PRESIDENT’S NOTE I hope everyone enjoyed being with loved ones and celebrated the 4th of July in a special way. We live in the best country of the world and are blessed with our freedom. School starts soon and vacation time will soon be over, then we can get down to some serious quilting.

This year will be dedicated to finishing UFO's (unfinished projects). We have a Challenge in the making and India’s column gives instructions for it. Quilters, start counting your UFO's and maybe finish some, too. With finished projects out of the way there will be more room for new material and projects. I have started listing my UFO's and what it will take to finish them. I am shocked by the number I have found so far. I'm sure there are many more.

We will not have a Tips article in the newsletter but, if you have tips to share, Show and Tell would be a good time to tell them.

We neglected to include the Cruiser quilts that were donated by our Missouri snowbirds. I am sure they gave comfort to the people receiving them. We do appreciate our Snowbird quilter friends participating in guild projects. Sorry we failed to list Missouri in the Cruiser Quilt article.

We still need someone to assist Beverly with the Quilt Show, someone to assist Marilyn with Hospitality, hostesses for Sit and Stitch (several months). Please sign up now. We need the information for the yearbooks. Edyth is working on them now.

Are you working on a quilt for the Quilt show? If not, there is still time to start and finish a quilt for the show.

Until next month---keep stitching and May God Bless You.
Susie

REPORT FROM INDIA
Mary Molinari presented our program on scrap quilts. She was very informative and had great tips on how to start a stash, how to cut and store and be ready to sew when you have a few minutes. Thanks Mary.

Mary Molinari was a spotlight quilter. She told us about herself before the program. Malinda Hudnall was the other one. She also told the group about herself. The main thing she wanted everyone to know is that she considers herself a True Southern Lady.

Next Year’s Challenge - UFO's (unfinished objects).
Dig out your UFO's. In the September meeting, the number of your UFO's will be registered. In May we will register the number of UFO's finished. At the June meeting we will learn who won. This will be based on the percentage finished. If you have 3 UFO's and finish 3, you will be 100%. This will help with getting more quilts for the quilt show.

Retreat at Blue Springs Baptist Conference Center, Nov 17, 18 and 19, 2006 (9 AM Friday to 1 PM Sunday)

Double room: $102 per person
Regular private room: $152 per person
Private room with phone and TV: $156 per person
Handicapped rooms:
   1 person: $152
   2 or 3 per room: $102 per person
   Married couples: $156 per person
Commuter Saturday: $6 facility fee plus meals; breakfast $5, lunch $6, Dinner $7

Call India with any questions.

August Meetings
Bring the sewing or quilting-related items that you don't want or can’t use any more. Put a price on them and come and set up a table. Make sure you bring change.

Happy Quilting!
India

REPORT FROM JO ELLEN
We had our first "social half-hour" at the July meeting from 6:30 to 7:00 pm. Helen Jeroski, Linda Kelley and Regina Johnson provided the delicious refreshments. About half of the meeting attendees came early to partake. 34 members and 3 guests were in attendance. Susie Pippin gave us an update on a "UFO" challenge. Beverly Pierzchala spoke about the 2007 quilt show. She
needs a boutique chairman and encouraged everyone to help in some capacity. She also showed us the donation block "churn dash/monkey wrench" for this year's show (click here for pattern). Please make as many as you can, since this a pure profit item for the guild. Patterns were provided.

Bonnie Holley gave an update on the Fall Retreat at Blue Springs in Marianna. Retreat dates are November 17, 18 and 19, 2006. Elisa Hunsicker spoke about the nationwide "Code Pink" project with encouragement to join in through Quilting by the Bay. Reida Surber updated us the on the veterans' quilt project. There are about 25 quilts completed or nearly completed. All are encouraged to participate with completed quilts, tops, machine quilting, binding, and/or workshops. Sign up sheets were available for the fall retreat and also for Mary Molinari's scrap quilt class on September 9, 2006. There was an interesting array of quilts for "show and tell" with several more donations to our veterans’ and children's quilt project.

