Blog Moving to a New Location

We have a newly redesigned website which incorporates our blog, so this site will not be continued. All the posts (from 2007-2013) will still be here, but all new posts will be found at www.pinebeltquilters.com.


2014 Raffle Quilt "Confetti Stars" border

Be sure to visit us there!

February Meeting--Underground Railroad

Pine Belt Quilters were treated to a delightful program by members Jean Martin and Minnie Watts at the February meeting. In a tribute to Black History Month, Jean and Minnie were dressed in period costume from the 1800s and described life as a slave and the desire to escape to freedom.


Jean Martin and Minnie Watts

They were assisted by Pastor Tommy Fairley of Collins, who played the harmonica--old favorites like “Swing Low, Sweet Chariot,” “Down By the Riverside,” “I’ll Fly Away,”  and “Amazing Grace.” You’d have thought you were at an old-fashioned camp meeting as the group clapped in rhythm and sang along to the melodies we all remember from our youth.

Pastor Tommy Fairley

Jean related many stories of the Underground Railroad and how people who facilitated escaping slaves were referred to as conductors, safe houses as stations, and the runaways as passengers. One of the most famous conductors was Harriet Tubman (1823-1913). Many people gave food, clothing, and hiding places for the travelers. It was unlawful to teach slaves to read, and many forms of messages and directions were used. Stories have been passed down through generations of the use of quilts in windows and on fences to indicate a code for sending these messages. It is thought that Jacob’s Ladder pointed the way; Wagon Wheel meant it was time to go; Bear’s Paw that there was food nearby; Sailboat that this was a safe passage to freedom. Although there may have been a fear of water, the slaves often walked in creeks and a river’s edge to avoid leaving tracks and scent for tracking dogs.

Jean had made quilts in many of the patterns from these stories. Pictured below are her Wagon Wheel and Sailboat quilts.

Minnie showed a quilt she had made in the style of the Gee’s Bend quilters. These quilters made colorful, graphic quilts in spite of being isolated without seeing what was being made in other areas.

Minnie's Gee's Bend style quilt

Minnie’s husband and Jean’s husband were both in attendance, beaming with pride! The audience expressed their enjoyment and appreciation--When have you attended a quilt guild meeting and witnessed a standing ovation? There is a wealth of information to be found on the Internet (Google Underground Railroad and Gee’s Bend).

The Boutique group showed us the two-handed pot holders they made at their last meeting. These will be sold at the Boutique during the quilt show (October 3-4-5, 2014).

Barb Peters, Liane McCall, Shirley Walley, Kathy Houseal

Visitor Lhay Triffley, director of Osher Lifelong Learning Institute, described OLLI’s many classes, seminars, and day trips of interest to seniors (over 50).

Kelley Ellis, special events manager at the Hattiesburg Zoo for the Convention Center told us some zoo facts (we have 80 species in our zoo!)to encourage members to participate in the Zoo Challenge category at the show (quilts 24” x 24”) from which one will be selected for a $250 purchase award.
Snippets from Missy Lee: Glad Press 'n Seal can be used to laminate your applique patterns so that they can be written on with a Sharpie pen. It can be cut into strips and wrapped around your thread spools to keep thread from tangling. Keep up with small parts by pressing between two sheets.
Packets containing membership directories and calendar of meetings were passed out. We also received raffle tickets for the Confetti Stars quilt. Each member is responsible for at least 20 tickets; this is our largest fund raiser for the show and many members sell dozens of tickets.
Charitable activities: 127 pillows, 15 walker totes, and 11 catheter bag covers  were brought in.

Members with February birthdays furnished door prizes; the fat quarter drawing was red fabrics; Dianne McLendon passed out the first Round Robin Challenge instructions and fabric; Friendship Block patterns were given. In other words, we had an action-packed meeting, with many more to come! Our new website will be up and available soon.

Save the Date--Quilt Show Information

Our website is under reconstruction, so our 2014 updates are running late. However, all quilt show information and forms will be available at the MQA Gathering on the Coast February 7-8. They will be posted on the new website as soon as possible.

In the meanwhile, here is some advance information to help you make plans for the show.

