QG 2011 Sunday Information Update

Sunday, the 17th, we will be going to the nearby park, Woodland Creek Community Park, in Lacey, WA. It is located 2.3 miles from Super 8 Motel (about 6 minutes). Directions to the park:

1. Head South on College St. SE. toward 3rd Ave. SE. (0.8 miles)


2. Turn Left onto Lacey Blvd. SE. (0.8 miles)


3. At the traffic circle, continue straight onto Burlington Northern Santa Fe RR/Lacey Blvd. SE. (302 feet)


4. Continue onto Pacific Ave. SE. (0.6 miles)


5. Turn Right (destination will be on the right). (305 feet)

Address of the park is: 6729 Pacific Avenue SE. , Lacey, WA.

Park Amenities:

Picnic shelters & tables, BBQ grills, trails, trailhead for Lacey Woodland Trail, Lacey Community Center, fishing dock, Woodland Creek, open play area, children's play structure (swings, freestanding net climber, 4 slides, arched loop ladder, cosmic climber, sky wheel, sail roof, climbing wall), toddler play structure (drums, suspension bridge, wave climber, double slide, climbing structure, activity panel), wildlife viewing, restrooms, parking lot.

QG 2011

QG 2011 will be held at the Super 8 motel in Lacey, WA in their conference room this year. Invitations will be going out this week. Super 8 has rooms available for that weekend if you would like to stay there. The number to call is (360) 459-8888. The address of the motel is: 112 College St. SE, Lacey, WA. The conference room is only available for us to use Friday, July 15th, and Saturday, July 16th. We will be doing Sunday, July 17th, at a nearby park. More information will be provided on Friday, July 15th.

Please RSVP to Mary Jo, your hostess, by July 8th, if you will be attending and how many people will be joining you.

Please bring with you to the QG the following items:

• your own food (especially if you have food allergies)


• any activities you would like included if you were not able to get in touch with Melissa, who will be MCing this year's event


• a recipe that you would like included in the cookbook project


• a camera


• a tracing of your hand


• something to share please


• something for the goodie bags (optional)

There will be games, puzzles, show & tell, time to catch up, group project activity (instructions were included in the invitations), door prizes, and much more. Super 8 has an indoor heated pool and hot tub, a continental breakfast daily from 6am to 10am, and does allow pets. Hope to seeyou all there! Come and enjoy!

Group project activity kits are available if you would like one made up for you. If so, please call Mary Jo or Aunt Mary. Any questions please contact Mary Jo. Thanks!

Changes for the QGN & also the date for QG 2011

Hi Everyone,

As I am starting to get busier with my internship and will be starting classes soon for my GIS certificate, I am thinking the QGN will be coming out probably every other month instead of monthly. So if there is a "lag" don't be concerned. Also the date for this year's QG for 2011 will be July 15th to 17th. If there is a problem or concern with that please let us know and we will see what we can do but that is the tentative date. Thanks!

-Mary Jo

Slide Show Added

To view the new slide show, click on the ORANGE link that is just below the blog title (Just above this post). Let us know if you have any problems with getting the pictures to display for you.

• If this works okay, we will continue to post photos to this location.

• If it ends up that most people have trouble accessing the pictures, we will try something else. Please continue to send in your photos!
  

Be sure to review the last post
and get involved with making the Quilt Gathering
a success again this year.

See you there!

Updates & RSVP Reminders

The March QGN will be out in about a week. I also created a Flickr account to display photos. Still trying to work out the kinks with getting it to appear correctly on here. Here are a few reminders that I need everyone to please RSVP me with your answers.

• One favorite recipe on an index card or typed up electronically and sent to the quilt gathering email that you would like to have put in the cookbook that everyone will get a copy of at this year's QG.


• Your $5 to help with this year's event expenses mailed to Aunt Jo no later than April 15th


• Your preferred weekend choice in July that you would like to see the QG be
  

Thanks!

Quilt Gathering 2011

Hi Everyone, okay we will be having the QG 2011 in July. Please pick from the weekends within that month which one works best and send your top 2 choices via email, text message, or call Mary Jo as soon as possible. Thanks!

Bits of Thread

Hi Everyone, I hope you are all enjoying the newsletters and having fun making new projects. I may be getting a part time job soon helping with a local quilt store website and am hoping that experience can help our own website along :-). If for any reason you are not receiving the newsletters please let me know as soon as possible and I will send them to you.

