A Note from Carol Gibson, President 
I hope everyone has survived the latest blast of winter! I know it has been a lot more than any of us expected! At least it gave us all a reason to spend our days quilting (as if we needed a reason)! Keep your fingers crossed that the weather improves somewhat before our retreat. I look forward to seeing you all at our next meeting. 

Upcoming Guild Events 
​February Guild Meeting
Tuesday, February 10 at 6:30 pm
2026 Challenge Reveal Meeting! In this meeting we'll show and vote for our favorite 2026 challenge quilt. The theme is "Celebrating Your Birthday Month." The challenge is to create a 20"x20" wall hanging sized quilt that signifies the month in which you were born. Get creative and use any inspiration you have (birthstone, flower, zodiac sign, color, holiday, season, etc.). 
***Winter Quilt Retreat***
Saturday, February 14 – Monday, February 16
See below for details from the committee.
March Guild Meeting
Tuesday, March 10 at 6:30 pm
​Cassandra Beaver, The (Not So) Dramatic Life, from Urbana, Ohio will be joining us for a lecture "On the Wild Side: Foundation Paper Piecing Animals and Other Irregular Shapes." Cassandra will teach a class the day following the meeting.
***March Workshop: Foundation Paper Piecing Irregular Shapes***
Wednesday, March 11 at 10:00 am
Knob Prairie Church
Create an adorable polar bear Foundation Paper Pieced (FPP) block! In this class, you will learn techniques to streamline FPP when all of the segments are different sizes and shapes. The class will cost $50, and if you're not a fan of the polar bear, you will be able to purchase a pre-printed pattern (on the day of the class) of a Toucan or Koala instead for $12 additional. The fabric needed for all the animals is listed in the supply list, so you don't need to decide when you sign up. Also before the class you'll be emailed the pattern of the polar bear to print out. On the day of the class she'll also have rulers for sale that she finds helpful but are NOT REQUIRED for the class. She accepts cards and cash as payment. Also, she finds light boxes very helpful, and will be bringing several for the class to use, but feel free to bring your own if you'd like.
***Saturday Class***
Saturday, April 11 at 9 am
DUST OFF THOSE JELLY ROLLS!!!! Our very own Debra Miller will be organizing a Jelly Roll workshop on Saturday 4/11. Don't have any Jelly Rolls? (We've heard there's a few of you out there who don't.) NO PROBLEM! - just cut strips from your own yardage. The patterns are adaptable to whatever you have. Most patterns just need a jelly roll (or strips from your yardage) and some background fabric for the quilt top. It'll only be $10 dollars and she'll have several Jelly Roll Patterns to pick from. Sign up and hang out with your guild-mates for a fun day of sewing! Here's a sampling of a few of the patterns that will be available.
April Guild Meeting
Tuesday, April14 at 6:30 pm
CRANK SEWING MACHINES. Do you remember the last storm that took out your home's electric power? With these machines you don't need electricity to sew! Susan Cruze (and her husband Scott who doubles as her in-house sewing machine tech) will be visiting from the Cincinnati area to not only give us a presentation on manual style sewing machines (treadle & crank), she's bringing 10 examples too. But wait there's more! Except for a single one that dates to 1876 she'll be letting us sew on them to try them out for ourselves. These beauties aren't just for display—they're fun to use too! And she can prove it. So maybe next time you see one at a yard or estate sale—you think about buying it. ​

2026 February Quilting Fun-Da-Mentals Retreat 
Saturday, February 14 at 9:00 am to Monday, February 16 at 4:00 pm
Wingate Hotel, Fairborn, OH
It’s almost time for the retreat!! Woohoo! Time to start packing. Some things to bring with you are:

• 3 fat quarters for left right center game
• 3 items to trade for the pass hold kitty game
• CASH for tips and our progressive market

Who do we tip? The porters (two teenagers) who will carry your stuff directly to your own personal looney bin (your spot). Hotel staff includes the breakfast bar person, the maintenance/trash removal person, and if you’re staying, the housekeeper. And let’s not forget about massages! Amanda has confirmed that she will be there this year starting at around 1pm on Saturday.

We will be having a progressive market in our hotel rooms only. Find someone with a room who would like to share their room for your market items if you are not staying at the hotel. We will not be using the breakfast area for the market, only our hotel rooms. There will be a sign up sheet at the registration table. 

