Newsletter

President's Message - Susan Sellers

Do you ever find yourself chasing colors? I was at a gas station recently, trying not to fret over the rising cost of gas, when I spotted someone wearing a sweater in the most beautiful shade of purple. Immediately, my mind raced to the possibility that I could include that exact color in a quilt that I have been planning. At that moment I began another quest. I must confess that this is not the first time that I have spent months or years searching for the perfect color of fabric to go into a quilt. There have been other incidents, like the quest for the perfect black, or for a particular shade of red. I also realize that there are many other less wholesome things that I could be searching for instead of fabric!

Whatever the reasons for my color obsession, I immediately drove to a succession of fabric and quilt shops looking for this elusive shade of purple, a deep rich shade called aubergine. Of course, I haven't found its exact match in fabric yet, but I am not giving up hope. Ironically, instead of finding it in fabric, I keep seeing the color in other objects, like carpeting, clothing, and jewelry. I have resisted buying all of these substitutes while I continue my chase. I may be forced to dye my own fabric, as I have done before, if I can't find it in commercial fabric, but it's much to early to resort to that. There are still other shops to visit and places to look for the beautiful aubergine.

For me, one of the greatest joys of quilting is color. I spend most of my planning time auditioning different color choices and have often set projects aside to wait until the perfect colors are found. Pattern choice and quilting stitches are often secondary to the choice and placement of color in my quilts. Perhaps this is why I enjoy my color quests so much. Which aspects of the quilting process appeal most to you?

I look forward to continuing to see the gorgeous quilts that our Nimble Fingers members have made as I end my year as your president. I will be chairing the quilt show, but also hope to find time to actually make some of the quilts that I keep planning and to finish ones that I have already started. I am very pleased to know that the Nominating Committee was successful in recruiting a dream team of candidates to serve as the officers for next year. Thanks to the five individuals who have stepped forward to give their time to support Nimble Fingers. Please plan to attend our May meeting to participate in the voting process.

Happy quilting!

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Election of New Officers
The nominating committee has presented a slate of officers to be voted upon at the May meeting:
President: Priscilla Lai and Ruan Robertson
Vice-President: Lisa Walker
Treasurer: Anne Datko
Secretary: Sheila Kramer
Additional nominations will be accepted from the floor with the prior consent of the person nominated.
The slate was presented in April, the vote is in May and the new officers take over in June.
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Programs - Betty Ford

May 7, 2008

Lecture — Karen Eckmeier, www.quilted-lizard.com. “Collage Creations.” Slide presentation and trunk show: From whimsical lizards to contemplative landscapes, Karen leads you step by step through several approaches to fabric collage. She will show you how to cut fabrics to get the look of precision piecing or even to give your piece a soft painterly glow. May 8, 2008 Workshop — “Happy Villages.” See your own personal village come to life by cutting free-form step and window shapes. Karen’s exploration of the freedom of fabric collage will make this a delightful and exciting day of discovery.
June 4, 2008

Lecture - Nimble Fingers’ own Margaret Hartranft accompanied by pianist Mark Martin will entertain us with a program called Compositions in Quilts & Music. The quilts and music were designed in composition together. It’s sure to be an enjoyable program.

September 3, 2008
Lecture - Nurturing the Creative Soul with Paula Golden from Woodbridge, Virginia. How do we find time in our busy schedules to create the quilts that reflect the stories of our hearts? Learn to identify the obstacles to creativity, find simple solutions and methods to jump start the creative force when it is stumped.

September 3, 2008 following lunch
Workshop - Color Confidence for Quilters with Paula Golden. Learn Jinny Beyer's techniques for developing a stunning color scheme for multi-fabric quilts or for use in home decorating. Paula has been on the staff of Jinny Beyer's Hilton Head Seminar since 1995 and was also named 2001 Teacher of the Year by The Professional Quilter magazine. To reserve your place, send a check for $ 35 to Burt White or email her at abilumo@aol.com
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Hospitality – Mary Hagen and Anne Hammond

LUNCHEONS FOR NIMBLE FINGERS

May Luncheon:

J-Z- last half of the alphabet should bring salads, rolls and desserts.
Hostesses bring drinks.