Some of you have commented that I need to add the link to the projects as an actual link. Well noted I will try to keep that in mind for March's QGN issue. Thanks. Your feedback is always welcome.

I haven't forgotten but am still working on a way to put together a slideshow encompassing our photos and post it on here for everyone to enjoy. So please check back often.

~MJ

QGN letter February 2011 issue

Quilt Gathering Newsletter ~ February 2011 issue

Hello Fellow Quilters~
Welcome to the 6th QGN letter. Reminder time, I still need EVERYONE’S top three weekend tentative choices and of course that includes which month. Please send me that information as soon as possible.
New at the QG this year

“Quilting Jar”
I came across a wonderful book that I highly recommend which I read and then I read it to Mom. She also thought it was a great book. The book is called Christmas Jars by Jason F. Wright. The idea behind the QJ comes from the moral of the storyline in this book. This year we will have a QJ where we will be collecting spare change to help with door prizes & game prizes.

New Items on Website
Recently I added a Recommended Book List to the website for all the books either I am putting in the QGN’s or that I am getting feedback from each of you that you think we might like. Please make sure to check that frequently as it will be updated on a regular basis.

Website tips/feedback
Some of you have recently let me know that you would like to be able to add comments to the QG blog and are not sure how to do that.

One way is to create your own blog and sign in, then go to the QG blog and you can leave a comment.

Another way you can try is to go to the QG and leave a comment as a guest anonymously.

Or a third way would be to go to your favorites/bookmarks or through your list of blogs you follow as a subscriber, go to that person’s blog and leave a comment (similar to the first option except that this option says you already had it bookmarked/were following and the first option said you were not).

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Accomplishments & Works in Progress

Several of us have online blogs where we write and post our photos of works in progress and I would like to make others of us aware of those websites. If you don’t have internet at home you probably could view the sites at your local library.
Melissa: http://mo-craftymo.blogspot.com
Mary Jo: http://deltabelle74.blogspot.com
Seth: http://stresslesscraftmore.blogspot.com
Anyone else have their own blog with your projects you’d like to share?
*****************************************************************************************

Monthly Quilt Pattern/Progject
This month the quilt pattern we thought we would share is The Brick Path Quilt:

http://www.amybutlerdesign.com/pdfs/LotusQuilt.pdf . Please see the enclosed insert for everything you will need- template, sewing directions, materials list, and all the step by step photos that will be very helpful. The finished scarf is 72 “x 72”. Enjoy!

Interest & Reading Corner
What kind of upcoming events/happenings/festivals are you aware of that you think others might enjoy checking out?
Any new quilt or fiber stores of interests?
Are there any new books or magazines that you would recommend sharing?
We would love to hear from you of what new & exciting things are happening near you.

This month has been less soggy and we’ve had a few more days of sunshine here on the Canal. Budget wise it still is a juggling act to afford to get out & about. As always though, that does not slow this geography quilter & “girl of many talents” down one bit ;-).

I recently visited Ruby Street quilting store and came across a local long-arm quilter in my area. Her name is Linda Schmitt and her business is called Enchanted Quilts. She is located in the Steamboat Island area on Hwy 101 between Olympia & Shelton. She does very nice quilting (I still think Linda in Omak is amazing!).
“Upcoming Events”
Sewing & Stitch Expo, March 3rd to 6th in Puyallup, WA. Here is the link: http://www.sewexpo.com/about-expo.htm .

Recommended Reading
Came across some books in the library today in B-town that I think several of you would enjoy. Here is the list:
Knitting Loves Crochet by Candi Jensen
Long and Short Stitch Embroidery: A Collection of Flowers by Trish Burr
Crochet In Color by Kathy Merrick
Knit One, Felt Too by Kathleen Taylor
Knit Green by Joanne Seiff
Chicken Soup for the Scrapbooker’s Soul
The Decorated Journal: Creating Beautifully Expressive Journal Pages by Gwen Diehn

New Idea for a 2nd spinoff letter
“All Things Scrappy”
There are several of us who also like to scrapbook and as you can tell this one newsletter can’t contain everything. I’m thinking of putting together an additional letter to cover as a focal point new stores/items/info whatever that have to do with scrapbooking. It probably will come out to all of you on an every other month timeline. Just something new for the New Year and to look forward to:-)!

