RENEW YOUR MEMBERSHIP NOW!

Hello, everyone!

Welcome back to Northern Star! Summer is nearly over, and it’s time to gear up for a new guild year. The Quilt Show committee is forming, the board is getting ready to welcome you to our new home at Fox Lane High School and programs for the year are in place. We hope to see you at the first meeting of the year on Sept. 20^th at 6:00 PM (doors open about 5:30 for snacks and socializing).!

Please join Joanne and I in welcoming seven new members to our group: Ashley Fikes of Pleasantville, Visala Ekanadham of  Mohegan Lake, Laurel Izard of Michigan City, IN, Angela Reyes of Hastings-on-Hudson, Stacey Murren of Pawling, Michelle Parker of White Plains , Heather Feldman of Bedford, Beatrice Isaacs of Mt.Kisco, and Kristen Scheyder of Rye.. There will be membership badges waiting for new members who don’t have theirs, yet.

REMEMBER TO RENEW YOUR MEMBERSHIP IF YOU HAVE NOT DONE SO!

As of August 29^th, 50% of the membership has renewed.  The hard copy of the Membership Directory will be going to press earlier than usual this year.  The deadline for being included in the hard copy of the directory is October 6^th.

• Option 1 – Renew your membership online at:  nsqg.formstack.com/forms/nsqg_member_registration_cc
• Option 2 – Joanne will be accepting registration forms accompanied by cash or check at the September meeting of Comfort Quilts, or you can bring your check to the meeting on September 20th. (Registration forms will be available if you forget to bring yours.)
• Option 3 – Mail your registration form and check (payable to Northern Star Quilters Guild) to:   Northern Star Quilters’ Guild, P.O. Box 232, Somers, NY  
  

We strongly encourage you to join the many members (50%) who have already submitted photos for the Membership Directory. It’s a great way for other members to connect your name with your face and for you to recognize them! Any photo will be gladly welcomed whether it’s a selfie sent from your phone or a favorite picture from a special family event. Each photo is cropped to feature only your face.

See you in September!
Joanne Visovsky and Carol Sterk, membership@northernstarquilters.com

Please welcome the return of NSQG’s Library, this time at Fox Lane School! We’ve certainly been busy over the summer.

The following special activities, for and by members, are taking place throughout the year.  Information is also on our website.
Rona Spar, Activities Liaison, activities@northernstarquilters.com

Pre-Meeting Offering

Orphan Blocks

Orphan Block Quilt by Patricia

2023-2024 Challenge

This year’s challenge is to design a small quilt using only black and white.  The challenge is inspired by the Karl Lagerfeld exhibit recently at the Metropolitan Museum of Art.  All information about rules and parameters for the quilt can be found on the NSQG website challenge page.  Questions, please contact the challenge coordinator, Constanze Toplansky, constanze.toplansky@gmail.com.
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Quilt Retreat

The first quilt retreat of this year will be held on Monday-Wednesday, 10/30/23-11/1/23, at the Mariandale Center in Ossining, NY.  If you wish to board there, the fee is $250 for 2 nights and 6 meals.  If you wish to participate as a commuter, the day fee is $65/day which covers your workspace and 2 meals a day.  To sign up, contact Jody at jodysull@optonline.net.  Make your check out to Northern Star Quilters’ Guild and bring it to the September meeting or mail it to Jody Sullivan, 74 West Lane, Pound Ridge, NY 10576.
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Ugly Fabric Auction

Please start bringing your UGLY FABRICS (quilting fabric, quarter yard or more) to the meetings starting in September.  You can give the fabrics to Rona Spar or Linda Finegan who will pass them along to Jean Degl, who has kindly volunteered to store the fabric.  The Ugly Fabric Auction coordinator is Linda Finegan, linfin612@gmail.com.

