I always enjoy the picnic in the park and hope your are looking forward to it too. We always have good food and wonderful treasures to buy.

After seeing all the wonderful quilts at the nite owls meeting I know we are going to have another outstanding Quilt Show. It reminded me that I better get busy and do some personal quilting so I will have something to show. If you are in the same boat remember that it is only 10 months until May. And besides quilting, we have to get the challenges done as well as all the other preparations. Where does the time go.

See you at the park, Margaret

  It's time again for the Calico Quilters Annual Picnic. As always it is a potluck dinner for guild members. This year the picnic will be at Issak Walton Park out on west Line Street, past Manor Market. It starts at 6:00pm. Be sure to bring a chair, eating utencils and Show & Tell. Leave at home your Block of the Months, Pizza boxes and round robins. You can also participate in the Christmas Brown Bag Exchange and the Quilters Garage Sale. Hope to see you all there with lots of yummy things to eat.

Christmas Brown Bag Exchange: If you would like to make a gift and also receive a wonderful handmade gift at the Christmas Party, bring in any bag, at least four yards of assorted fabric and your name written on a piece of paper. Be sure you like your fabric choice since whoever chooses your bag will be making something for you using your fabric. To help be sure that nobody knows who has choosen whos bag, Debi will have paper grocery bags at the picnic for all to put their fabric and name in before the exchange.

Quilters Garage Sale: OK Ladies, it is right around the corner, have you been gathering up those things that you no longer want, but someone else can't live without?? Our basic guidelines are as follows:

• The monies raised through this yard sale will be to help with the postage costs for sending off our Quilts for Soldiers.
• You are welcome to either drop off your items at my home, give me a call and I can drive over and pick them up or bring them to the picnic.
• If you have a larger item that you want to sell and keep the profit, you will be responsible for the transaction.
• If you have a specific price in mind for any of your items, please free feel to price them yourself, if not the pricing will be done for you.
• The question of whether it should only be quilt related came up at the night meeting, and I think that if it is in good condition and it has to do with any craft other that quilting, we can put it out on the table.
• If any large item is donated, we will have a silent auction.
• Items that do not sell, will be taken to the thrift store unless you let me know ahead of time and I will gladly return your items to you.

So get into your stashes and books and magazines and notions, and anything else that you have been meaning to clean out in your sewing rooms, and contribute it to this great project. Remember you might think that no one would want that fat quarter you have held onto forever, but it just might be that very color some one has been searching for....... So if you have any questions, please do not hesitate to call....Margi Duffy

Quilts for Comforting Our Soldiers
Let Them Know We Think of Them

I received one soldier baby quilt this month...THANK YOU!!! Our number keeps steadily growing for this most worthy project. Please do not forget why we make these quilts and how important they are to those who receive them. I suppose it is the 4th of July that makes it so real, we have much to be thankful for. But you know, we should live in that reality each day, because our soldiers fight for those freedoms and rights each day.

Other than making quilts for our soldiers, and quilts for their babies, here are three other activities you can help out in to continue this cause, I am always on the lookout for something else to add to this because I do not want to burn anyone out in making large projects all the time.

A. Mystery Quilt Project for Soldier Quilts on Yahoo. I have recognized a couple of names on the web site for this mystery project. Have you been having fun...... I have enjoyed it....I can't wait to see the final quilt. If you are still interested the site is QOV-subscribe@yahoogroups.com. If you are unable to access it or do not have Internet service, and want to participate please let me know and I will make sure you receive each clue and information.

B. Red, White and Blue blocks. I will be collecting 12-1/2" blocks and then putting them together in quilts for our soldiers. This is a smaller way of getting involved, if you don't have the time to make a larger quilt, then make blocks. They can be appliqued, pieced, paper pieced, any technique of your choice. The only requirements is that they are 12-1/2" and red, white and blue. I presented this idea the Daylillies on Tuesday and by Nite Owls on Thursday, Margie handed over a whole bunch of 9-patches. She said she had made them years ago and they are perfect for this. THANK YOU. We also have a couple of ladies who have volunteered to quilt the finished tops.

C. Drawstring Pillowcase. I was on the Yahoo site this morning for the mystery quilt and found that many of the woman, are making drawstring pillowcases to put the soldier's quilts in when they are sent out. One guild asked if pillowcases had to be made since they were making so many quilts...this was the answer given (it speaks for itself)

"It isn't *necessary* but it surely makes the presentation nicer than handing the quilt in a white plastic bag to an injured soldier. It was mentioned the other day that the soldiers on crutches need bags for carrying their "stuff".I will try to post a picture and instructions later today of what I've been making for bags. They have a draw string and the strings can be removed and then they have a regular pillow case or they can keep the strings in and they have a "tote bag" of sorts for hanging on their crutches."

Not only was I touched by the reply but I also thought that perhaps this is something we could do, then I thought that perhaps some of you would just like to work on drawstring pillowcases (perhaps we could have a workshop). I do not think that the cases necessarily have to be the same fabrics as the quilts...so that means we can work on them separately. And when I get quilts and cases I can put them together. Below are instructions for the drawstring pillowcase, a picture and a pillowcase instructions in general. Nothing fancy but I typed up the way I make the cases: http://www.sunshinequilts.com/Drawstring.pdf http://www.hoffmanfabrics.com/pillowcase/pillowcase.html

Thank you so much for considering these activities, remember if you have any questions, please call me. Margi Duffy

To Margie for the Bunny Quilt and friends.

• The Nite Owls voted to have thier meeting time changed to 6:00pm. Also, they will now be meeting at the Highlands Community Center.
• Margi Duffy will be giving the Rotory Group a talk about the Soldier Quilts on July 14.
• The group Chirstmas Party will be December 1 at the Highlands Community Center.

I just finished quilting the raffle quilt this week and it is beautiful. Several members have volunteered to complete the sleeve and the binding. You all will get to see the quilt at the next meeting. I will be getting the ticket information to the printer soon too. We will be looking to places and events to display the quilt and sell tickets, so if anyone has an idea let me know. The next event we know of is the Tri-County Fair. Something to consider is taking our quilt on the road to other quilt guild shows.

Thanks, Jan

On a Personal Note I just wanted to say that I have been having such a blast with the round robins, the pizza boxes and the Around the Block projects. I am not participating in all of them but I so enjoy looking at each new block that is made. There is a unbelievable amount of talent in our guild. The blocks and the like are quite creative and beautiful. And I wanted to say a huge THANK YOU to Debi for keeping everything organized and wading through it every month, I would have already thrown up my arms in frustration. Great job in organizing and wonderful participation you guys. Margi Duffy

No classes scheduled for July. Take a break! If anyone would like to teach a class, talk to Debi Earls.

August 3 ~ Sharon Thompson
September 7 ~ Meeting place pending
October 5 ~ Meeting place pending
November 2 ~ Meeting place pending
December 2 ~ Christmas Lunch