August 2010 Meeting

Heart of Dixie Quilter’s Guild Minutes, August 9, 2010

The August 9, 2010 meeting was called to order by Mary Ann Raley, President, at 7 pm.

The minutes of the July 12, 2010 meeting were approved.

Beth Arnett, Treasurer, reported a balance of $3050.70, in the treasury.

Linda Layfield reported on the Baby Quilt Challenge, that more members need to sign up. The Deadline may be moved. Nine members have signed. The backing fabric has been changed to white, or a co-ordinating fabric. There is a “super nifty prize” according to Mary Ann Raley, for the winning baby quilt. There will be a panel of judges for the challenge.

Dianna Kennedy reported on the Fall Retreat. The dates are Oct. 15 – 17, held at Camp Cottaquilla. The retreat is a UFO retreat, 10 members have signed up; the fee is $125. If 15 members sign up, the fee is reduced to $100 for two nights plus meals.

Ginny Stephens reported on the Heart Ball Quilt project. She has called the American Heart Association representative twice, and been referred to other members. Ginny has designed and offered six quilt designs. She is waiting to hear from them.

Beth Arnett reported on School Days, that it is a UFO work day. The guild voted to schedule the day for Sept. 25, and it will be held at the Exceptional Foundation, Homewood. Members signed up, and will pay $10 for a catered lunch. If they attend, their $10 will be refunded. Meg McKinney suggested everyone bring a tech tip, or a method for quilt making, to share during the day.

Linda Layfield reported on the Block of the Month for August: a watermelon block with a checkerboard border.

Mary Ann Raley reported on the Friendship Blocks. Block kits were available after the meeting. Cost is $2 / kit. They will be due in either November or December. The pattern is a trellis quilt.

Mary Ann Raley also reported on the Scrap Exchange blocks, a Patriotic theme, which are due at the September meeting. Meg McKinney showed a completed block, with Triangles-on-a-Roll fabrics, for members who may have questions about the sewing methods for half-square triangles.

Dianna Kennedy, Vice President for Programs, presented a program about the statistics of the quilt industry in America. Her source of information was the a nationwide survey conducted in 2010, in the publication, Professional Quilter.

Here are some of the statistics she presented:

The total U. S. industry value of quilting is $3.58 billion annually.

Total quilters in America: 21 million, with an average of 1.3 quilters per household.

Quilters spend $219 annually per household; this is up 20 % from 2006, their last survey.

Dedicated Quilters (DQ’s), those who spend more than $600 annually on quilting, average $2442 per year.

DQ’s buy 93.6 yards of fabric per year.

69% DQ’s purchase small, floral prints;

67% DQ’s purchase batiks;

52% DQ’s purchase tone-on-tone prints;

56% DQ’s purchase Jewel tones, earth tones, pastels.

DQ’s spend $144.10 annually on thread.

DQ’s own $517.80 worth of thread.