Dates: Friday-Sunday, October 3-5, 2014
Hours: 10-6 Friday and Saturday; 10-4 Sunday
Location: Lake Terrace Convention Center, Intersection of Highway 49 and I-59 in Hattiesburg, Mississippi

ABBREVIATED INFORMATION PAGE

Eligibility: The quilt must have been completed between 2011 and 2014 and never entered in a Hattiesburg show for judging. The show is open to all residents of Mississippi. Current members of Pine Belt Quilters, members of a Mississippi guild who live out-of-state, and those who become members of PBQ by June 1, 2014, are eligible to enter. Maker may enter no more than 2 items per category with a total of 8 entries.
 

Fees: $8.00 (PBQ members); $10.00 (non-members) per entry

Identifying label: Cloth label stitched to back

Sleeve: A 4-inch double sleeve must be attached to the back of the entry for hanging.

Because of height restrictions, the top of the sleeve must be attached no more than 90" from the bottom of the quilt.

Deadlines: All entry forms MUST BE RECEIVED BY TUESDAY, August 5, 2014. (Allow for mailing time.)

Delivery of quilts:
 

1. Hand-delivered quilts must be delivered on Monday, Sept. 29 between 9:00 a.m. and 1:00 p.m.

2. If delivering quilt(s) to an Off-Site Registration location, delivery must be made on Friday, September 26, 2014, between 11:00 a.m. and 1:00 p.m. An additional $5 fee for each entry is required for this service). Quilts will be returned on Tuesday, October 7, 2014.  

3. Mailed entries must be received between Sept. 22-26, mailed to

Ellen Hall, 203 Greenwood Place, Hattiesburg, MS 39402.
A photograph is required with each entry form. The quilt does not have to be completed when photo is made; used for identification purposes only.

Admission:

Adults, $5 per day; Children, $3 (12 years and under). Show entrants will receive a name tag and free admission.

Show Chair: Wanda Wallace
Phone: 601-795-4997 e-mail: ohquail@bellsouth.net
Co-chair: Lida McDowell Phone: 601-299-0646 e-mail: lida.mcdowell@gmail.com

Judge: Lorraine Covington, Clemmons, NC

CATEGORIES

Appliqué Large AL 70" or larger Individual

Appliqué Small AS 69" or less Individual

Art – Original design ART Any size Individual

Friendship FR Any size 3 or more

Machine Embroidery/Stitchery/Whole Cloth/Other ME/S/WC/O Any size Individual/Team

Miniatures – Small scale MN Maximum size 24" Individual

Mixed Large ML 70" or larger Individual

Mixed Small MS 69" or less Individual

Pictorial PIC Any size Individual

Pieced Large PL 70" or larger Individual

Pieced Small PS 69" or less Individual

Team Appliqué TA Any size 2 persons

Team Mixed TM Any size 2 persons

Team Pieced Large TPL 90" or larger 2 persons

Team Pieced Medium TPM 70" - 89" 2 persons

Team Pieced Small TPS 69" or less 2 persons

Theme Large (“The Sampler Quilt”)THML 70" or larger Individual/Team

Theme Small (“The Sampler Quilt”) THMS 69" or less Individual/Team

VisitHattie Challenge (“The Zoo”) VHC 24" x 24" Individual

Wearables W Garment Individual

Youth – Ages 10 and under Y/10 Any size Individual/Team

Youth - Ages 11-15 Y/11-15  Any size Individual/Team

NOTES: Two(2) entries per person per category; maximum of 8 entries per person.

Entry Size Limitations: No smaller than 8" on any side
No larger than 115" on any side

January 2014 Meeting

 We started off the new year with a full house of members and visitors. Many suggestions were listed when we were asked to think about a word for the year, such as "hope," "finish," "patience," "gratitude," "excitement."
Our new president, Susie Jackson, gave outgoing president, Betty Allen, a quilt made by the members and assembled by Donna Crager.

 

We were treated to a beautiful trunk show of quilts by our member Anne Hindmarch and her friend, Bridgette Haas, both of Ocean Springs. Anne is originally from Denmark and Bridgette from East Germany; they married and came to the US in the 1960s.

Bridgette Haas with her batik quilt (above); (below) Bridgette's Log Cabin

 

Anne Hindmarch and her animals with footwear quilt

Anne's talent is not new to us--she was our 2012 Best of Show winner with her miniature Dear Jane blocks quilt.

