President's Perspective | Greater Ann Arbor Quilt Guild

President's Message

November 2025

Quilt Day Meeting– Saturday, November 15 – In person and via Zoom

In person – Doors open at 8:30 a.m. and the meeting begins at 9:15 at Washtenaw Community College, Morris Lawrence Building, 4800 E Huron River Dr, Ann Arbor, MI 48105. The closest entrance to the parking lot is across from the St. Joseph hospital emergency drive.
Zoom – Invitations will be emailed on November 13. We will open the meeting for Zoom attendees at 9:00 a.m.
The November meeting will include:
- Remarks from Rhonda Parker, SafeHouse Center’s Development Director
- Our annual vote to elect officers
- A drawing of a volunteer’s name to receive a free workshop in 2026
- A lecture entitled “An Introduction to the Modern Quilting Aesthetic” by Amy Friend

2025 Workshops
There are a few openings for Amy Friend’s “Intentionally Pieced Large Scale Paper Piecing” (11/14) and “Improv Paper Piecing” (11/16). Learn more on the workshops page.

2026 Workshops
Registration is now open for members and nonmembers. The line-up is:

January – Rachel Derstine
March – Jane Sassaman
May – Kevin Womack
September – Mary Bajcz and Kathy Schmidt
November – Carolina Oneto

Thank you to so many of you for registering early. Some of the workshops are close to full, so register soon to make sure your spot is reserved. If the workshop is full, we strongly encourage you to place your name on the waiting list with our Workshop Registrar.

Molas Special Exhibit at November Quilt Day
Harry Cross, Ann Arbor area resident, will be showcasing his collection of molas before our November Quilt Day meeting on November 15. Be sure to stop by to see this special exhibit and thank him for coming.

UFO Challenge
Members, you still have time to register your UFOs (Unfinished Objects) before our November Quilt Day where we will send these items down the runway of completed projects. Feel free to post photos on your social media accounts or send them to Maryann Hummer by midnight, November 11, at programs@gaaqg.com so we can get them out in the virtual world, too. If you plan to show them in person at Quilt Day, you don’t need to send photos.

Volunteer for Our Upcoming Workshops!
We’re gearing up for next year‘s workshops, and we could use a few extra hands to make them even more special. If you enjoy working with others, or just want to lend a hand, we’d love to have you on board! Interested? Email programs@gaaqg.com

Demo
Label Your Quilts–Demo by Lucinda Herring. There are no quilt police . . . but there should be label police! It’s very important to label your quilts so future snugglers will know who to thank. Lucinda will share the products and methods she has used over the years to print her labels and one of them should even work with your inkjet printer. She will have a handout with basic information, too. Get a preview on her blog post about labels, but check out the rest of her posts, too. Lucinda has been a guild member for 10 years. For the past 8 years she has mostly made quilts from rescued vintage finds and always finds a way to breathe new life into a piece while respecting the original creator’s voice.

Small Groups
Big news: a new Ann Arbor area small group is forming! Their second meeting was held on Thursday November 6th, 2025 at 4:30 p.m. at the Starbucks at 4585 Washtenaw Avenue (between Golfside and Carpenter). Any GAAQG member is welcome to join. Show your interest on Quilt Day by seeing Pat Weber at the Small Group table or sign up from the Members Page on our website. Click on “Small Groups” and then on “Join a Small Group.” By joining at this incubation stage, members can have input to the date, time, place, and interests of this new small group. Any members who are interested in joining other small groups, or in starting a new small group, can follow the same path on the GAAQG web site. We have groups throughout Southeast Michigan, and we encourage you to find your “creative peeps.” Small groups are such a good way to feel connected to our large and diverse guild..

Next Online Sew-in
Our Saturday Sew-in is held on the 4th Saturday of each month on Zoom. The next date is Saturday, November 22 , 9 a.m.- 12 p.m. All members receive an invitation to the meeting two days before. Since the holidays may not be fun for everyone, feel free to drop in and out as your schedule allows. We have so much talent in our guld that we always learn new tips, tricks, and resources on diverse topics while getting some dedicated time to work on our projects. This is an especially good way for new members to meet others.

