Wiltwyck Quilters Guild
Established 1977

May 2006 Annual Report

2005 through 2006 was another busy year for the guild, and I hope that you enjoyed it as much as I did. Thanks to Pat Clark and the program committee for arranging such diverse and interesting speakers, teachers, and programs throughout the year.

We opened in September with a bus trip to the Pennsylvania National Quilt Extravaganza. Bethany Reynolds, originator of the Stack-n-Whack design, lectured and taught two workshops on symmetrical butterflies and dancing, kaleidoscopic leaves. In October, award-winning art quilter Elizabeth Rosenberg lectured on “My Love Affair with the Flowing Line” and gave a fun class on the secrets of couching. In November, our talented members gave the first of two sessions of the ever-popular in-house workshops....with a second set of workshops in February 2006. We ended 2005 with our annual holiday party and lots of good cheer and good food, as well as a collection of canned and dry goods for area food banks. January was quilt-basting and sewing for community service, as well as an unofficial guild workshop on bobbin embroidery by Elizabeth Rosenberg. In March, we held our first Society Tea in conjunction with National Quilting Day, complete with hats, fancy sandwiches, an elaborate teapot cake, and lots of information about quilting societies and study groups. In April, Dawn Markle and Susan Holland orchestrated our famous auction of quilt-related items. And, we’re finishing the year with elections, membership awards, and the “Doctor Is In,” help from experienced members on quilting problems. We’re also voting on the challenge blocks for the quilt show. This year’s theme is reflections. And, don’t forget the bus trip on June 10th to the Quilters Holiday 2006 show.

Thanks also to co-chairs Angee Opdyke and Jackie Brooks and their committees, who are working hard on the 2006 quilt show, “A Rainbow of Quilts,” to be held October 14 and 15, 2006, back at Ulster County Community College in Stone Ridge. And don’t forget that beautiful raffle quilt coordinated by Debbie Martin and machine-quilted by our own Mary Metty, and those theme baskets being created by 12 resourceful teams. Let’s make this our best show ever!

Members also participated in other events, such as the Dutchess County Fair, the Gill Street Festival in Summer 2005, the Great Catskill Mountain Quilt Show and Hall of Fame picnic, and numerous Hurricane Katrina Relief projects (including Comfort America and Pastors for Peace) --- just to mention a few. These events help promote quilting and publicize the work of our guild. Community service quilters met monthly, and the January meeting was devoted to sewing blocks for community service quilts. Each member is donating at least one quilt or wheelchair or walker pockets to local shelters and nursing homes. We also donated $1300, half the profit from the 2004 raffle quilt, to local charities and UCCC for a scholarship.

In addition to special events and guest speakers, we continued with our monthly “fun” activities: raffle block, fat quarter raffle, charm squares, the raffle table, and don’t forget Show ‘n’ Tell. We ended the year with 155 members. It’s been a pleasure working with you during the past year. Quilters are indeed some of the nicest and most creative people I know!

Respectfully,
Shirley K. Swenson
President, Wiltwyck Quilters Guild