Board Minutes, April 2009

MINUTES OF THE APRIL 14, 2009 BUSINESS MEETING
MT. VERNON CHAPTER OF QUILTERS UNLIMITED

The meeting was called to order at 12:35 by President, Lynn Miller. New member – introduced as a new member was Agnes Purcell.

Minutes of the March meeting: A motion was made and seconded to approve the minutes as written. The motion carried.

OLD BUSINESS
The blocks for the Big QU president being made by the members need to be turned in by May 4. If a member cannot finish a block, please pass it on to Lynn Miller.

Quilt Show
Bert Garino reported that some of the classes at the show have been canceled because there are not enough sign ups. If a member wants to take one of the classes, they need to sign up soon. All of our slots for volunteering at the demonstrations have been filled. Ro Coller has many items that have been made for the auction at the show and will bring more supplies to the bees for making further items. She is also collecting 5 inch squares to be put in mugs for the auction. Ann Marlin is selling raffle tickets for the quilt to be raffled off at the show.

Programs
Angie Miller reminded us that the workshop by Cynthia England will be held at Artistic Artifacts on April 27 and will be hosted by Burke QU. Her lecture will be on April 28. The Frieda Anderson lecture will be held on May 26 and her workshop on May 27. At the May business meeting the owner of a shop in Springfield which is closing will bring items to sell to our group.

Spring Luncheon
Beth Smith reported that the luncheon is still fully booked. Some members have had to cancel and members from the waiting list have been invited. The snowman and tree blocks are coming in for our silent auction fundraiser. The blocks are due at the luncheon.

Treasurer's Report
Kathy Edwards announced that May 1 will be the beginning of the membership drive. The application form will be available on the blog soon. Be sure to use the 2009-2010 application. She said that Big QU does not have receipts for contributions at this time but is looking into providing them. If any member has any reimbursements to be paid by the treasury, please get them to Kathy before the May business meeting on May 12. A form for reimbursement can be found on the blog (on the right hand list of the blog.) If you need a reimbursement by mail, please send along a self-addressed stamped envelope. We have a healthy balance in the checkbook, but also have several pass throughs and bills to be paid before the end of the fiscal year.

Bus Trip
Gail Franchi announced that we are planning a bus trip on September 17 to the Pennsylvania National Show in Philadelphia. We need to send a deposit of $250 to the bus company when we make the reservation. A motion was made by Pat Alfredson and seconded by Andrea Gribble to take the $250 out of the treasury. The motion passed. The cost of the bus will be $1,100. Members will be charged $25 for the trip. Other guests will be charged $45. Gail will have a sign up sheet at the next bee. The bus will hold 52 people and we will have to cancel if we do not have enough to fill the bus.

By-law changes
After a lengthy discussion, Ro Coller suggested that, following the final markup by the Board, the proposed bylaws be presented to the membership at the May meeting for review over the summer and voted on in the fall after members have had a chance to study the changes. The new Board will make a decision on when the vote will occur.

Election of New Board Members
There was an announcement of a change to the slate of officers presented last month. Angie Miller will not run for Co-Vice President, but will work, without being elected as an officer, to help the elected Vice President with the programs for next year. Consequently, the new slate is as follows:

President – Bert Garino
Vice President – Ellen Patton
Treasurer – Dotty Eisenhour
Secretary – Cathy Hanratty
Nominating Committee Chairperson – Libby Dudley
There being no nominations from the floor, a motion was made by Tammy Mannarino and seconded by Pat Alfredson to accept the slate as amended and presented. The motion passed unanimously.
NEW BUSINESS
During the May membership drive an identification card for each member must be completed and given to the office of the Hollin Hall Senior Center. They need to have these in their files for all persons using the center.

Hospitality
Refreshments were provided by Joan Bingman, Barbara Tucker, Angie Miller and Jim Melton.

Door Prizes
Pat Alfredson, Gigi Corbin and Betty Smalley won the prizes.

