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Manistee Victorian Quilt Guild, TK Quilting, Manistee, MI (2025)

11/13/2025

Tami Oberlin and her husband Todd, owners of TK Quilting in Manistee, were guest speakers at our November 13th meeting. She discussed how to square a quilt to prepare it for easy machine quilting. We learned a wealth of information from Tami and Todd about the "tricks of the trade" so that we can eliminate the lumps and bumps from our projects. She convinced that there are ways to make the uneven edges and puckers go away, and Todd convinced us that if the blocks we make are even and square, the quilt will probably be that way too! We are so thankful they were able to join us, and we appreciate their time in sharing their years of experience.

Because education is one of the three missions of the guild, the guild has decided to provide folders to each member to store the important information that we gain each month from our speakers and presenters at our educational program meeting. Deb C will provide the organization for this project.

And our treasurer reminded us that dues are payable any time for 2026. Each guild member has an envelope in which the dues should be deposited. They are available at the meeting, and should be returned to her before the end of the year, or to Deb C beginning in January.

Officers for 2026 include:
President: Deb C
Vice President: Sue E
Secretary: Julie D
Treasurer: Nancy B
Two other Board of Directors members will be named in January to join the BoD along with the Past President.

During the business portion of the meeting, we learned that guild members have made more pillowcases (57 to be exact) to donate to the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services Foster Care program. The program will also accept baby quilts. The loving support of our guild in our community for those in need is amazing.

The Festival of Trees Quilt made its debut at the meeting thanks to the hard work of guild members and the guiding force of Deb C who made it all come together. The guild decided its name is "Santa in the Woods." Very appropriate. Thursday, Dec. 4 is the first day visitors can see the quilt and other festive decorations at the Festival of Trees at the Ramsdell Theatre ballroom.

Sue A was the winner of the Fat Quarter Frenzy. The theme for the December meeting is Christmas. And we welcomed four guests to our meeting.

The December 11 Christmas meeting will begin at 11 am at Bridges Church, Manistee, with a potluck holiday luncheon. Bring your own table service and a dish to pass.

10/09/2025

The Guild met for its October business meeting today. A slate of officers for 2026 was presented to be voted on in November. The following slate was accepted without opposition.
President: Deb C
Vice President: Sue E
Secretary: Julie D
Treasurer: Nancy B
Two Directors will also be added to the slate.

The guild also received an update regarding filing with MI LARA to begin the 501(c)3 process. The new Articles of Incorporation were read, explained and questions were answered. A unanimous vote of members present was favorable, and the application will be sent to LARA. Filing fee is $20.

Nancy B will be distributing "dues envelopes" at the next meeting to make the collection and recording of dues simple and error free.

Quilt Til You Wilt, our semi-annual retreat, will be held at Bridges Church beginning at 9 a.m. on October 23. Kathy S says we have to be out by midnight 😂 Bring a dish to pass and any items you would like to donate for the "give away" table. Also feel free to bring snacks to share. Quilting makes us hungry! We'll have some demos featuring mug cozies by Nancy B and perhaps a hand quilting demo by Mary B. Lonnie will be there to clean machines, but please let Mary BW know if you'd like to reserve a time for machine cleaning. Bring your projects and see what you can get done! A goodwill offering of $5 per person will be accepted for the use of the fellowship hall for the day and evening.

Mary T won the October Fat Quarter Frenzy.
November's Fat Quarter fabric is "Plaid."

Julie D handed out the next Shoreline Quilt paper piecing block. Several members shared their completed blocks.

Our Show and Tell today featured sharing of our first projects. Some of us have been quilting for 50 years, and some are just beginning the process. Either way, it was so fun to hear our stories of the "first quilt" as each is unique and inspiring. The grouped photos feature our "firsts."

09/25/2025

The Guild met Thursday, Sept 25 for their non-business meeting and demo/workshop. Lots of members, some three generations deep, prepared for a fun morning with Joyce. We thank her for agreeing to lead the workshop. Our guild is lucky to have such a talented member.

Sally W read a thank you note from Lighthouse Pregnancy Center acknowledging bibs, burp clothes and quilts which we donated.

