MINUTES - March 28, 2005, Waterford Mennonite Church, Goshen, Indiana
Jan opened the meeting with a reading titled "I Think God Is A Quilter" from the book Quilted With Love by Debbie Salter Goodwin.

QUILTERS PRESENT: Fern Bontrager, Naomi Miller, Becky Yoder, Florence Mahousky, Betty Geyer, Elaine Frey, Jan Goppert, Peggy Hochstetler, Marsha Vierck, Carol Honderich, Sylva Keenan, Phyllis Windsor, Janis Nelson, Roberta Poscharscky, Marie Troyer, Beulah Sample, Edith Shanholt, Donna Stoltfus

Roberta shared her thoughts of Ada Beachy who passed away this week. Ada had attended several of our guild meetings in the past. She was an avid quilter who shared her talents with her neighbor Roberta over the years. Ada's family had included her many quilts and the stories behind them at her church funeral service this week.

BLOCK OF THE MONTH PRESENTATION. Carol presented the March BOM called the "Basket Block." It is the pattern designed by her great grandmother, which is featured in the Illinois Amish Quilt book.
TREASURER'S REPORT. Janis reported that the guild has $771.56 in its bank account.
SHOW-N-TELL.
Janis - brought two charity baby blankets, and is working on one more! Showed us ALL of her finished BOM's.
Betty - was quilting on her sweat shirt jacket. Becky - showed her FINISHED "Buzz saw" quilt that was hand quilted. She is going to donate it to the "Quilt for a Soldier" program from the Internet. She has put the "Seven Sisters" quilt into her quilt frame and is busy quilting on it! She also shared with us the "Spider Web" quilt that she has made for her niece's high school graduation.
Florence - showed us her finished January BOM.
Marie - showed us her almost finished "Buzz saw" quilt. She is working on border still.
Beulah - showed us the "Crazy Patch" quilt top that her grandmother made for Beulah's mother back in 1914. She is planning on putting the backing/binding on soon.
Fern - showed us the 20 blocks of antique "Dresden Plate" squares that she bought on E-Bay.
Peggy - brought two baby quilts for Maple City Clinic. Showed the "Raggy Blue Jean" quilt that she made for her second son's high school graduation (who is now graduating from college this spring!) Had important dates of his life embroidered onto the quilt. Showed us the finished "Stupid Bunny" wall hanging that she had been working on at the retreat.
Naomi - was quilting on an "Apple Pie" block.
Elaine - working on the Relief Sale quilt appliquéd border.
Phyllis - showed us her January BOM.
Roberta - showed us her name tag that she finally made! Also had made and given two baby quilts to her two new great-granddaughters. Showed us her BOM's.
Sylva - has been busy making many collars for the youth choir group at her church. They wore them on Easter for the first time.
Donna - WELCOME BACK! Brought a crazy quilt that she had bought at her church auction. Carol - brought two wall hangings (pieced and appliqued by Frances Stauffer) that Carol had hand quilted for the 2005 Mennonite Relief Sale. She showed us a "Crazy Patch" quilted wall hanging called the "Crumb Basket" that she had made years ago at a Liz Porter's class. And she showed us the "Crazy Patch" baby quilt that she was commissioned to do by a woman from Indy. The patches came from the woman's mother's night gowns, collected over the years. The quilt was being made for the woman's soon-to-be-born grandchild. And she brought some finished BOM's.
Edith - brought the finished baby blanket that was worked on at the retreat for the Maple City Clinic. Showed us her finished "Buzz saw" quilt. She had incorporated the left over "points" as pinwheels in her borders and the main quilt. She showed us her finished batik finished version of the "Shipshewana Blessings" quilt. She shared with us the "Crazy Patch" placemats that she had made many of in the 1970's.
Jan - showed us her BOM's. Brought the blue/pink Crazy Patch quilt that she had been working on at the retreat. The top was totally pieced.