Show and Tell
Those participating were Ann Marlin, Kathy Pellegrini, Lynn Miller, Blanche Carpenter, Ellen Patton, Nancy McGlasson, Agnes Purcell, Angie Miller, Ro Coller, Gail Franchi, Pat Alfredson, Andrea Gribble, Barbara Zygiel, Marianne Urban and Lynn Eccleston.

There being no further business, the meeting was adjourned at 2:05 PM.
Respectfully submitted,
Dotty Eisenhour
Secretary
*****************
(click pink quilt to be taken to Bunny Hill Designs free patterns page, which includes a charming applique Block of the Month)

Recipes from Lynn E.

Lynn writes:

At the last MVQU meeting, I made some of the snacks and several individuals requested recipes. So, I finally managed to get them typed out and here they are. One of the recipes -- the radish spread -- was one that I had made earlier in the year, and some had requested that recipe as well.

So, here they are!

RADISH FILLING FOR ENDIVE OR AS A SPREAD FOR CRACKERS
8 radishes
8 oz. room temperature cream cheese
1 Tb. Finely chopped parsley or green part of one scallion
1 Tb. Fresh lemon or lime juice

Put radishes into food processor and process until very fine. Squeeze out excess liquid. Best way is to use paper towels. Mix dried radishes with the remaining ingredients and serve on endive or on crackers.

CURRIED CHICKEN BALLS
2 cup cooked chicken minced
8 oz. cream cheese
4 Tbs. mayonnaise
1 Tbs. curry powder
2 Tbs. chutney
3 Tbs. scallions, minced
1 cup chopped toasted almonds
1 tbs. salt
¼ tsp. freshly ground pepper
1 cup toasted coconut

Mix together the cream cheese and the mayonnaise. Add the remaining ingredients except for the coconut. Roll mixture in 1 inch balls. Roll in toasted coconut. Serve with toothpicks.

March Show & Tell

We have just a few quilts for March's Show and Tell, but oh, such lovely ones!

"Lessons Learned" was made by Kathy Edwards

"Quilter's Jazz & Riffs from a Scrap Bowl" was made by Libby Dudley

Bert Garino took a class at the Artful Quilter and made "Memories of Venice"

Bert made "Dreaming in Monterey" for her grandaugher

Mount Vernon News
Quilters Unlimited
April 2009

Mount Vernon Chapter Officers 2008 – 2009
Co-Presidents—Lynn Miller and Carol Kunkel
Co-Vice Presidents—Angela Miller and Lynne Fishburn
Secretary—Dotty Eisenhour
Treasurer—Kathy Edwards
Nominating Chair—Jim Melton

President’s Message

Happy Spring, MVQU!

Have you ever wondered about the origin of the weather proverb "in like a lion, out like a lamb?” For most locations, the average temperature at the end of the month of March is higher than at the beginning, so the proverb typically has some meteorological truth to it, but where did it come from? The phrase apparently has its origins with the constellations Leo, the Lion, and Aries, the Ram or Lamb and has to do with the relative positions of these constellations in the sky at the beginning and end of the month. No matter, it’s officially Spring and I am embracing the sunshine and warmer temperatures.

As part of the festivities at National Cherry Blossom Festival, a true indication of the arrival of spring in the Washington, DC area, I attended the annual Smithsonian Kite Festival on the National Mall. As I wandered about at the festival, I couldn’t help but connect the thoughts of kites and quilting. The colorful kites not only brightened a dreary sky, but many looked like quilts floating in the air! One kite, a patchwork of many colors with a black border, could have easily come right out of the pages of a quilt book, complete down to its colorful tail which consisted of a patchwork of 4” squares, Flying Geese, and Half Square Triangles.

March was certainly a “lion’s paced” month. There was the Big QU Quilt In, a celebration of National Quilting Day on March 21st by members who attended a one day retreat, MVQU’s Third Annual Retreat at Bird-in-Hand, Pennsylvania, and Emily Martin’s Trunk Showing of Appliqué quilts and a well attended workshop by those of us wishing to hone our appliqué skills. Emily announced that she teaches beginner, intermediate and advanced appliqué classes out of her home, and is slated to teach a Baltimore Album class through the Quilt Patch, Fairfax, Virginia. Please contact the Quilt Patch for more information or to sign up for the Baltimore Album class.

