Upcountry Quilters Guild Newsletter - February 2025
Next Meeting
Thursday, March 25, 2024 (7 pm)
Pickens Presbyterian Church (311 S. Main St., Pickens, SC 29671)
2025 Officers & Chairs
| Position | |
|---|---|
| President | Cheryl B |
| Vice President | Gretchen C |
| Treasurer | Linda C |
| Secretary | Donna A |
| Newsletter Editors | Janice H, Cheryl B |
| Tea & Sympathy | Stacey T |
| Show & Tell | Beth E |
| Membership | Marina G |
| Hospitality | Mary P |
| Publicity/Public Relations | Tami McL |
| Community Service | Edith P, Kay M, Pam J |
| 2025 Quilt Show Chair | Cheryl B |
| Co-Chair | Kris V, Carol C |
| Sew-In | Kris V |
| Website | Janice L |
| Co-Chair | Beth E |
| Presentation Quilt | Cheryl B |
Meeting Minutes
(Donna A)
UQG Meeting Minutes, February 25, 2025
Meeting called to order by Cheryl B..
Janet Finley offered a quote about quilts-“I was here”.
Community Service: Hands of Hope Pediatric Hospice Nurse offered information regarding their organization. Explaining that they provide service to patients between the ages of newborn to 21. Kay M and Edith P gave Community Service report. So far 10 blankets have been given to Hands of Hope this month. Bibs are also needed. Different size quilts are needed. Batting is available free through the guild. Reminder was given to please wash quilts with no scent detergent prior to gifting the blankets.
Show and Tell was early, so the Hands of Hope nurse could take the gifted blankets with her. See pictures in the February newsletter.
Minutes of the January guild meeting were approved.
Treasurer report was given by Linda C.. Budget report/proposal was presented by Linda C. and approved as reported.
Membership: There were 29 members present with 1 visitor and 1 new member-Tiffany K. Members were reminded that annual dues are being collected. Reminder was given that those members not paying their dues will be taken off the newsletter list.
Special Events information was given by Kris V. Detailed information regarding the Challenge Quilt is on our website under “quilt show”. The Challenge Quilts need to be completed and presented at the July meeting where members will judge those quilts for 1st, 2nd, and 3rd places.
Publicity and Public Relations: Tami M. gave report. She stated she needs 3 quilts with sleeves on the back to display at the Chamber of Commerce, Clemson Extension Office and at the Pickens County Museum.
Tea and Sympathy: Names mentioned for us to remember in our thoughts and prayers were Beth E, Carolyn G, Jean G, and Carol K.. See report in the Newsletter for details.
Website/Newsletter: Janice reported that visitors to website was about the same as last month. One website visitor requested more information about the guild. Janice reminded chairpersons to get their newsletter reports to her by March 4.
Vice President report: Gretchen reminded members that donations for Quilt Show Boutique are still needed. March 26 workshop to be presented by Rona the Ribbiter: Precision points, Y-seams, and Perfect circles. Lecture will be March 25 at our regular meeting and workshop will be the next day, March 26. Payment for this program can be made to Gretchen Conway. We have room for up to 20 participants. Lunch will be served.
April program will be presented by Faye Jones from the Modern Quilt Guild in Greenville-making your quilt more contemporary. You can google her and also find her on Pinterest.
President Report: Cheryl requested that if anyone interested in helping with 4H project to please let her know. Carol C. and Cheryl will be meeting with the contact person to better understand their plans.
Walhalla Performing Art has requested quilts with the following theme: 1902 antique quilt, waterfall quilt, and quilt with music theme.
The Arts and Ag Tour is May 3-4. They are looking for a partner with the Upstate Heritage Quilt Trail (UHQT) at the Farm Girl Delivery. We could sell raffle tickets for our Presentation Quilt and other boutique items we have made.
Pigeon Forge is having a quilt show in June. Cheryl has Quilt Challenge information regarding how our guild could have 5 entries from our guild with the theme “Land that I love”.
The Presentation Quilt will be finished by the end of March. We will get some pictures made and start selling raffle tickets.
Our quilts for the Quilt Show will have to be gathered the first week of September. They will be judged on September 16, 2025 at the Presbyterian Church fellowship hall. More information regarding quilt categories will be available next month. The Azalea Festival is April 26. We will have a booth and sell tickets for the Presentation Quilt and also Boutique items. Volunteers will be needed to man the booth. Sign up sheet will be available at the March guild meeting.
Quilt Shows in area:
- 2025 Quilters of South Carolina – Annual Spring Meeting (March 15, 2025. Registration 9:00 am – Meeting 10:00 a.m.) Columbia Metropolitan Convention Center – 1101 Lincoln St, Columbia SC, 29201-3133
- Workshops with Speaker, Kelly Young (March 14 & 16, 2025 – 9:00 am to 4:00 pm). Cathy Novinger Girl Scouts Leadership Center – 1107 Williams St, Columbia SC 29201
Area guild quilt shows:
- Busy Bee: March 7-9
- Landrum: March 13-15
Hobby Lobby (Easley, SC) is looking for someone to teach sewing classes at their store.