Please check out our GAAQG website for additional information about the guild. If you are not currently a member, you can join the Greater Ann Arbor Quilt Guild on our website, there are links to join at the top of every page. We would love to have you!

Sincerely,
Jane Clark,
GAAQG President

September 2025

Quilt Day Meeting– Saturday, September 20 – In person and via Zoom

In person: Doors open at 8:30 a.m. and the meeting begins at 9:15 a.m. at the Morris Lawrence Building on the Washtenaw Community College campus. Click here for directions or enter “WCC Morris Lawrence Building” in your map software.
Zoom: Invitations will be emailed on Thursday, September 18. We open the meeting for attendees at 9 a.m.
Demo: This month, Gayle Kush will be demonstrating Faux Piped/Flanged Binding. Here is what she has to say about her presentation: “In this technique, the binding will be made from two different colors of strips sewn together in such a way that when machine sewn onto the quilt, the binding will resemble a piped binding or one with a mini flange. Two contrasting strips will be sewn together and made into the binding. That will then be attached to the back of the quilt by machine, then turned to the front and stitched in the ditch between the flange and the binding, also by machine, making it so much easier to make the back look as good as the front. This method is fast compared to traditional piping or adding a flange. It’s easy with no complicated corners, and very secure. This binding adds some pop to the quilt top with the accent fabric which for me, kicks my Safehouse quilts up a notch. It also allows you to use a binding fabric that you love but might not have enough of for a traditional 2.5” width machine binding strip. I will have a handout with some tips of my own with links to three different tutorials showing all the ways I have found helpful to me.”
No vendor this month, so be sure to use your guild discount at your local quilt shop. Textiles in Milan and Ann Arbor Sewing Center provide discounts to guild members.
During the business part of the September meeting, we will give the “State of the Guild” message and reveal the 2026 speakers/teachers.
As always, there will be Show and Tell for your own creations and SafeHouse donations. Need labels? Contact Lynne Bryant at safehousebatting@gaaqg.com.

Upcoming Speakers and Workshops

Click here to register and for more details about all our upcoming workshops, including supply lists. Registration is open to both members and nonmembers.
You won’t want to miss the announcement of our 2026 instructors! Registration for members opens Sunday, September 21. Registration for nonmembers opens Tuesday, October 21.

September Speaker and Workshops – September 19-21 – All Via Zoom

Saturday, September 20 Lecture “Wearable Art” – Erin Grogan, the pattern designer and founder of Love Sew Modern. People have been finding ways to turn art into fashion for generations. Erin’s lecture discusses the evolution of wearable art. There will be a strong focus on how society has recycled quilts for fashion through the decades. She will also explore different methods of styling our own wardrobes. Erin has published more than 14 patterns, is a book author, and an international quilting educator. She was recently featured in Quilt Folk, Issue 35. Her patterns and videos can be found on her website.
Saturday, September 20 Workshop – “Wearable Art” teaches how to add your quilting art to a piece of clothing. There is one opening due to a cancellation.
Friday, September 19 Workshop – “Chaos Coordinator”. Join Erin on this curvy adventure to make the Chaos Coordinator Quilt.
Sunday, September 21 Workshop – “More Curves Fun”. During this workshop we will cover three different methods for sewing curves so that each student can discover the method that works best for them. .

November Speaker and Workshops– November 14-16 – All via Zoom
Amy Friend is a former museum curator turned designer. She specializes in paper-pieced modern designs and has authored four books. She is an award-winning quilter whose quilts have been exhibited at quilt shows and museums.

Saturday, November 15 Lecture – “An Introduction to the Modern Quilting Aesthetic” – Amy’s trunk show demonstrates her personal sewing history, artistic evolution, and how it fits into the modern quilting movement. Amy will introduce quilters to modern quilting as defined by the Modern Quilt Guild.
Friday, November 14 Workshop– “Intentionally Pieced: Large Scale Paper Piecing” -.We will be using Amy’s “Wings” pattern as a great introduction to modern, large-scale paper piecing. There are only a few slots left for this innovative class.
Sunday, November 16 Workshop – “Improv Paper Piecing.” This workshop is based on one of the three design approaches that Amy Friend shares in her second book, “Improv Paper Piecing: A Modern Approach to Quilt Design.” This class is both technique and design based. You will learn how to use an improvisational approach to your paper-pieced block designs. As of publication, there is only one space available in this class!

