Forrest General Honors Volunteers

Forrest General Hospital honored its volunteers at a luncheon at Southern Oaks and Gardens on April 19. Several PBQ members attended to help celebrate the spirit of volunteerism and hear how important this activity is to the patients as well as staff. 

Millie Swan, Ruth Byrd, Joan Stevens

 Ruth Byrd was honored with a 20-year pin; Betty Allen received a 2-year pin, and Carolyn Daley (an 11-year volunteer) was recognized as the Heart of Hospice Award winner in Mississippi for 2011. Another PBQ member (and Ruth Byrd's sister), Louise Cubley, had previously received her 40-year pin.  

Jane Kingsafer with her mother, Ruth Byrd

Betty Allen

Guest speaker Kym Garraway-Braley described how important volunteers are and how the volunteer is rewarded by an outpouring of love and appreciation. She said she often receives a greater blessing than the object of the efforts. We watched as she completed a painting of Jesus holding a little lamb, which was later used as a door prize. The table floral centerpieces and many gift baskets were given as door prizes. Kym's demonstrated her generosity by placing packets of her note cards as gifts on all the tables.

Kym Garraway-Braley

Ruth Byrd, Sandra Davis, Josette Bonfanti, Carolyn Daley

 PBQ enjoys working all year making children's quilts, pillows, and walker totes; in addition, many members work individually by donating their time and talents in the hospital, offices, or the hospice program.

Ollie Jean Lane Trunk Show

Ollie Jean with Whig Rose

Ollie Jean Lane, quilter extraordinaire, and a faithful Pine Belt Quilter member, shared her quilt story at our April meeting. She began quilting seriously in 1986 after retiring from the Mississippi Extension Service. She related that she made a conscious decision that quilting would be her hobby and main activity and began to organize her schedule by making quilting a priority. She had many responsibilities caring for family members but planned her time so that she could use all waiting and sitting times to full advantage to further her quilting passion. 

Ollie Jean with "Simply Delicious" (Piece 'O Cake Design)

 Her first entry in a quilt show was in the 1987 PBQ show at Jackie Dole Sherrill Community Center and was rewarded with a Viewers' Choice ribbon. She said her quilts never looked as good anywhere as they did displayed at our shows, and she became a regular entrant (and ribbon winner) even though she lived in Yazoo City. She served as president of Mississippi Quilt Association in 1993-1994. Since she relocated to Hattiesburg in 2001, she has been an active participant in our guild activities.

Ollie Jean Lane and Susie Jackson

 Although her quilts are "show quality,"  she and her family use them constantly on their beds, couches, and as art for the walls. She decorates for holidays and changes them out regularly. She brought about 50 pieces to show, and her daughter, Bettie Norwood, who was present for her program, said that each time she sees the quilts she decides on a different "favorite."

Seeing Ollie Jean's work was an inspiration to all, and she encouraged us to give our passion a higher priority and let our other responsibilities fit around our quilting, rather than making quilting wait for that elusive "free time." She described how she keeps about four projects going at all times so that she has a (1) carry-around hand project, (2) a sewing machine project at home, (3) a quilt on the frame, and (4) idea/plan/materials for the next quilt. She not only uses her time wisely in making beautiful quilts, she is cultivating deep friendships that she and many others treasure.

Ann Fox Presents Color Program

Ann Fox, from Brandon, presented a program entitled Coloring Our Quilts to Pine Belt Quilters in Hattiesburg at the March guild meeting. Ann taught x-ray technology at University Medical Center for 37 years. After retiring she visited a quilt guild and became intrigued with all aspects of color. She contrasted her years of studying shades of black, white, and gray to the spectrum of color we see in everyday life all about us. She set about to learn all she could from the color wheel and books and classes.

Ann holds two examples of the Shoo Fly block and explains what a difference can be achieved by manipulating values.

An example of neutrals with only red strips for accent.