Super Saturday

Super Saturday will be held in February, date and location not yet confirmed.  Several members have already volunteered to teach classes on that wonderful Saturday.  If you wish to teach a class at Super Saturday, please contact Lefa Alksne at lefermilch@gmail.com.  Lefa needs someone to be her assistant so please consider contacting her to help with this very special activity.
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Special Interest Groups (SIGs)

• Improv1 led by Jane Eyes (currently at full capacity)
• Improv2 led by Rita Romeau
• For Art Lovers led by Tamar Drucker
• Scrappy Quilts led by Jennifer Larrabee
• Long Arm Quilting led by Kathy Vanacoro and Lorraine Freed

September – Walking Foot Quilting, Marge Tucker – waitlist only

October – Landscape Quilts, Rachel Derstine

November – Fabulous Freehand Curves, Cindy Grisdela

If you haven’t already, renew your membership for 2023, then sign up for our upcoming activities.

Renew Now!

RACHEL DERSTINE
Landscape Quilts:  Nature & Architecture
Thursday, 19 October 2023
9:30 am to 4:00 pm EDT
Members $50 / Non-Members $70
In-person workshop at the Millwood Firehouse, 100 Millwood Road in Millwood, NY 10546.

Rachel will teach how to create a landscape quilt that focuses on nature or architecture or some combination of both.  You will be able to work from one of Rachel’s images or from one of your own choosing.

In this multi-level, full day workshop, Rachel will teach how to create a landscape quilt that focuses on nature or architecture or some combination of both.  Rachel will briefly cover her favorite techniques, tips & tricks so that you may stick to a simple landscape or apply them to a more complex design.  The possibilities are limitless:

• Think waterscape–an oak tree shading a meandering river, maybe a bridge. . .
• Think farmscape–fields of corn and soybeans, an endless sky, maybe a barn. . .
• Think cityscape–buildings, streets, windows, doors, maybe a magnolia tree. . .
• Think gardenscape–a winding path, hosta, irises, a weeping willow, maybe a bench. . .
• Think mountainscape, seascape, skyscape, and many more. . .

Rachel’s workshop is for every quilter! You want simple? You want complex? Rachel will cover her basic techniques for construction and design so that you can apply them to the “scape” of your choosing.

HIGHLIGHTS – Fusible applique collage; simplifying elements from a photo or sketch; creating the illusion of depth through overlapping and layering, size, color, value, and linear perspective; quilting and how to add facing.

Visit Rachel’s website to learn more about her artwork: Rachel Derstine Designs

CINDY GRISDELA
Fabulous Free-Hand Curves
Thursday, 16 November 2023
9:00 am to 3:30 pm
Members $65 / Non-Members $85
In-person at the Millwood Firehouse, 100 Millwood Road,  Millwood, NY 10546

Cindy is an artist, teacher, and author of two books about creating original quilts without patterns: Artful Improv and Adventures in Improv Quilts. She specializes in improv design and using color fearlessly in your quilts. Her work has won awards in both quilt and art venues, most recently her artwork was juried into Quilt National. Cindy has a BFA in Art History from the College and William and Mary and an MBA in Finance from George Washington University.

Join us in Cindy’s newest improv workshop. Learn to cut large scale curves freehand without templates or patterns. Add dots, skinny lines, wonky triangles and more to give each curve its own personality, then combine them into a fun original design. Cindy will talk about color and design to create the composition as well as the techniques needed. Basic sewing skills and a sewing machine in good working order are necessary

Visit Cindy’s website to learn more about her artwork:  Cindy Grisdela Art Quilts

I’ve arranged for our guild’s quilt retreat at Mariandale Retreat Center, Ossining, NY from October 30-November 1 (Monday afternoon through Wednesday afternoon ).  The cost is $250 per person which includes two overnights, six meals and lots of sewing time!  There is also the possibility of being a “day commuter” for $65 a day which gives breakfast and lunch.  I have already heard from a few of you who expressed an interest in coming.  We will need a minimum of ten people for the two nights and there will be a maximum.  If you are interested and want to attend, please email me (jodysull@optonline.net) and I’ll add you to the list.  As we get closer to the date, I’ll ask for payment (checks made out to the guild) but send nothing now.