Other Announcements

UFO Challenge – The UFO (Un-Finished Object) Challenge continues until Saturday, November 15th. If you found any alien projects in your studio after hearing Lilo Bowman’s July lecture, there’s still time to finish and get them out the door. Members can register their UFO on the Members Page. Remember, UFOs make great holiday gifts or items for the guild’s gift shop.
Batting for SafeHouse Quilts – Members, if you need batting or labels for your SafeHouse quilts, please contact Lynne Bryant at safehousebatting@gaaqg.com no later than September 18 to reserve them for pick up on Quilt Day. Lynne does a great job cutting them from a giant roll, so she needs to know in advance how many to prepare.
All Guild Sewing Retreat – We still have a few open spaces for the retreat on September 26-28 with optional early arrival the evening of September 25. Call Creative Passions at 989-845-2159 to sign up! For those already joining us, check your email for our meal signup and more info soon and remember to make your spa appointments! Click here for more information.
Virtual Sew-in – Members meet on the 4th Saturday each month, 9 a.m.-12 p.m. via Zoom. An email invitation goes out to all active members before the event. Join us for some dedicated time to work on your UFO Challenge or other projects. These sew-ins are a great time to ask questions, share ideas, and make new friends. Beginning quilters are welcome and encouraged to ask questions about quilting, the guild, or anything else quilty.

Please check out our GAAQG website. If you are not currently a member, you can join the Greater Ann Arbor Quilt Guild using the links to join at the top of every website page. We would love to have you!

Sincerely,
Jane Clark, GAAQG President

July 2025

President’s Message: July 2025

Quilt Day Meeting– Saturday, July 19 – In person and on Zoom – In person: Doors open at 8:30 a.m. and the meeting begins at 9:15. Washtenaw Community College, Morris Lawrence Building. Click here for directions or enter “Morris Lawrence Building” in your map software. Zoom: Invitations will be emailed on July 17. We open the meeting for attendees at 9 a.m.

We will meet in person and via Zoom as usual, but our speaker Lilo Bowman will present her lecture via Zoom – “Love Where You Create.” Are you overwhelmed by all the stuff that seems to be taking over your sewing space but don’t know how to bring back order? Learn how to build a creative place that works for you, your space, your budget and where you are right now. Click here for more details about Lilo on our website. Traffic Delays The final day for the Ann Arbor Art Fairs is the same as our July Quilt Day. Depending on your location, you may need to plan for extra travel time along surrounding highways. There is plenty of parking at the WCC campus for the meeting. Feel like visiting the Art Fairs after the meeting? Check out their website here.

Garage Sale
Following the Quilt Day lecture: the Garage Sale begins at noon and ends at 1:30 p.m. We still need volunteers. For more information, contact Bev Darr at garagesale@gaaqg.com. Shoppers, you may discover a treasure you didn’t know you needed until you saw it! We will also have a silent auction for an Accuquilt Go! System during the sale. A percentage of profits (10%) from the sale will support the guild’s charitable activities on behalf of SafeHouse Center in Ann Arbor.

Batting for SafeHouse Quilts
Members, if you need batting for your SafeHouse quilts, please contact Lynne Bryant at safehousebatting@gaaqg.com no later than July 15 to reserve them for pick up on Quilt Day. Lynne does a great job cutting them from a giant roll, so she needs to know in advance how many to prepare.

All Guild Sewing Retreat
Friends, we have another Quilt Retreat this year coming up Thursday, September 25 at 8 p.m. (early check in) through Sunday, September 28 at 3 p.m. If you missed the June retreat, consider joining us for all the fun! Check out the Retreat website page for more details on how to register and attend. Note: an $85 deposit is required by July 25. Questions? Contact our new retreat coordinator, Susan Morrison at retreat@gaaqg.com.

Upcoming Speakers & Workshops
Click here for more details about all our upcoming workshops, including supply lists. Registration is open to both members and nonmembers.