The officers and their committees have a busy year planned--monthly fat quarter drawings and door prizes (furnished by those with birthdays that month), friendship blocks, a new round robin challenge, and our ongoing pro bono projects, and, of course, our October 3-4-5 quilt show. This month we took in 28 pillows, 4 walker totes and 9 catheter bag covers for donations to hospitals.

L to R: Margie Hancock, Anne Esteve, Linda Flanders, Susie Jackson, Paula Jones

Our raffle quilt was finished and on display; the name chosen is CONFETTI STARS, and tickets will be given at the February meeting. Each member is expected to sell at least 20 tickets as part of his/her membership responsibilities.


Confetti Stars

Visitors Bureau Quilts for January 2014

Sally Henderson's quilts are hung at the Hattiesburg Visitors Center for the month of January. They add a touch of warmth to our freezing temperatures.

Thanks to our members Joe and Betty Bingham for hanging the displays for our guild.

December Luncheon and Gifts

Our December luncheon meeting featured great food, beautiful table decorations, and six agencies in attendance to receive the 152 quilts and tableful of gifts we had ready to give. Connie Hitt entertained us with a quilter's version of "My Favorite Things."

Betty Allen and Connie Hitt

Representatives from the Hattiesburg Fire Department were (right to left) Lt. Stephen Mooney, Ben Thompson, Guy Sanford, Eddie Broome, and Mason Pope. Lt. Mooney said their department worked to decrease home fires by education in schools and working with building code enforcement.

 

Annie Jackson and Sonya Felts from South Mississippi Children Services said they assist abused, neglected, and homeless children and youth ages 9-20. In addition to providing living arrangements, they advocate for the youths in schools and court cases.

Riley Herrin (right) and Mandy Baker (left) received quilts for the Shafer Center, describing that they work with victims of sexual assault and families of homicide and suicide. Riley has been in this job for 15 years. Mandy said volunteers were always needed to assist staff with their hotline and with accompanying victims to doctors' appointments.

Becky Sims (right) and Helen Matthews (left) of DAFS again received our heavily laden tables of gifts for mothers and children. DAFS serves 11 counties with two shelters. They have a staff of 19 and also work a 24-hour crisis line. Becky and Helen both expressed the satisfaction of going to work in these service positions. Becky, director, has been on the job 25 years; Helen, the shelter manager, has 22 years experience. They know their work is life-changing and life-saving, and they appreciate PBQ's help in these efforts.

Leigh Anne Leonard, manager of Forrest General NICU and pediatric unit, and Joan Harper, volunteer at Wesley Medical Center, shared stories of the joy and comfort patients and families had received through the donation of our quilts.

Representing the Veterans Home in Collins was Charles Register. He said their residents loved the colorful quilts, and eagerly looked forward to having one for their bed. Our goal is to provide a quilt for each resident.

Members turned in 70 pillows, nine blankets, three walker totes, and four catheter bag covers. These will be taken to area hospitals (Forrest General, Wesley, Columbia General) to be used on the rehab units, emergency rooms, and pediatric units.

Members who had participated in the Mystery Quilt project this year showed their finished quilts. Dianne McLendon announced plans for a 2014 Round Robin Challenge. More information will come later. 2013 was a very busy and productive year, and appreciation was expressed to our outgoing officers. Betty Allen handed the gavel over to Susie Jackson, who will preside in 2014-2015.

December Quilts at Visitors Center

Anne Hindmarch's quilts have been hung at the Hattiesburg Visitors Center for the month of December. These colorful quilts add to the colorful decorations already in place. Be sure to see these quilts at the

 

Hattiesburg Visitors Center Open House

December 11, 11:00-1:00

 

 

November Meeting

Our November program was presented by Donna Crager on Applique by Machine. Donna was assisted by Betty Allen and Faye Barlow, who showed many examples of machine appliqued quilts. The book Machine Applique: A Sampler of Techniques by Sue Nickels was highly recommended as the best source for instruction.

