From Our President, Crystal North

What a terrific year it has been. The Utah Quilt Guild started the year with high expectations for 2011, and we succeeded in completing many shows and activities. Some of the events this year were: 

We have held five quilt shows at our Quilt Museum at This is the Place Heritage Park. At the March show, over 2,000 people came to the show. In May, four busloads of attendees from the International Spring Quilt Market, along with many local people, came to see the wonderful antique quilts we have in our collection at the park. July is very busy at the park, and many tourists loved stopping by to see the antique quilts borrowed from the LDS Church History Museum. October was a great show of Fall quilts borrowed from quilters all over the Wasatch Front. And now in December, we have a Holiday themed show that you can still come and see. Information about it will be found in this Beeline. 

We have made quilts for charities that the guild is sponsoring this year, Happy Chemo and Quilts of Valor. Hundreds of quilts have been donated and sent to loving and deserving homes. (If any one has any extra quilts for Quilts of Valor, we have one group that needs 56 more quilts so that every soldier in the unit they are sponsoring has a quilt of his or her own. If you have one, just send it in with your area rep and we will get them to Camp Williams in Utah County.)We supported the Home Machine Quilters Show by providing many volunteers and quilts for the show.We supported and volunteered hours and quilts to the Holiday Quilt Show and Auction where only hand quilted quilts are sold to support the Deseret Foundations Hospital charities and medical research. This show and auction only happen every two years, but it takes that long to get a new batch of quilts ready. Visit the Colonial house to help with the 2013 show. 

We tried our first online class for all members of the Utah Quilt Guild. Annie Smith provided us with a wonderful class on color and value. Next, we will be bringing teachers to teach in your area to continue our guild goals on education. 

We celebrated Quilt Day in March with area activities and events. This will continue next year, so talk to your area rep to see where you can help out. 

We have completed the first Judge Accreditation Course, and now have a list of certified quilt show judges. These will be on the website so you can find quilt show judges for any shows in your area. 

We completed another successful Quilt Fest. I am looking forward to Quilt Fest 2012 where we will have large meeting rooms and the great sunshine of St George. We have more accomplishments this year but space is limited, so I’ll end by repeating, all in all it has been a very successful year.”

That is only possible when we have such great volunteers. We have many that are leaving the guild governing board after this year, and I want to thank every one of them for working so hard to make this year run smoothly. Everyone worked hard to overcome difficulties and keep the guild moving in the right direction.  

The new board for 2012 will be in excellent hands with Sharon Wright taking the leadership. Some of the areas will be getting new area reps, so make sure you welcome them to your meetings. I look forward to “only” working on Quilt Fest 2012 and maybe getting some time in my sewing room.

Keep stitching,

Crystal North

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