September Speaker and Workshops – September 19-21 – Via Zoom: Erin Grogan, the pattern designer and founder of Love Sew Modern. On Saturday, September 20, we will enjoy all our usual Quilt Day activities in person at the auditorium but view her lecture via Zoom. Erin has published more than 14 patterns, is a book author (Retro Curved Pieced Quilts), and an international quilting educator. Her patterns and videos can be found on her website. Be sure to stop by the Programs table during the July meeting to preview some of Erin’s samples.
Lecture – Saturday, September 20 – In person and via Zoom: “Wearable Art.” People have been finding ways to turn art into fashion for generations. Erin’s lecture discusses the evolution of wearable art. There will be a strong focus on how society has recycled quilts for fashion through the decades. She will also explore different methods of applying our artistic style to our own wardrobes.
Workshop – Friday, September 19 – “Chaos Coordinator” via Zoom. Join Erin on this curvy adventure to make the Chaos Coordinator Quilt.
Workshop – Saturday, September 20 – “Wearable Art Workshop” via Zoom. During this workshop, we will be taking an item of ready wear clothing and upcycling it with our own quilting art and embellishments.
Workshop – Sunday, September 21 – “More Curves Fun” via Zoom. During this workshop we will cover 3 different methods for sewing curves so that each student can discover the method that works best for them.
November Speaker and Workshops – November 14-16: Amy Friend is a former museum curator turned designer. She specializes in paper-pieced modern designs and has authored four books. She is an award-winning quilter whose quilts have been exhibited at quilt shows and museums.
Lecture – Saturday, November 15 – “An Introduction to the Modern Quilting Aesthetic” – In person and via Zoom. Amy’s trunk show demonstrates her personal sewing history, artistic evolution, and how it fits into the modern quilting movement. Amy will introduce quilters to the characteristics of modern quilting as defined by the Modern Quilt Guild so that they get a better understanding of what modern quilting is all about!
Workshop – Friday, November 14 – “Intentionally Pieced: Large Scale Paper Piecing” – In person and via Zoom. We will be using the “Wings” pattern as a great introduction to modern, large-scale paper piecing.
Workshop – Sunday, November 16 – “Improv Paper Piecing” via Zoom. This workshop is based on one of the three design approaches that Amy Friend shares in her second book, Improv Paper Piecing: A Modern Approach to Quilt Design. This class is technique and design based on how to use an improvisational approach to your paper-pieced block designs.

Virtual Sew-in
Members can join us in a virtual sew-in each month for some dedicated time to work on their projects. These sew-ins are a great time to ask questions, share ideas, and make new friends. Beginning quilters learn new things and get help. We meet on the 4th Saturday each month, 9 a.m.-12 p.m. An email invitation goes out to members before the event.

Please check out our GAAQG website for additional information about the guild. If you are not currently a member, you can join the Greater Ann Arbor Quilt Guild on our website using the links to join at the top of every page. We would love to have you!

Sincerely,
Jane Clark, GAAQG President

May 2025

Quilt Day – Saturday, May 17 – In Person and on Zoom
Washtenaw Community College Morris Lawrence Building. Doors open at 8:30 a.m. and the meeting begins at 9:15 a.m. (Zoom invitations will be emailed on May 15. The host opens the meeting at 9:00 a.m.)

At our next GAAQG Quilt Day on Saturday, May 17th, our speaker will be Tammy Silvers of Tamarinis. Her lecture “Seeing Double” shows the difference that color, fabric, and value placement have on a quilt. Her “To the Point” workshop on Friday still has a few openings. This guided improv technique really shines in her retro modern quilt pattern, but you will see how to apply it on your own designs. Click here for more details and to register.

Quilt Day Demo: Great Gifts–FAST! There are times when we need a quick gift and this demo will give you ideas to add to your repertoire. This is a basic technique–along with quite a few variations–on making small, fast-to-finish gift items. Love quick and easy? Then this is for you!

