’s End Western Heritage Days Quilt Show – April 24, 25, & 26. Commercial Building in Sedalia, MO on the
Missouri State Fairgrounds. Hosted by Stover Quality Quilting, Vi Dale, Coordinator. Over TEN different quilt guilds.
Bed Turning Friday and Saturday each day, 11 am and 2 pm. Historic Quilts, Pioneer Life Displays & Demos. Over 150
beautiful quilts. Walls Hangings from the Trail’s End Challenge, Quilt Appraisals available. Awesome vendors and live
music. Trail’s End Commutative Quilt. Cow “Belles.”
KCRQF
The Festival is getting so close - just 2 more months to go! I don’t know about you, but I am getting really excited! Here
are just a few reminders…..
CLASSES - There are still some classes available, if you are interested, sign up soon. Some classes have already filled
and there are a few new ones! Questions have been asked about supplies for classes. Students will be contacted
directly by the teachers and will receive supply lists from them.
VOLUNTEERS - Volunteers will be contacted to confirm the day and time they will be volunteering. Thanks to all of you
who volunteered already. You are truly awesome!!!
JUDGED QUILT NOTIFICATION - If you have submitted a quilt for judging, you should have received notification by the
committee. The last day for submission was March 31.
QUILT REGISTRATION - Thanks to Candy, Mary, and Gene for all their work registering our quilts for the show. The
QGGKC will be well represented!
TICKETS - Ticket sales will continue thru the guild and quilt shops. See Jeanne or Karen at the meeting.
Go to the Festival website (www.kcrqf.com) to register for classes and on Facebook at http://Facebook.com/kcrqf to see
the latest information.
HELP a CUT UP!
If anyone has a cutting mat that needs replacing, now's the time to do it - and
donate the old one for a good cause = your guild's fund-raiser!
Connie Zwego is creating kits for making very simple shopping totes from
donated Home Dec fabrics to sell in our guild's next Boutique. Kits will be
available at meetings for making at home and/or during the afternoon sewing
time following the April guild meeting.
Once the bag is constructed, a custom-cut piece of old cutting mat will give the
bag better shape and a weighted bottom. Please leave your old mats WHOLE
and donate to Connie at April or May meetings for completing the totes. Thank
you!
Got News?
rd
If you have something you’d like to put in the monthly newsletter, please send it to Marilyn Moss by the 23 of the month
for publication in the next month’s newsletter.
The Festival is in the process of securing ads for the Festival Show Book. Do you know of a company,
business, or individual that would like to take advantage of this opportunity? The form is on the
www.kcrqf.com website under Vendors. It is a great opportunity to reach 1000’s of people and does not
need to be quilting or sewing related. The ads are due by April 13, 2015. For questions, contact
Stephanie Dodson at [email protected]
Thanks ! Lynn and Janette
LINDA FILBY-FISHER COLLAGE QUILT ARTIST
2015 EXHIBIT UPDATE
Work from the studio will be represented in the following:
Quiet Grace Celebration of Life Series in Metaphors on Aging, a juried traveling exhibit, is back in the
USA and will be in the Original Sewing & Quilt Expos: March 2015 in Lakeland, FL, March 2015 Atlanta,
GA, March 2015 in Cleveland OH, April 2015 Schaumburg, IL, April 2015 in Worcester, MA, June 2015
Raleigh, NC, and August 2015 Pittsburgh, PA. Other venues TBA.
Unity 6 Medicine Wheel Series in SAQA 25th Anniversary Exhibit is traveling worldwide for the next 2
years [www.saqa.com]. It will be in various locations in Australia through April 2015. Other venues TBA.
Leavings 5 A Telling Series published in Art Quilt Portfolio 21 [www.saqa.com].
From The Outside In 3 A Seeing Way Series in Women's Works, a juried fine arts exhibit, at the Old
Court House Arts Center in Woodstock, IL March 12 - April 24, 2015 [www.oldcourthouseartscenter.org].
Unity 4 and Unity 7 Medicine Wheel Series in Midwest Metaphors, KS MO OK Art Quilt Showcase, at
the Leedy-Voulkos Art Center in Kansas City, MO May 1 [First Friday] - June 27, 2015 [www.leedyvoulos.com].
Unity 5 Medicine Wheel Series in Fantastic Fibers, a juried textile arts exhibit, at the Yeiser Art Center in
Paducah, KY April 11 - June 6, 2015 [www.theyeiser.org].
Sew, Eat, Repeat Retreat
Join us for an exciting new experience -- Sew, Eat, Repeat Retreat on October 6-9,
2015. We are returning to The Barn in Valley Falls, Kansas for a second year.
This retreat is a “no frills, get your project done kind of stay!” The Barn has a beautiful
setting with large meeting areas with tables and several design walls at our disposal. We
have room for 16 participants – first come, first served! Breakfast and dinner is served by
the Barn, however, please provide your own lunch and/or something to share for the
midday meal. Refrigerators are available for food storage. No Crockpots, please. Arrival is
not before noon on October 6 and departure by noon on the 9th.
Accommodations are very comfortable with spacious rooms. You can room alone, or with
2 or 3 other people. Prices are: for 1 person in a room $499.30. Two people: $254.65.
Three people: $218.17. Four people: 199.93. Deadline to register is Tuesday, September
8, 2015. Return your sign up form and check before then to Ann Bingham or Jan
Jarchow.
One of our favorite things was a dip in their heated indoor pool or a relaxing soak in the
hot tub. You can walk the beautiful grounds if you need a break. Another perk is the
living room settings for talking, watching television, or hand sewing. Massages are
available for $45/hour. Please check this on registration form.
The Barn is locally owned and operated and the employees are warm and welcoming to
quilters! We hope to hear from you soon! Remember, it is first come, first served, so send
the information to Ann Bingham, or turn in sheet and check at guild. See Jan or Ann for a
registration sheet.
WE’RE IN ORBIT!
Now our annual journey is underway. We have 23 members who have challenged themselves by participating
in the UFO program to get rid of theirs and their guilt for having them. Their lists totaled a whopping 585
projects, an average of over 25 per person. However, we must temper that with the fact that some listed items
are as little as a hot pad and one person’s list is 142 by herself.
Already this year, there have been nearly 30 completed and shown – an excellent and promising start! Keep
up the good work, keep those needles flying and let’s see if we can top that next quarter!
PLEASE NOTE
Customarily our guild charges guests for programs of nationally
known speakers. It was decided to charge guests $5.00 for
these program speakers. However, if the guest also takes an
available workshop by the speaker, no $5.00 charge to guests
will be made. Upcoming programs that will incur this fee are:

May, 2015 – Eileen Urbanek

September, 2015 – Ruth Powers
FIND US ON FACEBOOK!
Here’s a link to take you directly to our
page:
https://www.facebook.com/sarah.rathjen.9
80
Or, when you’re in Facebook, put either
[email protected] or our name,
Quilt Guild GKC, in the search bar and
press Enter.
need a ride ? got a ride ?
Attention guild members who are no longer able to drive yourselves to the meetings, our transportation
chairman, Jan Jarchow, would like to hear from you. She will arrange for one of our members to pick you
up and bring you to the meetings. She can’t promise this will happen every meeting but she will make it
happen just as often as she can.
Now for you guild members who would be willing to pick another member up on your way, Jan would like
to hear from you, too. She only asks that you do this maybe 3 or 4 times a year, not every month. She
will coordinate this effort and make arrangements so that no one will have to travel far from their normal
route.
If you have a transportation need or are willing to provide this service, give Jan a call. She’s waiting to
hear from you.