Greetings to all members of EQI! …
by EQI President: Nadine B.
A lot has happened since our outgoing President, Heather Bonney last penned her President’s Piece. We have had our AGM and a new committee has been elected. Our thanks go to the members of the outgoing committee for all their efforts in keeping the group going in some way during two years of Covid disruption.
Thanks also need to go to Barb Goad for taking on the Vice President’s role, Pinky English for taking on the role of Secretary and Denise Shearer for continuing as Treasurer. Lorraine Carr, Robyn Roberts, and Kerry Roe are members who have also been elected to be on Committee too.
Lorraine Carr and Heather Bonney will share the role of coordinating the QFO program. Denise Colquhoun has kindly volunteered to coordinate catering and assist with the library. Pat Stevenson will continue to compere our Show and Tell, and Kerry Roe will be organizing the Retreat. Maria Byrne will be there to meet and greet new members and Robyn will continue with the many roles she has undertaken such as being Web Administrator, eNews Editor and Library Cataloguer. There are still several Valued Volunteer positions to be filled, please consider some of these as the more people who help, the easier things become. Positions include Treasurer’s Assistant, Bus Trip Organiser and Banner hanging.
As we begin to take steps into a Covid normal world, it would be great to see EQI build on its strengths and go on to thrive and flourish. We have some great activities planned already including QFO days, Sit and Sew Saturdays, a retreat, and a workshop in October. We are also committed to offering Skill Sharing demonstrations at each meeting / sit and sew evenings. Listening to guest speakers and attending workshops are such a wonderful way to invigorate our quilting lives and Committee has already begun to explore potential guest speakers and workshops.
For me, one of the most enjoyable parts of a meeting is the Show and Tell Session. There are such diverse styles and colour schemes employed by members when they create their quilts. Being able to see the quilts is a way for the group to celebrate the time, effort and love that has gone into their creation. Hopefully, more quilts will be brought in for Show and Tell. QFO’s are a labour of love for members who participate in QFO days and will be an ongoing part of our Show and Tell program. We will be resuming Pat’s practice of asking members to share a project they are working on at a meeting, even if it is unfinished.
Our Biggest Morning Tea will be held at the Day Meeting on May 18 and the Evening Sit and Sew on May 25. As per tradition, we ask members whose surnames begin with a letter between A and L to bring something savoury and members whose surnames begin with a letter between M and Z to bring something sweet to share. A gold coin donation for the Morning Tea will be donated to the Cancer Council as will the proceeds of a raffle. Tickets will be $2 or $5 for 3 tickets. We are privileged to have Irene Blanck as our guest speaker. Irene is a well-known quilt designer and teacher. She has had a book published and is the designer of the current Quilt Mania Mystery Quilt. Irene will bring a selection of her patterns for us to purchase (cash only) should we wish to do so.
Our June Saturday Sewing Session will be on the 25th and the Paint Chip Challenge entries from EQI members and Kilmore Quilters will be on display. More information will be given in the eNews.
It would be lovely to see more members at the Meetings. It is sometimes difficult for people to get to the Masonic Hall. If you feel you would like to attend but have difficulty with transport, can you please reach out to us, as there are members who are happy to help. Bring a friend and share your enjoyment of EQI!
Regards, Nadine Bond
