Quilt Day – Saturday, March 21 – In person meeting
What a thrill to be with you all again in person! As always, the meeting was jam-packed and a great way to celebrate National Quilt Day. Our speaker, Jane Sassaman, is so creative and shared her background with us in her lecture. The meeting also included a demo on visible mending by Jane Reiter. Longtime guild member, Wanda Nash, was our vendor.
Revised bylaws were approved at Saturday’s meeting due to our new 501(c)(3) tax-exempt status. Members can view the bylaws from the Members Page or this link.
We continue to welcome new members to our guild and want to ensure they feel like a part of the guild as soon as possible. The board is starting a series of monthly Zoom meetings as an orientation and to answer questions. Current members are invited as well, so please come! The first two meetings are scheduled for April 7th at 10 am and April 21st at 7 pm.
Volunteers
Our guild only works because of our many volunteers. Positions are always available at a variety of commitment levels. Currently I am looking for these board positions for 2027:
Event-related positions currently available are:
Please contact me at president@gaaqg.com for more information about any of these volunteer positions.
SafeHouse Quilt Kits
The Cut-Ups Small Group would like to expand their group of volunteers to make kits for SafeHouse quilts. The kits are distributed to members at the SafeHouse table on guild meeting days.
Dates: First Saturday of the month, as needed. 10 am- 2 pm, bring your own lunch. Drop in and leave as your time permits. No sewing, just cutting.
Location: Pittsfield Grange, 3337 Ann Arbor-Saline Road, Ann Arbor. Lighting is good and there are table risers to make the job easier.
What to bring: Cutting tools, rulers, cutting mats, etc. Arlene provides simple patterns and coordinated fabric bundles. Participants are welcome to contribute fabric, patterns or suggestions.
Anyone interested in joining should contact Arlene Kindel arkindel@comcast.net.
Upcoming Events
2026 Workshops
Registration is open for both members and nonmembers, so bring a friend!
If the class you want is full, get on a waitlist by contacting Susan Schwandt, our Workshop Registrar at workshopregistrar@gaaqg.com
The Mystery Paint Chip Challenge
Each participant received a mystery paint chip from Maryann Hummer on Quilt Day. If you missed it, contact her at programs@gaaqg.com to have one mailed to you. The challenge ends on the July 18 Quilt Day meeting.
Requirements:
Fabric Sale
May 16th Quilt Day. Sale begins at noon, open to members and nonmembers.
Fabric is priced by volume with a suggested donation value:
Cash, credit cards, and checks are accepted. Profits support the guild’s SafeHouse mission.
Fabric donations need to be received by May 1st!
Contact Katie Panoff fundraisingfabricsale@gaaqg.com to coordinate drop off/pick up.
Crafter to Crafter Sale
Saturday, August 1st,10 am-1 pm (set up at 8 am out by 2 pm)
Liberty School, 7265 N. Ann Arbor Street, Saline, Michigan.
Vendors: $20 rental fee for each 6-foot table.
Shoppers: $5 admission. Select a free fat quarter to take home with you.
Cash only.
More details coming soon through the Members Page and the Quilter to Quilter Sale page on the website.
Questions? Contact Penny Kruszka at qtoqsale@gaaqg.com
Guild Retreat
Creative Passions Retreat Center, Chesaning, Michigan
October 2-4, 2026 (Fri-Sun), $185 fee covers all three days. Optional 8 pm arrival on Thursday, October 1 for an additional fee of $30.
Reserve massage and mani/pedi slots. Susan teased possible car detailing for a $55 fee.
See the Retreats page on the website for details.
Questions? Contact Susan Morrison at retreat@gaaqg.com
Small Groups
Ann Arbor Small Group is new and meets at a member’s home on a date that is agreeable to all the members.
The Art Quilt Collaborative would like an additional member.
See the Small Groups page on the website or the PDF with contact and group information.
SafeHouse Mission
With the 61 quilts turned in on Quilt Day, Anne Rapundalo tallied the quilts so far this year at 71. Great job, everyone! Anne’s goal is 325 for the year. Please let Anne know if you want your quilt(s) to be sold at SafeHouse fundraising events or only given to the residents.