The Ship and Shore paper piecing block series is being led by Julie D. We are two blocks into the project, so it’s not too late to start your creation. Check with Julie for the patterns that her friend has so kindly allowed us to use.

Spool block project is winding down. Several members will have finished quilts to show soon.

Events coming up include our Camp Eden Quilt Retreat with our sister guild, Common Threads. There’s still room to join us on Sept 30 through Oct 2. Bring 3 fat quarters with bee themes or appropriate colored fabric for the Left/Right/Center swap. And don’t forget non-perishable items for the snack table. Although we love the bounty of the season, please don’t bring fresh fruit due to the continuation of the fruit fly season as well. Hopefully we’ll have some time to get out on the lake. Bring kayak clothes if you are interested. See Kathy S for details.

Our friendly sewing machine cleaner will be at this retreat and at our Quilt Til You Wilt retreat. If you’d like to reserve a time for his services, contact Kathy S.

Lynn T announced that members should feel free to make more pillowcases, fleece throws and stuffed animals for our charity quilt closet.

Thursday, October 9 is our next business meeting. We’ll also have a special Show and Tell of “Our First Quilts.” Bring your first ever quilting project to share. We’ll all agree that we have come a long, long way, or we're just getting started.

Thursday, October 23 is our guild’s twice a year retreat, Quilt Til You Wilt, at Bridges Church in Manistee. We’ll start at 10 a.m. and continue until…we Wilt! Bring your favorite potluck dish to share, and some snacks for the snack table.

Several quilt shops in Central Michigan (Lake City, Evart, Cadillac, Fife Lake) are currently hosting a Shop Hop.

We also celebrate the retirement of Sue Riffle, owner of the Pig Patch in Custer, MI. Although we loved her shop, we understand than even quilters get to retire, sort of. Sue is “downsizing” and will no longer carry fabric but will continue her longarm business.

08/15/2025

The summer picnic is scheduled for Thursday, Aug 28 near Lynn Timms' home at the association clubhouse. Bring a fat quarter and a dish to pass. The fun starts at 11. Please consider carpooling due to limited parking

The Guild met Thursday, Aug 14 for their regular monthly business meeting. Preparations are underway for two quilt retreats. Sept.30-Oct. 4 we'll sew up a storm at Camp Little Eden in Onekama. See Kathy S for more information. Downpayments were due this week, but it may not be too late to sign up.

The second retreat is our annual Fall one-day retreat "Quilt Til You Wilt" Thursday, October, 23 beginning at 10 a.m. at Bridges Church in Manistee. Bring a dish to pass.

Julie D handed out the instructions for the first block for the "paper piecing block of the month" challenge and she provided a demo which she may recreate in October.

Members who participated in the gel print painting workshop on Monday showed samples of their creations.

Show and Tell was excellent. A long-time former member of our guild visited and brought 8 baby quilts and crocheted items made by her and her daughter. They will be donated to one of charities.

08/03/2025

The Guild met on Thursday, July 24 at Bridges Church, Manistee at 10 a.m. Important dates coming up:
Monday, Aug 11, Gel Painting Class at Lion's Club Shelter 9-3. Contact Kathy S for a reservation.
Next Meeting: Thursday, August 14 at 10 am. Linda H and Mary B have treats. Fat Quarter Frenzy color is yellow or yellow dots.
Julie D will be leading a Lakeshore themed block of the month starting in August using foundation paper piecing. The finished quilt will be 34” x 34”. Details and instructions will be provided at the first August meeting.
Summer Picnic is August 28. Bring a dish to pass and Fat Quarter.
Camp Eden Retreat Sept 30-Oct 3. Day campers must sign up for all days.
Thursday, October 23, Quilt Til You Wilt Fall One Day Retreat for Guild members.

07/26/2025

July is a Super Summer month UpNorth for the Guild. We are arranging to host Nancy Rolfsema for a gel printing class, date TBA. Julie D is leading a new block of the month in August which will include paper piecing lakeshore themed blocks. We continue to provide quilts for our veterans, burp cloths for new moms and youth quilts for needy students. Donations continue to be a big part of our show and tell. Come join us on the second and fourth Thursdays at 10 a.m. at Bridges Church on First Street in Manistee.

