Hello Everyone —
We had a good turnout for our May meeting. Those of you who missed the meeting missed a very interesting and informative lesson given by Martha Bender. A reminder to everyone that Janis is collecting dues of $5 for the next 6 months. We will return to $10 a year at the beginning of 2006 so dues coincide with the calendar year.

Sylva

MINUTES – MapleLeaf Quilters, May 23, 2005, Waterford Mennonite Church

Janis Nelson opened the meeting in Jan Goppert’s absence.
NEW BUSINESS:
Edith presented an idea from the Chicago Quilt Show. This would be an exchange of fabrics by guild members. Any time you travel somewhere and visit a new quilt shop, pick up a fat quarter and then divide it among the guild. This could be a possible challenge, a good excuse to buy fabric and a good reason to go to a new fabric store.
In Peggy’s absence, Sylva gave an overview of the April Tea from the May Newsletter as some members had not received notice of the newsletter being on line. The correct MLQ Newsletter web site is: http://mapleleafquilters-ivil.tripod.com/

We discussed dues for the guild. Janis is collecting $5.00 for June-December and then we will pay $10 for all of 2006. New members were asked to supply information for an updated MLQ roster.

MEMBERS PRESENT:

TREASURY REPORT:
Janis reported there was $491.77 at the end of April. She had received a $40 rebate from Fons & Porter’s Magazine for subscriptions sent in. She will also have to pay Carol for batting for a quilt.
COMMITTEE REPORTS:
Carol & Edith reported on plans for an upcoming quilt show in 2007. A budget needs to be set for that event. They are planning to have it at the new conference room at Essenhaus on the first Friday & Saturday in October, 2007. The conference room has 2000 square feet. Tentative plans are to have Ami Simms come from Michigan. She has a line of fabrics. Things we need to consider include a brunch/dessert lecture, vendors (limit #). Everyone will have an opportunity help, you may choose an area of interest to you. Think about it . . . Admission fee, vendor’s fee, publicity. We would hang quilts from our guild, possibly from other guilds if we have room.
Sylva reported she and Sue have discussed hospitality items, i.e. providing name tags, greeting new people at guild meetings, etc.
OTHER ITEMS:
Edith reported on a new quilt shop in Sturgis, MI that they visited during the Dear Jane Retreat. It is called Peacock Pieces and has a good selection of fabric including batiks.
BOM:
Elaine presented an appliquéd flower block (1-A) including directions and freezer paper templates, from the Wickersham Signature Quilt book by Patt Harants from the State Museum of Pennsylvania. Carol, Edith and Elaine had made blocks for the book. Contact Elaine if you need the information.

BOM’s SHOW & TELL:
Edith showed her March & April blocks.
Marie showed her January & February blocks.
Janis has her blocks done but did not bring them.
Laura showed her January and March blocks.
Naomi showed her 6 blocks she has finished.
Elaine showed the new block she had done for May.
Barb Dizney showed her November and January blocks.
Sylva showed her January and February blocks.
Pat showed her April block.

After the BOM Show & Tell, we continued with regular SHOW & TELL:
Edith – showed appliquéd tops she had finished, there were 43 from a Mrs. Stauffer who was 97 years old.
– She had a flannel baby quilt for Maple City Health Care Center.
– Had a Dear Hannah quilt round-robin using Doreen Specman dyed fabrics.
– Had another Dear Hannah variation using vintage fabrics and some original dress designs.
Carol – She is collecting lace pieces for her friend in the Netherlands and will take any lace you may have stashed away and no longer plan to use.
Janis – Had a baby quilt for Maple City Health Care Center.
– She had put a quilt in the frame in December made of 9-patch blocks and used a feather template for the plain blocks.
– Showed her Beatles Challenge using Dear Jane blocks.
Betty – Showed a finished Noah’s Ark baby quilt.
– Showed an old quilt she bought at a garage sale done in red and white.
Laura – Showed a picture quilt she had quilted for a graduation gift.
Fern – Showed a quilt she had made for a step-grand daughter’s graduation using moons and stars. She had it quilted at Albert Farm Quilts for $30.
Becky– Showed her wall hanging she had made for the Sauders Village Challenge using the 7-Sisters design for the challenge fabrics. Some fabrics she used reverse sides for more contrast.
Naomi– Read a poem entitled "A Quilter’s Blessing."
Fran – Shared pictures from her wedding. Brought a tub with the red fabrics that Brenda had given the guild – these are available for use for charity quilts.
– She had also finished a baby quilt for a co-worker.
Barb – Attended a Machine Quilter’s Showcase in Kansas City.
– She showed a quilt she has been experimenting machine quilting techniques on
and will be available for doing machine quilting.
Beulah–Has several projects she is working on, but did not bring any along.
Pat – Showed a jacket that she made putting pieces onto a sweatshirt.
– Showed a heritage lace piece that was done a Janome Machine class.
Susan– Showed a beach bag and place mat along with 3 wall hangings using raw edge
appliqué.

Submitted by Sylva Keenan

At the conclusion of Show & Tell we enjoyed refreshments furnished by Elaine and Peggy.
We then had a very informative program by Martha Bender who showed us how to transfer photos to fabric. She uses Bubble Jet to soak the fabric, after drying and ironing, she cuts it and places it on freezer paper that she runs thru an HP printer. She handed out a sheet of instructions and demonstrated how she does the entire process on prepared fabric. --Minutes submitted by Sylva Keenan (Peggy had to work late).

Committees:

• Charity:  Becky, Elaine, Janis
• Show ’07:  Carol, Edith
• Publicity:  Carol, Edith
• ’06 Retreat:  Laura, Betty
• Hospitality:  Sue, Sylva
• Mission/Purpose & Goals:  Jan,Carol
  
  At the conclusion of Show & Tell we enjoyed refreshments furnished by Elaine and Peggy.
  We then had a very informative program by Martha Bender who showed us how to transfer photos to fabric. She uses Bubble Jet to soak the fabric, after drying and ironing, she cuts it and places it on freezer paper that she runs thru an HP printer. She handed out a sheet of instructions and demonstrated how she does the entire process on prepared fabric.

--Minutes submitted by Sylva Keenan (Peggy had to work late).

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:

Maple Leaf Quilters Name Tag - Want to make a paper-pieced name tag to wear to our meetings? Here's a link to the Name Tag Pattern. Need instructions for paper piecing? Try this link: http://www.quilterscache.com/StartQuiltingPages/startquiltingthree.html

• Rachel’s of Greenfield – She has books about Amish & Mennonite quilts along with patterns and kits at her web site. http://www.rachelsquiltkits.com
  
  
• Electric Quilt - Free downloads, quilting fun, tips and classes. http://www.ElectricQuilt.com
  
  
• The Cotton Loft - Quality Quilt Fabric Quality cotton quilting fabric at less-than-retail prices. Secure, easy-to-search format. Fabric graphics downloadable to EQ and other design software. http://www.quiltingcotton.com
• Quilt Blocks Galore (hundreds of quilt blocks with patterns, wonderful site). http://www.quilterscache.com
  
  
• Maple Leaf Quilters On-Line Newsletter Archive
• Maple Leaf Quilters BLOCK OF THE MONTH
• Maple Leaf Quilters Programs and Hostesses, 2005