Hostesses: Fern Bontrager and Peggy Hochstetler.
Business Meeting: led by Jan. Sign up sheets were sent around for CAR POOLING for the following quilt shows: Chicago Show 4/8; Gathering, LaPorte 4/9; Quilters Hall of Fame, Marion 4/9; call Jan for more details at 848-4236
Monthly sign up sheets for Programs & Hostesses was sent around. There were many blanks and all were encouraged to think about ideas for programs that could be done.

APRIL TEA - Elaine has sent out invites to several area quilt groups. It was decided that all members present would bring either cookies or cheese/crackers. Sign up sheet was passed around. Also everyone was asked to bring one gift for door prizes (books, patterns, fat quarters (groups of 3), etc. Elaine was going to go and buy several large door prizes also. Don't forget to bring one or two Show-N-Tells!!!
SET UP FOR TEA WILL BEGIN AT 5:30 FOR WHOEVER WANTS TO HELP!!! (HINT HINT) PLEASE BRING YOUR "BUZZ SAW" QUILTS FROM THE RETREAT, (FINSISHED OR UNFINISHED) You can bring them to Sew What night or call Elaine (875-8676) or Peggy (533-3706) for drop off or pick up!! We will be using them as a backdrop. (We used Dear Jane quilts last time.)

Work Projects Report:
Relief sale quilts- Elaine is working on the borders for the appliqué quilt.
Becky has the Seven Sisters quilt in her quilt frame and is working on it!

Committees:
Charity: Becky, Elaine, Janis
Show '07: Carol, Edith
Publicity: Carol, Edith
'06 Retreat: Laura, Betty
Hospitality: Sue, Sylva
Mission/Purpose & Goals: Jan & Carol
All committees and their members were encouraged to meet via phone, Internet, luncheons, etc. to discuss their agendas and to report at the May meeting regarding their ideas, suggestions and/or preferences. We still need to set goals for the guild.

Discussion regarding treasury goals for 2005. What is the planned budget and what do we need to do. Only thing planned would be a $$ cushion for the Show '07. Other expenditures would be for charity quilt materials and program speakers.

MARCH PROGRAM. Carol and Edith presented this month's program. They taught us how to begin making a crazy quilt square and the steps to finishing it! They showed us how to use the 12" "Add a Quarter" ruler! We each received a muslin square on which we began the block using 2 pieces of material. We then passed the block on to the quilter on our right and they added a piece of material from their stash of material. We continued to do this until the majority of the blocks were done! The option was given to leave your blocks for them to be made into a quilt or to take them home and add the decorative stitching yourself. Thirteen quilters participated!
Minutes recorded by
Peggy Hochstetler
3/29/05

2005	Program	Hostesses
January 24	First Quilts Show and Tell Edith & Marie	Laura & Florence
February 28	No Meeting due to Retreat	No Meeting
March 28	Crazy Patch Quilts Edith & Carol	Fern Bontrager and Peggy Hochstetler.
April 25	Show & Tell Tea Elaine	Jan and Everyone!
May 23		Elaine & Peggy
June 27		Jan & Naomi
July 25		Sue
August 22		Fern & Betty
September 26		Becky
October 24	Carol	Pat & Phyllis
November 28	Thanksgiving Carry-In	Sylva & Beulah
December	No Meeting	No Meeting

REMINDERS (refer to your old newsletters)
Fundraisers: We will continue to offer the Fons & Porter Magazine subscriptions for $20.00, $10.00 goes to the magazine company and $10.00 will be given to our treasury. Also at each meeting anyone can bring in items to be auctioned off with the proceeds going to the treasury. Maple Leaf Quilters Meetings for 2005. Please sign up soon if you haven't yet.

Our Goals for the Guild:
· Increase treasury balance.
· Charity quilts for Maple City Health Care Center (everyone is encouraged to donate at least one baby quilt per year. We discussed having a work day for this.)
· Seven Sisters quilt will be for 2005 Mennonite Relief Sale. Your blocks should have been turned in to Becky already.
· Block of the Month (see following information).