Betty Allen and Donna Crager (with Betty's cat quilt)



Faye Barlow describes her quilt, held by Donna Crager

We had guests present to receive a patriotic quilt made by Mary Nell Magee and quilted by Wanda Wallace. The quilt was donated to the Wounded Minutemen of Mississippi for raffle on March 17, 2014, in connection with a golf tournament at Pine Creek Golf Club in Purvis. All proceeds from this raffle will be used to meet the needs of area soldiers wounded in Iraq and Afghanistan. We will have raffle tickets at our meetings, or contact Dianne Herrington, dherrington4578@comcast.net.

 

Mark Morales, Johnnie Sellers, Dianne Herrington

Our generous members turned in 105 pillows, 2 receiving blankets, and 12 walker totes at today's meeting. Members were encouraged to finish and bring in any children's quilts to be donated at our December luncheon meeting. We also will donate stocking stuffers for women and children. Representatives from several agencies will be invited to the December meeting to receive these gifts.

Why We Make Pillows

We received a letter from Vickie Istre saying: "My daughter recently had labs drawn at outpatient Forrest General Hospital, and after a rough morning, your pillow being given as prize was a comfort! Thanks for your thoughtfulness!"

Brenna Istre

Brenna chose the purple pillow with moon and stars. Then she thoughtfully picked the pink and white one for her baby sister who is due in March.




November Quilts by Joe and Betty Bingham



Our display at the Hattiesburg Visitors Center was changed for the month of November. Husband and wife team Joe and Betty Bingham hung their works for the public to enjoy. These are displayed around the banister of the second floor. We are told that visitors to the Center are always complimentary of the displays provided by Pine Belt Quilters.


Quilts by Joe Bingham



Quilts by Joe Bingham



Quilts by Betty Bingham

Quilts Displayed at Hattiesburg Visitors Center

We keep a display of quilts at the Hattiesburg Visitors Center for the enjoyment of the staff and visitors who stop in. VISITHATTIE sponsors a challenge at each of our quilt shows, and winners from these challenges are on permanent display along the railing of the second floor above the counter.

Upper row: Martha Ginn, Susan Baskin, Mildred Jenkins
Lower row: Jo-Ann Evans, Jo-Ann Evans, Martha Ginn

Each month a different quilter's quilts are displayed on the other three railings. These pictures were taken from the lobby, where the quilts offer a welcoming view and are high enough to be out of reach. Mary Nell Magee and Doris Dunn organize and hang the quilts monthly.

October quilts by Sally Henderson

October quilts by Sally Henderson

Brookhaven Piecemaker Quilters Present Trunk Show to PBQ

(front) Jan Luter, Betty Zehnder, Juanita Ashley, Jacque Coons, Theresa Wege
(back) Polly Thomasson, Ethel Talley, Loretta Hodge, Sue Thornton, Elizabeth Harris

We were treated to an inspiring trunk show by the Brookhaven Piecemaker Quilters at our October 16 meeting. Ten quilters came and shared their stories of making their beautiful quilts. The bargello quilt hanging was made by Juanita Ashley. Several of the quilts had won ribbons in various shows, and sisters Betty and Juanita admitted to being very competitive with each other.

Sue Thornton, Polly Thomasson, Ethel Talley, Betty Zehnder, Juanita Ashley

We voted to elect the nominating committee's slate of officers for 2014-2015. Appreciation was expressed to the committee for their work.

President - Susie Jackson
Vice President - Paula Jones
Secretary/Membership - Anne Esteve
Secretary/Newsletter - Linda Flanders
Treasurer - Margie Hancock

Special thanks to Linda Flanders and Margie Hancock for contining to serve for second two-year terms! Wanda Wallace will chair the 2014 show. The VisitHattie Challenge theme is THE HATTIESBURG ZOO. All other entry information will be posted on our website soon. (An announcement will appear on this blog when that information is available.)

Dues ($20) are being accepted for the upcoming year; it is important to pay early or on time to be listed in the published membership list in January.
Reports were given on workshops and other guild activities, and several people took home kits (top, backing, batting) to complete before our December quilts giveaway.

We received 123 pillows, 17 walker totes, 17 catheter bag covers, and 9 small blankets at the October meeting. Betty Allen read a touching thank-you note from a nurse/mother about how these gifts calm and comfort children, making us even more aware of why we do these activities!

