Secret Santas Revealed

It’s been a long time since we last met–November 26th, to be exact– and we won’t be together again until the 28th of this month. So, to get back in the swing of things, let’s review what happened a couple of months ago…

Thirty-one members participated in the Secret Santa program that actually started way back in June when we were given the opportunity to take home a sandwich-sized bag and pack it with fabric from our own stash. We also included our name and a wish list. In July and August, each participant was secretly given someone else’s fabric-filled bag. Then it was time to get busy creating something fun for the owner of the bag.  The big “reveal” would be the whole program portion of our November meeting.

When the big day finally came, we were able to view all the wonderful and fun projects that arrived. Everything was laid out on several tables for all to see during the break in the meeting. The “Secret Santa” was still anonymous, but each gift had a tag with the name of the lucky recipient. The tables were filled with runners, bags, containers, and wall hangings.  There was even one garment. Everyone was provided with a list that contained design information for each project, which was extremely helpful in case we saw something we wanted to try. 

After the break, it was finally time to start the gift giving.  Each Secret Santa  gathered her gift and presented it to the owner of the fabric.  What fun it was to learn who had made each beautiful gift and the story behind it!  A big Thank You goes out  to our program chairs for coming up with such a great idea and all the hard work that went into it. 

Here are some more highlights of our November meeting:  

Bella Dvir was our featured quilter and she showed us a lot of beautiful quilts.  She was born in Israel and her family does not include any quilters.  She threw away the very first quilt she ever made, (what?) but we still got to see some lovely Irish Chains, Samplers, and the “Quilt I Didn’t Inherit” made from 30’s reproduction fabrics, just to mention a few. She’s only been quilting for a relatively short time. It was fun to hear about the quilting journey that has taken her to where she is now.

We saw quilts that were headed to other people as gifts, table runners, advent calendars, holiday pillows, and this beautiful tree skirt that Marilyn Fisher made for her son who lives in Alaska.  Lucky guy!

Christie Frey was asked to put together some quilts for the Northwest Children’s Outreach program.  She was able to put three quilt tops together using re-purposed crib bumper pads. What a great way to recycle!  It’s nice to know that something can be made from all the bumper pads that aren’t safe to put in cribs anymore.  

Our Inspirations theme for January is Black and White. 

• that we have a Spring Retreat coming in April?  The information and registration forms are in the Members Only section of our website.  Check it out.
• that Marcia is working on getting some “sew days” put together for us?  They are usually held on a Saturday and they are opportunities for anyone who wants to sew or quilt all day with other sewists or quilters.  What could be better?  We’ll get the information out as soon as the details are firm.
• that we have a Silent Auction and Potluck coming in February?  It will be held during our regular guild meeting on the 25th.  Go through your stash, closets, or garage to find anything you might like to donate to the auction. Perhaps you and your small group would like to put a basket together that could be sold at the auction.  You can bring your donations to the January meeting.  The proceeds from the auction will go to the Vicky Arnold Memorial Program Fund.
• that our Fall Retreat is scheduled for October 17th-19th?  Mark you calendars.

WE HAVE A WINNER!

After all the Secret Santa fun, it was time to give our 2013 Raffle Quilt to one lucky winner.  The quilt was designed by our own Jan Cornutt, and she was given the honor of drawing the winning ticket from the hat.  And the winner is…..Elizabeth Bamberger! She is not a member, but we called her from the meeting to tell her she had won.  Of course, she was thrilled. You can see a picture of Elizabeth in the December issue of our Society Pages found in the Members Only section of our website.

Speaking of raffle quilts, Becky Swick has designed our next Raffle Quilt.  She showed us a sample block at the meeting.  I’m not going to spoil anything here; but just know that it’s going to be spectacular. Can’t wait to show the finished product! 

And speaking of winners, Kristine Dale won the House block of the Quarterly Winnings this time.  Congratulations, Kristine!