Sierra Mountain Quilters Association
Preteen Mentoring Program held at the Oakhurst Library
A message from our President, Sue Johnson
The holiday season is upon us. Let good cheer soften our rough edges and open our hearts to the beauty that surrounds us. We are blessed by living among nature and I know we all appreciate it. I hope the spirit of the season will continue into the new year so we can embrace all that we have. I for one am thankful that I’m involved with this guild and have met and become friends with so many that I otherwise might not have had the opportunity to meet. So, enjoy your family and friends throughout the season as we look forward to a great 2025.
Sue Johnson
Message from Co-1st VP Sally Walker
We had the pleasure of hosting Claire Marks for our first official daytime meeting, and what an inspiring experience it was! Claire shared her unique perspective as a competitive quilter. For her, it’s all about the thrill of competition, and her winning quilts reflect that dedication. Interestingly, because her quilts are crafted solely for shows, she never washes them. When it comes to bed quilts, she simply heads to Walmart! Her stunning work left us all in awe, so if you missed her presentation, be sure to check out the photos on our Facebook page and the December Newsletter.
For me, quilting has always been about creating thoughtful, (and hopefully) cherished gifts – the kind you want to wrap up in. I love the cozy, crinkled look of a quilt fresh from the dryer. Competition quilting? That’s a whole different ball game! So, what type of quilter are you? Do you have stories behind your quilts or a special technique to share?
As we look toward next year, our guild is taking a closer look at the budget, finding ways to cut down on expenses. We’ve already cancelled one speaker scheduled for 2025, and we’re exploring more cost-saving options. If you’d like to share your quilting journey with a Trunk Show or even lead a workshop, we’d love to hear from you! Joan, who will be our 1st VP in 2025, is looking for fresh ideas. Let’s keep our guild thriving and inspiring each other – we’re stronger together.
Sally
SMQA 2023 Year End Video
Our successful
Veterans Appreciation Program
November 2, 2023
Double click on images below to scroll through and read descriptions
Sew Powerful Purse Project
Linking seamstresses from around the world to combat extreme poverty by providing re-usable feminine hygiene supplies and health training to girls in Zambia. This enables them to attend school all month and improve their academic performance.
The members of Sierra Mountain Quilters enthusiastically took on the challenge of making 100 purses this year for the Sew Powerful Purse Project! We sent 42 purses back with Torey Elwell when she was with us this summer, and collected 69 more bringing our total to 111 purses! The details on some of these purses are amazing: from fancy ribbons, to decolourant, buttons, lovely quilting, stitched on words of encouragement; you name it, our guild members thought of it! Thank you guild members for your participation, you are making a life changing difference for young girls in Africa.