June 10th, 2009
Five Fun Mini Workshops! 9AM sharp!
There will be 5 on-going Workshops taught by group 5! You will be divided into 5 groups for each demonstration table. Then at every half hour you will rotate to a new table to find out the interesting technique that will be taught at that particular workshop. You need to bring a small hand sewing kit, a small notebook for notes. For the ‘Small Tissue Cover’ workshop you will need 1/3yard material-cut this into one 5” x 30” strip and cut two 5” x 12 ¾” strips. You will also need a ¼” x 30” ribbon to match the material. There will be a small sewing area set up with a machine and ironing station if you would like to sew it together right away. Come join us for fun and educational morning of quilting techniques! Be prompt and on time by 9AM.
so that you can get to each station by the noon hour.

Noon potluck! Bring a small container with you to take leftovers home in.

General Meeting at 1PM and Afternoon Program will be Dixie Schaer’s Trunk Show!
Due to her Brother’s passing last month she was not able to show her wonderful quilts. So don’t miss out! Be there be square!
Come see the beautiful quilt tops that she has created!

I would like to thank everyone who took my class on Blue Berry Hill last month. It was fun and I hope that you got to learn a technique on how not to waste one scrap of fabric! Jenny

Thank you to everyone who helped to sort thru the donated fabrics for sale! It is much easier and faster when there are several helpers to work on it. All but a bit of fabric was sold to members. $178 was made and put in the Treasury for future projects!

Chinese Auction
$20 was added to the Chinese Auction! The total is now $828.65! Thanks to everyone! This has been an enjoyable fund raiser! We appreciate all donations and want to mix it up a bit, so……
Something new! Chinese Baked Goods Auction! If you would like to, we would appreciate a donation of a Treat of some sort. Be it a plate of a half dozen/dozen chocolate chip cookies, or brownies or cupcakes or breads! If you don’t have time to bake something you can always get something store made. Anything that you think you might like to bid on and take home to enjoy. Please bring these in a sealed baggie or wrapped and sealed on a paper plate. We all need treats once in a while! Please leave your goodies on the table and someone will take care of it for you. Tickets are 25¢ each.



Thank you from Laurie Schwarck
Laurie has wished to express her thanks to her many quilting friends for the numerous cards and calls she received upon the unexpected passing of her father last month. It has been hard for her as she lost her Mother Jan Martin, our good quilting friend, last September. Our hearts and prayers are with you and your family Laurie.
Here is what she has to say:
I want to thank the quilt club for the wonderful quilt. It really does help to wrap up in it to feel the comfort, love, friendship; it makes the memories come alive. Thank you for giving the gift of a quilt to Mom 4 years ago and that gift to me. Also the past years for being a group of women that teach, give of your selves, take the time to have coffee and lunch. The new generation may have lost this so we must teach the comfort we gain from a quilt club. We may sit and sew, stitch or just visit-it is all good for our hearts and souls. Thank you so much-Love Laurie Schwarck

Alternative May Program
Carlene and I would like to thank everyone for being so kind in making the Comfort Heart Blocks! I think almost all of them were completed by meeting end. If you took a block home with you please remember to bring it to the June Meeting.

North Iowa Fair in Mason City
Dixie Schaer is our Fair Chairlady. She would like all of you to know that she will need your quilts for showing. She will have a sign-up sheet for you to sit and represent our guild in two hour increments. We will be asking the Lake Area Quilters to join us also. Dixie would like us to be at the fair for set on Tuesday July 21st around 2:30-3PM. Please volunteer to bring your quilts and sit a spell and enjoy the fair! The NI Fair is from July 22-26th. See you soon!

Lottery block!
The lottery block this month is very simple! It is the ‘Austin Star’. It finishes to a 12” block. This block is so easy that you can make several very fast! The more you make the better your chances of winning all of them!

Board Meeting
Will be held on June 16th, 2009 at the Senior Center in Mason. All NIQG members are welcome to attend any meetings.
Show and tell sign up
At the sign in table is a sheet in which to write the name of your quilt and short description of it. Please help me out by signing in your Show and Tells! We all want to remember your great beauties that you have shared with us. Thank you girls!

Bus Trip to Des Moines
AQS will again be in Des Moines this year on October 28-31 at the Iowa Events Center! The North Iowa Quilters Guild are working on hosting a bus trip to the show. More details to follow as arrangements are made.