06/27/2025

The Manistee Victorian Quilters Guild met on Thursday, June 26 for its second meeting of the month.

Mary B inspired us all with her quilt as you go, sew and flip demo. This technique is perfect for the Staircase Youth Service quilts.

The Guild voted to invite an instructor who teaches Gel Painting to the guild sometime this fall. We are currently determining the best possible date and location. More info to come. Julie D showed some samples from a class she attended. This is an exciting opportunity for our guild to learn new skills.

Nancy S will do a demo at the July 24 meeting.

A few reminders:
The July Spool Block of the Month colors are Red, White and Blue.
The Annual Summer Potluck Picnic is Thursday, Aug. 28 at Jan Timm's location. More info at the next meeting regarding time, directions and other details.
Mark your calendars for Sept.30-Oct 2 for the Fall Quilt Retreat at Camp Little Eden. Deposit for this fun event is due in August.
It appears as if we have all the tree blocks we need for the Festival of Trees Christmas quilt. Thanks to all who made blocks.

Show and Tell featured many donation quilts and quilted items today. We are a prolific guild that provides warm and comfort to our community with our quilted creations.

Our next meeting is Thursday, July10, 10 a.m. at Bridges Church, Manistee. We welcome anyone who is interested in fiber arts to join us.

Gentle reminder: Dues are past due for the year. Please contact Nancy Brown to renew your membership.

Happy 4th of July to all our members and Friends.

06/13/2025

The Manistee Victorian Quilters Guild met Thursday, June 12 for our monthly business meeting. Dues for 2025 are past due. Ask Kathy if you have a question about your dues.

The donations for Tight Lines for Troops were very well received and we need to begin thinking about next year.

The Festival of Trees pattern for our quilt can be found in the Feb 27 emailed minutes sent by Julie. However, Julie has agreed to send it again so that we can finish our blocks.

Kathy informed us of two quilting travel opportunities: one to the Netherlands and Belgium in April 2026 and a bus trip to Wisconsin with stops along the way. A primary destination is Primitive Gatherings. See Kathy for more information regarding both of these trips.

The spool block colors for June were yellow and white. The July colors are red, white and blue.

Marge was the lucky winner of the "Pink" Fat Quarter Frenzy.

We are continuing to make more twin size quilts for Staircase Youth Services. 54" x 85"-96" sized quilts are preferred.

Lot's to "show" for Show and Tell today. Our members have been busy making donations and other beautiful work.

Our next meeting is Thursday, June 26 at Bridges Church in Manistee. We enjoy a short social time and treats prior to our meeting which begins at 10 a.m. Anyone who is interested in quilting and fiber arts is welcome to join us.

05/25/2025

The Manistee Victorian Quilters Guild met on Thursday, May 22 at Bridges Church at 10 a.m. for its monthly business meeting. The Quilt Til You Wilt event on May 8 was a great success with food, demos and lots of fun. Our next Quilt Wilt will be held in the Fall.

A big thank you from Tight Lines for Troops for our donations to that very worthy cause. The weather was less than cooperative this year, but the veterans were honored none the less.

The Michigan Shop Hop begins June 1. Quilters can pick up passport booklets at participating shops. Check out https://allmichiganshophop.com/

Deb reminded us that the Fiber Shed at Grow Benzie has some great deals for quilts on Wednesday and Saturday. More Info at https://www.growbenzie.org/mifibershed

Becky is looking for 100% cotton fluff.

We are still working on the Christmas Tree blocks for Festival of Trees. The Spool Block color this month was purple and June is white.

AT&T discontinued my text to email file transfer this week, although they were not supposed to do that until June 17. And now, unfortunately, I'm only allowed to email three photos at a time and it takes about 10 minutes to do each group. So, sorry about the delay of this post in trying to expedite the transfer of photo files. It has literally taken me three days along with the events of the holiday weekend. However, I hope to remedy the problem before our next meeting when I kick AT&T to the curb. Hopefully, problem solved!

