Orphan block charity project- Jeanne has asked us to bring in our unwanted orphan blocks to make into charity quilts for older children. Please consider volunteering to help turn these into warm hugs for kids.

Charity Quilt kits- Batting, thread and fabric donations for the quilts and kits will always be welcome. The guild purchased a 60 yd. roll of 80/20 Pellon batting, for charity projects. It is being stored at Carolyn’s. If you need some for a charity project you can call her to arrange to pick it up there.

Georgia, Gloria D., Julie M., Drena, and Rhonda donated a quilt for auction in the name of the CHQG guild.

Treasury Report

Raffle quilt

The "Country Days" raffle quilt was presented to the winner, fellow quilter Joanne Chapman.

The new raffle quilt is finished, quilted by Gloria D. . Tickets will be passed out at the Nov. meeting, and we are looking for members willing to take the quilt to events to sell tickets also. Drawing will be Feb. 29. A picture is posted on the Cedar Hill Quilters Guild facebook page

Cookbook-

Karen A. and Julie M. are collecting recipes to produce a guild cookbook. Each member is asked to send in 3 recipes. The guild voted to collect recipes with the plan that if participation is adequate, we will again vote to publish the cookbook.

Library-

4 new books were donated to the library by Jeanne.

Don’t throw away that magazine! Recycle them…donate your old magazines/ patterns to the guild library to sell for $0.50, and the money will go toward new library books.

Anyone with a request for a new library addition, please notify Claudia.

Magazine/Book Challenge:

Barbara - Stack n whack quilt from workshop. "Magic Stack n Whack quilts" by Bethany Reynolds.

Janet- "Twist and Turn Quilts with no Curved Seams" by Suzanne Mc Neill,

pattern-Twister.

Ann- Blue and green French Braid quilt for her niece. "French Braid Quilts: 14 Quick

Quilts with Dramatic Results", by Jane Hardy and Arlene Netten

Jeanne- "Phoebe’s Favorites" book by Buggy Barn quilts. 1. Buggy Barn Crazy- bright baby quilt, 2. Buggy Barn Crazy- Pastel baby quilt.

Karen A.- "Penelope" from Mc Call’s quilting magazine. March/April 2010 pinwheel.

Claudia- "Jessie’s Star" Quilter’s News Magazine July/Aug 1999. I made the star at

least 12 years ago at a class given by Helen Carr. It took me 10 years to decide how to finish it.

Judy- 1. "Wow! Wool on Wool Folk Art Quilts" by Janet Carija Brand 2. "Henny

Penny" pattern by Maggie Bonanomi American Patchwork and Quilting Magazine, Dec 2011

Pizza Box Swap-

Don’t forget to bring back the pizza boxes to trade this month. If you don’t think you will make the meeting, try to call someone on the list and see if they will bring it in for you.

Member Bios-

Mary Dunkerly

I have been in Texas for two years. I came here after the company I work for closed their Las Vegas office. They offered a fellow worker and myself a position at their Dallas headquarters. So she and I left our husbands in Las Vegas and got an apartment in Dallas. My husband was able to sell our house about 1 1/2 yrs after I moved down here and we were able to purchase a home in Glenn Heights this past spring.

I started quilting in 1978 and haven’t stopped. I love all types of quilting and like learning new techniques. I’m currently finishing a Civil War Tribute quilt for my niece. I am looking forward to retirement so I can work on all my UFOs and all the projects I have in my head.

Julie Mc Cloud

Hi, it’s Julie. When Peggy asked if I would like to write a little bio of myself, I’m like NO. I don’t have anything to say about ME. But then I thought, what the heck, I’ll give it a shot. So here you have it…

I grow up in Cedar Rapids, Iowa on a farm. I have 4 brothers, 1 sister and 12 nieces and nephews. I have two daughters, Lindsey, whom loves in Fort Worth and Stacey whom lives in California. I moved to Texas 6 years ago and married my wonderful husband 4 years ago. Our home is in Arlington and I love to work in our yard, decorate our home and spend time with my buddy, my darling grandson, Parker.

I love to create. I have been crafting and sewing since I was seven years old. First, hand work. I think my first creations were hot pads. A little, red, plastic, square loom that you wove colorful stretch bands together. Weaving and then casting off. Lots of little hot pads were shared with aunts and grandmas every Christmas for many years. Then I went crazy with Plaster of Paris decoupage. Mold after mold of Holly Hobby plaques with metallic trim glued to the edge. Remember?

Throughout the years I have sewn many garments, including wedding dresses, baptismal gowns, and lingerie, along with the common skirts, shirts, slacks and pajamas. I made my first quilt as a teen. It was a baby tie quilt. In the 80’s I made a fence rail quilt for our first home. I still use it today. You know, I never did label that one. Guess I should do that one of these days!

Today, my day is not complete if I haven’t sewn. Even if it’s the last 20 minutes of the day, I need my daily "therapy". If you would see my sewing room you would think therapy alright. It’s just a small, 11 x 11 bedroom but to me it’s a sanctuary. In this small room I have designed and created my first patterns, which I have officially published. You can see and purchase each pattern and finished projects on my website, www.CreationsbyJuliane.vpweb.com.

I have also been blessed to have worked at several local quilt shops in the area and teach some classes. What fun I have had and what wonderful people I have met and learned so much from. Look forward to crossing paths soon

Charlotte Cronkhite

My husband, Dennis and I live in the Highpointe neighborhood. We have 2 children and 4 grandchildren. I own a tropical plant service company, in Duncanville, putting plants and flowers in offices in Dallas. I have been sewing pretty much all my life, but only "quilting" in the last 10 years or so. My other interest besides quilting, is water gardening. I have a large koi pond in my back yard with fish named for each family member. My fav fabric is batiks, and as most of us, have an insane number of UFO's and a stash that continues to grow despite my intentions of not buying any more fabric!!