June Luncheon:

Deli sandwiches and salad; hostesses bring desserts and drinks.
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Membership - Jill Ruspi

We will begin collecting the annual dues at the May meeting. Dues are still $25.00 per year.

We have four new members since the last newsletter. If you don’t want to copy or clip all this information, just send me an email (jruspi@aol.com) and I will send you the latest Membership List via the miracle of email. Saves paper and time, two valuable resources.

Reminder: Please notify Jill Ruspi with any changes in home address/phone number/ e-mail address.
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Quilting for Others - Beth Smith

Our Habitat for Humanity quilts for this year are due in December, as you know. Here is the list of reminders that went out with the first batch in 2007:

-Quilt must be made by members of Nimble Fingers and their friends. No purchased or used quilts.
- You can quilt or tie the quilt.
- If you are having the quilt quilted by someone else, please check with that individual as to their requirements in terms of batting, backing and thread. Nimble Fingers will provide batting on request. The quilter must provide backing and thread.
- If you wish to quilt your quilt on Beth Smith’s machine and frame, please make arrangements as soon as possible, either in early summer or after the quilt show. On my system, the backing and batting should be at least four inches larger than the top on all four sides. Bring your own thread.
- Please store the quilt at your home until December unless you would like to have it in the quilt show.

We have used most of the fabric from Elizabeth Thornwall’s donation, but Susan Sellers and I have plenty of fabric bolts from the other large donation we received last year. These are primarily juvenile fabrics, and almost all of them are a poly/cotton blend. We continue to use these fabrics for the Children’s Hospital pillow cases, but there is enough for both purposes.

Habitat for Humanity quilts will be part of a special display at the quilt show. I have a few that can be shown, but if you finish yours early enough, it too can be in the special display.

Quilting Bee – Loretta Quinting & Priscilla Lai

The staff at Habitat for Humanity where we meet for the monthly bee has kindly approved our request to meet twice monthly during the summer as well. These summer meetings will be for guild members who want to make Quilt Show Boutique items. Ruan, Mary and I will be bringing patterns, fabrics, ideas, and encouragement.

Please look at the NF website for suggestions for what to make. Just follow the link for Events and Service Projects on the main page. As you can see from the list, these don't have to be sewn or quilted items. They can be needlework, knit, crochet, paper, any kind of craft that you would like to make and sell. If you prefer, you can bring your quilting projects as usual, but be mindful that the Boutique is the emphasis with these meetings.

The address for the Habitat offices is 9110 Gaither Rd, Gaithersburg, MD.

Dates are as follows, and time will always be from 10 AM till about 12:30 when we can go out for lunch. These are all Thursdays: May 15, June 5 and 19, July 3 and 17, Aug 7 and 21.
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Current Events - Ann Plunkett

June 14 & 15, 2008, Quilts by the Bay, Annapolis, Maryland. Annapolis High School, 2700 Riva Road, Annapolis, MD. Saturday 10am-5pm. Sunday 11am-5pm.
www.annapolisquiltguild.org
June 19-21, 2008 - The National Quilting Association presents its 39th Annual Quilt Show at the Greater Columbus Convention Center in Columbus, Ohio. www.nqaquilts.org

June 28 & 29, 2008 - The York Quilters Guild will be hosting their biennial quilt show, “Celebration of Quilts 2008” 10 AM to 5 PM in the Old Main Building, York Expo Center/Fairgrounds on Carlisle Ave. /Rt. 74 in York, PA. www.yorkquiltersguild.com

Mid-Appalachian Quilters, Inc. – 21st Annual Education Seminar, July 11-13, 2008, Mount St. Mary’s University, Emmitsburg MD www.maqonline.org

Quilt Odyssey, Hershey PA - July 24-27, 2008; Show Times for Merchants Mall and Quilt Exhibits - Thursday, Friday & Saturday: 10am - 6pm, Sunday: 10am - 4pm
www.quiltodyssey.com/quiltshow

Pennsylvania National Quilt Extravaganza XV, September 4-7,2008. Expo Hall: Pennsylvania Farm Show Complex, Harrisburg, PA. www.quiltfest.com

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Library - Patrice Thomas

Check out our website for the list of books in the Nimble Fingers library! http://nimblefingers.org/nimblefingerslibrary.htm If you see a book that you would like to borrow, kindly email Patrice Thomas at patriceira@aol.com.

