Number Nineteen * October 1, 1997
Classifieds | Table of Contents
Please allow entire page to load before clicking links.
GUILD PROFILE: The Greater San Antonio Quilt Guild, Inc.
When I finally caught up with Larry
Beauchamp, President of the Greater San Antonio Quilt Guild, he
asked me:
"Do you want to go see our Operations Center?"
Operations Center? I could see immediately that this was a guild
to be reckoned with.
With a membership of nearly 400 quilters and a $95,000 annual
budget, the west Texas guild serves nearly all of the San Antonio
metropolitan area with a wide variety of activities and services.
It is definitely Quilting, Inc.!
The occasion for my being in San Antonio was the guild's large
biennial quilt show September 19-21. I had a quilt in the show as
a result of the guild's call, through the internet, for quilts
"by and for men." Since the chances of my ever again
displaying a quilt anywhere besides my own house were fairly
slim, I decided to go to the show along with the quilt.
"Quilts By and For Men," was a special exhibit within
the overall show, which included more than 250 quilts and
wearables in categories ranging from art quilts to scrap quilts
to quilts on the official show theme, "A Victorian
Texas."
I asked Larry, who was in charge of the men's quilts, how the
idea had originated. "We always have some special exhibits
in our show, and this one sort of fell out of the sky," he
said. "Amy Cottrell, the overall show chairperson, suggested
it, and we decided it should be quilts 'by and for' men so we
would be assured of getting enough. The only place this exhibit
was publicized was on the internet." This call through the
net resulted in the submission of 18 quilts, 12 of them by men
and 6 by women for men. In the guild's previous show, in 1995,
they had featured quilts designed on computer.
Like so many things Texan, this show was
a big production. Besides the many quilts, the show was
characterized by an unusually large number of vendors -- a total
of 48, who took up fully half the exhibit space in the Live Oak
Civic Center, a former Handy Dan home improvement store. They
came from all over Texas, and from as far away as Wisconsin, and
they were doing a land office business. "We had 3,500
atttendees at our 1995 show, and expect 5,000 to come to this
one," Larry told me. "Vendors start to get interested
in any show with 2,000 visitors." This year's show also
featured a series of free technique demonstrations from a variety
of vendors and guild members. These half-hour presentations were
extremely popular and continued throughout the show. The overall
show was organized through the efforts of more than 200 guild
volunteers.
Profits from the show, along with an annual guild auction, go for
guild activities, including a charitable effort known as
"Bright Hopes." Guild quilters make 200-300 quilts a
year to give to children in local homeless shelters, as well as
doing special projects such as a quilt for the local chapter of
Habitat for Humanity. Habitat had intended to auction the quilt
as a fundraiser, but liked it so much they kept it. They
photographed it and sold posters instead. The guild also sponsors
a community education project which takes quilt history, design,
and techniques into the local schools.
Larry and his wife Lois are both quilters, and I asked him how
they became involved with quilting, and with the guild. "My
mother was a quilter," he said, "and there was a quilt
frame set up in our dining room as far back as I can remember.
Lois also comes from a sewing family, though they were not
quilters. But the real reason we had to be serious sewers is that
we have eight children, five of whom are girls. We had to sew to
outfit our daughters."
The guild was founded in 1980, and he
and Lois were involved in it almost from the beginning. "I
joined so I could go to a lecture by Mary Ellen Hopkins," he
said. Now he's president, a two-year post he said he took because
"no one else wanted to do it." He has previously served
as second vice president and put out the guild newsletter, a
chore he says fit with his professional skills in desktop
publishing.
The guild meets monthly in a local church and sponsors two
retreats each year, including a week-long quilt-in at a resort in
the nearby Texas hill country.
So what's this about the Operations Center? Larry led me out to
his Mazda MPV and we headed around the city's outer loop highway
to a turnoff on the northwest side, about 25 miles away from the
show. There on 15 acres of live-oak studded Texas scrub land was
a low 3-bedroom ranch house that the guild leases so that it will
have a "place of its own." It was empty and much of its
contents removed because of the show, but Larry gave me the tour.