Block of the Month Project : Jan Goppert prepared the following information: Traditional Design - Pattern for 12 inch finished block. The members at the June meeting decided to have a Block-of-the-Month project this year. It was decided to have the patterns be traditional designs for a 12" finished block. The blocks can be traditional designs with a "twist" if it is your own design creation.
NOTE: If you are looking for block ideas for this project on the internet, you might try this site: Quilt Blocks Galore, http://www.quilterscache.com. You will find hundreds of quilt blocks patterns.
You will take the pattern home with you and make the block for yourself with your choice of fabrics. Bring the finished block (or blocks) for "Show and Tell" the next month. If you are ambitious, maybe you could make 2 blocks. Make one block for yourself and one block to donate to the guild. At the end of a year we would have quite a collection of blocks to make opportunity quilts (for raffle) or charity quilts.
The following people have signed up to bring a block design pattern for one month of the guild's Block-of-the-Month project:

Month	Quilter	Block of the Month
September	Marie Troyer	New York Beauty
October	Fern Bontrager	Castle Wall
November	BeckyYoder	Whirligig_Block
December	Laura Kercher	Honey Bee
January	Peggy Hochstetler	Eight Pointed Star
February	Phyllis Windsor	Mexican Star
March	Carol Honderich	Grape Basket Block
April	Janis Nelson
May	Elaine Frey
June	Sue Stringfellow
July	Edith Shanholt
August	Naomi Bontrager

Upcoming Events and Exhibits

APRIL BIRTHDAYS:
6 - Sylva Keenan
MAY BIRTHDAYS:
4 - Laura Kercher
8 - Fran Bunn
16 - Sue Stringfellow
29 - Elaine Frey

· Third Annual Bus trip to International Quilt Show in Chicago Dates: Friday, April 8 OR Saturday, April 9 Cost" $32 per person - this includes bus trip and show admission
Departure: 6:30 AM from CR 17 Toll Road commuter parking lot, on both days
Departure 6:50 AM from Mishawaka Toll Road commuter parking lot, on both days
We will leave Chicago at 5:00 PM Indiana time, both days.
Deadline for advanced tickets is March 15. I will take reservations for the bus up to the last day if seats are available. I will pass out show admission tickets on the bus. I must receive a check in order to hold a seat on the bus for you. On you check put which day you want to go and which pick up point you want to leave from. If you have any questions please call.
Anita Barlow
802 East Kercher Rd
Goshen IN 46526-5327
Phone 574-534-5126

*The Gathering is April 9th in LaPorte, IN. Pre-registration includes admission and a lunch (ham or turkey). Deadline for registration will be during the Retreat. If you plan to go to Chicago, you will need to do so on the 8th if planning to attend The Gathering.

· International Quilt Show - Spring Edition, April 8-10, 2005 at Donald E Stephens Convention Center, Rosemont, IL. For more information, Call 713-781--6864, www.quilts.com Admin. $10/day

· National Quilting Day 2005, April 9, 2005. Mark your calendar for National Quilting Day 2005 with The Friends of The Quilters Hall of Fame in Marion, Indiana, featuring guest speaker Billie Lauder. The day will include a lecture from Billie, lunch, show and tell, door prizes and more! For complete details and registration form, send SASE to FQHF, 7897 S. 800 W., Swayzee, IN, 46986.

· AQS Paducah Show and Contest 2005, April 20-23, 2005. Paducah, KY www.americanquilter.com

January 24

First Quilts Show and Tell Edith & Marie

Laura & Florence

February 28

No Meeting

March 28

Fern Bontrager and Peggy Hochstetler.

April 25

Show & Tell Tea Elaine

Jan and Everyone!

May 23

Elaine & Peggy

June 27

Jan & Naomi

July 25

Sue

August 22

Fern & Betty

September 26

Becky

October 24

Carol

Pat & Phyllis

November 28

Thanksgiving Carry-In

Sylva & Beulah

December

No Meeting

No Meeting

September

Marie Troyer

October

Fern Bontrager

November

BeckyYoder

December

Laura Kercher

January

Peggy Hochstetler

February

Phyllis Windsor

March

Carol Honderich

April

Janis Nelson

May

Elaine Frey

June

Sue Stringfellow

July

Edith Shanholt

August

Naomi Bontrager

Show & Tell Tea
Elaine