Bits and Pieces

Great Gift Suggestion: If you're looking for a gift for that someone who has everything, how about buying a book of our quilt raffle tickets in that person's name. You can box and wrap the stubs, or enclose them in a card along with one of the "Celtic Cosmos" postcards. Try adding them to a birthday card also anytime until next Oct.
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A person has (20) 14” embroidered squares that are bordered. She would like to hire someone to add additional fabric to make a king size quilt. She will also need to have it quilted. If you are interested, please contact her at jayem@aol.com and mention that you belong to Nimble Fingers.
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The Montgomery County Humane Society is holding a "Paws in the Park" event on May 18 (see their web site for details). I will be selling fleece pet beds (all proceeds go to the Humane Society). If anyone has a pet-related item (beds, coats, quilts, etc.) they would like to donate, I'll sell them too. We'd really appreciate it. If so, please e-mail me at kerileec@comcast.net. Thanks, Keri Christenfeld
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Check out these new local stores: www.artfulquilter.com, www.artisticartifacts.com
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Members of seven local quilt groups met recently to discuss the possible formation of a collaborative organization to share best practices and ideas. After an evening of brainstorming, there was agreement among those present to pursue the formation of the Maryland/DC Quilt Consortium (MDCQC) and to establish a Yahoo group to facilitate communication. Possible roles for this new consortium would include co-sponsoring speakers or major events, partnering to share equipment or a show facility, and publicizing a calendar of quilt related events. As president of Nimble Fingers, I represented our guild at the initial planning meeting. Attendees were asked to contact their guild members to gauge interest in this effort. Efforts will be made to contact other quilt groups within the Washington DC and Maryland area to invite them to join the MDCQC. If you are interested in being involved in this effort, please contact me for more information. A second meeting is scheduled for late April.

Member News

Nimble Fingers Is supporting a new charitable effort to provide colorful pillowcases to children undergoing cancer treatment. You can visit the website at www.ConKerrCancer.org to learn more about the national effort and to find directions for creating the cases.

Sandra Chin, one of our members, brought this project to our attention and will be the person collecting the pillowcases to be donated to Children's Hospital in DC. Sandra would like to report that she has collected 37 pillowcases for A Case for Smiles from generous Nimble Fingers members, and wants to thank everyone for their generosity? These pillowcases will brighten the day for some very sick children at DC Children's Hospital! Thank you!
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Current Events: Ann Plunkett
Historian: Francie Parrack
Hospitality: Mary Hagen, Anne Hammond
Library: Patrice Thomas
Membership: Jill Ruspi
Mini-Groups: VACANT
Newsletter: Kim Jalette
Programs: Betty Ford, Morna Golletz, Burt White
Quilt Show: Susan Sellers
Quilting Bee: Loretta Quinting, Priscilla Lai
Quilting for Others: Beth Smith
Retreat: Lisa Walker
Sunshine: Betty Ford
Website: Jane Van Horn, Karen Plunkett
Welcoming: Sheila Kramer, Mary Hagen
All telephone numbers, snail mail and e-mail addresses can be found in the Membership Directory. Copies are available from Jill Ruspi, Membership Chair.
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Quilt Show - Susan Sellers

Planning efforts are moving full steam ahead for our Nimble Fingers quilt show scheduled for October, 2008 at The Universities at Shady Grove, Building 2, 9630 Gudelsky Drive, Rockville, MD 20850. The dates and times are Friday,October 17, 10 AM- 5 PM and Saturday, October 18, 10 AM- 4 PM.

I have taken on the role of quilt show chair and will be coordinating the efforts of our able committees. Preliminary publicity has been sent out and we will have printed materials available for distribution at the June meeting. The vendor committee has received several signed contracts and has had expressions of interest from other vendors. Raffle ticket sales continue and plans are underway for a speedier, electronic system of registration. I would like to thank everyone who has stepped forward so far to help with the show planning. This is truly a group effort for Nimble Fingers and we are hopeful that our members will continue to some forward to be involved with the show. If you are not able to make a larger time committment to volunteer for this show, here are some ways that you can support the show efforts:

*Attend one of our Boutique Bees and make items to sell in our show. If you donate your homemade items to us, Nimble Fingers will receive the full profit from the sales.