Fabric Sale: The GAAQG Annual Fabric Sale will be held immediately after our meeting. We have had a number of donations that have had some very interesting things in them, both from outside the Guild and from several members who have been doing their Spring cleaning. Come ready to shop!! Click here to read our blog post with all the details. Proceeds from the sale support our SafeHouse activities, so your generosity is much appreciated. The sale will be open to nonmembers after 12 p.m.

Future Plans

Annual GAAQG Guild Retreat – June 27-29, 2025: Our Guild Retreat is at the C reative Passions Retreat Center in Chesaning, MI.. We still have some openings so we can now include nonmembers.

It is always fun to meet new quilters! If you have a friend or a member from another guild who would like to attend, they may sign up beginning May 24, 2025, by calling Creative Passions at 989-845-2159. The cost is $165.00 (including continental breakfast each day). There is an early arrival option for Thursday, June 26 for an additional $30. At 8 p.m. on Thursday evening, the Retreat Center opens and has high school students available to help unload our cars.

The food options are to 1) bring your own, 2) carry out from any restaurants in town, or 3) join us for shared meals by signing up online (details provided when you register).

The Retreat Center provides bedding, towels, kitchen facilities, great lighting, comfortable chairs at sewing stations and a welcoming atmosphere. In addition, there is a quilt store within walking distance.

July Quilt Day, Saturday, July 19 – We will meet in person and via Zoom as usual, but our speaker Lilo Bowman will present her lecture via Zoom – “Love Where You Create.” Are you overwhelmed by all the stuff that seems to be taking over your sewing space but don’t know how to bring back order? If your current situation isn’t functioning — it might be time to hit the refresh button. Learn how to build a creative place that works for you, your space, your budget and where you are right now. Click here for more details about Lila on our website.

Garage Sale – Saturday, July 19 following the Quilt Day lecture:The Garage Sale begins at noon and ends at 1:30 p.m. We will also have a silent auction for an Accuquilt Go! System during the sale. If you are a guild member, think about cleaning your sewing spaces and setting aside loved-but-no-longer-needed quilting and sewing supplies for someone else to treasure. You may discover a treasure you didn’t know you needed until you saw it! A percentage of profits (10%) from the sale will support the guild’s charitable activities on behalf of SafeHouse Center in Ann Arbor.

Note to Sellers: Please drop off your items before the guild meeting. Volunteers will be available from 8:30 a.m. to accept sale merchandise until the meeting begins. Label your items with an index card clearly printed with your full name and the price. Please use safety pins, if a pin is required. Straight pins are a no-no! The sale will end at 1:30 p.m. You must pick up unsold items at that time. Profits, minus 10% for SafeHouse, will be mailed to you in the form of a check after a full accounting review has been completed. Please consider the option to donate all your profits to SafeHouse Center. If you have any questions or are interested in volunteering to help during the sale, please feel free to contact Beverly Darr at garagesale@gaaqg.com.

September Speaker & Workshops – September 19-21 – Via Zoom: Erin Grogan, the pattern designer and founder of Love Sew Modern, is our instructor/lecturer for September. On Saturday, September 20, we will enjoy all our usual Quilt Day activities in person but view her lecture via Zoom. Erin has more than 14 published patterns, published her first book (Retro Curved Pieced Quilts), and is an international quilting educator who embraces spreading the love of quilting. Her patterns and videos can be found on her website, LoveSewModern.

Click here for more details about all our upcoming workshops, including supply lists and to register (open to both members and non-members).

Lecture – Saturday, September 20 – In person and via Zoom: “Wearable Art.” People have been finding ways to turn art into fashion for generations. In Erin’s lecture she will discuss the evolution of wearable art. There will be a strong focus on how society has recycled quilts for fashion through the decades. She will also explore different methods of applying our artistic style to our own wardrobes.
Workshop – Friday, September 19 – “Chaos Coordinator” Via Zoom. Join Erin on this curvy adventure to make the Chaos Coordinator Quilt.
Workshop – Saturday, September 20 – “Wearable Art Workshop” Via Zoom. This workshop pairs beautifully with the Wearable Art Lecture. During this workshop, we will be taking an item of ready wear clothing and up-cycling it with quilting art and embellishments.
Workshop – Sunday, September 21 – “More Curves Fun” Via Zoom. During this workshop we will cover 3 different methods for sewing curves so that each student can discover the method that works best for them.

