"Find Your True South" Challenge

The Challenge theme for our October 5-6-7, 2012, show is "Find Your True South," which is the new Mississippi brand initiative recently announced by the Mississippi Development Authority Tourism Division. VisitHattiesburg, our local visitors bureau, has again generously sponsored a challenge purchase award for a 24" x 24" wall quilt featuring the theme "Find Your True South."  VisitHattiesburg sponsored the "Miss Hattie" challenge at the 2008 show and the "Hattiesburg Train Depot" and "USM" challenges at the 2010 show.

“‘Find Your True South’ is more than a catchy phrase or slogan. It truly encompasses the essence of Mississippi and how the world views us,” said Mary Beth Wilkerson, MDA Tourism director. “The new brand is result of nearly a year of careful, methodical research and planning that included Mississippi residents and stakeholders, consumers including visitors and tourism professionals, and our competitors. Ultimately, Mississippi was identified as THE most Southern state.”

"The 'Find Your True South' brand invites visitors to experience and discover their own Mississippi. Mississippi is an authentic place offering a rich tourist experience. The state’s history, heritage and outdoor opportunities are second to none. Mississippi is the birthplace of America’s music and the heart of Southern literature; Southern culinary experiences point right to the Mississippi table. Mississippi is synonymous with Southern culture, and we rise to the top for gaming with a Southern flair."  (quoting) State of Mississippi Announces New Tourism Branding Initiative,  www.visitmississippi.org

Flying Geese Program

Our October program featured a variety of ways to make flying geese. Mary Nell Magee told us about the interesting history of this pattern and how it was a depiction of flocks of geese migrating. She said most pioneer settlers traveling west brought a quilt with them using this design.

This popular pattern was made with a cardboard or plastic triangular template for many years; now there are rulers and tools that can make the task of cutting and piecing the units  much more accurate as well as faster. She showed rulers by Marti Michell, Fons and Porter, Eleanor Burns, Lazy Girl Designs, and products for foundation piecing called Flying Geese on a Roll.

Shirley Wiltshire demonstrated other ways to make the flying geese units, with the help of  posters prepared by Elvia Edwards.

In addition to using flying geese in straight lines (for example, in a border or as the main feature of a strippy quilt), flying geese can be made in curving lines or circles.

Martha Ginn showed how to draw flying geese pathways by using a Flexible Curve (a rubber strip with a lead center to cause it to hold its shape). This tool can be shaped as desired and traced onto a foundation, adding divisions and a "target" for the points of the geese. This target can be a center line or it can flow from nearer one side to the other, as shown in the design on the left.

Polly Duggan used a circle of flying geese as the finish to her 2005 Challenge Piece at Quilters By Heart's Desire.

Polly Duggan's "Genesis 1:16 . . . The Greater Light"

Fleece Blankets for Honduras

87 fleece blankets ready to ship

We meet at University Baptist Church in Hattiesburg, MS. Every year a group from the church sends a team to Honduras with the Baptist Medical and Dental Mission International. We were asked to send some blankets or quilts to be given to the families after the workers reported from last year: The people came into the clinic, and the mothers would say, "Baby cold."

We decided we could furnish more by sending 2-yard serged fleece blankets, and our members have generously donated 87 for the mission team to give. The team has to ship supplies and equipment in October to have them there for use in January. In previous years we have helped with fleece and by sharing fabric which was used to teach the children the story of Joseph and his coat of many colors.