The ABCs of MLQ

  

About us

We were founded as the 31st Pennsylvania chapter of the National Quilting Association in December,1975. Today, we are a diverse group, and include people of all levels of quilting experience and quilting interests. Membership is open to all, and guests are welcome to attend.

Website: https://mainlinequilters.org/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MainLineQuiltersGuild/

Challenges

Challenge of the Year 
At the January meeting members are given a theme and are asked to create a quilt according to rules set out by the Program Chair. The challenge project is due at the December Tea. Examples of past challenges:  3-D quilts; red, black, and white quilts; the use of 5 fat quarters; curves etc.

Additional Challenges
From time to time, short term challenges can be issued.  For example, members might be challenged to complete an unfinished project that would start in January and end in time for the September meeting.

Community Service
Main Line Quilters’ educational and charitable contributions.

Pieces of Love (POL)

  • Pieces of Love is the term used for the guild’s charitable initiative with affiliated non-profits organizations.
  • Using their own material or using kits provided by the guild, members create 36”x36” quilts used to cover incubators in a NICU, crib-size quilts, or lap-size quilts. The finished quilts are donated to various infant/child-based charities.  
  • Opportunities also arise to contribute larger quilts to charities providing services to adults.
  • We respond to the needs of our affiliated charities when they request clothing, personal hygiene products, etc.

Block of the Year (BOY)

Members create a specific patterned block with instructions provided by the guild’s program coordinator.  Members use their own materials or kits provided by the guild. Quilts are assembled using these blocks, quilted, and donated to our affiliated charities as part of the Pieces of Love program.

Quilts of Valor

While our guild is not officially associated with the national Quilts of Valor program, we do have members who are affiliated, and many members create quilts for donation to Quilts of Valor.

Displays and Quilt Shows

The guild sometimes arranges for members to display their quilts in community libraries, social centers, etc.  In addition, MLQ has had opportunities to be involved in Mancuso’s regional Quilt Shows.

Fundraisers:

Our member fees cover the cost of the rental space for general meetings and “Sew What” bees.   It is imperative to have a successful annual fund raiser to maintain the excellent quality of our invited speakers, to provide access to meetings and workshops remotely online, and to help support our charity efforts.

The guild depends on all members for help in fundraising events.

Through the years, the guild has participated in a variety of fundraising events/activities in the including:

  • Raffle quilt
  • Quilt Show
  • Quilt Auction
  • Cookbook
  • Trash to Treasure Sale of fabric, books, notions, yarn, etc.

MLQ is always open to new ideas for fundraising.   

Programs and Meetings:

While meeting is person is always the best experience for quilters, MLQ remains flexible and responsive to the challenges of meeting in person and will provide its usual programming events in several formats/venues when appropriate:

  1. In person at Tredyffrin Library
  2. Hybrid — In person at Tredyffrin Library with an option to attend from home via Zoom
  3. Strictly via Zoom  — When Zoom format is used for an event, members and/or pre-paid guests will receive Zoom meeting invitations via email a few days prior to the session.

The general meetings of Main Line Quilters Guild take place 10 months of the year and guests are always welcome:

  • Six meetings are highlighted by invited speakers. Once or twice per year our speaker may present a workshop for interested members.
  • Two meetings allow members to learn quilting techniques and/or work on charity quilts for Pieces of Love.
  • Two meetings are social meetings that involve food and a good time: The June Luncheon and The December Tea.
  • We do not meet during July and August – but often offer workshops instead.

Since 2011, our guild offers a monthly “Sew What” bee which provides members an additional meeting time to socialize as well as work on individual projects.

  • Sew What meets in the Tredyffrin Library on the first Friday of the month throughout the year.
  • The guild’s Virtual Events Chairman often arranges additional Sew What meetings via Zoom on the second and/or fourth Fridays of the month throughout the year.
  • There are also opportunities to meet in person in Strafford Park next to the Tredyffrin.

Additional Services for MLQ members:

  • AccuQuilt Machine/Dies
    The guild owns 2 AccuQuilt fabric cutting machines and several dies that are available for members to borrow.
  • Channels of Information:
    Members are kept well-informed of guild news.
    • Newsletters emailed directly to members
    • Facebook
    • Website
    • Email blasts for time-sensitive information
  • MLQ Guild Membership Cards may allow discounts at participating quilt shops.
  • Ways and Means
    This is our little store where members can buy donated fabric, books, magazines, patterns, odds and ends for a bargain price. Ways and Means provides a small but steady source of income for the guild.

MLQ Vocabulary:  

BOY. Block of the Year is the term for a specific block that is presented in January as a guild block to be incorporated into charity quilts throughout the year.

MLQ. Main Line Quilters Guild.

POL. Pieces of Love is the term used for the guild’s initiative with affiliated charities. Quilts are created by members for donation to these charities.

UFOs. Unfinished Objects are partially completed projects.

Trash to Treasure. Our popular sale of fabric, notions, books, yarn, etc. Items are donated by members and by the public.

Ways and Means. Our little store where members can buy donated fabric, books, magazines, patterns, odds and ends for a bargain price.