Colby Lowrey

I am 22 years old and just graduated from the University of Texas at Austin in May with a degree in Supply Chain Management and a minor in Management of Information Systems. I currently work as a Warehousing Group Leader at the Target Distribution Center in Midlothian. I have two dogs, Marta, a lab/greyhound mix, and Abby, a Chihuahua. I grew up in the Waco area, a little town called Bruceville-Eddy, with my mother and grandmother. My mother was a seamstress by trade and so I was surrounded by sewing my entire life. I started sewing about the age of nine and finished my first quilt at 10. I entered them in county fairs and showed them in 4-H clothing and textile competitions throughout junior high and high school. When I came to college I didn't have much time to do anything sewing related but in the past year I have been able to pick my hobby back up. More than ever now, I quilt almost every day, and recently started a blog, www.sewquiltexplore.blogspot.com, to chronicle what I've been working on. I stick to quilting and accessories, I do not do clothing at all. I participate in both the Cedar Hill Quilters Guild and the Ellis County Quilters Guild. This is the first time I've been able to share what I do and get inspiration from others I'm loving it!

BOM- String Pieced block-see BOB page

TAQG-

The November TAQG meeting will be on programs and workshops. There will be short talks by prospective presenters.

Prize Drawing-

Name tag- Rita, CJ, and Karen A. Door prize- Karen K., Drena and Rhonda

Show and Tell:

Karen Kelley- 1. Sienna’s house quilt 2. Purple quilt from magazine

Janet- 1. Crocheted afghan

Cindy (visitor)- 2 red and black quilts, on quilted by Susie.

Mary D.- 1. 4 flip-flop placemats, 2. 8 dresden plate placemats from blueberry fabric

Cheryl Str- English paper-pieced apple-core table-runner from last year’s Trick or Treat.

Gladys- 1. Mansfield Park- basket quilt 2. Jack-o-lantern wool appliqué won from a blog

giveaway 3. Bag

Jeanne- jelly roll and a half strip quilt. Jelly roll race quilt with white strips in between

layers.

Julie L.- 1. Wall hanging from Trick or Treat blocks 2010.

Colby- 1. Tic-Tac with Joel Dewberry Heirloom fabric. 2."Topsy-Twosy" made with

the X-block ruler

Karen A.- Pink and green quilt

Rene- 1. Baby quilt 2. Signature quilt 3. Pillowcase for a 2 yr old niece

Judy- Purse

Maryln- 1. Quilt which was a copy of quilt pattern my mom made. 2. Super bowl Sunday mystery quilt.

From Fons and Porter’s Newsletter, Via Kathy L.

There Will Be Pins: How to be a Quilter's Husband So your wife is a quilter. That doesn't seem so bad, does it? It's a nice quiet hobby, conjuring up images of our sturdy pioneer mothers, keeping their families warm and creating beauty out of old shirts and printed feedbags. You think of plump grannies in rocking chairs, piecing a Log Cabin block by firelight, cat asleep at her feet. An idyllic picture, right?

You're living in a dream world, buddy. They buy their fabric whole now, in yardage and "fat quarters" (whatever they are). They cut this perfectly good cloth into smaller pieces, and then painstakingly, by hand, sew them back together. This process calls into question all the advances of the industrial revolution.

Quilting generates a blizzard of debris. Fabric scraps and batting clog and burn out your vacuum cleaner. (Hint: don't go barefoot. Your feet were never meant to be pincushions). The cat frequently swallows a length of discarded thread. Soon, one of two things will happen; you won't like either of them.

This is not the end of your problems. There are frequent expensive trips to the fabric store, and even more expensive quilt shows in faraway cities. There are bees, which are little groups of quilters who get together occasionally to complain about their husbands and children. These bees may meet in church basements, but occasionally they come to your house and take over the dining room table. Your presence in the next room won't intimidate them.

Quilting also tends to take up more and more of the house. Sure, your wife might decide at some point that she has enough fabric. I've never seen this myself, but it could happen. More likely, your home will become a candidate for that TV show where some poor fellow's dead body is found under a collapsed pile of old newspapers. In your case, it will be a tower of yardage and color-matched prints.

As far as I know, there is no twelve-step program for quilters, but you may avoid codependency by following these tips:

1. Set up a space outside the living area for the quilting equipment and fabric storage. I have refinished the basement, and we are moving everything down there. Other husbands have constructed pole barns, rented industrial space, or moved to another city under an assumed name.

2. Have your wife make a small business out of her hobby. Internet sales can be lucrative. They might even partially make up for the enormous sums she spends. Very important: Do not participate in the business yourself. First thing you know, you'll be maintaining complicated machinery, acting as an errand boy, and dealing with the post office. You have better things to do.

3. Don't be tempted to accompany your wife to quilt shows, thinking that time together will add spark to your relationship. You won't see her all day. You'll wander around aimlessly among the booths, finding nothing remotely interesting. Sure, you could meet other lost husbands, and find camaraderie in the nearest bar. Usually, though, a woman in a quilted vest will mistake you for a fabric vendor. She will try to hustle you for free samples.

4. Don't try to distract your wife with other activities, such as gardening, cooking or housework. Though she may have done these things in the past, that's all over now. Quilting is her life. Accept your fate. Learn to cook and run the vacuum. Get a hobby of your own. You could join a softball team-slow-pitch, preferably-or learn simple carpentry skills. Then build a pole barn and move into it yourself.

Finally, remember you are not alone. There are plenty of other quilt-widowers out there.