November Speaker & Workshops – November 14-16: Amy Friend is a former museum curator turned designer. She designs modern quilts and specializes in paper-pieced designs and has authored four books. She is an award-winning quilter whose quilts have been exhibited at a number of quilt shows and museums. Check her website to learn more.

Lecture – Saturday, November 15, “An Introduction to the Modern Quilting Aesthetic” – In person and via Zoom. (As for September, in-person Quilt Day attendees will enjoy all our usual activities and view the lecture via Zoom). A trunk show demonstrating Amy’s personal sewing history, artistic evolution, and how it fits into the modern quilting movement. By showing samples of her own work, Amy will introduce quilters to the characteristics of modern quilting as defined by the Modern Quilt Guild so that they get a better understanding of what modern quilting is all about!
Workshop – Friday, November 14, “Intentionally Pieced: Large Scale Paper Piecing” – In person and via Zoom. We will be using the “Wings” pattern as a great introduction to modern, large-scale paper piecing. Learn some new tricks to make large-scale paper piecing work while also learning to place your fabric intentionally to enhance the pattern design.
Workshop – Sunday, November 16, “Improv Paper Piecing” Via Zoom.This workshop is based on one of the three design approaches that Amy Friend shares in her second book, Improv Paper Piecing: A Modern Approach to Quilt Design. This class is technique and design based, all about approaching your paper-pieced block designs improvisationally. You will design and sew your own block and work on a quilt layout using alternate grid work, negative space and other elements of modern design.

Please check out our website for additional information about the guild. If you are not currently a member, you can join the Greater Ann Arbor Quilt Guild on our website (there are links to join at the top of every page). We would love to have you!

Sincerely,

Jane Clark,
GAAQG President

March 2025

Quilt Day – Saturday, March 15 – In person and on Zoom
● In person – Doors open at 8:30 a.m., meeting begins at 9:15. Address for the meeting is Washtenaw Community College, Morris Lawrence Building, 4800 E Huron River Dr, Ann Arbor, MI 48105. Click here for directions.

● Zoom – Invitations will be emailed on Thursday, March 13. We will open the meeting for Zoom attendees at 9:00 a.m.

● The March meeting will include:
○ Jane Clark’s opening remarks, including the member vote regarding the amended GAAQG Articles of Incorporation. Members: please be sure to review Jane’s March 2nd email messages regarding the guild’s efforts to change our nonprofit status.
○ Nancy Roelfsema’s lecture, “Why We Quilt.”
○ Information on 2025 guild activities.
○ Show and Tell – SafeHouse quilts and personal works.

● Workshops and Lecture – Michigan’s own Nancy Roelfsema brings in March like a lioness! She is fresh from a teaching trip to Tanzania and will be headlining a retreat in Grand Haven later this month. Check out her popular YouTube channel to see playlists of tutorials and projects. This weekend, we will see her wide range of skills in three workshops: Great Basics on Friday, Monoprinting on Saturday afternoon, and Invisible Machine Applique on Sunday. Click here for more details and to register as there are only a couple spots left in each class.

● Vendor – Fireside Quilts from Grand Rapids, Michigan. They have any supplies you may need for Nancy’s workshops.

● Demo by Kathy Schmidt – Super Easy Cathedral Window – Got scraps or spare charm squares? That’s all you need to put together this non-traditional Cathedral Window block. This method makes it simple to create, from pin cushion size to full quilt size. Our demo will show you the steps and helpful tips.

2025 Workshops – Keep an eye out for the 2025 program survey coming soon. Your input is vital to what workshops and events that the guild plans. We want to hear from you!

Our remaining 2025 workshops are open to members and nonmembers alike. Click here for more information and to register.

May Workshop Update – Tammy Silvers’ Guided Improv workshop on Friday, May 16 has only a few spots left. Due to low enrollment, her half-day workshops have been cancelled. Affected classes are Motifs to Embellish (Saturday, May17), Hack That Pattern, and Quilt Block Remix (Sunday, May 18). If anyone has purchased a book and wishes to have a refund, please send a copy of your receipt to treasurer@gaaqg.com.

