Activities and Community Service


Here are some of the activities and community service projects that Brandywine Valley Quilt Guild members participate in.
Click any of these links for details...

GUILD ACTIVITIES   COMMUNITY SERVICE   SPECIAL EVENTS   Patterns and Instructions
2010 Raffle Quilt   Charity Corner   National Quilting Day   Three-Seam Pillowcase
2009 BVQ Challenge   Scholarships for 2009   2009 New Member Tea   Fleece Hat, Scarf
2008 Quilt Show   Earn Rebates for BVQ!   Annual Retreat   Stockings for Soldiers
BVQ Bees   Ronald McDonald House   Archives of Previous Events    
             

2010 Raffle Quilt

info for BVQ members
 
2010 Raffle Quilt   The 2010 raffle quilt, “Cocoa Galaxy”, is done! Chair Ellen Nobles-Harris planned this beautiful king-sized Friendship Star quilt, which will complement any décor with its neutral palette. Barbara Gross donated enough fabric from her stash for almost half of the quilt top! Peg Miller's enviable basement workroom was the site of several work “parties”, last year where participants shared laughs and snacks while cutting fabric for block kits and then assembling the quilt top after numerous members pieced the blocks. Moria and Eric Fischer of Fyshwyk Custom Machine Quilting once again did an exceptional job quilting it on their longarm machine. Jane Shea and Peg Miller spent hours tying the many loose thread ends and binding the quilt.

BVQ thanks all of our members who contributed their time and skills to this project. We were rewarded by our efforts, as Cocoa Galaxy was awarded Second Place in the Bed Quilt (Group) - Pieced category at Undercovers' 2009 Quilt Show!

Tickets are available at BVQ meetings at $1.00 each or 6 for $5.00. $5.00 books of tickets can also be ordered by mail by sending a SASE and check payable to Brandywine Valley Quilters, P.O. Box 953, Concordville, PA, 19331. Please allow 4 - 6 weeks for processing.

The drawing for the quilt will be at our next quilt show in October, 2010. The winner will also receive matching pillow cases and a 16" x 16" pillow!

Visit the BVQ ARCHIVES to view raffle quilts from previous years.

Back to top


Charity Corner

Here are some of the organizations that Brandywine Valley Quilters support:   Quilts for Kids

February Charity News

Thank you all so much for your help in restocking our kits! You all put together lots of pillowcase kits and even at least 18 new quilt kits. Feel free to take a kit – what a great project for a cold winter day! We also received 13 finished pillowcases, 4 quilts, 12 sets of fleece hats and scarves with gloves, some knitted hats and mittens and lots of donated fabric.

Remember we will be collecting pillowcases for Healthy Start. They will use them to hold their Infant Care Packages or “Baby Bundles”. We can also donate supplies that will be used to make these “Baby Bundles”. They especially welcome new clothing (onesies or sleepers size 8-15 lbs.) and receiving blankets. The packages also contain one package of diapers size small (8-12 lbs.), baby wipes, baby lotion, baby powder, and baby shampoo, so they also welcome donations of these items. More info at http://www.ccmchc.org/VOLUNTEER.ASP. All pillowcases and donations for the “Baby Bundles” can be handed in at or before the May guild meeting and will be promptly taken to Healthy Start, a Mother's Day gift for new mothers. Thank you in advance for any donations!

Calling all guild members! Have you made a charity quilt top or Quilt of Valor that needs to be quilted & donated??? Then bring it to a guild meeting and give it to Betty Dix and she will quilt it up for you and see that it goes to a good home. Also, don't forget to bring in those cutesy Christmas print fabbies for the stockings for soldiers. She will also cut them out for you to sew up!

Thank you again!
-Katy

Back to top

3-Seam Pillowcase Instructions

If you would like to make pillowcases for the ConKerr Cancer pillowcase project, Rikki has provided instructions for a fun and easy method, using only three seams! This method features hidden seam allowances and goes together in a snap, using 3/4 yard of fabric for the pillowcase body and less than 1/3 yard of border fabric. You can add an optional strip of fabric between the border and pillowcase body - using less than a skinny 1/8 yard of fabric.

Make one or more pillowcase in bright, cheerful fabrics. Wash and dry each one, place it in a gallon Ziploc bag and bring it to any BVQ meeting. A sick child will surely appreciate such a wonderful gift!

Back to top

News from the Bee Keeper

“Back in the day”, small groups of neighborhood quilters gathered on a regular basis to work together on a project, such as a wedding quilt for a bride-to-be, and to share concerns and provide friendship and support. These groups were referred to as “quilting bees”, and this concept continues in contemporary times.

A number of these groups, made up of BVQ members and some of their friends and family members, enjoy this camaraderie while working together on individual projects as well as community service projects. Read below for the latest “buzz” from our Bees!

