Supporting Quilting--Staying Focused

What do you do to support quilting?

I embroidered this leaf in a class at my bernina store,

(Quilting Delights). Later, I made this little quilt that
I donated to the Alzheimer Priority quilt project. 

Do you buy from your LQS?
I do. I also support the shops where I bought my machines. I've taken classes and purchased fabrics at those shops! I do purchase needles, storage containers, books from Joann Craft and Fabric store using coupons. However, I believe that where you put your money is the indicator of what kind of community you will have.

Do you belong to a guild?
I do. Our guild has about 500 members. One would think that with that many members, people would be lined up to take on the various positions. It isn't so! I've been membership chair, Saturday workshop chair, featured artist chair, president-elect and President.

For the first eleven years I was a guild member, I worked full time plus. I didn't have the time availability to chair a committee; but, I did white glove the featured artist show and guild quilt show several days each year. Actually, in the past dozen years of my membership, I've only missed one year that I haven't white gloved at both events! I also taught a full day class at the Saturday workshops. I've sorted fabrics for our charity group, put together quilt kits; sewn items for the charity group and helped youth experience quilting in the outreach group. I've made small items to give away to retreat attendees. I've taken classes and met amazing national teachers!

This is Karan and her Queen of Hearts quilt.

She is a member of the WIPs group and also

a member of the Featured Artist Show where

she will be sharing this quilt!

In the last eight years, I've been a chair or a co-chair of a committee. I believe if you value your guild, you must support it. This year, I'm the Saturday workshop chair and the featured artist chair. It is a little weird being the chair of a committee that you are also one of the featured artists! I couldn't manage it all if there wasn't a co-chair/s to bounce around ideas and to share the workload. If you belong to a guild, how do you support it?

Do you belong to a small group?
I belong to several. First there is WIPs. (Works In Progress) We got together after we determined that three of us lived within a few miles of each other and we had been going to retreats for years not realizing that fact! We have a couple get togethers each month. One meeting is on a Friday at the end of the month where we meet in a member's home. One is on a Monday, where we meet at a member's church. There are 27 members of the group now. For the last five years, I have been the moderator of the yahoo group which means that I send out reminder notices to meetings, post photos in a slide show format of our get togethers and update our membership file which is available on our group site. I've also organized a strip exchange and then a challenge to make a quilt from the strips.

This is "Who Said Clematis" that we made 

one year as our raffle quilt.

Second, I belong to the Airing of the Quilts Milwaukie show committee. There are about a dozen people in this group. I've belonged at least six years and have been in charge of the the featured artist and the demonstrators. I've helped:
make the raffle quilt,
sold raffle quilt tickets,
promote the show,
with quilt acceptance,
with quilt layout,
 hang and take down the show and whatever else was needed.

This is Pinwheel Crumbs inspired by the first
book I led the discussions. The book was 
"The Last Runaway."

Third, there is Thread Tales. This is a group that reads a book, discusses it and then we have a reveal to see what quilts we made that were inspired by the book. I've been involved with this group since in started almost ten years ago.  I have led the group discussion twice which means you pick a group, lead the activities for two months and then organize the reveal. I've shared a number of quilts that I've made through this group. I've led two book discussions and with 25 members (was a high of about 45 members), being in charge doesn't happen often!! What do you do to support your small group?

This is "Into the Depths" inspired by the second book I
led the discussions. The book was "The Shadow of the 
Wind."

Do you  share your knowledge?

DD stitched this quilt for her nephew from the stash.

I got to play with the "grand" while she stitched! Ah...
heaven!!!!!

I've taught a design class of quilting stitches--a sort of how do I quilt that?--at Saturday Workshops and have consulted often on quilting. I've given mini demonstrations at a small group meeting from time to time. If someone asks for help, I've been know to set a date and help. I've shared what I know about binding techniques when asked and am doing my best to infect the quilting pox on our two granddaughters. Time will tell if I am successful this time!! Remember, I tried to infect our two DDs, but failed. Although, I still hope the virus is latent in their systems and when the activities in their lives slow, the quilt pox will take hold! I blog twice a week!

As I look at my pile of On Going Projects, I realize that in order to keep my focus on the finish in that area, I need to make some changes in how I spend the time in my day.

We only get so many hours in a day! I need a balance between supporting quilting and finishing my quilt projects! So from time to time over the next three months I'll be sharing how I'm tweaking those hours so I'm more productive with my finish goal. Staying "focused" has been a challenge this whole year!

As I finished writing this post, I ran across this quote:

Don't brood. Get on with living and loving. You don't have forever.

— Leo Buscaglia

I think it applies to quilting too. . .especially the forever part!