Program: Carol Clanton presented a class on Quilt Labels-The Finishing Touch.
Meeting adjourned.
Minutes submitted by Donna A
Birthdays
(Janice H)
MARCH
Gail S. 3/20
Stacey T. 3/21
Kris V. 3/23
Carol C. 3/27
Jean G. 3/31
APRIL
Tasha C 4/5
Robbie O 4/5
Joy D 4/10
Gretchen C 4/11
Dot M 4/17
Tiffany K 4/24
Newsletter / Website
(Janice H)
Website URL: https://upcountryquiltersguild.com
Contact us: 1 ‘Contact Us’ form was submitted in February 2025, by someone interested in finding out more about our guild. Cheryl will reply back to them.
Website Statistics: July 2024 – February 2025
Month Total Views Total Visitors
July 2024 323 115
Aug 2024 237 104
Sept 2024 167 73
Oct 2024 164 75
Nov 2024 170 68
Dec 2024 186 87
Jan 2025 255 89
Feb 2025 214 74
President’s Notes
(Cheryl B)
Thank you Carol for such good information on labeling your quilts. I think everyone appreciated learning new and different ways to label quilts. We also had a discussion regarding copyright and how we should cite the source of the pattern on the label to assist with recognizing the original artist/designer.
The Azalea Festival will be here before we know it – watch for the sign up sheet in March to plan your time to assist in the booth. Duties will include talking to visitors about our guild, answering sewing related questions, as well as selling raffle tickets for the Presentation Quilt and other sewing related items created by our members.
Quilt Show planning is ongoing. We need a person to work with Mary in the kitchen area. We will ask members to bring a dish for lunch/snacks for both days but Mary will need assistance with the set-up of dishes as they come in and clean-up throughout the day and at the end of the show. I hope everyone is working on a quilt(s) to enter into the show. People love to see your work as it is beautiful. We will have a list and description of each category for members at the March meeting.
Vice President’s Notes
(Gretchen C)
Vice President’s Notes for February 2025
What an informative program led by Carol Clanton presenting, “The Importance of Quilt Labels”, the finishing touch. To summarize, she touched on:
- Why a quilt label? Security, pride, documentation, and provenance (origination).
- Information to add to a label. Who made it, pattern name, date completed, occasion, care instructions and anything else that makes the label your own.
- Using multiple labels on one quilt.
- Printing from a computer. Carol shared resources on websites for your quilt label discovery journey.
Her final words were, “Go Forth and Label”.
Our March 25th meeting, Rona the Ribbiter will present a lecture titled “Adventures of the Traveling Quilter”. On her website, she describes this as a lecture and trunk show where she gives away all her best secrets and tips for the roads quilter’s travel. From Budgeting to Safety, Destinations to Air travel, and a few funny shenanigans along the way.
Then the next day, Wednesday March 26th, she will offer a 6 hour workshop titled, “Perfect Points”. She will teach her techniques for perfect pinwheels, perfect curves and perfect Y-seams. Her website is https://ronatheribbiter.com Misadventures of the Traveling Quilter.
A supply list was sent by email along with the January newsletter as was a registration form. We will not complete the whole quilt, so be free to bring scrap material or just a few fat quarters to sew a few blocks. Lunch will be served.
For our April meeting, Faye Jones will present Making Your Quilt Contemporary. She is a member of Modern Quilt Lab, a group of artists who explore creating modern quilt designs based on specified inspirations.
Membership
(Marina G)
At the February guild meeting, we had 29 people in attendance and had 2 new members join: Tiffany K. and Jae S.
Kaite H.was the winner of the name tag draw gift.
Publicity / PR
(Tami M)
Several quilts are needed for May-July, to hang in the Clemson Extension Office Chamber of Commerce. Tami will not be at the March guild meeting, so please contact her by email ASAP to let her know you have quilt(s) to display.
Please bring the quilt(s) to the April guild meeting for Tami to pick up.
Community Service
(Edith P, Kay M, Pam J)
We enjoyed having Ting Camp come speak to our guild at our February meeting. She gave us a good idea of what Hands for Hope does for families with children who are under hospice care. She thanked us for providing quilts for these children. We donated 10 quilts in January and 3 in February. Remember to wash all the quilts before donating them. All sizes up to twin size can be used. They can also use bibs of all sizes.
We are still trying to make quilts for Quilts of Valor. Batting, back fabric, and quilting are provided by Quilts of Valor. Please stitch around the quilt top about 1/8 of an inch to help when the top is put on the longarm.