Guild Challenge – You still have time to sign up for the 3,5,7,10 Challenge. The Challenge is to sew either 3, 5, 7 or 10 pounds of fabric as your New Year’s Resolution. This fun challenge is on the honor system and anything you worked on between New Year’s Day and May Quilt Day (5/17) counts toward your goal. Register using the link on the “Challenge Events” tab on the Members Page.

Virtual Sew-in – Our next date is Saturday, March 22, 9 a.m.-12 p.m. on Zoom. Your invitation to the meeting will be sent out two days before. In recent months, the number of attendees has increased to 20 or more, so you have lots of collective knowledge to mine for any quilting issue you may have. We look forward to seeing you!

SafeHouse Fabric Sale – The annual Guild Fabric Sale is coming up on May 17th, after our Quilt Day Meeting. Members and nonmembers: do your Spring cleaning and donate to the sale! The deadline is Cinco de Mayo (May 5) so donations can be sorted and put into inventory before the sale. Call/text Roberta Myyra to plan your dropoff at (734) 417-5174.

GAAQG Garage Sale – Don’t forget the guild’s Annual Garage Sale after the July Quilt Day Meeting (July 19). Members are cleaning their sewing spaces and setting aside loved-but-no-longer-needed quilting and sewing supplies for you to bring home and enjoy. You may discover a treasure you didn’t know you needed until you saw it! A percentage of profits (10%) from the sale will support the guild’s charitable activities on behalf of SafeHouse Center in Ann Arbor.

Please check out our GAAQG website for additional information about the guild.

If you are not currently a member, you can join the Greater Ann Arbor Quilt Guild on our website. There is a Join button on the top of every page. We would love to have you!

Sincerely,

Jane Clark
GAAQG President

February 2025

Up Close and Personal with Nancy Roelfsema from Quilting with Nancy

by Maryann Hummer

I’m Maryann Hummer, VP Programs for the guild. I had the pleasure of interviewing our March instructor/lecturer Nancy Roelsema from “Quilting with Nancy.” Her website and YouTube channel are fun to explore.

We spoke about her upcoming workshops the weekend of March 14-16. Here is what she had to say:

Nancy, thanks for taking the time out of your schedule for an interview. I have some questions from our members I would like to ask you.

It’s my pleasure to meet with you.

When we were trying to coordinate this interview, you said you were pretty busy right now. What is keeping you busy?

I’m getting ready to go on a missionary trip to Tanzania. I am going to teach the women there to make a quilt, crochet a scarf, and embroider.

Is this your first trip?

No. Seven years ago, we took a couple of hand crank sewing machines over. One of the men attending the seminary earns his tuition by sewing the uniforms for the elementary students attending the school on site. I have gone to Tanzania two other times. I have been to Ukraine five times but stopped when Russia invaded. I have also gone to Greece once to volunteer at a refugee camp.

That sounds pretty ambitious.

Yes it is, but it is something I love to do.

It also seems that you like to teach as well. How did you get started?

About 25 years ago, I took a hand applique class and left more frustrated than when I started. I started teaching quilting to young girls making a quilt for their American Girl dolls. After that I just kept teaching at the local shop and have never stopped.

What is something that we can hope to learn from your Great Basics workshop?

The workshop covers over 50 basic techniques. Examples are: learning how to use a rotary cutter properly, cutting with precision, piecing with a scant 1/4 inch seam allowance, and setting triangles on the point.

So would you say this class is geared towards beginners?

Absolutely not! It is for all skill levels.

What can a more experienced sewer learn in this workshop?

So many of us who sew are self-taught. We learn a way of doing something and we go for it. That’s not necessarily bad. Sometimes we aren’t using the tools as they are intended to be used. Using the tools the proper way can make you more productive and it can make it easier.

What is something that we can learn from your MonoPrinting workshop?

This class is not for artists alone. It’s a very creative and spontaneous process. Once you have printed the fabric it is instantly ready for quilting. The fabric will not bleed, fade, or wash out.

What about the Invisible Machine Applique workshop?