Please plan to attend the business meeting on April 14, 2009 for our election of officers for the 2009-2010 year. Nominations will be taken from the floor prior to the closing of each office for election. As a reminder, the proposed Slate of Officers presented by your Nominating Committee, Jim Melton and Rhonda Adams are:

President -- Bert Garino
Vice Presidents -- Angela Miller and Ellen Patton
Secretary -- Cathy Hanratty
Treasurer -- Dotty Eisenhour
Nominating Chair -- Libby Dudley

Raffle tickets for the 2009 Big QU Raffle Quilt, “Fanfare in Blue,” are available. The cost of a ticket is $1. You may view the quilt on our website. Please see Ann Marlin at the sign in table to purchase your winning ticket(s).

Cynthia England, award winning quilt artist who specializes in combining aspects of painting, stained glass and needlework into a unique quilting technique she calls Picture Piecing, will be our guest on April 27-28, 2009. Bring a friend and join us on April 28, 2009, 12:30 pm Hollin Hall Senior Center, Room 112 for Cynthia’s lecture “Why Did I Buy This Ugly Fabric?” There is a shared workshop opportunity called “Small Landscapes” with our sister chapter, Burke QU on April 27, 2009. Please contact Angie Miller or Lynne Fishburn for more information.

See you at the bees…

Carol Kunkel, Co- President

President’s Tip of the Month: Ever find that your quilt is too small for your batting? Do you have some batting cuts offs that could be used for your next quilt project? Learn how to splice batting pieces together at http://stitchingcow.blogspot.com/2007/04/how-to-sew-together-quilt-batting.html

Lecture and Workshop “Small Landscapes” with Cynthia England
April 27th and 28th, 2009

On Tuesday, April 28, 2009, Hollin Hall Senior Center, Room 112, 12:30 pm, Cynthia England, internationally known quilting instructor and designer, will answer the question “Why Did I Buy This Ugly Fabric?” during a light hearted PowerPoint presentation. She will offer ideas on how to incorporate these fabrics into your quilts, discuss how to design a quilt around a particular fabric, block exchanges, and the various techniques used to create the quilts.

Cynthia's stunning quilts have been winning awards at local and national quilting events since 1991 and have graced the pages of many quilting publications. Using skills she developed as a commercial graphic artist, she creates quilts depicting some of her favorite subjects: flowers, nature, antiques, and architecture. Her most recognized quilt, Piece and Quiet, was chosen as one of the "The Twentieth Century's Best American Quilts" in 2000. In addition, Cynthia won Best of Show at the International Quilt Festival in Houston for Piece and Quiet in 1993 and for Open Season in 2000. Don’t miss this opportunity to gaze upon Cynthia’s many realistically detailed pictorial quilts up close and in person.

Our upcoming workshop with Cynthia will be held on Monday, April 27th, at the Artistic Artifacts Annex, 4750 Eisenhower Avenue, Alexandria, Virginia, 22304 from 10:00 am to 3:00 pm. This workshop is now full.

If you would like to learn more about Cynthia England and her unique piecing style, visit her website at: http://www.englanddesign.com/.

Lecture and Workshop “Autumn Glory” with Frieda Anderson
May 26th and 27th, 2009

Give yourself a gift for fall when you attend our “Autumn Glory” workshop with Frieda Anderson, May 27, 2009. This is a no sewing machine required class. Raw–edge fusing makes this class fun end easy, and you’ll learn new techniques to make it fast. Students may select from one of two wall hangings: “Fall Glory” (flowers) or “Three Pumpkins.” The workshop fee is $40 and includes the pattern. Optional fabric kits are $30 and take the worry out of fabric selection. We are sharing this workshop with our sister chapter, Burke QU; so, spaces are limited. Registration forms and details to follow soon, watch your email. This workshop will be at the Mt. Vernon Governmental Center, 9:30 am to 4:00 pm.