IF YOU ARE SICK, STAY HOME. We have no one on the waiting list so feel free to find a replacement if you are sick and can’t make it. Just let the committee know your situation. We have purchased 2 hand sanitizing stations and want you to use them. Many hands hold onto the equipment, such as irons, so keep the germs away and sanitize several times a day.

Registration table opens at 9am and the Porters will be there to help you at 9am. Please do not come early as we will still be busy getting ready for your arrival. If you are interested in becoming the 2027 February Retreat Chairperson please let Shari Brindley know either at the guild meeting or at the retreat. 

Quilts of Valor
Hello From the Quilts of Valor Team! I want to take time to allow everyone on our new QOV team to introduce herself and thank everyone who has proceeded this team in taking great pride in honoring all the veterans that have been awarded a quilt thus far!

I learned how to sew garments when I was a teenager. My mother was a quilter but I thought that was a craft I could never do. I made my first quilt in 1993 for my baby and was hooked! I don’t know exactly how many I have made but I think it's somewhere in the 200s. I had never heard of the QOV organization prior to becoming a member of the MVQG a few years ago. As a Veteran myself, I was very interested in learning more. So when the call for volunteers came, I decided to become part of this team to express appreciation to our veterans. I am looking forward to working with the team of ladies who also have the same desire.
--Tracy W
I have been quilting since 2018. I jumped in feet first and bought a longarm. I am currently working full time as a network engineer. My husband and I have been married for over 16 years and have 2 daughters, aged 14 and 12. I chose to volunteer for QOV because I’m a veteran of the US Army myself, serving 9 years active and 1 National Guard. I think it’s an excellent way to show appreciation to veterans while also doing something I love.
--Rebecca L
I've been quilting for about 30 years but have always been a sewer of clothes, crafts and such. When I was 1st introduced to the QOV program, I was touched. I'm from a military family and married into a military family so my 1st whole quilt was presented to my daughter. This began my journey to many more that I've made and presented individually. I consider it an honor to be part of this program and look forward to keeping the program going as long as I'm able.
—Sherry G
I come from a family of quilters. My mother, grandmothers, and aunts expressed their care for others through their gifts of quilts. I joined QOV because I want to express my appreciation to our veterans.
—Linda M
As a group we are excited to continue the efforts of our predecessors. While we are still getting our feet wet and learning all the logistics, we are counting on all of you to continue doing what you do best…. Make those quilts!! There are plenty of opportunities in which you can help. If you have any ideas or suggestions that can help us to be just as successful, please feel free to reach out to us!

• Visit the QOV table at the guild meeting. We hope to always have a few quilts that need binding, a few tops that need quilting, and some pillowcase kits that need to be made. Take one home to finish and bring it back to another guild meeting. If there isn’t anything on the table, please feel free to make a pillowcase on your own. (See attached pattern)
• Offer to help with presentations! We have several quilts that are ready to go, and we will be setting up the presentations soon. If you can help (we usually go in twos), stop by the QOV table and let us know your availability. (We would like to have a list of people who can help )
• Participate in a QOV sew-in. The north sew-in (Clayton) is always the 3rd Wednesday of the month. The east sew-in (Xenia) is always the first Thursday of the month. I would like to start an additional location somewhere around Springfield/Enon/New Carlisle. If anyone has interest in this please reach out!!

Thank you for all of your support for our Quilts of Valor project!

2026 Quilt Show
Friday, May 29 and Saturday, May 30, 2026 from 10:00–4:00
Greene County Expo Center Assembly Building, Xenia, OH
It's time to start getting excited for our biennial quilt show happening in just under four months. Put the finishing touches on previous challenge quilts that have been sitting with your UFOs or get to sewing a new project, begin training for the work of hanging the show and volunteering to white glove or serve up snacks, and start selling raffle tickets to raise the funds we need to keep bringing this brilliant quilt show to the Miami Valley. I attended the show for the first time in 2024 as a quite new member of MVQG and was blown away. 
Raffle Quilt
$1.00 per ticket –or– six for $5.00
We will start distributing raffle quilt tickets before the February meeting. Arrive a little bit early to pick up tickets and promotional materials. We had great success getting started at the Sewing & Quilting Expo as most people are willing to take a chance for just $1, and many end up upgrading for the bonus ticket. Have fun with it!
Volunteer Sign-Ups
It takes all of us to make the quilt show work, and we have volunteer spots for everyone from set up and tear down to sitting at the front tables, you are sure to find a great way to contribute. You can start signing up for shifts online next week in SignUpGenius, and at meetings. Thank you for your dedication to the show in previous years and now.
—Stephanie