*Create your own handcrafted boutique items for sale in the show with our profit sharing system.

*Take time to do a thorough spring cleaning of your quilting space and donate any clean sewing or quilting items in good condition to our Artisan's Attic Booth. You will have a tidy sewing space and Nimble Fingers will be able to continue to fund our wonderful speakers and guild activities.

*Volunteer to share your quilting tips and talents as part of our ten minute demonstrations at the show. We hope to have a mini-demo on each hour of each show day and know that we have many talented quilters with wisdom to share.

*Take publicity flyers to your local library, or other locations so that we can attract paying visitors.

*Volunteer to take our opportunity quilt, “Celtic Cosmos", to another guild's meeting or to a local show to sell raffle tickets. Every dollar earned goes directly to support the show.

*Plan your summer schedule to allow time to work on your own quilts so that you are ready to enter them in our show. We want to let other quilters see the beauty and skills of our Nimble Fingers members!

Hello ladies - We are getting close to the date of our Show and in past years have had generous donations for our Raffle Baskets! Our goal for this show is to have 2 baskets and 2 smaller runner-up baskets. Therefore, we are asking that every Guild member donate at least one – preferably two fat quarters for the baskets. Please bring them to the May meeting and give them to Fran or Diane. We would like to make the baskets as assorted as possible, so we also will welcome any other items, they don’t have to be quilting, such as rulers, rotary cutters, patterns, ribbons, buttons, lace, thread, etc. Our only requirement is that everything be new, unused items.

Please continue selling your tickets, and remember they are a great item for a gift for a birthday! And if you have sold yours, please contact us if you would like more. Remember, we have gifts for the member who sells the most tickets and the member who sells the winning ticket for the Raffle Quilt. The Raffle Quilt is a major fundraiser to help offset the expenses of the Show.

Our guild members worked together to create our beautiful opportunity quilt, Celtic Cosmos. However, since its visit to the Hampton show and brief outing to our March meeting, Celtic Cosmos has been home alone, all dressed up with no place to go! Please consider taking the quilt to a local guild meeting or show to sell raffle tickets. Contact Susan Sellers, quilt secretary to put your name in Celtic Cosmos' date book.

The show boutique is now known as The Quilter’s Gift. The committee members are Mary Hagen, Ruan Robertson, and Beth Smith. If you would like to contribute to the boutique, here are some guidelines:

Boutique items must be handmade by guild members -- no purchased items. The exception to this would be purchased items that are incorporated into the craft piece. An example would be a small notebook or notepad for which the crafter makes covers.
You must register your boutique item prior to the show. A registration form will be available as the show approaches.

At the May guild meeting, the boutique committee will have several free patterns for members who would like some ideas of what to make. Items may be quilted, sewn, crocheted, knitted, painted, or any other form of original crafting. The deadline for turning them in will be announced at the September guild meeting.

Artisans' Attic at the Nimble Fingers Quilt Show

Spring is coming! Please go through your sewing studio for upscale new and used items and craft supplies to donate to our booth at the quilt show. Our needs include patterns, books and magazines, frames, hoops, new fabric, tools you don't use any more, small and large items such as working sergers and sewing machines. We may be able to pick up large items from your home and we will have a table at the monthly meeting where you may leave items.

Committee members (Ronnie Sullivan, Jane Oden, Helene Bress, Marion Griffith, Tisha Fass, Greta Kunkle, Maryanne Culliton) will be glad to respond to your questions.
Nimble Fingers Quilters, Inc.
2008 Quilt Show

NEXT MEETING: May 7th
KAREN ECKMEIER
Workshop with Karen:
May 8th
“Happy Villages”

SNOW AND/OR INCLEMENT WEATHER POLICY :
If Montgomery County Public Schools are operating on a delayed opening schedule (either one or two hour delay), the Nimble Fingers meeting will go on as scheduled (10 am at the Potomac Community Center).
If Montgomery Count yPublic Schools are closed, then the Nimble Fingers meeting will be cancelled.
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Nimble Fingers Newsletter May/June 2008