The house is kept open by volunteers four days a week, and is
used by quilting bees as a meeting place, as well as for classes.
It is equipped with a design wall and large tables which can be
used for basting.
One of the bedrooms is devoted to storage of the guild's
considerable library of books, videos, and patterns, which was
one of the main reasons for leasing the house. "The
librarian got tired of hauling the library around in her car from
meeting to meeting," Larry says. "I bet there aren't
too many guilds around who have their own headquarters."
When we got back to the quilt show about 3:00 the parking lot at
the civic center was all but full. Quilters were coming and
going, buying tickets for the appliqued raffle quilt (designed on
a computer), attending vendor demonstrations, examining the tiny
stitches and colorful designs of the guild's members and other
show participants, and perusing acres of fabric, books, and
notions to add to stashes. Clearly quilting is alive and well in
San Antonio, and the GSAQG, Inc., is at the heart of it!
Our trip to San Antonio included (of course) visits to the
local quilt shops. Earlier this spring we reported on trips to
Las Colchas and Plain Jane's, with a vow to see Seventh Heaven
the next time. There are a number of wonderful quilt stores that
are located in improbable places. You know, you follow the
directions you got over the phone and about three minutes before
you find the store you say to your companion, "It can't be
out here!" Seventh Heaven is one of those stores. It's
located in what felt like the outskirts of town, and I have to
admit that I was somewhat surprised by the burglar bars on the
doors, and the reasonably unpicturesque surroundings, but once
you get in the door, who cares?
Greeted by someone who advised us that "Half the store is
already at the quilt show," we were still impressed by half
that was left. The general atmosphere of the place was one of a
family reunion, and that may have actually been what was
occurring that day. Two babies and other young children were in
the store and several adults sat chatting in the classroom,
rather oblivious to the fact that they were in a place of
business. Even though we were the only customers in the store, we
were allowed to poke and browse leisurely. There are lots of shop
samples. Advertised as serving the quilting needs of the south
side of town, Seventh Heaven offers an unusual block-of-the-month
pattern (Everyday Angels) that accommodates machine and hand
appliquers. I picked up a flier that details their machine
quilting service and since the sample work I saw was so nice, I
may become a mail order customer to help me finish up my UFOs.
Seventh Heaven also does quilt-related trips.
Since our visit in the spring, Plain Jane's has moved more toward
the front of Artisan's Alley (directly outside Apple Annie's
tearoom-yum.) The store has retained its down home flavor,
complete with the bare bones instructional area that features
metal and formica tables, left over from kitchens of the Fifties.
Same great primitive stuff, same great feel. Even your
non-quilting companions will find it appealing.
Las Colchas continues to have many, many kits and has the most
specifically old San Antonio atmosphere. It features wallhangings
of missions and other designs paying homage to the city's
Hispanic heritage. One of their unique items is a "tortilla
quilt" kit for children, which goes with a charming book.
Las Colchas has also developed something of a taste for the
primitive in their fabric and pattern selections. The owner and
staff are very friendly and helpful, without being officious. A
very pleasant shop.
-- Lynn Holland
Introducing a new stainless steel raised edge thimble with a unique soft cushioned surface that grips the needle for better stitch control. Improved oval design fits your finger almost like it's custom made.
My Favorite Thimble comes in three sizes, small (6), medium (8) and large (10). Petit or extra large sizes available for an extra 25 cents.
To order, please send $6.00 and your choice of size to:
Chris Hanner
3687 Coldwater Lane
Snellville, GA 30039
For more information or for dealer inquiries, please email me at: chris@noss.com or call toll free at 1-800-533-7259.
A new Quilting and Sewing Clipart collection is now available from SnippitS Graphics.
The set consists of over 120 clipart images for use in newsletters, stationery, address labels, business cards and web sites. Perfect for the Patchwork, Sewing or Craft enthusiast the clips include images of bears, animals, dividers, blocks, patchwork, sewing utensils, flowers and celebrations.
