How many days until _____?  What needs to be finished? Or started?  Can I get it done by then?  Will I?  And did I forget anyone?  Well, it is that time of year when such thoughts keep us busy from this project to that one. Many years ago my family decided that our gifts to each other would be hand made.  We were really good about that for the first few years, but bit by bit the lines have gotten fuzzy and vague and time more precious and elusive. When I’m asked, I always say, “Please, something made by your hands and heart.” I hope you are busy doing and making and sharing that precious gift of you with your loved ones.

 Our guild is busy in so many ways. We are just weeks away from our Christmas Luncheon. I hope you will be there. Don’t miss the PM Group’s potluck on their meeting night. Then, we welcome the New Year with a day of commitment to our work for Providence Hospital and Comfort Quilts. I hope you will work with us on this day to help with our beautiful quilts made by our hands. We have Reynola’s workshop for Storm at Sea on January 28^th. Your board is working on details for a retreat at Camp Brotherhood in April, a week after our Studio Tour, and then the much anticipated Apron Challenge in June. 

I hope you all will record the moments of the holidays in some way, either a letter to yourself, a journal, or a quilt of memories. It is your gift to those who follow in the “somedays” to come. Have a wonderful and meaningful Christmas and holiday.

--opal

 Upcoming Events

 December 7^th Christmas Luncheon

“The Twelve Days of Christmas” will be held in the Floyd Norgaard Hall on Wednesday, December 7^th from 11-2. You may start arriving at 10:30am. For those who would like to help set up, arrive at 8am. It just takes about 30 minutes or so for tables and chairs. Liz O’Neill is still collecting items for the auction. For the wallhanging exchange, you can still bring items the day of the luncheon. Karen Lowry still has a few more tickets if you would like to invite a friend.

 Please mark your new 2012 calendars for the Comfort Quilt Sew Day on January 4, at the LDS Church at 10am.  We will have a wonderful salad bar with greens, dressings, and rolls provided; bring your favorite salad topping or ingredient to add to the buffet.  The quilt pattern for the day has been provided and you can still get a copy at the Christmas luncheon.  For the January meeting, bring your sewing machine to make a quilt top or just come and help iron, cut out 5" squares, cut custom batting sizes, eat and really have fun!!!

 Our donations to Providence are so appreciated.  Addie M. and Linda W. delivered about 50 quilts and 75 hats to the Children's Center on Nov. 17.  The staff was absolutely giddy - opening up each bag, shaking out the quilts, "oohing and ahhing" over each one - the color, the design, which child would love it, etc.  We were privileged to watch as 2 little boys picked out their quilts - one was a 2 year old Down’s baby and one a toddler in a mini-walker who developed cerebral palsy and partial blindness at the abusive hands of his parents.  It was heart-warming and heart-wrenching.  We are doing a wonderful thing for these children and you should all be proud of the part you play in warming their little lives.  Happy Holidays and have a very Merry Christmas!

 Storm at Sea Workshop

Reynola Pakusich will be returning to teach a workshop on January 28th on Storm at Sea quilts. This is an amazingly easy pattern that becomes stunning as color is applied. Liz O’Neil will have sign-ups at the December and January meetings. The following link has ideas: http://quiltinspiration.blogspot.com/2011/03/storm-at-sea-quilt-wrapup-and-free.html

 PM Group

 Holiday Greetings to all....

 It is hard to believe that we are preparing for our Christmas parties: the day luncheon on the 7th of December and our evening potluck on the 8^th. For our evening potluck we would like to start at 6:00 pm at the Methodist Church, since some of you come from work, and we will have a longer meeting.  Bring your dish to share; bring anything you like, as it always seems to work out just perfectly! We will supply the plates and such and coffee and tea.

 Don't forget to bring a yard (or equivalent) of fabric to play our usual game of grab the fabric!! Be sure to wrap it up....as well as a white elephant, wrapped, if you wish to participate in our white elephant exchange. Let's have a great turn-out to finish out 2011.

 JANUARY 5 we will meet at the church in the evening at our usual 6:30 time for our charity sew for comfort quilts. Patterns should be available at the Christmas Party meetings if you would like one. Don't forget to bring sewing machines and other supplies necessary to create our comfort quilts.

 QUILT SHOW 2013 We are already thinking about our next quilt show. If you have served in some capacity as a chairperson and would like to do the same job again, please let me know so I can begin to fill all the positions that make our show a success.

 Our first task will be to name our show. If you have any ideas please email me or call me with your suggestions. We plan to award a prize to the winning name.

 Our plan is to have a meeting in January...date to be announced....for all interested in serving on our committees for the next quilt show. It may seem early to begin our planning, but the time will go quickly, and if we get a good jump start on things, we can hopefully avoid too many meetings!

 Don't forget some Quilt Show name suggestions, and please be thinking about jobs you would like to do...it is a lot of fun, and a great way to meet new people and serve our guild, too.... Judy Irish, quilt show chair (with the help of some other members!)

 Raffle Quilt Sew Day

We will be sewing the Raffle Quilt together! It will be blast to sew all day. Tentatively, the date is February 11^th. Everyone is welcome to machine stitch, appliqué, iron, or do some cutting.

 Quilt Retreat at Camp Brotherhood!

We are excited to announce that we have planned a Quilt Retreat at Camp Brotherhood from Thursday, April 26 to Saturday, April 28. The cost will be $150 for 2 nights and 6 meals. We are also working on a commuter rate for those who would like to sleep at home. It is such a great opportunity to get together and sew whenever and whatever you like. The rooms sleep 2-3 and have a private bath. Rogers Hall is set up for sewing and you can leave your machine all set up when you finally head to bed. I will have sign-ups coming soon! Kristi Willard

 Notices

 It’s not too late to participate in the 5” Trades with Fall Batiks. Please give your packet to Dianne Dalton or Vicky Wyant at the December Luncheon.

 Karen Van Lier bought an old (but still sealed) copy of Electric Quilt 5 on sale and loaded it. She’s having trouble starting the first lesson. Is there a CIQ member with EQ5 experience to contact her some questions? Email Karen at: herkar@wavecable.com

 LaConner Quilt Museum

 Holiday Hours:  We are closed Christmas Eve & Christmas Day. We will be open December 26-30 from 11-5. We are closed New Year’s Eve through January 10 for annual painting & maintenance.

 Artist Reception, January 11, 2012, 1pm Meet Susanne Staton and Thom Atkins

 Registration opens on January 18 for our 2012 Quilt Festival. Four days of workshops led by International Instructors:  Thom Atkins, Joe Cunningham, Sharon Pederson, Elly Sienkiewicz, and Jane Townswick.

 Ends Dec 30, 2011; Together an exhibit by Canadian Fiber Artists paired with artists working in other media, A Quilted Garden with Ann Fahl, AWE: Award Winning Entries from our 2011Quilt Festival.

 Jan 11 – March 25, 2012; Ten Years of Beaded Quilts by Thom Atkins (Reception Jan11) and Variations on a Theme: Wearables and Quilts by Susanne Staton. Our first floor will feature Crazy Quilts & Embroidered Fancies from our permanent collection.

 Fidalgo Island Quilters of Anacortes, Washington, is holding its biennial Quilt Show on April 6 and 7, 2012. This year we are offering the services of a quilt appraiser and, since it’s by appointment only, we would like to get the word out early to those who plan on attending our show and would like to take advantage of this opportunity.