Join us for a one hour lecture and PowerPoint presentation titled “Walks in the Woods with George” on Tuesday, May 26, 2009, 12:30 pm, Hollin Hall Senior Center, Room112. Frieda will share how her daily walks in the woods with her Jack Russell Terrier affects her quilting. Frieda will have many of her quilts on display as well as patterns and fabrics for sale.

Frieda’s quilts have won many awards. Her most recent wins, “Celebrate Spring,” Third Place, International Quilt Festival Chicago 2008, and “Whispering Pines,” Judges Choice International Quilt Festival, Houston 2007, reflect just how much those daily walks influence her creativity. Her quilts have also been featured in magazines such as Quilters Newsletter and Fons and Porter Love of Quilting and most recently in Quilting Arts Magazine. Learn more about Frieda Anderson and view her gallery of quilts by visiting her website at: http://www.friestyle.com/

April Calendar

• April 7, 2009—Bee, 12:30 pm, Room 216, Hollin Hall Senior Center
• April 14, 2009—Business Meeting/Show & Tell, 12:30 pm, Room 112, Hollin Hall Senior Center
• April 15, 2009—Evening Bee, 6:00-8:00 pm, Mt. Vernon Governmental Center
• April 21, 2009—Bee, 12:30 pm, Room 216, Hollin Hall Senior Center
• April 27, 2009—Cynthia England “Small Landscapes” Workshop, Artistic Artifacts Annex, 4750 Eisenhower Avenue, Alexandria, Virginia 22304, 10:00 am - 3:00 pm
• April 28, 2009— Cynthia England “Why Did I Buy This Ugly Fabric” Lecture & Trunk Show, 12:30 pm, Room 112, Hollin Hall Senior Center
• April 29, 2009—Evening Bee, 6:00-8:00 pm, Mt. Vernon Governmental Center

Looking Ahead

• May 26, 2009—Frieda Anderson Lecture & Trunk Show, 12:30 pm, Room 112, Hollin Hall Senior Center
• May 27, 2009—Frieda Anderson “Autumn Glory” Workshop shared with Burke QU, 9:30 am-4:00 pm, Mt. Vernon Governmental Center
• June 5,6 & 7, 2009—36th Annual Quilters Unlimited Quilt Show, Dulles Expo Center, Chantilly, Virginia

Upcoming Area Shows and Exhibits

• April 22-25, 2009—25th Annual American Quilter’s Society Quilt Show & Contest-Paducah, KY, Paducah Expo Center/Executive Inn, Paducah, Kentucky. Go to http://www.americanquilter.com/shows_contests/paducah/2009/general_info/ for more information.
• April 4 through September 6, 2009--Textile Museum, Washington, DC, “Constructed Color: Amish Quilts,” Learn about the extraordinary use of color and the stunning geometric designs created by the Amish of three distinct communities of Pennsylvania. Go to http://www.textilemuseum.org/ for more information.
• April 21- September 6, 2009—Paula Nadelstern featuring her Kaleidoscope quilts, first-ever one-person exhibition highlighting the work of a contemporary quilt artist, American Folk Art Museum, New York City. For more information go to http://www.folkartmuseum.org/.
• Now through July 26, 2009—“Quilts for Obama: Celebrating the Inauguration of our 44th President,” The Historical Society of Washington, D.C., as part of the city’s inaugural celebration activities. Go to http://www.historydc.org/location/exhibits.asp for more information.
• Now through June 20, 2009—“Floral Abundance: Floral Appliqué from the Old Dominion Appliqué Society, Virginia Quilt Museum, Harrisonburg, Virginia. Go to http://www.vaquiltmuseum.org/index.html for more information.

April Birthdays
April 2 Lois Altz
April 2 Yvette Fallin
April 4 Jim Melton
April 20 Lucy Petitt
April 26 Beth Smith

May Birthdays
May 4 Donna Walbrecht
May 5 Joan Clemons
May 13 Lynn Miller
May 31 Kay Brill







MINUTES OF THE MARCH 10, 2009 BUSINESS MEETING
MT. VERNON QU

The meeting was called to order at 12:30 pm by President Lynn Miller.

New Member announced was Ann Holmes, Associate.

Minutes of the February meeting – A motion was made by Pat Alfredson and seconded by Joan Bingman to approve the minutes as presented. The motion carried.