The program for the evening, "Scrap Quilts" was given by Mary Molinari with help from Linda Kelley. Mary touched on fabric collection, easy preparation, storage, and color selection with many great samples and quilts. Mary did an excellent job.

Next month’s meeting is "Flea Market." Bring your sewing or quilt-related "trash" and "treasures" to sell. Don't forget to bring change for your transactions.

The refreshment committee for next month is Pat Watson, Teresa Stonecypher and Diane McKee.

Sit and Stitch will be at Sandy Sturgis' home on August 3 at 7:00 pm.

I wish to thank everyone for their generosity. Your help is what really makes our meetings.

See you next month and keep stitching.
Jo-Ellen Rogers

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THE FOLLOWING E-MAIL WAS RECEIVED FROM KENALYN CROMWELL
Thanks for thinking of me. I'm glad that the quilters have my new address. Sorry that it took several days for me to respond. In mid-June, when I arrived, our "mail" was a bit slow, but it slowed more daily until I gave up on waiting for the connections. Now that we're in a new month, everything is working well. Jori finally figured out that the problem is that our memory was all used. (I guess we only get so much each month). The "Memory Zappers" were Erich and Kyle who were downloading movies to entertain themselves. That has now stopped, so hopefully we're going to stay "better connected".

If I haven't missed the newsletter cutoff, please tell everyone that both Kyle and I and all our stuff arrived well. Daily living is taking some adjustments....everything that needs to be pulled, my Western US mind thinks I should push...operating household appliances, and completing daily chores are a challenge...like when I forgot to look up "sour cream" in French and was bombarded by no less than 50 (not kidding) choices of cremes in the local supermarket. (It turned out that I got the right thing, but since it was for baked potatoes, I figured, any cream/creme/or cheese would work.) So far, the beer, chocolate, and waffles do not disappoint! The Sat. market, only 3 blocks away, is spectacular, too. I bought a dozen red roses for 5 Euro!

Getting all of these things settled is taking most of my time, which is good because our "big" shipment is not due until Aug. 5. I'm hoping to have my quilting shrine up and operational by end of August!

I've seen a few pieces of lovely lace, but haven't made it to Brugge to the Lace Society yet. I'm beginning some photos, so I'll have some things to pick from when I send back my "Views of Fabrics in Belgium" to everyone. I miss you all! Kenalyn

AND A LETTER FROM JANICE ROBERTS

Dear Quilting Friends,

First, let me say that I have missed being with our Sit-N-Stitch gatherings as well as the once a month General Meetings very much. I have missed our Sweet, Sweet Fellowship!

Cancer is not good company. Mine is called "lymphoma." I have four tumors: 1 in my liver, 1 in my spleen and 2 in my abdomen; it is also found in my lymph nodes and my bone marrow, stage 4. I wanted to thank you for the many ways you have reached out to me. You have kept my spirits up – God knows how important that is while I'm locked in this house. I can only go to doctors, but I have accepted that because the chemo takes most of my strength away anyway. Back to you, thank you, Sarah Hough, for the beautiful beaded pillow and the thoughtful pocket out front. I appreciate each and every note tucked inside. It felt good to know that I was being missed, too. Thank you all, also for the many cards, with the special notes, phone calls, visits, gifts, your love and your prayers. All of these have meant so much to me.

God is with me. And I pray that He blesses each one of you.
Love, your friend,
Janice Roberts

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FOR SALE
Cutting table. New $129 retail. Will sell for $50. I’ve never been able to use it.
Quilt Rack - Personally crafted, dark stain. $35
Call Janice Roberts

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QUILT PINK SEW DAY
A "Quilt Pink Sew Day" will be held on Friday evening, August 18 from 6-9 p.m. at Quilting by the Bay. Quilt Pink is a national fundraiser for the Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Research Foundation. Quilters around the world are donating 12 1 /2" pink and white squares to be made in to quilts to be auctioned off in March 2007. For further information on a fun and worthwhile evening, call 850-215-7282.