Background

Another facet of MCQA is quilting education.  In addition to the programs at monthly meetings, MCQA holds two or more mini-workshops each year where members practice or learn a new technique or take a class from an instructor. 
In the years between the bi-annual quilt show, the guild offers a weekend workshop/retreat where an instructor is brought in to lecture and teach.  Class fees are at reduced rates for guild members.  Class sizes may be limited so register early. 
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Fall Schoolhouse 2011
Fall Schoolhouse 2011 was a tremendous success.  25 people took part in five different classes and enjoyed a wonderful lunch served by the ladies of the church.  Thanks to our newsletter editor Jeanne for this great story about her experience that day.  Also special thanks to everyone that helped in planning and teaching at this great annual event.  Welcome to our new members that participated in Schoolhouse and then joined MCQA!

Notes From A Grateful Schoolhouse Participant
Schoolhouse is one of my favorite MCQA events…. A day when I can stretch my boundaries with something new, improve my skills under the guidance of very talented and patient teachers, and soak up the atmosphere of being with others who love to ‘mess around with cloth.’ At our Schoolhouse, I have often been empowered by learning how masters have created beautiful pieces I have only been able to “admire from afar” thinking I could never do that.  And I have felt welcomed in taking baby steps in a new technique, not really knowing where I am going. 
Just playing. This year we had sunshine and warm breezes streaming into our classrooms-for-a-day.  St. Louis the King Church was a wonderful facility a-buzz with the many activities available to us, and it was easy to feel comfortable and ready to learn, play, share, and laugh. Chris-and-Chris helped a roomful of us with new ways to get the most out of our sewing machines.  “Seeing and doing is better than reading the book.”  That was a said by everybody in the room at one time or another that morning.  We all left feeling ONE with our MACHINE!  Master, not slave, to its capabilities!  Watch out for us – we are a force!  Thank you Chris Wiik and  Chris Swenor.  And the mysteries of Shiva paintsticks were unveiled by Judy Parlato with a great introduction to making truly unique whole-cloth quilts.  Starting with choosing or making stencils, with plastic or freezer paper, by tracing an image or drawing your own, we were guided through the steps of applying and eventually fixing color on cloth.  I no longer feel I am limited in making a quilt by the fabrics in the store or my stash – I can make what I want, limited only by my imagination.  I learned some pitfalls to avoid, and some ways to make my 2-D static image have depth and movement and life.  I surprised myself – maybe there is a little, tiny artist in me?   And, for those who were not able to be there, you should know the ladies of St. L. the K. know how to put on a lunch!  It was a fabulous mid-day feast.  The only problem was it meant my DH was on his own to find supper that day.  I had eaten like a queen.  All that, and I was home to tuck in the chickens that night.  Blessings abound.  Thank you, Marcia, your work is appreciated, and our other Programming V.P.s Alice  and Linda.  Our guild is gifted with so much talent, with those who share it in teaching and in planning, organizing, hosting.  Jeanne B.
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Spring Retreat 2011
Red Riders' Retreat Plus 1
Submitted by Ragene Henry 
We thought of calling it the Red Riders’ Retreat when we looked out into the parking lot and discovered that all our cars were red.  But then Martha arrived late – in a silver vehicle!  Ten MCQA members had a lovely time during the weekend of March 25-27 at the Fortune Lake Camp near Crystal Falls.  We began after dinner on Friday with a game of exchanging strips of fabric sort of like a white elephant exchange.  Some of the ladies spread the strips across their laps, chests, or bellies.  It began to seem like a strange kind of “strip poker”.  This was followed by a project using the strips to make cute wrist pincushions.  Saturday saw us sewing and visiting and snacking, laughing and even singing silly songs remembered from our own camping days.  Many of us worked on projects from Edyta Sitar’s books and patterns.  Cindy generously shared things she had learned from Edyta at a workshop she took at Michigan Showcase last year.  During a break Ragene shared spine strengthening exercises, especially beneficial for osteoporosis, that she learned at the Mayo Clinic.  Jane brought rolls for the player piano and she entertained us in the evening with honky-tonk music.  Some of us tried, but we could not keep up with Jane!  After brunch on Sunday we again sewed for a few hours before breaking up camp and heading for home.  Some of the ladies finished several projects during the weekend.  All of us had a good time. Check out the pictures from the retreat by clicking here. 
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2011 National Quilt Day
2012 National Quilt Day:  Saturday, March 17th
Quilters worldwide will be celebrating their love of quilting on National Quilt Day Saturday, March 19, 2011.  Once again MCQA members joined together from 10:00am to 3:00pm to celebrate at the Marquette's Westwood Mall.  We met at the former Merle Norman store just outside JC Penneys and members worked on their own projects, charity projects or made a block for the 2012 Raffle Quilt. This is a wonderful opportunity to share our love of quilting as well as provide information on MCQA and what our mission is.  We hope to move our display to a more prominent space in the mall next year. Pictures from 2010 National Quilt Day may be seen by clicking here. 
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PBS Quilting Programs
PBS Channel 13 from Marquette no longer offers the "Quilting Arts" program on Saturday mornings.  Check your local listings for what other quilting programs are available in your area.  We need to support our local PBS stations and encourage them to show more quilting shows such as the following wonderful series called "Stitched" scheduled to begin in April 2011.  Please consider if MCQA should help underwrite a quilting program in the future as part of our community outreach.  Take a minute to call or write your favorite station and encourage them to provide quilting programming. In Marquette please contact Bruce Turner at WNMU-TV 13 and express your support for quilting programs.  bturner@nmu.edu  
http://wnmutv.nmu.edu/ 
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Teaching Kids to Quilt 

