2025 CQG State of the Guild Report
Covington Quilters Guild
State of the Guild Report
January 2025
Happy New Year!
This report will review our mission and accomplishments during 2024.
In January 2024, our membership was 120. In April, our membership had dropped to 105. By the end of 2024, our membership had grown to 113. Throughout 2024, we gained 16 members and had 35 guests.
Leanne Shipley, our Membership Chair, held 4 New Member Orientations with 13 members attending these meetings. She has one scheduled for Tuesday, January 14 at 7 p.m.
Our first major effort was to update the Guild bylaws to bring them in line with our current organization. The biggest change approved by the membership was moving the Past President to an advisory position and giving one of the Members at Large a vote on the Executive Board. Member at Large 1 had the vote on odd years and Member at Large 2 has the vote on even years.
Our mission is threefold. The first two are:
- To promote the art of quilting and quilt making through the use of monthly meetings, satellite groups, workshops, demonstrations, and guest speakers.
- To educate and increase the members’ knowledge of quilting techniques.
We held 12 monthly meetings. March, April, September, October, and November, we contracted with a variety of speakers: All about Insuring our Sewing Room, Vintage Linens, Norma Stark’s Trunk Show, a Christmas project, and Krista Hynds’ templates. We also celebrated with three parties: Spring Tea, BBQ, and Holiday Celebration. Our members also spoke about a variety of topics, including Hugs, Quilts in the Western Washington Fair, and a meeting devoted to the quilt show.
The Guild hosted a one-day workshop taught by Jeanne Hunt. She taught 15 of us 8 different methods of binding. Next year, we hope to have 2 different workshops – one in March taught by Krista Moser and one in October. Carol Thiemen’s is taking enrollments for this seminar.
The Guild held its first Quilt Show in 5 years and it was a resounding success – from the venue, to the set-up, the silent auction, table runner sales, tea room, bazaar, the bed turning, it took a ton of volunteers and all of you stepped up to participate. Thank you! We are already in the planning process for our 2025 show.
The Guild was invited to participate in the Western Washington Fair in September. Monday, Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday, our members brought completed items and demonstrated a variety of techniques. This was our second year participating in the Fair.
There are a number of satellite sewing groups: Sewing Sisters in Hobart; Stitchers, Etc. (formerly, Japanese Stitching Group); Zoom Sewing Group (1st and 3rd Saturdays); 2nd Saturday Sewing; Featherweight Sewing Group (you do not need to have a special machine to participate in this group); and the 4th Saturday Hugs Workshop Group.
Membership started a Quilt Buddy program. We currently have 9 members assigned to 6 buddies. These buddies help acclimate new members to the Guild and can provide guidance / advice on a variety of quilting issues.
Jill Ellis has a Block of the Month program. This is an opportunity to build a variety of skills: reading instructions, accurate cutting, accurate 1/4” seam, etc.
The Guild sponsors two retreats a year at Camp Koinonia in Cle Elum. Everyone is invited to join. I love this retreat. I usually get a lot done (if I am organized). And there is a lot of expertise available if you are stuck on a project or just need some advice.
The Guild’s 3rd purpose is:
- To provide opportunities for members to participate voluntarily in philanthropic projects.
The Guild’s Hugs project makes quilts for six charities which members have voted to support. Hugs Administrator, Karen Zink, has spent this year working with her 28 volunteers to solidify the Hugs process. Due to this, we only started delivering quilts and bags in March. From March through December, 376 quilts and 456 bags, and 15 receiving blankets were donated to our charities. Next month at our February meeting, the Hugs team will have the program part of our meeting to talk about their process, need for volunteers, and their successes. There is always room for more people to join the team!
Financially, we have healthy incomes from a variety of sources:
- Kathy McClung and her team are selling items through eBay and at our membership meetings. Our bank accounts have grown from this effort.
- 8 fabric sales at the meetings made about $1100 for the Guild and $1700 for Hugs.
- The Guild eBay site was started in May and raised about $2500 for the Guild and just over $2000 for Hugs.
- This does not include the bazaar at the Quilt Show.
- Debbie Russell and her Fund-Raising Committee have been hard at work this past year and continue their efforts.
- The Red Robin Fundraising raised $300.75. Thank you to everyone who ate a meal on the designated day.
- The annual Raffle Quit sold all 3000 tickets and also received donations of approximately $40. Thank you, Denise Schillaci, for all your hard work. She is already working on the travel schedule for our 2025 quilt.
- Table runner sales made approximately $2400 in sales. This idea was spawned by Jana Colombi and all of you participated in making and donating items. Jo Eva Parker took this to another level with organized sales events, soliciting volunteers to assist with this effort.
- Debbie Russell has had a variety of baskets with items donated by members and offering chances at $1 per ticket.
Congratulations Covington Quilters Guild for a full year of events and thank you for continuing to support us as we move forward into 2025.