Learn what nobody has taught you. I will teach how to create intriguing applique by turning the edges in a few different techniques, then you can hand sew or machine stitch. I’m most excited to teach students how to create bias stems and scallops borders which really set off your design. It is super simple to create, but looks much more intricate.

Currently, who or what is your most influential mentor/inspiration?

Mostly what I do at this point is inspired by my students. I listen for what they want to learn or are struggling with. For example, one student asked me how to make snowflakes. It took me a couple of years but I created my Winter Blues quilt Winter Blues Quilt as You Go Booklet – Quilting With Nancy so that I could teach this technique.

What is your favorite notion that you can’t live without these days?

I’m a firm believer in sizing. I’m loving Faultless Spray Sizing. I think it is the best.

Nancy, thank you so much for your time. We are certainly looking forward to seeing you in March.

Me, too!

January 2025

Quilt Day Meeting – Saturday, January 18 – Zoom only

Zoom Invitations will be emailed to active guild members on Thursday January 16. We will open the meeting for Zoom attendees at 9:00 a.m.

The January meeting agenda:

Jane Clark’s opening remarks
Speaker Mel Beach lecture – “Let’s Get Rolling on Your Quilting/Creativity Goals”
Information about future 2025 speakers/teachers
Virtual Show and Tell of SafeHouse quilts and your own projects. Please send photos and text to showandtell@gaaqg.com by Friday, January 10, 2025, for inclusion in the January meeting slides.

Our January instructor and guest speaker, Mel Beach, has just been awarded the Quilts Japan Award at Quilt Visions 2024 by Noho Vogue of the Japan Handicrafts Instructors at the Visions Museum of Textile Arts in San Diego, CA for her Emerald Gardens (see image below or check this link). This is a layered whole cloth art quilt and free motion quilted. It is painted and block-printed on Evolon fabric with embellishments like hand embroidery and a few sequins for the bling factor.

Mel is also teaching her workshops only via Zoom that weekend. Her Friday workshop is “Block Print and Play” and she is teaching “Mark Making Magic Stamping” at our Saturday workshop, following the Quilt Day meeting.

We still have some openings available for these two classes. Sunday’s workshop, “Intriguing Interleaves” is sold out, but you can add your name to the waitlist in case there are cancellations by contacting workshopregistrar@gaaqg.com. Thanks for supporting our instructors! Both members and non-members can register for GAAQG 2025 workshops on our website by clicking here.

Need a refresh? Our March workshops are for you. If you are new to quilting or a seasoned quilter, we all appreciate a new trick or two. Why not join us on Friday, March 14th for “Great Basics” taught by Nancy Roelfsema from Quilting with Nancy.

She will be here in person to teach more than 50 sewing techniques. Frankly, who wouldn’t benefit from learning a new technique or two? At $75 for a member, that’s a mere $1.50 per tip ($90 for a non-member is an average of $1.80).That’s a bargain in my book! If the ship hasn’t sailed for you and you are looking for sharpness and great curves in your quilts, then look no further.

Want to stay a little bit more muted? Why not try the MonoPrinting workshop following the Saturday lecture ”Why We Quilt.” This workshop is a favorite! The Sunday March 16th ”Invisible Machine Applique” Workshop will teach you how to get those sharp points and great curves. You will be able to choose one of six designs with edge turning techniques to achieve these goals. Want to learn scalloped or miter border techniques using your sewing machine? You will learn this too. Full descriptions, including supply lists and online registration, can be found under the Workshops tab on our website.

2025 Workshops – All our 2025 workshops are now open for everyone, both members and non-members alike. As usual, our January workshops are via Zoom only. Click here for more information and to register.

Virtual Sew-in – Our monthly Zoom sew-in for members is now held on the 4th Saturday of each month. Our next date is Saturday, January 25th, at 9 a.m. The Zoom invitation to the meeting will be sent on January 23. We look forward to seeing you!

For members only, we are holding a special guild challenge from January through May. Watch your email for further details!

Please check out our GAAQG website for additional information about the guild.

If you are not currently a member, you can join the Greater Ann Arbor Quilt Guild on our website where there is a link at the top of every page. We would love to have you!

Sincerely,

Jane Clark
GAAQG President