SafeHouse Quilt Batting
We have a slick new Batting Request Form to ensure batting will be waiting for you on Quilt Day, including a label. The form is available from the Members page or the SafeHouse Center Quilts page.
SafeHouse Sewing
Interested in sewing SafeHouse quilt kits together in person? I’ve already heard from some members but need to hear from more interested members before moving forward with scheduling. Contact me with your suggestions for locations and frequency at president@gaaqg.com
Virtual Sew-in
Our community online sew-in is held on the 4th Saturday of each month. The next date is Saturday, April 25th, 9 am-12 pm. All guild members receive a Zoom invitation to the meeting two days before. Drop in and out as your schedule permits.
Please check out our our website for additional information about any of the guild’s activities.
Sincerely,
Jane Clark,
GAAQG President
Quilt Day – Saturday, March 21st – In Person, Zoom available
March will be our first in person Quilt Day of 2026. The worst of the bad weather should be past us and we can travel without looking out the window first. I’m looking forward to seeing everyone and all of the energy our Quilt Days provide.
Zoom invitations will be emailed on March 19. We will open the meeting on Zoom at 9:00 a.m.
Jane Sassaman will be our teacher and lecturer on the 21st. If you are unfamiliar with Jane’s work, see her gallery at her website. Her work is so inspiring! Her lecture on Saturday will be “Quilting Against the Odds.” Read about Jane on our blog. Spaces are still available in Jane’s “Suns and Moons” workshop. Contact workshopregistrar@gaaqg.com to get on the waiting list for “Abstracting From Nature.”
2026 Workshops
Click here for details, supply lists and to register (both members and non-members). The line-up is:
March – Jane Sassaman
May – Kevin Womack
September – Mary Bajcz and Kathy Schmidt
November – Carolina Oneto
Jane Sassaman’s “Abstracting from Nature” workshop is full, but you can sign up on a waiting list. Other workshops are filling up fast, so register soon to make sure your spot is reserved. If the workshop is full, please place your name on the waiting list with our Workshop Registrar.
Contact Maryann Hummer at programs@gaaqg.com if you’d like to volunteer to help our instructors during workshops. It goes more smoothly for them when they get help with food and drinks as well as setting up or tearing down the classroom space.
Quilt Day Demo – Visible Mending by Jane Reiter
Jane will offer ideas and inspiration for mending and repairing clothing and accessories with simple hand sewing. Restore and repair clothing and saccessories to prolong enjoyment and usefulness. Discover fresh ways to update your wardrobe and make it more sustainable. Become an Eco Warrior!
Jane Reiter is a guild member, retired librarian, and teaching artist living in Lansing, Michigan. To learn more about Jane, please check out her website retreadart.xyz
Vendor
Our Vendor for March is Wanda Nash. Wanda will have fabrics available for purchase before and after the meeting. Be sure to check out these wonderful unique fabrics.
SafeHouse
We are all looking forward to seeing what everyone has been creating over the winter. It’s been four months since the Guild has collected quilts for SafeHouse. We have several upcoming events to benefit SafeHouse for which we will showcase your quilts.
Do you need a SafeHouse label for your quilt? You can pick one up at the SafeHouse Fabric table, from Lynne Bryant, or Anne Rapundalo.
250 Semiquincentennial Challenge
Our Semiquincentennial Challenge of making a red, white, and blue quilt block for SafeHouse ends March 21st. Members bring an 8 ½” block that will finish 8″ using only red, white and blue fabric. Be sure to pre-wash your reds. The completed blocks, of any design you choose, will be collected that day by Patrice Smith. She will use them to make a SafeHouse quilt. You can drop your block off at the Programs table.
Annual Fabric Sale
Saturday, May 16th, at noon
Our first ‘fake spring’ has sprung, which means actual spring is right around the corner! While we wait for the final snow mounds to melt and the grass to turn green, we can refresh our spaces inside and out. We may reflect on our speakers’ wisdom, such as Lilo Bowman. They guide us through the whirlwind organizing sessions in our sewing spaces to make room for projects that bloom.