The importance of value contrast was stressed in this essentially two-color quilt.

Ann will conduct a Color workshop for the guild on Wednesday, March 28.

2012 Will Be a Busy Year

Pine Belt Quilters got off to a busy start for 2012. New officers began their two-year terms: Betty Allen, president; Donna Crager, vice president; Linda Flanders, Secretary/Newsletter Editor; Margie Hancock, treasurer.

Betty Allen, Donna Crager, Linda Flanders, Margie Hancock

Of course, since 2012 is our quilt show year, many of our activities will center around those preparations, but we have a busy schedule of programs, workshops, boutique workshops, and our ongoing children's quilts and pillow and walker tote projects.

Wanda Wallace, Membership

Our new officers are pictured in front of our raffle quilt, "Life On Our Planet," which depicts embroidered blocks of living things set with pinwheels and flying geese of batiks. Blocks for the queen-size quilt were made by our members, assembled by Jo-Ann Evans, and quilted by Susie Jackson.
Our January and February programs were presented by Donna Burges, Rhoda Libiez, and Kim Overstreet on Sampler Quilts. They will present a variety of block patterns throughout the year and conduct workshops to help members make the blocks.

Rhoda Libiez, Donna Burges, Kim Overstreet

Show and Tell of some completed blocks

Our meetings are held in the Fellowship Hall of University Baptist Church, and sometimes the setup of the room is designed for other events. In these pictures, UBC was preparing for the 20th anniversary of the Backdoor Coffee House. So our quilt program had a little added interest in the background!

First Look at 2012 Donation Quilt

Jo-Ann Evans headed up the committee to create our donation quilt. She adapted the design idea from a Stained Glass Flower Garden quilt by Brenda Henning of Bear Paw Productions, and Brenda gave permission to use this as a starting point. Many of our members make beautiful designs on their embroidery machines, and Jo-Ann requested embroidered blocks of any size depicting "life on our planet," the stated theme of our 2012 show. Other members took home kits of batiks and made pinwheel, star, and flying geese blocks. When all the embroidered and pieced blocks were turned in, Jo-Ann assembled them to create this 84" x 84" quilt.  It will be longarm machine quilted by our member Susie Jackson.
The guild voted to name the quilt "Life On Our Planet," duplicating the show theme.

Getting ready for 2012

It was a good year for quilting; looking back on 2011, we donated a total of 269 children's quilts, 41 stockings, 87 fleece blankets (for Honduras mission trip). Outgoing officers Shirley Wiltshire, Frances Good, Linda Lowe, and Sharon Barnes led us through interesting programs, workshops, and activities.

We surprised Shirley with a quilt (after letting her open a large box and finding it full of fabric scraps). She loves to collect scraps so much that she was actually pleased with her "first gift."

New officers for the two-year term of 2012-2013 have been elected. They are:

Betty Allen, president; Donna Crager, vice president; 

Linda Lowe, secretary; Margie Hancock, treasurer

December Quilts and Stocking Gifts

At our December 21 meeting (and delicious lunch buffet), we were pleased to have guests to receive our gifts. We placed 113 quilts with seven agencies. We also gave 41 stockings and a table covered with children's and mothers' gifts to Domestic Abuse Family Shelter. Quilts were also delivered to Wesley Medical Center.

Marilyn Howell and Becky Sims are always happy to have stockings and gifts to use for the shelters in Hattiesburg and Laurel.

Tangela Boutwell (Forrest General Hospital)

Below: Natisha Polk (South Mississippi Children's Center), Kim Newell (Shafer Center for Crisis Intervention), Sarah Hoda (Judge Mike McPhail's Family Court), Courtney Gates (Forrest County Department of Human Services), Becky Sims and Marilyn Howell (DAFS)

Quilts made by Betty and Joe Bingham and a receiving blanket made by Paula Jones were delivered to the Center for Pregnancy Choices in Laurel at their open house and ribbon cutting in December.