2012 Sawyer Elementary School
Judy Parlato and Ragene Henry are once again doing a community outreach program.  This year they have selected the 4th grade class at Sawyer Elementary School.  The theme this year is "Heroes" and the finished quilts and essays will be displayed at our quilt show in November.   

2011 Marquette Alternative High School
In the fall of 2010, Judy Parlato and Ragene Henry began a second Teaching Kids to Quilt project at the Marquette Alternative High School. Working with young adults provided a new challenge and excitment in picking a topic for the student's quilts.
 
2010 North Star Academy Elementary School
One of the missions of MCQA is education - educating our membership and our community about this American art form.  Three MCQA members who are coincidentaly retired teachers thought that they would like to teach a new generation about quilting.  With the support and cooperation of the Michigan Quilt Network Region 1 and the North Star Academy Elementary School in Marquette, Judy Parlato, Kathy Peters and Ragene Henry spent four Wednesday afternoons last spring in a 2nd - 3rd grade classroom helping kids create quilts.  Each child made a self portrait approximately 14 inches square with fusible appliqué and lots of embellishments.   Along with the portrait quilt the children wrote their autobiographies which were placed on the backs of the quilts. Our members had fun doing this project and we know that the kids enjoyed it too.  The 17 quilts will be displayed in a special exhibit at the MCQA Autumn Comforts Quilt Show in October 2010. The students will be there along with their families as special guests of MCQA.  Will you recognize them?  Maybe not.  As one little girl said "It doesn't look so much like me -but it's how I want to look".  Many thanks to MQN Region 1 for supporting this education effort and for our members who did this wonderful project.  Additional pictures may be seen by clicking here. 
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Friendship Groups
Friendship groups are an important part of MCQA.  One of the longest standing groups meets on the third Thursday of each month and is called “Handworkers Anonymous”.  Their meetings are held in the first floor conference room of the Peter White Library in Marquette.  Several years ago founding member Helen Johnson had the idea that if there was a group that was devoted only to handwork she would finally get some of her hand appliqué projects done.  She gathered a small group of friends that began to meet each month to work on hand appliqué but as the group continued to grow other hand projects were added to the repertoire and now you’ll find members working on embroidery, knitting, crocheting, possibly binding a quilt and of course doing hand appliqué or hand quilting.  According to Helen, it’s a very unstructured group which has only one rule……..no machines!  Current members of this friendship group come from all parts of Marquette County.  New members and visitors are always welcome.  The group meets from 10:00am to 2:00pm with a short break for lunch.  If the weather and roads are bad, the group doesn’t meet.  Contact information and details are available on the calendar page.  

The "Material Girls Friendship Group" meets on the second Thursday of each month at the Country Grill in West Ishpeming.  Their focus is on charity quilts for the neonatal departments of local hospitals as well as VA hospital in Iron Mountain.  More details are available on the calendar page. 

Friendship groups are a great way to share, learn and meet other quilters.  If you are a member of a group and welcome new members, please consider adding your group to the website calendar and newsletter.  Think about starting a new group and you’ll find quickly find MCQA members that share your interest will be eager to join in!