:: NEWSLETTER - SUMMER 2009
Dear Fellow Quilter
Caithness Quilters' 9th year is underway with a busy programme spread over some 28 dates and including meetings, sewing days, workshops, talks, visits, challenges, an exhibition and social get-togethers. I hope you'll all enjoy everything we've included.
COMMITTEE AND OFFICE BEARERS
Thanks go to the retiring Committee and Office Bearers who put together a varied and interesting programme for 2008-9, looked after us all very well and were a very happy team.
Celia More's term as Vice Chairman ended dramatically with an injury sustained whilst arranging flowers. I thank Celia for her constant quiet support, ideas and enthusiasm and we all wish her a speedy full recovery.
The load of work behind the scenes always rests heavily on the Secretary and we thank Marshillie Campbell for her contribution over the past two years. As well as the work of Secretary Marshillie runs excellent workshops and she's following up last year's very popular 'Polymer Clay Embellishments' and 'Assembling Jewelry' with a further workshop this summer: 'Marshillie's Miniatures'.
Janet Maclennan has completed her second two year term as Treasurer and we thank her for keeping our finances in order and all she has done besides, running raffles, organising bulk purchase of things like calico, wadding and Bondaweb and patiently teaching us the techniques of quilting. Even though she is no longer on the Committee Janet's active role will continue as she's still organising bulk purchases and tutored our first member-led workshop of the year, 'Janet's Jackets'. This represents what Janet does so well, taking a clever idea and convincing us all that we can make our own version of it.
Also leaving the Committee are Lorna Bruce who as past-Chairman looked after me and kept me right and Rhona Houston who smoothly organised refreshments through the year.
When we elected the new Committee we achieved a balance between the knowledge and experience of continuing members and the fresh ideas brought by new members, electing five of each. The Committee Members are listed on the back of your programme card.
WHO'S DOING WHAT?
We have shared out the tasks involved in running Caithness Quilters between us and know the full membership will play their part too. As well as the usual office-bearer responsibilities there is a very long list of who is doing what behind the scenes, but you'll soon spot Dorothy and Catherine presenting the Show and Tell sessions and Zelia and Ella organising Raffles. Catherine and Norma are in charge of Refreshments and will be approaching you to tick your name on the rota and ask you to take a turn in the kitchen.
WEBSITE and PUBLICITY
www.caithnessquilters.co.uk is the place to go to check for Caithness Quilters news and What's On events. Isobel is working with Davie Swanson to add to our photo gallery, concentrating particularly on putting photos from the original Caithness Quilters album onto our site.
We'll also continue to photograph events and activities through the year. Have a look at the Beautiful Bags section to see what's been added recently. We will not include identifiable close up photographs of our junior members or of anyone who tells us they prefer not to be photographed.
The Website is one way we tell the world about us. You'll also find Caithness Quilters on High Society (www.highsocieties.org) and in Caithness Arts What's On and Newsletter.
From time to time you may read about us in the Groat or Courier. Isobel and Emily are in charge of publicity and Emily will also look at the archives, part of the forward planning for marking our 10th birthday next year.
CHARITY QUILTS
In addition to the quilts we sew and donate to give comfort to others, including those made for Project Linus, The Crocus Group and Blankets of Love, every other year Caithness Quilters make quilts to be raffled to raise money for charity.
2009 - 10 is a raffle quilt year.
Ella Lawrence and a small team are quilting a pieced patchwork quilt to raise funds for the Laurandy Centre. Crossroads in Caithness will benefit from the efforts of Ann Ross and a second team who are making an art quilt using batik fabrics given to us by Highland Quilters when they visited us last May. If you are not involved in either team but would like to make a charity quilt, please let me know as a third raffle quilt could be made.
FUND RAISING and GALA EXHIBITION
We also need to raise money for our own expenses. Last year the Gala Week Exhibition and sale of Ecobags were successful fund raisers. This year, on Thursday 30th July, we are again staging an exhibition in Wick Gala Week in the Assembly Rooms, in association with Wick WRI so we've arranged a Saturday Sewing Day to make more Ecobags for sale. Your support making the bags and exhibiting and helping on the day will be much appreciated.
THEME FOR THE YEAR
Ecobags were just some of the many bags we made last year. Our theme this year, chosen at the AGM, is Wearable Art. Workshops and Skills Slots on the theme range from Applique Aprons to Wonderful Waistcoats. The idea of Wearable Art as a theme came from the jackets some Highland Quilters wore when they came to see us. Janet Maclennan had soon whipped up one of her own, and then another, ready to teach us to sew one too.
JOINT MEETING WITH HIGHLAND QUILTERS
This year it is our turn to visit Highland Quilters. We are invited to join them in Strathpeffer on May 30th. Please give Libby Wilson a note of your name so we can let Highland Quilters know how many of us will be coming.
The big question is: Can we keep the Caithness Highland Trophy in Caithness for a further year?
To muster as many entries as possible we're having a Saturday Sewing Day on May 9th so we can all finish (or begin) any quilted item 'Batik Heaven' to enter the Challenge Competition. When we're there we'll give a gift, invite them to visit us on May 29th 2010 and issue the next Challenge.
Travel by train and minibus mean this social day is great fun but very long. As well as your Challenge entry, take something to Show and Tell, your hand sewing kit and something to eat and drink en route.
EARLY SUMMER SKILLS SLOTS, SLIDESHOW and WORKSHOPS
Dorothy Johnston is demonstrating Paint, Paper and Paste with Napkin Layers in our April Skills Slot.
The May evening meeting is a Slideshow presented by Juliana Teixeira.
On the last Tuesday of June we'll all have a go making Co-ordinating Corsages. Please bring your hand sewing kit and a length of fabric about 4 inches wide and approximately 45 inches long. We'd like to see your own corsages too. On that evening Marshillie Campbell will give us a preview of her July 25th workshop: Marshillie's Miniatures.
July 28th's Skills Slot is a demonstration of How to Put a Quilt Together by Ella Lawrence.
We round off our early summer programme with the Gala Exhibition on the last Thursday in July.
VISITING TUTOR
As well as our member-led programme of activities we have a talk and workshop from a visiting tutor.
On Friday evening, June 12th, Anne Hoggan will be talking about and showing us Cupar Quilters' Collection of Quilts on a Scottish theme. The following day her workshop is titled Little Landscapes. Libby has lists for you to sign for these events and a note of what you need to bring. Please support both events if you can.
Enjoy your early summer sewing.
Kind regards,
Valerie Barker
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