Blueberry Dance Quilt Winner

The proud winner of "Blueberry Dance" was 10-year-old Brennin Carlisle of Poplarville. He purchased his ticket at the Blueberry Jubilee in June. He is very excited to be the winner.
The quilt was embroidered and assembled by Betty Moore and quilted by Wanda Wallace.

Brennin Carlisle

 

Wanda Wallace and Betty Moore



September

Our September meeting featured a program by Betty Moore, “Quilting with Your Embroidery Machine.” She described block embroidery, adding quilting by the block, and joining with French seams, which produces a finished quilt when the blocks are made. She sometimes uses two and three threads through one needle to add thickness and color. Betty will conduct a hands-on workshop next week on her techniques.

 

 She said these quilting techniques work well on pieced quilts as well as embroidered ones.

The nominating committee presented the following slate of officers for the 2014-2015 term; election will take place in October. Appreciation is expressed to the nominating committee (Anne Esteve, Donna Burges, Margie Hancock) for selecting these people, as well as to the nominees for their willingness to take on these important functions for the good of our guild. We especially appreciate Linda Flanders and Margie Hancock for continuing their commitments for a second term. Nominees are:

Susie Jackson- President

Paula Jones - Vice President

Linda Flanders - Secretary/Newsletter

Anne Esteve - Secretary/Membership

Margie Hancock - Treasurer

We took in a whopping 210 pillows, 2 blankets, 15 walker totes, and 12 catheter bag covers.  Thanks especially to Beth McDaniel and Doris Dunn for their 85 and 36 pillows! We had several children's quilts turned in and several kits taken home to complete or quilt. We stay busy all year on our pro bono efforts--not just at Christmas!

Congratulations to our PBQ members who won awards at the Jackson Area Quilt Celebration last month: Susie Jackson - Best Machine Quilting, and Ollie Jean Lane - Lorene Paris Hand Applique; 3rd to Joe Bingham; and Honorable Mentions to Ollie Jean Lane, Martha Ginn, Doris Dunn, and Sylvia Blissett. Susie Jackson's granddaughter, Abigail Fagan, won 1st place in Youth.

Drawing was held for the Blueberry Dance raffle quilt, which raised money for quilt batting and borders for Children’s Quilt activities. The quilt was embroidered and assembled by Betty Moore and quilted by Wanda Wallace. The winner was Brennin Carlisle, a 10-year-old from Poplarville. (Picture later)

August meeting

This meeting report is a month old--sorry. Our August meeting was a giant sit and sew, with a variety of activities going on, from hand stitching bindings, learning to turn tubes, learning to make ruched flowers, sewing walker totes, knitting, and, of course, lots of visiting and talking.
Our busy quilters did not neglect our charitable activities, though. There were 34 children's quilts brought in; 63 pillows, 15 walker totes, and 23 catheter bag covers.

PBQ Members in 2013 Hoffman Challenge

Two of our Pine Belt Quilters members have quilts accepted to travel in the Hoffman Challenge. Jo-Ann Evans' quilt "Kokeshi Dolls" is approximately 28'" x 35". It will be traveling with Group D.

 

Kokeshi Dolls by Jo-Ann Evans
28" x 35"

Joe Bingham has two quilts which will be in the traveling exhibits: "Sanctuary" and “Corner of Judge’s Background Window.” Both of these quilts are 20" x 24".


Sanctuary by Joe Bingham
20" x 24"



Corner of Judge's Background Window by Joe Bingham
20" x 24"

 

MQA Educational Seminar with Nancy Mahoney

We hosted the third session of the MQA Educational Seminar with Nancy Mahoney at UBC in Hattiesburg. We had 15 participants on Friday and 18 on Saturday.

Nancy Mahoney with her quilts Summer Heat and Chocolate Caramel Stars

Nancy has written 14 books and is an author/editor for Martingale. She will be teaching on a 10-day cruise to Alaska on the Grand Princess in August. (See Nancy's website for details.)


Day 1 Class

 

Day 2 Class

 

 

Each student had her own table to work on, and we were spread out all over Kelley Fellowship Hall. It is like moving to pack up the machines, mats, rotary cutters, fabric, and all the other sewing equipment needed to take one of these classes. But we are lucky that MQA hosts these annual educational seminars with nationally known teachers.