Our next meeting is Thursday, June 12 at Bridges Church in Manistee. Come early for some social time. The meeting begins at 10 a.m.

04/24/2025

MVQG met for the second meeting of April today. We have more than 320 items to donate to the Tightlines for Troops gift bags. Way to go Guild Members! We have twelve "tree blocks" complete for the Festival of Trees quilt but we still need more. The patterns for this block and for the spool block are available at meetings. The spool color for May is purple.

We are all looking forward to our next meeting which is also our " "Spring Quilt Til You Wilt" Day on May 8 at 10 a.m. until ? at Bridges Church fellowship area.

The exciting highlight of that day will be a 10 a.m. presentation of 12 quilts made by Guild members to Rita Cusack of Staircase Youth Services Manistee County. She will also be happy to accept gently used luggage and duffle bags. We are so excited to be a part of this project in service to area youth.

Bring your projects to work on and also bring the following:
A dish to pass
Snacks for the snack table
3 fat quarters if you'd like to participate in the Left, Right, Center activity
A sewing item for the table drawing
And if you are cleaning out your sewing area, a freebie for the "Bring One, Take One" table.
Three demos are scheduled during the day.

Other discussion included application for Guild 501c3 status and scheduling a rug making class in the fall.

Reservations are being accepted for the Fall Quilt Retreat at Camp Little Eden Sept 30-Oct 3. We do not yet have 25 people registered to get the group discount, so make sure to register soon.

The Fall Quilt Till You Wilt is scheduled for October 23rd.

04/10/2025

The Guild met Thursday, Apr 10 for the business meeting at Bridges Church in Manistee at 10 a.m. Lots of good stuff happening at the Guild.
We need 90 more give away pot holders, mug rugs or bookmarks for Tight Lines for Troops. Last call for these items is the first business meeting on May 8. Also donated are five large items for the drawing: three quilts and 2 crocheted afghans.

Mary Totch won the April Fat Quarters.

May 8th is our business meeting and Quilt Til You Wilt sew in at Bridges Church beginning at 10 a.m. Three of our members will do demos. Bring your projects, give aways for the "drawing" table, snacks for the snack table and a lunch potluck dish. The theme this year is Bees. Bring three fat quarters of bee or floral fabric for the Fat Quarter Drawing. Ask Sally W to do her "bee impression." It is buzzy.

Also on this day, we have invited Rita Cusack from Staircase Youth Services to join us for a quilt project presentation. Our guild is donating more than a dozen twin quilts, laundry bags and pillow cases to SYS for the displaced youth it serves. We are so proud to support this worthy organization.

We are also collecting our tree blocks to prepare our Sleighbell Weekend Festival of Trees quilt, and members are sharing their Spool blocks.

Deb Cole has patterns available for a mystery quilt.

A possible quilt trip and a quilt retreat are on the horizon. The Wisconsin trip will be an Xpeditions Travel Bus Tour in Fall 2026. Let Kathy S know if you are interested. The annual quilt retreat will be held at Camp Eden Sept. 30-Oct 3, 2025. There are several options for meals, day quilters and those who wish to spend the night. Kathy S has details regarding cost.

Our next meeting this month is Thursday, April 24 at Bridges Church at 10 a.m. We welcome all visitors or anyone who is interested in fiber arts to join us.

And as usual, Show and Tell is inspiring!

03/13/2025

The Guild met at Bridges Church in Manistee at 10 a.m. on March 13, 2025. We are collecting "tree blocks" for a future project and members are working on their "spool blocks." It appears as if we will be able to meet the need 12 quilts for Staircase Youth Services soon. We also accepted a sensory quilt for the ISD students from a member. The April fat quarter Frenzy will feature spring colors.
Show and Tell is always spectacular. Several members are making bibs and burp clothes for one of the local groups we support, along with a quilt for Tight Lines for Troops. We meet the second and fourth Thursdays at 10 a.m. at Bridges Church. We will resume our sew in days next week at Lakeside Church on the first and third Thursdays. Please join us if you are interested in the sisterhood and fellowship of fiber arts, making new friends and making a difference in your community.

Manistee Victorian Quilt Guild