2009 Naughty Row by Row Quilt- theme ‘HOME’
Ok Girls! We are getting to the end!
First row is the ‘theme home’! The second is ‘coffee cup’. The third row is ‘watering cans and the fourth is ‘tulips’. The 5th row is ‘hearts’. These should all be completed. The 6th pattern is a flying goose or a friendship block! You choose which to use or don’t use them at all. Next you will be handing your bag to the name listed for JUNE.
The pattern for June is ‘Letters’. You may use these pieced letters or make your own. Perhaps you want to appliqué them on. Or you can use an embroidery machine or perhaps you have embroidery letters on your machine already to use. When you make the lettering please keep in mind whose quilt you are working on. Look at the top of your bag and see who owns the quilt. If it is Minerva’s for example, look at all her rows and give her quilt a name. It may be ‘Minerva’s Country Quilt’ or ‘Minerva’s ‘Naughty Row by Row’ or simply ‘Country Happenings’ or ‘Country Home’ or ‘County Christmas’.
What ever you think best describes her quilt you will make the letters for her. Now these letterings don’t have to be horizontal they may be vertical or even crosswise or perhaps in a circle. Please do not just pen the name on. That is just too naughty! Now stop that snickering girls!
Quilt labels will be offered for all quilt makers at the August Picnic. This way the quilt owner can add on it all the ‘Naughty Girls’ who had worked to create her quilt. With this quilt being so naughty I bet there will be a label or two on the front of the quilts or attached in some amusing way! Time will tell!
Remember to work on the project as if it were your own quilt. NOTE: PLEASE MAKE ARRANGEMENTS WITH THE PERSON YOU ARE TO PASS YOUR BAG TO IF YOU CANNOT MAKE IT TO GUILD MEETING! It just isn’t fair to the person who has to wait and then hurry up her row. THANKS!
We will be revealing all the rows at our August Picnic! Pictures will be taken of your rows if you wish. You then have until November to finish your quilts to be qualified for prizes! The categories will be determined later. We have 4 very nice prizes already for you!
Now go have some fun girls!

Quilt binding can be narrow or wide, depending on the look you're trying to achieve. You can bind with a fabric that's already in the quilt or you can choose something new. Binding can be made from a single layer of fabric, but two layers are lots more durable. If placing a single binding on it is usually cut 1 ¾” wide and a double binding is usually cut 2 ½” wide and pressed in half. To eliminate binding all together you can trim the backing to within 1 ½” and bring it back up and over, then secure. Each quilter will have to think about which style she likes best.

You can find old vests at Goodwill or any second-hand stores. They make great handbags and mini bags. Also you can find old jeans at garage sales and make purses or quilt storage bags. Sometimes you can find some interesting buttons and trims at these places.

Upcoming elections in June
The slates for officers and board members have been filled! I wish to thank everyone for volunteering for these positions and also filling the different chairs. You are very much appreciated. Approval of elections will be held in June at our general meeting. Everyone will take their positions at the August Picnic. Here is the slate as it stands before June approval. If there are any mistakes please let Carlene or Jenny know.
Officers: Pres-Jenny Schlutz, Vice Pres-Margaret McMullin, Sec-Kim Sime, Treas-Kelsey Jones. Board: Norma Jean Miller, Marlene Oswood, Jeanne Moorehead, LeNore Forbes and Mary Ann Johnson. (out-going board-Ruth Ward & Dorothy Birch). Chairs: Newsletter-Jenny, Membership-Kelsey Jones, Programs-Cathy Knowles, Sunshine-Kim, Habitat-Margaret McMullin, ABC-Jo Best, Comfort-Carlene Davis, NI Fair-Dixie Schaer, Quilt Show-Carlene Davis, 2010 Raffle Quilt-Margaret & Betty Neel, web mistress-Kelsey.
Thank you everyone! Jenny Schlutz

If the birds make nests from fabric scraps they could die. The scraps holds water and won't dry out like straw would. Please do not throw them out for the birds. But if you have strings or fluff off a freshly trimmed edge that simply is like a dandelion that has gone to seed this would be ok for the birds. Very short pieces of yarn are ok too.

Make a reversible quilt by using a second quilt top for backing. Plan to machine-quilt, reversible quilts, since extra seam allowances create bulk when they're back-to-back. Consider pressing seam allowances open instead of to the side when making a reversible quilt.