Later in the year I’m hoping to offer a “weekend” retreat (Friday to Sunday).  So far available dates are March 1-3 or March 22-24.  If that appeals to you, please let me know which date works best for you.  Their calendar fills up quickly.

Hope you’re all enjoying your summer and getting some sewing done as well!

Thank you, Jody Sullivan, jodysull@optonline.net

Every year around the end of February, guild members get together for a fun and productive Saturday. Our own very talented members members share their talents teaching classes on various techniques and projects. Sign up for a class or “Sit and Sew” on your own project. Lunch is provided by our Hospitality team. This is a a wonderful opportunity to mingle with fellow members in a smaller social setting.

Thank you to Lefa Alksne, lefermilch@gmail.com, who has volunteered to be our Super Saturday coordinator.  Help is needed! Please contact Lefa if you are able to assist or to teach a class.

Thank you,  Rona Spar, activities@northernstarquilters.com

Viewers Choice – Feathered Friends by Sandra Curry

The Viewers Choice quilt was Feathered Friends by Sandra Curry.  The quilt received 46 votes out of 330 cast.  Six other quilts received 15 or more votes.   The winner was announced and the ribbon posted at 2:30 on Sunday.

Thanks to Constanze Toplansky’s photography skills, you can review pictures of the 2023 quilt show HERE.

The Show Catalog was also put online this year, along with the Winners List. Both are available via the website ARCHIVES page.

Thank you to the Quilt Show Committee and the entire Northern Star Quilt Guild.  The 2023 show was a success and everyone had a role in making it a wonderful weekend.

I took on the role of Quilt Show VP for the 2022 show not because I wanted to, but because no one was in that role and there was a possibility that the show would not happen without a leader.  After two years of cancelled shows because of COVID, I could not bear to have another show cancelled, as the saying goes “The Show Must Go On!”, and so I raised my hand.  Little did I know what I was in for!

The past two years has been an amazing experience for me.  With no prior specific show experience, there was a lot of learning to do.  Numerous guild members kept supplying me with information and their expertise, answering endless questions, and stepping in to help where they could.

If you are ever thinking about stepping up to a role within this guild, do not hesitate.  You will be cheered on and supported by the most amazing group of creative spirits, and you will learn and grow from the experience.

Thank you from the bottom of my heart to all of you, and specifically to my wonderful team of committee members.

Lisa Alfonzetti

CONGRATULATIONS to the winner of our quilt ‘Blue Lightning’, Michele Morra, who resides in Hopewell Junction. She is a good friend and supporter of Sparrow’s Nest.

CONGRATULATIONS to Sparrow’s Nest, they will be receiving a very generous check at our June Salad Supper.

Thanks again to all our members for supporting the raffle.
Dee Plouffe’,  charitable@northernstarquilters.com

We look forward to our end of the year celebration, our Salad Supper.
Please bring an appetizer or entree/salad big enough to feed 6 people, serving utensils, and a card listing all the ingredients.
Be sure to mark any items you want returned with your name and collect them before you leave.

Beverages will be provided, as well as dessert.

Let’s celebrate together all that we have accomplished as a guild this year!

It was great to see many of you at the show! The Membership volunteers were a great team. They shared their enthusiasm for the guild with our visitors and encouraged them to join. Their efforts were successful! We gained 17 new members from a wide geographical area. Please join Joanne and I in welcoming them to the guild! The names of our newest members have been added to the digital directory which was sent to all members a few weeks ago. Please find the list of names below.

Idie Benjamin, Becky Demir  Nancy DiMuro, Ellen Friedman, Gloria Gorell, Barbara Leader, Marjorie Livingston, Maureen McCurdy, Brent McGee, Katherine McGowan, Jean Moccia, Lisette Overweel, Susan Raab, Suzanne Rixon, Sonhild Rodney, Barbara Sarullo, Stephanie Torsiello

Whether you’re a new or existing member, please send us a photo to add to the directory, if you haven’t already done so. A selfie would be fine. Send to:  membership@northernstarquilters.com

Have a great summer! See you in September!