Pam and Rick awarded these 2 Veterans with beautiful quilts in February. I would like to again thank all of the ladies in UQG who are working on quilts to help us complete the quilts for the Easley National Guard. DCC will be open for sewing every Friday of the month from 0900 to 1600 until we get caught up with quilts. Please bring your own lunch if you plan to stay all day. You may drop by and pick up material to sew at home. This is a great opportunity for all of us.
Tea & Sympathy
(Stacey T)
Per the February guild meeting:
- Carolyn G. is doing Physical Therapy for her arm.
- Beth was running a fever, but is feeling much better.
- Jean’s husband John had the flu. He is over it and thankful that Jean did not get it.
- Carol K. had a really bad cold and did not want to share with all of us. She is feeling much better.
Oconee/Pickens County QOV / Sit-N-Sew
(Beth E)
Pam and Rick awarded 2 Veterans with beautiful quilts in February. I would like to again thank all of the ladies in UQG who are working on quilts to help us complete the quilts for the Easley National Guard. DCC will be open for sewing every Friday of the month from 0900 to 1600 until we get caught up with quilts. Please bring your own lunch if you plan to stay all day. You may drop by and pick up material to sew at home. This is a great opportunity for all.
March 2025 Events
(Cheryl B)
3/4/2025 Tuesday Sewing Bee 10am – 4p Location: Hagood Community Center, 129 Schoolhouse Street, Pickens Sewing either by machine or a handwork project every Tuesday (March 4, 11, 18, 25). Members work on individual or charity projects as well as mini workshops on techniques or patterns as requested. Bring your lunch or enjoy a soup/bread meal at the Center for $3.00 and join us for a fun-filled day of getting to know your fellow quilters! ***Community service kits and materials available***
3/7/2025 Friday Quilt of Valor 9am – 4pm Location: Dacusville Community Center, 2671 Earls Bridge Road, Dacusville ‘’ QOV members meet every Friday of the month (March 7, 14, 21, 28). Members work on creating beautiful patriotic quilts for veterans of Pickens and Oconee counties. Bring your lunch! Currently working on creating 83 quilts by October 2025 for Easley Reserve Unit currently serving in Syria.
3/25/2025 Tuesday Upcountry Quilters Guild 7pm – 9pm Location: Pickens Presbyterian Church, 311 W. Main St, Pickens Program: Rona the Ribbiter – Tips for the Traveling Quilter Lecture
3/26/2025 Wednesday Upcountry Quilters Guild 9am-4pm Location: Pickens Presbyterian Church, 311 W. Main St, Pickens Program: Rona the Ribbiter Workshop – Perfect Points
Upcoming Quilt Shows & Events
(Cheryl B)
A Mountain Quiltfest at the LeConte Center in Pigeon Forge, TN will be June 10-12, 2025.
Lake and Mountain Quilt Guild will have their show, Art Feeds the Soul~ Create, June 27-28, 2025 at the new Seneca Middle School on Wells Hwy. Their presentation quilt is titled “Japanese Fans” and is honoring one of their former members, Jan Hannewold.
The Original Carolinas Shop Hop is scheduled for July 17-26, 2025 featuring 11 shops in Western NC and SC. This is a fun adventure, start planning now for your group, attire and route (groups of at least 4 receive a special prize at each shop).
The Asheville Quilt Show is August 14-16, 2025 at the WNC Ag Center in Fletcher, NC. Hopefully they can avoid any storms this year!! Plan to visit Foam and Fabrics as well during your visit (the bakery across from Foam and Fabrics is pretty good, too!)
All Carolinas Shop Hop is September 1 – October 31, 2025. Visit quilt shops all over both North and South Carolina to be eligible for prizes throughout the states.
The Quilters of South Carolina (Statewide quilt guild – get to know quilters from all over the state) will have their Fall Retreat “QSC Pieceable Retreat” in Myrtle Beach at the Doubletree Resort October 23-26, 2025. There are many fantastic classes that should provide a variety of experiences/challenges for many quilters.
Accuquilt GO Cutter
The guild has an electronic cutter for guild members to rent at $10 a week. It is a handy item that we often overlook – especially for people with hand or shoulder problems that make standard rotary cutting difficult. The guild also has a standard 12” cube that has a variety of different dies with instructions to make 12” blocks. Many members have other cutting dies for various projects as well.
Conti Chicken & Dumplings Recipe
(Judy H)
Several guild members requested Judy’s recipe. Photos of the recipe are shown below. Note that instead of using frozen veggies, Judy sautéed finely chopped fresh onion, carrots, and celery. They cost only $3.69 for an 8oz box at Food Lion.
Click on the following photos to see the whole image
Show & Tell Photos (February 2025 Meeting)
(Janice H, for Beth E)