If you are a member of a BVQ bee, we'd like to hear from you! Where and when do you meet? Are you accepting new members or is your bee closed? Who is your Bee Queen (organizer)? What kind of projects does your bee work on? Do you have any news you'd like to share? Let Betty Jean or Deb Kelly know.

Brandywine Snippers

The Brandywine Snippers Quilting Bee is looking for new members! We meet twice a month in the morning, rotating between the members' houses. We live in the area of Media, Glen Mills and Newtown Square. We also are having lunch together which adds to a nice “social”! Call Gail Kozicki or Heidel Gerhard for details.

North Wilmington Afternoon Bee

The North Wilmington Afternoon Bee invites everyone who like to sit and sew and discuss quilting to visit our meetings. We meet the fourth Thursday of each month at 1:00 at a member's home. The Bee has been sharing paperback books so if you have any you wish to share bring them along as well. Here is a list of meeting locations for 2010:
- March - NO meeting (25th is the second day of the AQS Show in Lancaster)
- April 22 - Joan Jasper
- May 27 - Lee Hickman
- June 24 - Ellen Nobles-Harris
- July and August - no meetings
- September 23 - Diane Kilpatrick

Back to top


BVQ's 2009 Donation to Garnet Valley High School

BVQ's Executive Board voted to give $500 to the Textile Class, which is a part of the Family and Consumer Sciences curriculum at Garnet Valley High School. Since we had no one come forward for the scholarship which is offered each year, we decided to support Marcie Berk's Textile Class. We plan some interaction between the Guild and the class by speaking to the students and giving some quilting guidance throughout the year.

Back to top


eScrip: Earn Rebates for BVQ!

Safeway/Genuardi's ** Other Merchants ** Other Programs ** Online Mall ** Recycle Phones, Ink Cartridges
Important Notice!!! If you have already signed up to support the Guild with your Genuardi’s purchases, it is time to renew your registration! Go to the eScrip website and click the RENEW NOW button.
eScrip is an online resource for fundraising where participating business partners contribute a percentage of your grocery loyalty cards, credit card, and debit/ATM card purchases to the school, group or organization of your choice. Read all about the program at http://www.escrip.com/program/about.jsp.

3 easy ways to earn cash back for BVQ with eScrip   Do you shop at Safeway/Genuardi's? If your card is registered with eScrip, BVQ will receive a contribution for up to 3 percent of your total purchases there. If you haven’t signed-up to support the Guild with your Safeway/Genuardi’s purchases, now would be a great time to do it! Ask your family and friends to register too. Visit the eScrip website to sign up - BVQ's group number is 150239819 - or just tell Ellen McLaughlin and she’ll take care of it for you.

If you're already registered, visit the eScrip site to make sure your registration is current. If it is not, click on the Renew Now button to renew your registration - it just takes a few seconds! You can also add cards, change your password, etc.

To find out which other merchants in our area participate in the eScrip program, go to http://www.escrip.com/merchants/search/index.jsp, click Mid-Atlantic in the Select Region drop-down list, select a category, and click Go.

eScrip offers other programs that will benefit the Guild. Check them out at www.escrip.com. Click links to participating merchants from the eScrip website to shop online and earn even more rebates for BVQ.

Click to shop online and earn cash back for BVQ!   eScrip's Online Mall has over 800 online stores that offer products and services from computers and software to men's and women's apparel, jewelry, electronics, home and garden supplies, dining, travel discounts and so much more! Amazon and eBay are just two of the most popular merchants in the Online Mall. Click the eScrip logo to the left to start shopping and let your purchases earn money for BVQ. You do not need to be signed up on eScrip, there is no need to have a credit or debit card registered and you can even shop anonymously, if you wish.

Escrip also offers money for recycled cell phones and printer toner and ink cartridges. So please bring your empty printer cartridges and any old cell phones you have around the house to the next meeting and help BVQ and the environment! You can give them to our “Queen of Trash”, Ellen McLaughlin!

Back to top


Ronald McDonald House Flip Tab Program

A flip tab seems like such a little thing…but they add up! Save your soda, beer and food can flip tabs and bring them to any BVQ meeting. Ellen McLaughlin collects them and periodically donates them to the Ronald McDonald House.

FAQ...
Q: What does Ronald McDonald House do with the flip tabs?
A: The Ronald McDonald House gains from the flip tabs by recycling them. They are paid by a recycler for the aluminum and the money generated is used to offset the difference between what they charge a family (about $10.00 a night) to stay at the house and what it costs to operate ($54 per night).

Q: Why just the tab?
A: Tab collection is a clean way to collect aluminum. Collecting cans can cause sanitation and storage problems. It seems like a tab is a small thing -- but to date they have collected over 55 tons of tabs generating over $38,000. Our BVQ collection is up to 36 pounds!

Q: Does BVQ get “credit” for donating tabs?
A: Yes, Ellen collects tabs from almost everyone she knows and started the program as a charity program at work. When tabs are taken to the Ronald McDonald House she tells them how many tabs came from each source. They are always very happy to see the tabs arrive. Ronald McDonald House is always listed as one of the charities the Guild supports.
TIP: To remove a flip tab from a can, lift the tab up and then rock it up and down about 3 or 4 times and it will come right off!

