Purpose: “The purpose of the Bluebonnet Area Quilt Guild is to renew, re-create, and restore the art of quilting and related stitchery.”
General Activities:
- Cuddle quilts – Members are encouraged to donate 2 cuddle quilts and/or lap quilts for those in need in Austin County. Various county agencies help distribute the quilts to appropriate recipients.
- Block of the Month – If there is sufficient interest among members, a different block pattern will be distributed each month. Those who choose to participate show their constructed blocks at a subsequent meeting
- Quilts of Valor – Members may choose to make and donate lap quilts that are given to military personnel who have been injured in the line of duty.
- Show and Tell – During each meeting, members are invited to display their completed quilts, wall hangings, wearables, or other related items and tell about them.
- Work Days – As needed, member workdays may be designated for working on Quilts of Valor, the Opportunity quilt, or other special projects. Participants share ideas, help others, and enjoy great fellowship.
- Scrappy Bees and Library Ladies – These sewing groups meet monthly. The time and place are published in the newsletter and on the website, and are announced at Guild meetings.
- Opportunity Quilt – Each year a committee of members constructs and completes an Opportunity Quilt for which members sell tickets, giving purchasers the opportunity to win the quilt. Profit from ticket sales is used to pay for educational opportunities for our members, such as speakers for our meetings and one annual retreat.
- Retreats – A retreat held in February is free of charge to Guild members. Interested non-members are welcome but must pay a fee to attend. A speaker may be hired to teach a special technique or pattern. Additional retreats at members’ expense may be scheduled for other times of the year. These are excellent ways to learn new techniques while enjoying fun and fellowship.
- Hostesses – For each meeting, several members volunteer to either furnish light refreshments, usually cookies and beverages, or to set-up our meeting room. Hostesses are also responsible for cleaning up after the meeting.
- Community Activities – These vary and are voted on at meetings.
Where Our Money Goes:
- Donations to the facility where our meetings are held
- Purchasing fabric fat quarters for birthdays and door prizes
- Hiring speakers to offer us instructions, advice and new techniques to improve our quilting
- Paying for a speaker and site fees for a one retreat for our members
- Purchasing fabric, printing tickets, and related expenses for our annual Raffle Quilt, our main fund-raising project
- Entering the Raffle Quilt at the Austin County Fair
- Annual donation to the High Point winner at the Austin County Fair
- Renting a storage facility for Guild equipment and supplies.
- Purchasing books for the Library in memory of deceased members
- Annual donations to local volunteer fire departments
- Paying for printing and postage to provide monthly newsletters to members who do not receive them via e-mail
- Purchasing photography supplies necessary for recording our activities