crystal Coast QUilters' guild

Hello Guild Members,

I hope everyone has been able to enjoy the past few days of warmer weather.  Spring is on its way!  We have a lot going on in the next couple of months.  Many thanks to Nan Miller who helped organize the countywide quilt exhibits in conjunction with our library system.  All of the libraries will have quilts on display for the public to enjoy.  We have decided to challenge our guild members with trying to visit each exhibit during the month of March.  To verify that you visited an exhibit, please post a selfie of yourself at the exhibit on our Facebook page or send it to Nan Miller, Lisa Rechkemmer or me if you are not on Facebook.  If your phone does not take photos, you can describe one of the quilts in the exhibit to verify that you visited that library.  You have until the end of March to visit all of the exhibits, which are listed at the end of the newsletter.  We hope this will be fun and encourage you to see the various exhibits.  Prizes might even be given at our April meeting to those who complete the Challenge!

We will also be donating quilts to the hospital for the first girl and boy born on National Quilting Day.  Thank you, Theresa Thacker and Maureen Flaherty, for providing quilts for these new babies this year.  What a wonderful surprise for those families!

After waiting two years, the Emerald Isle St. Patrick’s Day Festival is scheduled to take place this coming March 12th, from 9:00-6:00 at the Emerald Plantation.  This is a fun, family event where we have always done well with ticket sales.  If you are able to help that day, please contact me for a time slot.  Looking ahead, we have another opportunity to sell tickets for our quilt at Publick Day in Beaufort on April 23rd.  Please contact Nancy Smith about helping with that event.

Of course, our Day of Sharing is right around the corner, on March 23rd at On the Rocks in Atlantic Beach.  Please contact Cindy Moeller about helping out with this fun event.  And don’t forget to bring something to show!!

At the last guild meeting, the members who were present decided we should go ahead and reserve the Recreation Center for our gatherings over the next few months.  I’m wondering if everyone would like to return to having Drop-In on a weekly basis instead of only twice a month.  Please let me know, and I can make those arrangements. If we make that change, I will send out an email to let everyone know.

It looks like a couple of very busy months ahead for us with full calendars. These events provide our guild with many opportunities to share what we have created, our love for quilting and our desire to share both with our community.

Keep Stitching,

Laurie

Dear Guild Members,

We were able to have our first in-person guild meeting and Drop-In this month at the Morehead City Rec Center at Fisher Street. It’s nice to be able to gather with each other again. Please let me know how you like meeting at the Rec Center. It will help me to know whether to reserve additional dates or look elsewhere.

There has been a bit of a changing of the guard, so to speak. You may have noticed that Jan Willis has agreed to take over the newsletter for me. Thank you, Jan!! It is a big relief to have that in such good hands. And, after several years of overseeing our library, Patti Marraro has resigned from that position and will be undertaking the role of administrator of the guild website. Contact Patti, if you have questions about logging onto the website or navigating you way around it. She has graciously offered to be available early at guild meetings and Drop-In, if you need any help with the website and to answer questions. Also, if you have any interest in taking over the position of our librarian, please let me know.

Looking ahead, we have the Day of Sharing and the Emerald Isle St. Patrick’s Day Festival both coming up in March. Volunteers are needed at both of these events. Please help support your guild by helping out with them. They are both fun events where we can share our love for quilting.

Stay warm in this cold weather!

Keep stitching,

Laurie

Dear Guild Members,

It’s the start of a New Year with many changes taking place. First, I’d like to thank Cathy Crandell for being such a wonderful President for the past three years during some very difficult times. Her ability to always keep an open mind and striving for what was in the best interest of the guild and its members, proved to be a real benefit to our guild during the pandemic. I’d also like to thank Chris Pochwat for her service as Treasurer and for her decision to guide our members with the UFO and PHD Challenges, which have been fun ways for us to stay connected by sharing our progress on Facebook. We all owe both of you a big Thank You! I’d also like to extend a big thank you to Lisa Rechkemmer, and all who helped with the December Luncheon. It was so nice to have an in-person gathering and visit with one another again! It really helped put everyone in the holiday spirit.

Looking ahead, the guild will be changing our website host soon. Our current host does not offer some features that will enable us to create a website that is more user-friendly. You will be informed, when this change has taken place. Members at the December Luncheon voted to raise our dues to $35 a year. Please take care of paying your dues now. They can be paid on the website, mailed to Vicky Garner, or to the guild’s post office box.

I’m looking forward to the new year and hope that we will be able to enjoy more in-person gatherings. We are exploring different options and will keep you informed of what we find.

Stitch away,

Laurie

Dear Guild Members,

Reflecting on the last three years as your president, I am reminded of the opening lines of A Tale of Two Cities, “It was the best of times, it was the worst of times. . .” From my perspective the Guild has had some wonderful times over the past couple of years: staging a successful quilt show with stunning quilts and touching memorials to some of our former members; coming together for listening sessions and creating new goals for the future of the Guild; partnering with local libraries to bring our art to the community and with the hospital, to help patients in need of care.

And then the worst of times: COVID-19 with illness, death, anxiety, and isolation. Yet, in the midst of the pandemic, angels emerged from our ranks, making masks for first responders. With time at home, our members made scores of quilts for kids and veterans. We found ways to connect through Zoom meetings, writing notes in the newsletter, and telephone calling. Our Workshop Committee pivoted to an online format, bringing us workshops and lectures from nationally recognized teachers, and we were motivated by the UFO and PHD challenges.

Although the future remains uncertain with regard to COVID-19, its variants and what we need to do to remain safe and healthy, I am convinced that the Crystal Coast Quilters’ Guild will thrive. We have not only weathered this crisis as a group, we have continued to care for each other, and those in need, through our love of quilting. I look forward to our future together, continuing to build our relationships and enjoying each other while making a contribution to our community.

Thank you for the opportunity to serve as your president.

Warmly,

Cathy