The Guild is doing a great job of collecting tabs and spreading the word. Many members have collection receptacles at their offices. Summer is a big time for cookouts and also a good time to grab those tabs from all of the cans of soda and beer! Don’t forget about the tabs on other canned food too!

The Philadelphia Ronald McDonald House, a 44-room facility, is a home-away-from-home for over 2,100 families a year from all over the world. The families pay $15 a night to stay here, whereas the actual cost to operate a room each night is over $50. No family is ever turned away due to an inability to pay. Although they receive 20 percent of their operating expenses from the Ronald McDonald Children's Charities of the Philadelphia region, they must find ways to raise the remaining 80 percent. Collecting tabs is one way. Since November 1996, they have collected over 79 tons!!

Back to top


New Member Tea

Our annual New Member Tea was held this year on Saturday afternoon May 16, 2009, at the Special Teas Tea Room, in the Olde Ridge Village Shoppes in Chadds Ford, Pennsylvania.

Four members who joined the Guild since last year's tea were our guests. Twelve other BVQ members attended. Everyone enjoyed the tea and tea sandwiches, and the opportunity to get to know each other a little better.
BVQ New Member Tea 2009 BVQ New Member Tea 2009 - new member Debbie Shisler, 2nd from left BVQ New Member Tea 2009 - new member Katy Hoess, 3rd from left BVQ New Member Tea 2009 - new members Judy Neff, 2nd from left, and Michele Zirolli, far right

After the Tea, the staff at Quilter’s Corner welcomed the group and presented a short demonstration. Each of the new members received a gift from the shop.
BVQ New Member Tea 2009 - visit to Quilter's Corner BVQ New Member Tea 2009 - visit to Quilter's Corner BVQ New Member Tea 2009 - visit to Quilter's Corner BVQ New Member Tea 2009 - visit to Quilter's Corner

Thanks to Carol Gillespie for organizing this event and to the staff of Quilter's Corner for their support of BVQ.

Back to top


BVQ Annual Retreat

This year’s BVQ Retreat will be the weekend of April 16th to the 18th, again at the Black Rock Retreat Center in Quarryville, Pennsylvania. The cost of the retreat is $176.00 for a triple, $196.00 for a double or $246.00 for a single. Deadline for payment is the March BVQ meeting.

The price also includes two nights accommodation, a pizza dinner social on Friday night, 5 meals in the Black Rock dining room: 3 meals on Saturday and 2 on Sunday, and a spacious, well lit workroom available from 3:00 p.m. on Friday through 5:00 p.m. on Sunday. And lots of time for fun, sewing and socializing. We have some fun activities planned for this year, which will be announced soon!

All available slots have been filled. Call, email or see Ellen McLaughlin at a BVQ meeting to get on the waiting list in case there are any cancellations.

2009 Retreat - click the picture to view the slide show   2009 Retreat

Twenty-one ladies enjoyed a weekend of sewing and camaraderie at BVQ's 5th annual retreat in April, 2009. In addition to working on our own projects, Jody helped us make “JoDitty Bags” and Lil Koster demonstrated clothesline bowls. Click on the picture for a slide show. (Be patient - it may take a few seconds to load!)

Back to top


National Quilting Day

2009 *** 2010

National Quilting Day 2009

National Quilting Day 2009 at Borders - Ellen   National Quilting Day is observed each year on the third Saturday in March. BVQ celebrated the day with a special event at Borders in the Brinton Lake Shopping Center in Glen Mills, Pennsylvania on March 21, 2009.

We were given an area to display some quilts and to set up sewing machines. Borders provided some quilting books for us to include in the display. We demonstrated various aspects of quilting and had hands-on activities for the children.

It was a lot of fun for participating members Betty Jean Boyd, Barbara Gross, Lil Koster, Ellen McLaughlin and Jane and Marty Shea, as well as visitors to our table. Thanks to Ellen and Betty Jean for organizing this event! Thanks also to the folks at the Brinton Lake Borders for giving us the opportunity to share our love of quilts and quilting with the general public.

National Quilting Day 2009 at Borders National Quilting Day 2009 at Borders - Betty Jean and Jane National Quilting Day 2009 at Borders - quilters in training!

National Quilting Day 2010

Celebrate National Quilting Day 2010 with a workshop with BJ Titus. Sponsored by BVQ, it will be held on March 20, 2010, from 9:30 a.m. - 4:00 p.m., at the Goodwill Fire Company, 552 East Union Street, West Chester, Pennsylvania. Participants will make a daffodil wall hanging using BJ's applied appliqué technique.
Cost is $40.00. The class is limited to 25 participants. Download a flyer and sign-up sheet for more details.

Back to top


Brandywine Valley Quilters' Home Page