Gimme a "G", Gimme a "U"......

Last week I attended the Plymouth County Cranberry Quilters spring luncheon in Halifax MA, where I was honored to be asked to present my trunk show, "Perfection is Overrated". What a fun group they are! I have several times already retold a story one of my tablemates related about giving her husband's tropical fish a "vacation" in the goldfish pond only to learn that birds eat tropical fish; the story, and my tablemate, were just too darn funny. They are a talented group and seem to be very "challenge - oriented", with at least one if not up to three challenges going on in their guild at all times. In my world that would translate into way too many new UFOs in the pile, but more power to them.

As I take my trunk show to different guilds, I am seeing so many great ideas to attempt to instill in my own guild. Beginning with the (to me) fairly obvious idea that Show and Tell should be done at every meeting, no matter what the program is. My own guild, Squanicook Colonial in Townsend MA whom I love dearly and is fantastic and I don't mean to make it sound like I am being critical even though I am, only does Show and Tell when we don't have a speaker or other elaborate program, which this past guild year translated to only 3 or 4 times. So when we do get to have it, it takes a very L-O-N-G time. I want to be able to listen to what people have to say about their work and admire the quilts thoroughly without having my eyes glaze over, which can be done when only 10-20 people are showing and telling each month. When upwards of 50 do it because it has been three months since the last show and tell, I personally tend to lose focus after a while. And what is so wrong about having show and tell when a speaker is present? As a speaker myself, I say NOTHING AT ALL! I love seeing what other guilds are doing and all the talent in them. Anyway, I am incoming VP of our guild, and I smell a change in the air!

Update on my totally adorable puzzle challenge quilt that I was sure was going to win all sorts of ribbons at my June guild meeting: It won nothing. Nada. Not even honorable mention. But after seeing the other quilts, it didn't deserve to, for sure. I cannot believe the talent in my guild! Not just trying to kiss up due to my comments in the previous paragraph, I promise, I really do mean it! But I still love my quilt, which my three daughters are enamored with. Since I spend my days with three girls 5 and under, it was fairly easy to pick a theme for my challenge. Forgive the cockeyed state of the photo. One might think I took it after a cocktail or two. One might be right. In any case, you can get a good idea of how much fun I had coming up with blocks for it. The tree actually has a heart on it with "PC + GH" on it like it is carved into the tree - stands for Prince Charming + Greta Helfter, my almost 2 year old. It had been way too long since I created a quilt just for me and I now feel I have to do it more often. When I find the time......

Beth Helfter

EvaPaige Quilt Designs