News from “Big QU”
A quilt is being made for the president, Carol Marti to be presented at the show. We have been asked to make 25 blocks to be turned in by May 4, 2009. There was a discussion about tax exempt status for QU chapters. This would apply to items such as fabric for a guild project. Nominations are now being accepted for offices in Big QU. There is a need for president, vice president, nominating chair, newsletter editor, membership chair and Artisans United representative. The spring quilt in will be on March 15th. We need to bring our banner (if it can be located) and food to share. There is some discussion about chapters NOT getting a bye for Big QU business (one chapter a year) as had been announced.

Quilt Show
Bert Garino summarized the recent news about preparations for the 2009 show at the Expo Center. We need to “man” the boutique booth for a total of 5 hours during the three days. Ro Coller suggested a number of small projects that could be made during our National Quilt Day workshop on March 21st to be offered at the boutique. Some of her suggestions are mugs with nickel squares that match the theme of the mug, pins, pincushions, miniature quilts on hangers, needle cases, etc. Ro will provide the supplies for these items, but would like members to bring nickel squares (5”) for the mugs.

There will be 80 vendors at the show, advertising in magazines and in the program. She passed around a sign up sheet for volunteers to help with the demos at the show.

MVQU Retreat – March 16-19, 2009
If you have not signed up for the retreat, please let Ro know if you would like to attend.

National Quilting Day – March 21, 2009
We will meet at the Mt. Vernon Government Center from 9 – 5 that day. Please bring a lunch (or you can order from the deli nearby), a clear drink and a project to work on. Ro will have the boutique material for that project and Lynn Miller will organize the jelly roll and chenille quilts that can be started on that day.

Nominating Committee Report
Those nominated are: Bert Garino, President; Angie Miller and Ellen Patton, Vice Presidents; Cathy Hanratty, Secretary; Dotty Eisenhour, Treasurer; and Libby Dudley, Nominating Chair. The voting will take place at the April meeting, with nominations also accepted from the floor.

By-laws Committee
Libby Dudley has submitted a report of the committee to the presidents which will then go to the board and then to the general membership for a vote. Gail Franchi pointed out that we need to send the by-laws to everyone who does not have email (those on our snail mail newsletter list and others).

Programs
The Sharon Schamber lecture was a huge success with 115 people attending. We had lots of good feedback from guests and interest in our November auction when the snowman and tree blocks were shown to those in attendance.

The Emily Martin lecture will be held on March 24th and our workshop with her will be March 25th. Call Lynne Fishburn or Angie Miller with any questions. The Cynthia England workshop on April 27th is filled. She will also be giving a lecture on April 26th.

Spring Luncheon
Beth Smith reported that we have 42 signed up – the most that we can take for the room we have. She is taking names for a wait list.

New Business
Pat Alfredson asked if there would be interest in taking a bus trip in September to a Mancuso show in Philadelphia. There was a discussion about whether the treasury should be used to pay for the whole trip or to subsidize part of it. Gail Franchi noted that since we have plenty of money that we should use some of it for a trip. Gail will be in charge of investigating bus companies and planning for the trip. If we want to use money from our treasury, the membership needs to vote to approve same. More information later.

Treasurer's Report
Kathy Edwards noted our large balance on hand – some of which is flow-through for the luncheon and retreat. Also, we have not received a bill from Sharon Schamber.

Hospitality
Kathy Z, Ann Marlin, and Joyce Keating organized a St. Patrick's Day feast!

Door Prizes
Those receiving prizes were Ellen Patton, Kay Brill, and Barbara Zygiel

Show & Tell
Participating were Bert Garino, Libby Dudley, and Kathy Edwards.

There being no further business, the meeting was adjourned at 1:40 pm.

Respectfully submitted,
Dotty Eisenhour, Secretary



Please submit items to Beverly Dasch, MVQU Newsletter Editor, at mvqu.news@gmail.com or send them to 5643 Victory Loop, Manassas, VA 20112. You may also call her at 703-590-2756. The deadline for May’s newsletter is May 1st.