For enquiries please e-mail snippits@tpgi.com.au
Web site for Australian orders http://www1.tpgi.com.au/users/snippits/
For International orders http://www.needles.com/snippits/
The MINI DUST-IT. Genuine sheepskin duster on a 6" stick that is perfect for picking up dust and lint from your sewing machine and serger. Soft, beautiful sheepskin won't scratch polished surfaces. Picks up the lint and tiny threads; doesn't spread them around. Prevents lint build-up. Inexpensive way to protect expensive sewing machines and sergers. Fun and handy to use.
Price: $3.50 each including mailing.
To order send check to Silver Dollar Sheep Station, 5020 Winding Way, Sacramento, CA 95841. 800-887-8742. SILVER DOLLAR SHEEP STATION
Get THANGLED! Plan ahead for the Holidays!
FREE Holiday Pattern with your prepaid purchase of four packages
(1", 1.5", 2" and 3") of Thangles for making
half-square triangles. We pay the postage.Send $20. for four
packages of Thangles (CO residents add CO sales tax) to:
"Holiday Pattern & Thangles"
Design Plus, 907 Columbia Rd., Fort Collins, CO 80525
We also have TWO NEW SIZES of Thangles @ $5. / package -
1. For miniature quiltmakers - 1/2" and 3/4" packaged
together makes 1,400 half-square triangles!
2. 2-1/2" finished size - makes 300 half-square triangles
http://www.quiltbroker.com
P. O. Box 273, Esperance NY 12066
Hickory Hill Quilts offers a complete line of antique American
quilts, tops, blocks and related items at our web site http://www.HickoryHillQuilts.com. We also offer the latest reproduction fabric and quilt
heritage books - all at a discount! In fact, we guarantee the
lowest price on the web.
We accept MasterCard, Visa or Discover as well as personal
checks. We also have a layaway plan. All sales are 100%
satisfaction guaranteed. To order, use the on-line order form or
call 518-875-6133. We hope you enjoy owning your very own piece
of American history!
Quilt Shop Service -- Discount Prices
Looking for discounted quilting supplies and books? Look to PineTree for discounts of 20%, accompanied by attentive customer service and prompt shipping! Don't forget to check out online catalog at http://quilt.com/Pinetree for ***new, new, new*** items and a partial listing of books!
You'll find a huge selection of batting, from Quilter's Cotton fine cotton batts to the full lines of Hobbs' and Fairfield's cottons, blends, and polys. Look for tools to make applique easier and more fun; fabric and hand care products; pencils and markers; templates and template plastic; needlecraft gloves; rotary cutters and related supplies; rippers, clippers, snippers, and scissors; machine sewing needles; seven (!) brands of hand sewing needles -- including Jeana Kimball's renowned Foxglove Cottage needles; basting systems; thread, including Mettler and Gutermann cotton sewing and quilting, Tire silk sewing, and Sulky rayon, metallic, and sliver, and *new* Roxy 100% cotton thread on economical 1200-yard spools; patterns ... and more. Check out the catalog on the web at http://quilt.com/Pinetree, or request a hard copy by e-mailing snail mail info to pinetree@quiltworks.com. If you are on AOL and prefer to contact someone there, Donna's address is PineTreeQW! Visa, MasterCard, and Discover are all welcome. PineTree is online to answer questions about quilting products at pinetree@quiltworks.com
Check out our on-line catalog for our Monthly $pecial$!!
Or, if that's not possible, just e-mail Schoolhouse Enterprises (gridgees@algorithms.com) with your "snail mail" (post office) address for your FREE CATALOG and Sample of Gridded Geese(c)! Gridded Geese(c) is a unique paper foundation method for mass-producing Flying Geese units up to 24 at once (similar to the half-square triangle papers, which, BTW, are included in their catalog).
The Schoolhouse Enterprises catalog offers lots of Other Fun Stuff, too! We've added a few things we think you'll like, so if you haven't visited our web page lately, we think you'll be pleasantly surprised.
