Block Party Quilters

AN OVERVIEW OF GUILD ACTIVITIES

MEMBERSHIP MEETINGS
Membership meetings are usually held the first Thursday of each month at Pine Lake Covenant Church in Sammamish. Meeting dates, meeting location, and the speakers or activities occurring at each meeting can be found on the Programs page. This information also appears in the monthly newsletter, Connections.

 

Usually, members begin to arrive around 6:30pm to socialize, turn in charity quilts, check out or return library books, and sign up for classes or retreats. The meeting is called to order at 7pm and reports are made by various committee chairs. Most of this information is covered in the newsletter in more detail to keep the business portion of the meeting as brief as possible. Just before a short break, we have show and tell. (See below for details.) At 8pm we reconvene to enjoy the program portion of the meeting.

 

We are a large and noisy bunch, so you are encouraged to make and wear a nametag to our meetings. Click here for instructions to make a BPQ nametag. Your nametag will also gain you entry to our quilt show free of charge.

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PROGRAMS
The program portion of our meetings was briefly mentioned above. Lectures by nationally-known quilters, book authors, and major show award winners are the showcase of our membership meetings. In the past our speakers have included the likes of Barbara Shapel, Mary Lou Weidman, Debbie Caffrey, Brenda Henning, Barbara Olson, Sandra Leichner, Ruth McDowell, Jane Sassaman, and Nancy Lee Chong. While most of our meetings feature a speaker, a few are devoted to community service, quilt college, and a banquet celebrating our own quilt show award winners.

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LIBRARY
The library is open from 6:30pm-9pm during guild meetings. Library rules are:

• You must be a member in good standing to check out books.

• A maximum of 3 books may be checked out for a one-month period.

• If you have overdue materials, you may not check out any additional materials.

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Please let the librarian know if there is something you would like to see included in the library inventory. Click here to contact the librarian. To see a list of the books in our library, click here.

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RONALD McDONALD HOUSE QUILT PROJECT
BPQ ‘s relationship with Ronald McDonald House in Seattle goes back to the late 1980s. We donate quilts from crib size to twin size and pillowcases to the children (and their families) living at Ronald McDonald House while they are undergoing treatment at Children’s Hospital Medical Center. Items must be clean of animal hair and household dust, machine quilted to hold up to hard use, and free of pins and loose threads. You are welcome to use your own materials to make these quilts or pick up patterns, fabric, batting, or completed tops ready for quilting at the Ronald McDonald table during guild meetings.  To contact the Ronald McDonald Quilt Project chairperson, click here.

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SHOW AND TELL
For many members this is a favorite part of guild meetings. Share your latest finished (or almost finished)quilt, a family heirloom quilt, a great find from a trip to your favorite local quilt shop or one across the country, or brag about accomplishments. When you come forward for Show and Tell, please remember to use the microphone and state your name even if you are a veteran member. There are always new members in the audience who may not know you. If you do not want a picture of your quilt to appear in Connections, please say so when introducing yourself.

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MEMBERSHIP
The membership table is located at the entrance to our meeting room. Here veteran members check in, renew memberships, and pick up raffle quilt tickets. New members may join and receive membership materials. Guests are asked to register and pay a nominal fee to help defray the cost of the evening’s speaker. Flyers and promotional materials from quilt-related vendors and groups are also available here. To contact the membership chairperson click here.

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RETREATS
BPQ sponsors a spring and a fall retreat at the Seabeck Conference Center on Hood Canal. Retreats are a great opportunity to get to know other quilters, deepen friendships, and get some projects done without everyday interruptions. The reasonable price includes private or shared room, three meals a day, and a large building for sewing. For more information, contact the retreat chairperson here.

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QUILT SHOW
BPQ’s annual quilt show is held at the Issaquah Community Center, a great venue with lots of space and light. Vendors, a BPQ-sponsored boutique, ribbons for “best” in various categories are just a few of the highlights of our shows. To see photos from our last quilt show click here. To contact the show chairperson, click here.

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WORKSHOPS
A great way to get to know other BPQ members, to learn a new skill or improve old ones, and to work with the best of the quilt world is to participate in BPQ-sponsored workshops. These are usually one or two days in length and costs are kept to a minimum to keep the classes affordable. Information about workshop dates, prices, and instructors can be found on our website and in our monthly newsletter.

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VOLUNTEERS
All functions of the guild – from president to greeter – are done by volunteers. Please consider taking an active role in the guild by volunteering your time to help BPQ remain one of the strongest quilt guilds in the area. It is also a great way to get to know other members and to form lasting relationships.

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NEWSLETTER
Our monthly newsletter, Connections, keeps you up to date on programs, workshops, retreats, community service, and everything else the guild is involved with.  Connections is sent by email about two weeks before each membership meeting and a link to the current and past newsletters can also be found on the members' only page. Submissions by members about quilts you’re working on, shows you’ve been to or exhibited in, or classes and teachers you’ve encountered are welcome. Please send materials to newsletter@blockpartyquilters.org by the 15th for publication in the following month’s newsletter.

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WELCOME

Would you like someone to “show you the ropes,” explain the activities of BPQ in more detail, or offer suggestions of how you can volunteer to keep BPQ vibrant? Send an email to vicepresident@blockpartyquilters.org.

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For a PDF of the above information, please click below,

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