Joanne Visovsky and Carol Sterk, membership@northernstarquilters.com

—— Click on Map to enlarge ——

Reminder – Parking is one of our challenges – The shuttle bus will be running extended hours so even if you have a first or last slot, there is plenty of time to catch the bus at E1 or W1.

‘Blue Lightning’ 2023 Raffle Quilt

LAST CALL for returning your raffle tickets… the drawing is coming soon at our Guild meeting, Wednesday May 17 .

If you would like to purchase more tickets, or if you have misplaced them,  the best way to purchase them is online and I will fill out the stubs for you.
Just click  –  nsqg.formstack.com/forms/nsqg_charity_raffle.  You could be  our lucky winner!

As of this writing, 67% of our members have responded – THANK YOU to our Guild members, their families, and friends for supporting this year’s member selected charity, Sparrows Nest.

Thank you Rosemary De Paola for coordinating this project and  Angela Vettucci for her beautiful job of quilting

Dee Plouffe’,  charitable@northernstarquilters.com

Many, many thanks to all guild members, CQ’ers and others, who have made quilts and have thus kept our donation coordinators very busy; and thank you to the coordinators for delivering the quilts to those in need of the little comfort or hug that a quilt can bring.  A total of 501 quilts have been distributed so fart this guild season, including 81 quilts in the recent shipment sent to and now delivered to Kyiv.  Thank you Pat Julian for keeping a record of our donations.  Come join our group, all our welcome, we are very productive!

Here are projected Comfort Quilt dates for the next few months, all Wednesdays (not necessarily 1st/3rd).

• May 10 and 24
• *** June 14 and 28  (This is a change from the original schedule, we are NOT meeting the 7th and 21st
• July 19
• Aug 9 and 30
• Sep 13 and 27

We meet at the North Salem Volunteer Ambulance Corps, 14 Daniel Road, North Salem, NY, 10am-2pm.
Bring lunch or a snack if you’d like a food break at your seat.
Last minute cancellations do happen, if in doubt or coming for the first time, please check.
All members are welcome.

Contact Karen Carlson or Carol Auer for further information.

Some CQ April Quilts

If you would like to set up some kind of special guild activity for next year, we are always looking for members willing to share their skills, creative and organizational.

Maybe set up a special activity for December and April meetings when we don’t have a speaker (demos, games, swaps, trunk shows, challenges, ??? …), organize a field trip, offer a Zoom class, help with Super Saturday, whatever sparks your quilting interest ….

Please contact me, I would love to hear from you.
Rona Spar, activities@northernstarquilters.com

An upcoming special activity for next year sponsored by Patricia Loquet:

Over the years Comfort Quilts has given away thousands of quilts to those in need of love and comfort.  This year alone CQ has sent out over 500 quilts. We want to do even more and you can help.

I will be collecting orphan blocks during the May, June, September and October meetings.  Then they will be divided into packets of like colors and style and ANY MEMBER can then take a pack and make an improv quilt using those blocks plus any other fabric or blocks you have that you would like to add.

I’ll have a bit more to say as time goes by.  If you have any questions please feel free to reach out to me, Patricia.

Hello All and Happy May!!

Thank you to everyone who participated in the Challenge this year.  The talent in our Guild is truly amazing.  If you thought the “Cards” looked great at our April Meeting, wait until you see them at the Show!  The Challenge display at the Show this year is going to look awesome.
Thank you, April

BEST DESIGN:

1. Carol Auer
2. Marie Sugar
3. Claire Hibbard

MOST CREATIVE:

1. April Russell
2. Claire Hibbard
3. Marie Sugar

BEST VISUAL IMPACT:

1. Claire Hibbard
2. Carol Auer
3. Caryl Castellion

BEST WORKMANSHIP:

1. Carol Auer
2. Caryl Castellion
3. Chris Roche

The Quilt Show is Coming! The Quilt Show is Coming!