The sale is open to both members and nonmembers. Sort through your fabric stash to donate to the sale. Donations need to be received by May 1st to be included in this year’s sale. Please email Katie Panoff fundraisingfabricsale@gaaqg.com to coordinate drop off/pick up or with any questions you have. Cheers!
Quilter to Quilter Sale
A new event is the Quilter to Quilter + Crafter to Crafter sale! It will be held
Saturday, August 1, from 10-1pm
This will be a cash sale only event.
Members are encouraged to rent a 6′ table for $20 for themselves or to share with another member, relative, or friend.
Set up will be from 8-10 am and tear down is 1-2 pm.
This is a great opportunity to get cash for supplies and items you no longer want or need in quilting, cross-stitch, scrapbooking, knitting, etc. Watch for an announcement at the March meeting with sign up forms on the website after April 25.
Volunteers will be needed. This is a one day event.
Questions? Suggestions? Contact Penny at jkruszka02@comcast.net
Next Online Sew-in
Our Saturday Sew-in is held on the 4th Saturday of each month on Zoom. The next date is Saturday, March 28, 9 am-12 pm. All members receive an invitation to the meeting two days before. Feel free to drop in and out as your schedule allows. We have so much talent in our guild that we always learn new tips, tricks, and resources on diverse topics while getting some dedicated time to work on our projects.
Please check out our GAAQG website for additional information about the guild. If you are not currently a member, you can join from our website. There are links to join at the top of every page. We would love to have you!
Sincerely,
Jane Clark,
GAAQG President
A new year is like a fresh bolt of fabric—full of possibility and just waiting to be cut into something beautiful. As we turn the calendar page, we’re also opening the door to new ideas, new friendships, and new quilts yet to be imagined. Let’s make 2026 a year of creativity, learning, and joy, stitched together one meeting at a time.
Quilt Day – Saturday, January 17 – Zoom meeting only
Click here for details, the supply lists, and to register (both members and non-members).
2026 Workshops
Click here for details, supply lists and to register (both members and non-members). The line-up is:
Jane Sassaman’s workshop is filled but you can sign up on a waiting list. Other workshops are close to full, so register soon to make sure your spot is reserved. If the workshop is full, please place your name on the waiting list with our Workshop Registrar. You might get lucky!
2026 Semiquincentennial Challenge for Members
A new guild challenge has begun for the March 21 Quilt Day. The challenge is to complete an 8 ½” block (to finish at 8”) using red, white and blue fabric. The fabric can be solid or prints but be sure to pre-wash your reds. The completed blocks, of any design you choose, will be collected that day by Patrice Smith, which she will use to make a SafeHouse quilt.
Guild Fabric Sale
A new year provides a fresh start for many, and what better time than now to think about your fabric stash?
Spring may be a few months away, but you can always get a jump start on spring cleaning. Perhaps you need to downsize after the summer shop-hops. Maybe you’re ready to admit that the fabric you’ve held onto for years and swore you’d make something with is never getting used and finally needs to go. Or you’re just ready for a little refresh. Whatever the motivation, we appreciate the donations. Keep in mind that the Fabric Sale helps fund our goals for SafeHouse Center and we want to make sure that everyone can be wrapped in the warmth and love of a handmade quilt.
Quilter to Quilter Sale
We are still finalizing the details for our Quilter to Quilter, Crafter to Crafter sale later this year. Now is a great opportunity to do a little spring-cleaning and get rid of any quilting and craft supplies you no longer want or use. Turn those items into cash by renting a table for a few hours. Or plan on volunteering to be part of the early sales. Fun will be had by all. Watch for complete details in March.
Next Online Saturday Sew-in
Our Saturday Sew-in is held on the 4th Saturday of each month on Zoom. The next date is Saturday, January 24, 9 a.m.- 12 p.m. All members receive an invitation to the meeting two days before. Feel free to drop in and out as your schedule allows. We have so much talent in our guild that we always learn new tips, tricks, and resources on diverse topics while getting some dedicated time to work on our projects.
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 by clicking the link (at the top of every page). We would love to have you!
Sincerely,
Jane Clark,
GAAQG President