QGN letter January 2011 issue

Quilt Gathering Newsletter ~ January 2011 issue
Hello Fellow Quilters~
Welcome to the 5th QGN and to 2011. Welcome to winter! Stay warm & safe out there everyone. It is time to start thinking ahead to summer to when we would like to have this year’s gathering. Which month works the best for the majority of us to get together: June, July, or August? Please send me the top three weekends that work the best for each of you and then we will choose from there.

This year I will be hosting the gathering and it will be here in Union, WA on the Olympic Peninsula. Tentatively we are trying to have it at the Union Community Hall. Our community hall has a full kitchen with 2 coffee pots, a dishwasher, 2 stoves, lots of counter space, a full size frig & freezer, and sink. There are several outlets for plugging in sewing machines, irons, computers, etc. and bathrooms. The community hall is air conditioned and has several full size windows that overlook the Hood Canal that has really nice views during the summer months. For accommodations there are several nice campgrounds nearby and I have some space available at my house. I will be sending more information regarding that and additional information once we set a date and it gets closer.

This year we are asking for your help with expense costs and that everyone donate $5 toward the pot to cover renting of the space. If that is a problem please let us know. Please send the money to Aunt Jo/Mom/Jo/Betty at P.O. Box 1075, Tonasket, WA, 98855 by April 15th by check or money order so that we can secure the place for our special weekend. Thank you so very much for your help and hope to see all of you there!
Additional activities available in Union are: hiking, kayaking and canoeing, swimming, dangling your feet over the edge of the dock and watching the fish, seals, & birds, and visiting nearby quilt and yarn shops (one which is Debbie McComber’s A Good Yarn). This year we will be doing a picnic on Sunday.

Currently Looking For
We are currently looking for good ideas for this year’s group project. Please send your ideas to thequiltgathering@hotmail.com as soon as possible. Thank you.

Quilt Gathering Recipe Book—NEW!!
We need a copy of your favorite recipe as it will be included in this year’s recipe book:-). Please send your submissions to MJB at P.O. Box 449, Union, WA 98592. Or if you would prefer to email it please send it to thequiltgathering@hotmail.com . Thank you!
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Accomplishments & Works in Progress
Several of us have online blogs where we write and post our photos of works in progress and I would like to make others of us aware of those websites. If you don’t have internet at home you probably could view the sites at your local library.
Melissa: http://mo-craftymo.blogspot.com
Mary Jo: http://deltabelle74.blogspot.com
Seth: http://stresslesscraftmore.blogspot.com
Anyone else?
******************************************************************************
Monthly Quilt Pattern
This month the quilt pattern we thought we would share is The Cozy Scarf by Amy Butler:

http://www.amybutlerdesign.com/pdfs/cozy_scarf.pdf . Please see the enclosed insert for everything you will need- template, sewing directions, materials list, and all the step by step photos that will be very helpful. The finished scarf is 17 “x 90”. Enjoy!

Interest & Reading Corner
What kind of upcoming events/happenings/festivals are you aware of that you think others might enjoy checking out?
Any new quilt or fiber stores of interests?
Are there any new books or magazines that you would recommend sharing?
We would love to hear from you of what new & exciting things are happening near you.

This month has been a very soggy/slushy/snowy one. Budget wise it has been pretty tricky to get out & about but I did manage to make it to a few new finds in my exploring adventures.
Not sure if any of you have been to the yarn store in Poulsbo called Amanda’s Art Yarn and you can find her store info at www.amandasartyarn.com . I went there in the end of December month and they have a nice yarn collection in there that several of you would probably enjoy.

A new knitting book I would recommend is Sock Innovation by Cookie A. I would also recommend Speed Knitting by Kris Percival. Both are put out by Interweave Books. I have this book and would recommend it to others as I am thoroughly enjoying it. It is called Knit One Embellish Too by Cosette Cornelius-Bates.
Also a new knitting mystery book series was recommended to me by Aunt Mary by Sally Goldenbaum of which I am currently reading. The first series of books are: Death by Cashmere; Patterns In the Sand; Moon Spinners; and the latest called A Holiday Yarn. You can find additional books by Sally Goldenbaum at www.sallygoldenbaum.com .

Group Question
Do we want to make a quilt for a donation to an organization this year? How do people feel about having a group project that included not just quilting but also scrapbooking and knitting?