February Meeting

February's meeting is going to be a fun one. I am so sorry to have to miss out on this one. We will be have a demo on Longarm quilting with some time for you to try it out yourself! Because of this we are mixing things up.

This is the proposed schedule:

• Greeting
• Quick Officers updates
• Show and tell
• Then off to Longarm demo tryout time.

 So remember to bring:

• Your name tag
• A modern quilt to share for Show and tell
• and maybe this time you might want to bring a notebook 

Some ongoing things to be aware of are, If you want to participate in the Block Lotto, blocks are not due until the March meeting. If you want to bring them to this meeting you are more than welcome. Please be sure to attach your name to your blocks, thanks. If you are interested in participating complete details are contained in this post. 

Heritage Park 21st Annual Festival of Quilts is happening Saturday, May 28 and Sunday, May 29. Quilt entries are now open. 
There is also an event happening called the Iron Quilter Challenge on Saturday May 28th. This will be the first attempt at a two hour quilt challenge and crown a local team as Calgary’s Iron Quilters for the Festival of Quilts. You can watch as three teams of four people send the scraps flying and the machines whirling to create a small quilt in just two hours!

****If you would like to participate, please send an email with the names of your team of four to be considered to quilts@heritagepark.ca. Participants will be chosen by random draw. Deadline to send your team name is April 1, 2016. Please indicate “Iron Quilt Challenge” in the subject line.

Teams will have two hours to complete a small quilt top (36x48). Fat quarters, batting, binding and a pattern will also be supplied at the start of the competition by Victoria’s Quilts, Calgary branch. Competitors will be required to supply other supporting equipment. Prizes will be awarded and the finished quilts will be auctioned at the gala dinner on Saturday, May 28, 2016. Competition to start at 10:30 am and conclude at 12:30 pm, if all three teams are not finished by 12:30 pm, a ½ hour grace will be granted. Voting will commence at 1:00 pm (or 1:30 pm if an extension of time is granted) and will conclude by 2:45 pm with results at 3:15 pm. Voting will be done by the Quilt Community Showcase guild participants and the Festival of Quilts committee members.

I know there was some interest in this on the Facebook page, anyway I am sure Rebecca Marcil will keep us up to date on this event.

As usual we will be meeting at Wonderfil's Threaducation Centre,  Bay 4, 2915 19th St. NE. Calgary, AB, Canada  T2E 7A2 on February 18, 2016 from  7pm to 9pm.

Jera MacKenzie

Delivery of Charity Quilts to Sonshine Community Services

Last week, Jera and I had the opportunity to deliver the charity quilts to Sonshine Community Services. When we arrived at the location I was struck by the fact that this building is a women’s shelter. It’s likely that I have driven by this place over a dozen times and had no idea of the incredible work going on inside.

Women can stay at Sonshine for up to a year and access the supports they offer. During this time the families are supported by a large group of people ranging from counseling to career skills and education. As a teacher I was most impressed by the supports being provided to children. Sonshine has its own childcare facilities that specialize in treating children who have experienced trauma. This is also available to children who will benefit from the services who are not housed within the facility. The difference this care will make in the lives of these children is immense!

Barb, the volunteer coordinator, who provided us with a tour of the facility, greeted us. First, you need know that Barb is the warmest person, by the end of our visit it felt like we were friends. I am happy to know that the women and children who access Sonshine’s services have someone like Barb in their corner. Second, you need to know that everyone who works at Sonshine has dedicated their lives to helping very vulnerable women and children. Through some good fortune I have never had to access a women’s shelter, although I know people who have. I have some idea of the crisis that leads a person to the necessity of accessing these types of services. I’m almost certain that every woman in our Guild knows someone who has needed these services and I am certain that’s why everyone was so enthusiastic in their support for this cause.

We delivered 48 quilts! As each new family arrives at Sonshine, their apartment will be prepared and the quilts will be on their beds. The quilts will become one of their first possessions on a hopeful journey. Sonshine passes along their gratitude for the generosity of such an extensive quilt donation.

The need at Sonshine continues and we will continue to donate quilts to their cause throughout 2016. At our March sew day (which is actually a sew night on March 18th) we will finish putting together the QAYG blocks and prepping binding for those quilts. At the February meeting attendees will get a chance to try longarming on donation quilts as well.

Stay tuned for opportunities to get involved in this very worthy project!

Rachel Elliott