Perfect Square is a reusable iron on transfer used to make half square triangles quickly, easily and accurately. Each sheet can be used at least 10 times, usually more. For those of you who like to work small, there is the Mini Pack with finished sizes from 1/4" to 1 1/2". Perfect Square also comes in real sizes for anyone intimidated by the small stuff.E-mail for more info or check out the Perfect Square web site at www.webworldinc.com/perfectsquare.
ARTFABR!K now carries a Color Card for their extraordinary hand-dyed perle cotton threads available in sizes 3, 5, 8 and the finest, size 12. Please send $7 plus $1 for shipping to ARTFABR!K, Laura Wasilowski, 324 Vincent Place, Elgin, IL 60123. E-mail artfab@suba.com or see our web site at http://www.qcx.com/fabrik/artfab.html
Beautiful hand Dyed Fabric perfect for piecing, applique and pictorial quilts. Colors range from a sunrise spectrum of mauves, pinks, and golds to deep purples, blues and teals. Available in the following convenient packages:
| 8 step color progression- | fat eighth cuts- | 1 yard | $25.00 |
| 12 step color wheel- | 6"x22"cuts | 1 yard | $25.00 |
| 24 step color wheel- | 6"x22" cuts | 2 yards | $45.00 |
| 10" squares | 1.5 yards | $35.00 |
Send a self addressed, stamped envelope for free samples and full price list or to order send check or money order to:
Jay Dee Designs 18640 South Lowrie Loop Eagle River, Alaska 99577
E-mail: unique@alaska.net
Our advertisers, both here in the newsletter and at the Planet Patchwork website, have found TVQ to be an effective and economical way to reach thousands of online quilters. Ads in the newsletter are only $5 each (up to 100 words, inquire about longer ads) or 3 for $10, and there are also attractive packages available which combine newsletter and website ads. For more information e-mail rholland@planetpatchwork.com or visit http://www.planetpatchwork.com/adcard.htm. We specialize in helping small quilting-related businesses gain exposure on the internet.
Following is a list of the rest of the stories in this issue
of TVQ. In order to read them, you must be a subscriber.
Subscribing online here and following up with the small
subscription fee will entitle you to eight issues of TVQ,
including this one. You will receive TVQ every six weeks by
e-mail, and will be issued a password to access it here on the
World Wide Quilting Page.
Subscribers: Please report any password problems
to Rob Holland. Be sure
to include your name & e-mail address. We will try to resolve
all password problems within 24 hours. Thank you!
Like any news publication, TVQ is always hungry for
information about new developments in the area we are trying to
cover. If you have an idea for a story, or want to tell the world
about something you are doing which relates to computers and
quilting, we'd like to hear about it.
We'd like news of new classes starting up to teach quilt design
on computers, or new approaches to that teaching. New products,
maillists, World Wide Web pages, etc., are all fair game, and
we'd appreciate any tips you can provide. Send your tips by
e-mail to rholland@planetpatchwork.com.
If you have a comment about an article, a complaint or a
correction, we're glad to hear that, too, and may publish some
comments as letters to the editor. Again, these may be sent to rholland@planetpatchwork.com.
If you would like to see the rest of this newsletter
here, and have it appear in your e-mail about every 6 weeks for
the next year, all it requires is a small contribution of $5.00!
That buys you 8 issues (including this one) of news and in-depth
features. We are now also offering a two-year subscription
option, 16 issues for $9.00.
In upcoming issues you will find more in-depth reviews of quilt
design software, more profiles of quilters, as well as profiles
of online quilting communities. These features will be
interspersed with news of developments in the quickly changing
and expanding world of online quilting.
To receive a free sample of a recent issue, e-mail rholland@ atlanta.com
and one will be sent to you.
To subscribe, fill
out this form and send a check or money
order for $5.00 made out to Robert Holland, to 140 Ridley Circle,
Decatur, GA 30030-1117.
Back Issues Table of Contents * Planet Patchwork