Chain piecing is kind of like piecing on an assembly-line. After cutting your quilt patches, align them right sides together. Stack the paired units within easy reach next to your sewing machine. Start sewing units together, feeding them through the sewing machine one after another--but without breaking the threads after stitching each pair. When units are all sewn, cut the threads between them and go on to your next task.

Secretary Minutes May 13, 2009
At 1:25 Carlene Davis opened the meeting. Morning workshop Blue Berry Hill was presented by Jenny Schlutz. Guests were Sharon Snyder, Shirley Snyder and Connie Wagner. Secretary report was approved. Treasury report was also approved.
Door prizes were won by Lola Stiles-a star wall hanging donated by Florence Hagstrom. Nancy Traeger won a matching vest and bag donated by Jeanne Moorehead. Congrats girls!
Naughty Row exchange was handed out. Lottery Blocks were won by Marilyn Meinecke. Chinese Auction winners are- Minerva Wagner, Jean Payne, Shirley Snyder, Lola Stiles, Mary Ryerson, Mary Ann Johnson and Betty Neel. Jo Best explained the next month’s morning workshops. There will be 5 groups-5 teachers. Every half hour we will move to another group. Afternoon program will be Dixie Schaer’s Trunk Show.
The activity for July is the North Iowa Fair. We will have the same booth and terms as last year. We will need volunteers in 2 hour shifts to take care of the booth. Also quilts will be needed for display. No selling will be allowed.
We will need to start showing the raffle quilt and selling chances. Tickets will be ready when we can get a date conformation for the spring show. The August picnic will be at the Shelter Band Shell in Clear Lake. Set-up at 10:30. Potluck at 11:30.
For the afternoon program everyone was asked to make a heart block for our comfort quilts. Habitat for Humanity is working on several house. Completion by the end of the year. Excess fabric from donation was on sale for $1 a year. 2 quilts to the ABC were donated. May baskets, cake and bar were enjoyed. Secretary LeNore Forbes

Board Meeting May 19, 2009
The NIQG met at the Senior Center. 7 members were present. The secretary’s report approved. The treasurer’s report approved. The Clear Lake club will be asked to display and help sit at the Fair. Set up on July 21 at 3PM. The Fair runs July 22- 26th. No new information on the quilt show dates.
The AQS bus trip is still pending. The quilting new year starts on July 1st. dues are payable at the picnic or as soon as you can. Fons and Porter magazine subscriptions will be open until the June meeting. $20 subscription-$5 going to guild. Meeting adjourned. Secretary LeNore Forbes

Notes from Jenny
We are nearing the end of another fun quilt year for the North Iowa Quilters Guild. We have had lots enjoyable classes to take pleasure in and 5 more next June Workshop! We always enjoy plenty of great potlucks to keep up our vigor. We are blessed to have much support for and from, our members when we needed it the most. Coming to have a cup of coffee and chat with good friends is always a plus. Like Laurie has said that even if you don’t take a workshop it is so very pleasurable to just come and sit a spell and be amongst friends who love the same things you do.
Remember that we will not meet in July and to come to the North Iowa Fair with your quilts for show in our booth and be sure to enter quilts for competition. There are many other very nice fairs that will be going on all summer. Be sure to try and get to those too. It is so pleasurable to get out and be among people who are having fun.
There are several summer activities planned in many small communities in North Iowa and Southern Minnesota. Check out their websites or visit the area Chambers for more info. While these are all good things to keep you busy this summer remember to take time for yourself and create that one quilt that you have been putting off forever! It is time to get out the rotary cutter and mat and get busy! Say to yourself that ‘Today is the Day that I will work on this quilt!” Put in your favorite movie or music and dance with that quilt! To heck with making meals! Order in! Getting too hot? Turn on the air! Cold? Throw a quilt over your shoulders and sew away! Don’t let anything stop you. Ok Ok…if you have visit the Ladie’s room I guess that’s a good idea… just have fun and really do something for yourself! ---Always quilting something---Jen


When you have extra strips of fabric or making quilt blocks that uses strips, try using pincher clothes pins to group the strips and hang the groups on a wire clothes hanger. They are ready to use when you need them and can also be hung in a closet, out of the way.

When making log cabins or other blocks where you keep adding strips, keep the strips organized by length in a plastic flatware tray that holds spoon, forks and etc. You can get them at any dollar store.

Another suggestion to keeping your strips organized is to use clothespins and stick a note to what length they are with each color.