Guild Activities
We are a busy guild. Here are some of our guild activities...
Day of Sharing
The biennial Day of Sharing is hosted by the Twin Rivers Quilt Guild in New Bern. It is a grand day long Show and Tell shared with friends from New Bern. Your admission ticket is at least one Show and Tell, which makes this day so much fun. Lunch is served, laughs are often. The QBTS members make a small thank you, usually at a one day workshop in the summer, which is yet another way to enjoy quilting with friends. Reservations are taken, and space is limited.
The next The Day of Sharing will be held October 22, 2007.
Bees
Quilters by the Sea Guild has several bees, many of which take on guild jobs as a group in addition to enjoying each others company and supporting each other. The bees have very different goals: some are hand-quilters, some are challenge groups, some are machine quilters, and some are self-determined! While some bees are closed, here is a list of the bees that are open:
- Carolina Blue (Porter's Neck) meets every Monday 1-4 pm. Contact Helen Brownell at 686-8009.
- Cut-Ups (Hampstead) meet every Tuesday from 1-4 pm. Contact Mary Anne Opalski at 270-3681.
- R & R is a hand quilting bee. They all work on someone's quilt until it is finished. They meet on Thursday evening from 7-9 pm. Contact Kay Berg at 763-1899.
- Silver Bees meet at church where guild is held on 1st and 3rd Thursdays for 1:30—4:30 pm. $2 per meeting for the church. Contact Kathy Reed at 343-0810.
Contact Mary Anne Opalski, Beekeeper with any questions or corrections.
Block of the Month Raffle
The purpose of the Block of the Month (BOM) is to learn new blocks or practice old ones. The advantage of participating in BOM is that you might win all the blocks made in any given month. Pick up the pattern one month (it's different each month); turn in your finished block the next month and perhaps you’ll win!
Challenge Quilts
The Guild Challenge is different every year with the Challenge Committee deciding the theme. Those members who wish to participate make a quilt, usually wall-hanging size, following the Committee's guidelines, which may include fabric, size, pattern or other requirements. The completed Challenge Quilts are then displayed at the April meeting and voted on by guild members for best representation of the theme as well as other categories chosen by the committee. Awards are presented to the winners. Remember - keep your ideas and work secret until voting has taken place.
There are the winners from our 2007 Challenge. You can click on most of the photos to see them larger.
Viewer's Choice
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1st Place
Lise King |
2nd Place
Mary Ann Kotas |
3rd Place
Gone to Pieces Bee
(Becky Bucci, Mary Ann Mineo, MaryAnn Opalski, Barbara Glover, Marie Anne Coadic, Betty Mulvey, Gerry Milhoulides) |
1st Place
Lise King |
2nd Place
Mary Ann Kotas |
3rd Place
some members of the Gone to Pieces Bee |
Salvation Army Christmas Dolls
In September, dolls and bears are picked up from the Salvation Army and distributed to members of the guild. For those members who wish to participate, a pattern to dress the dolls or bears is provided, or you may use a pattern of your own choice. The dolls and bears are due at the November meeting and displayed for our members. The dressed dolls are displayed at a Christmas Tea, to which the public is invited, held at the Salvation Army Church in downtown Wilmington. The proceeds are donated to their many programs to assist the needy in our community.
Salvation Army Layettes
The April guild meeting is our annual Salvation Army Baby Shower. Those members who wish to participate can bring gifts and supplies for babies and toddlers to be donated to the Salvation Army. Guild members can bring donations to any guild meeting throughout the year and give them to the Salvation Army Chair.
Library
The Guild has a wonderful library of books that members can check out for one month at a time with a limit of five books each month. New books are purchased as funding is available and donations of current books in good condition are always welcome. Older books will be available for members to buy at least once a year for a nominal price to both raise funds and keep the library stocked with books on a variety of quilt techniques.
For the good of all members, every effort should be made to return books when due. A fine of $1 per month will be charged for each book not returned on time and the borrower's name will be listed in the Guild newsletter until the book/s are returned. The Library will be open at each guild meeting.
North Carolina Quilt Symposium
North Carolina Quilt Symposium is held yearly. It is usually hosted by a guild or group of guilds in or around the month of June. Held over four days, it includes classes, a quilt show, vendors and other activities decided upon by the guild in charge. Quilters by the Sea Guild hosted a symposium in 2001 at UNCW here in Wilmington. It was a huge success and the profits from the symposium have funded projects including the Victory Junction Gang Camp Quilts, new stands to hang quilts for the quilt show and many, many wonderful classes for our guild members, taught by local and nationally known teachers.
Quilters by the Sea has volunteered to host the North Carolina Quilt Symposium in 2008. It is tentatively scheduled to be held in June. A lot of hard work is required, but it is also great fun. We hope everyone will consider volunteering to help host another successful symposium, which will afford us many more years of wonderful teachers and other benefits.
Retreat
A members-only Retreat is held in January or February at a nearby location, such as Topsail Beach from Thursday evening through Sunday lunch. The stress-free time is spent quilting, relaxing and enjoying good fellowship. Often a few guild members will hold workshops, but many choose to catch up on existing projects or just enjoy the freedom of doing nothing. Room, meals and workspace are provided for a reasonable fee. Space is limited by the size of the facility and registration is on a first paid basis in the fall.
Workshops
The Guild holds periodic workshops led by nationally known teachers, as well as our own talented members. The Guild has a policy of keeping the cost as low as possible by charging a nominal fee for the class and subsidizing the remainder of the cost from annual dues and Symposium profits. 20 to 25 slots are usually available and a waiting list is often needed.
The workshop fee must be paid at the time of sign up. If you find you cannot attend the workshop, you may call and see if there is anyone on the waiting list to take your place. You must then have them send you a check for the workshop fee. Please understand the Guild will not refund your money. We must pay for the teacher whether or not the class is filled.
Suggestions for possible workshops are always welcome. Please give any information you might have about a particular program to the workshop committee. We are committed to providing our Guild members the best speakers, workshops and programs we can afford.
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