Tell your friends and family.  Tell them to pass the news along.

Send this postcard by email

Print this flyer and post it around your town

Library, coffee shop, supermarket, train station, museum, town hall …

If you haven’t volunteered already or can offer some more time, sign up now!

NSQG.formstack.com/forms/show_volunteers

Thank you, showvolunteers@northernstarquilters.com

Dee Plouffe’,  charitable@northernstarquilters.com

  On March 6, four quilters (and two of their husbands) delivered 346 pounds of humanitarian aid to be sent to civilians in Ukraine. The cargo consisted primarily of 84 quilts, virtually all of which were made by members of our guild! Our members also donated urgently requested medicine, hand/foot warmers and socks as well as the cost of the shipping.  I will let you know as soon as I hear the shipment has been received.

Spring greetings to all!

Joanne and I hope you are enjoying the warmer, and sometimes sunny, weather!  The NSQG quilt show is just around the corner, and we hope to see you there! There will be a Membership table in the lower hallway near the entrance to the quilt exhibits where you can bring your friends and family to sign up for email notices of future NSQG shows.  We would appreciate your support as we work towards building up our show publicity database!  Of course, we will also be there to share our enthusiasm for the guild with our visitors and hopefully recruit some new members!

Speaking of new members, please welcome Ursula Heinrich of White Plains, Julietta Appleton of North Salem, Lori Schmiedel of North Salem, and Lisa Clemmens of Ossining who joined the guild in March! Our membership currently stands at 189.

Reminder:  If you’d like a new membership badge, please contact us at membership@northernstarquilters.com.

Joanne Visovsky and Carol Sterk, membership@northernstarquilters.com

The Quilt Show Committee has been hard at work to finalize details for another successful show in May.

Here is your checklist…

* Have you registered your quilt(s)?
northernstarquilters.com/quilt-show/quilt-registration

* Have you signed up for your volunteer slot?
northernstarquilters.com/quilt-show/volunteer

* Have you bought your charity raffle quilt tickets?
nsqg.formstack.com/forms/nsqg_charity_raffle

* Have you told family and friends to buy advance discount tickets?  Start spreading the word!
nsqg.formstack.com/forms/showtickets

* Have you made a Challenge Quilt?  We can’t wait to see the exhibit!

* Have you heard about our new addition this year?  A guild raffle table!  Committee members are hard at work gathering baskets, including the BERNINA Sewing Machine, for a raffle.  Deadline for raffle basket donation is  the April meeting, we will be at the March meeting to explain and answer questions.

Lisa Alfozetti, nsqgworldofquilts@gmail.com

I am pleased to announce that our charity recipient for the 2024 raffle quilt is the North Salem Volunteer Ambulance Corps. They have been our meeting place for Comfort Quilts for the past several years and have always been willing and able to help our Guild. Thank you Karen Carlson for being the Guild liaison for this wonderful organization.

I am in search of a quilt coordinator for our 2025 Raffle Quilt. The coordinator shall be responsible for selecting the design, distributing the piecing kits and supervising the assembly . Having a friend as co-coordinator will make your responsibilities easier. Please let me know if you have any questions.

Dee Plouffe’,  charitable@northernstarquilters.com

Hi everyone,

We look forward to greeting you at the first in-person guild meeting of the year on March 15, 2023. The Ugly Fabric Auction is sure to be a lot of fun!

If you are a new member, please introduce yourself at the sign-in table. A Welcome folder, name badge and gifts await you! We would like to make sure you feel comfortable and would be happy to introduce you to a few members with whom you can sit during the meeting.

DIRECTORY CORRECTIONS AND UPDATES
*Caryl Castellion’s cell phone number has been incorrect: it should be 203 231-3594.
*Nancy Pruyne has a new email address: npruyne00@gmail.com
*Nancy Mirman has a new email address: nmirman@optonline.net

Happy quilting!
Joanne Visovsky and Carol Sterk, membership@northernstarquilters.com