Leadership

I grew up watching my Mom work on all kinds of crafts during the 70's and 80's... she is the inspiration and example for all my creative training! (I remember learning how to crochet granny squares; weaving macramé purses; cross-stitching Precious Moments pictures; sewing clothes for 4-H, and using stickers to decorate all my notebooks. In the 90's Mom led me headlong into the world of paper crafting and scrap booking.) 

As adulthood settled upon me and the years advanced, I found that creativity was taking a back seat to all the other responsibilities I had been happily accumulating in life. Therefore, in January of 2017, I joined the Stringtown Quilter's Guild (SQG) with the specific goal of having a monthly excuse to focus on creativity. The members of this Guild are amazingly talented quilters who have been very gracious with their knowledge and experience. I have learned so much at our retreats and monthly meetings. My favorite part is probably the inspiration I receive by seeing their completed projects during the "Show and Tell" portion of our meetings. 

After I joined SQG, I realized what a philanthropic group we are! Each year our Guild chooses a charity to support with our handmade quilts. (Visit that section of our website to see what we've accomplished!) SQG spends all year planning our annual Quilter's Day Out event which serves as an outreach to our community by sharing the folkart of American quilting through displays and demonstrations. In addition to specific quilting projects, we collect money at our meetings each month in order to participate in our host church's food pantry ministry. We try to use our talents and gifts to share with those around us!

Whether you are a novice quilter (like me, just looking for creativity and inspiration) or you are an advanced quilter (like I want to be) and are looking for fresh ideas and opportunities to quilt, we would love to have you join our Guild! Your enthusiasm and experience are welcome!

Hi!  I'm Alesia.  I'm kind of new around the guild.  I grew up just south of here in the Pendleton and Grant county areas. I have lived in this area since I first got married 33 years ago.  My super supportive husband David and I raised our 2 kids Katie and Michael here in Boone County. They are both married and we now have 3 amazing grandkids!     I came to my first meeting in October of 2021 and joined that night.  I felt so welcome and loved the energy of the group.  I was amazed by how involved and supportive everyone was and how much was actually being offered.  I was asked in January if I would be willing to take on the Membership role and accepted.  

Growing up in Northern KY in a family of quilters, sewers, and crafters, its no wonder I do all the things that I do.  My mother and my grandmothers were all so very talented and I wanted to be just like them.  I took my first quilt class from Linda at Cabin Arts in 1993 when I was pregnant with my youngest child.  I didnt get to finish that class - my belly got too big to go up those steps!  But I was hooked.  Back then I thought all quilts had to be hand quilted.  Well, time dictated different and I progressed first to straight line machine quilting, then a sit down long arm, then a full size long arm who this summer got a shiny new computer added on.   I have also branched into machine embroidery and love that too!  Over the years i have gone from making quilts as gifts to making quilts to sell, to quilting other peoples quilts,to teaching others what I love to do.  I think I find the most Joy in sharing my love for quilting and sewing with other people in hopes it brings them joy too.

Happy stitching!!!

I was a member of the guild in 1992, and then took 25 years off while raising 3 sons, Ted, Jack, and Sam.  I rejoined in 2017 and started editing the newsletter in March 2019. My mother taught me to sew as a child, and after many years of arguments, I finished my first quilt, a Cathedral Window.  I finally learned to free motion quilt in Sue Nichols's class with the guild and am trying to make up for the 25 year hiatus. I am a daylily gardener and a retired math teacher. My husband, Philip, and I have been married since 1987.   

As a child growing up, I remember my Grandmother (Nanny) having some kind of needle work in her hands from crocheting, knitting to embroidery. It was common to have afghans and doilies lying around the house, as well as many other handmade items. Though I do not recall seeing Nanny sewing at the machine, there was a coveted cabinet with a Singer sewing machine in the dining room. 

My Mom carried on the traditions, by age 11, I asked my mom to teach me how to sew. I was proud of my first tote bag project, by the time I was in High School I was making all of my own clothes. As an adult, I continued sewing cheerleader uniforms, costumes for my children and church Christmas plays.

I had always wanted to make a quilt, but didn’t know where to start. I took a quilting class at JoAnn Fabrics in 1990 piecing the top with a serger…..when it was time to sandwich the quilt, I was lost and the quilt became a UFO. 

In 2015, I accepted an invitation to attend a Stringtown Quilters Guild meeting and became a member. My first retreat was at Blue Lick State Park, I was ecstatic of the talent that was in the sewing room. The members graciously helped sandwich and pin my 1990 quilt. So much to learn from so many and the willingness to teach is phenomenal! 

Volunteers were needed in the guild so I teamed up with a friend who joined at the same time and we organized our first guild retreat. I thought, “Just this one time.” ….It’s been 6 years later and I am still organizing the retreats and earned the title Retreat Coordinator. 

I truly love making quilts and have been doing so since I joined the guild. 

I would like to extend an invitation to join us for a quilt retreat. I promised you will not regret going!