Alaskan Quilt in Oregon

Tiana sews with big smiles

2010-06-24T20:11:00.000-07:00

Tiana Downin, 6 1/2, begins her sewing journey in Peggy's ACQC basement quilting studio.
Peggy (pseudo-gma) & Kaire (real ma) are so proud.

Soon Tiana will be zipping over those training pages.
Then she can learn quilting and quilting art from
Peggy and mommy. Maybe mommy will sprinkle
her work with pixie dust.

“Have Quilt Will Travel” coming to a show near you

2009-09-20T17:40:00.000-07:00

“Have Quilt Will Travel” isn’t just a play on words from the late 50’s, early 60’s TV show “Have Gun Will Travel.” To quilters of Lebanon, Oregon’s Santiam Scrappers Quilt Guild, it’s spending summer weekends this year, traveling around the Willamette Valley with the guild’s “Quilted Car.” To these hardcore quilters, they are actually living those words!

Creating car quilts is a Willamette Valley thing

The idea to create a true “car quilt” was born when Peggy Christopherson saw a car quilt made by Karen Wells of nearby Jefferson, Oregon. Karen had quilted her PT Cruiser in 2008. She based her quilt on a car in Florida she saw on the Internet.

Taking photos of Karen’s car to a guild meeting in spring 2008, Peggy convinced members that they should make a car quilt for Lebanon. And so it began. The result is now there are 2 quilted cars in Oregon of the 8 to 10 such vehicles in North America.

Springing to life in 2008

The car quilt was made over about 6 months in 2008-2009 by 6 to 8 quilters using 100’s of orphan blocks, batting, backing and binding. All this material came from the entire Guild. The finished cover is “sort of street legal” on a 2005 Honda Odyssey van. At fairs, shows and other events is now takes 5 to10 minutes to get fully “gussied up.”

After they created this cover, they discovered how truly unique it is. Thus they decided to use it to promote quilting, the Guild’s Quilt Show 2009, Oct. 17-18, 2009 and Lebanon in general.

Now it’s a true “traveling quilt”

So now the car and a few guild members travel most weekends to show off the car. By the end of September “Have Quilt Will Travel” will have been in more than 15 parades, quilt festivals, farmers’ markets and fairs. In mid July it spent 4 days at the Linn County Fair and early September, 2 days at the Oregon State Fair. One of its biggest audiences was at the famous Sisters Outdoor Quilt Show in July. Future shows may even include the 2010 SewExpo in Puyallup WA.

“Mommy, it’s neat, ‘cause I got to touch it”

At Sisters, when a mom described the famous Sisters Outdoor Quilt Show to her 5-year-old daughter, she told her, “Quilts would be hung all over. They’d be hung on fences, on building walls and even on roofs.” The little girl then asked if they would be hung over cars, Mommy told her “No” because the cars had to drive away. When they arrived at the show, the little girl was so excited since one of the first things they saw were two quilted cars! She was so thrilled that she got to touch the “Quilted Car!”

A quick, late September trip to Portland

Probably it’s final trip before the October quilt show was to Fabric Depot, a giant fabric store, in Portland. Fabric Depot is well known to quilters and others sewers. On September 19^th just outside the huge store, Peggy and guild members handed out many quilt show bookmarks, guild info and posed for hundreds of cell phone photos.

Men, young and old, see a car quilt different

In Sisters, at the Oregon State Fair and in Portland, guild “travelers” even gave out many “Guess the Number of Blocks” contest blanks. This contest is to guess the number of blocks in the car quilt. The winning guess will be awarded a prize at the October quilt show.

Interestingly, while women are amazed and wonder, “How long did it take,” many men, ask, “How much would it cost to make me one?” Then when they hear that Karen Wells will make a car quilt for a $1,500 donation to her community center, they decide to enter the “Guess the Number of Blocks” contest.

Oregon rains may help other car quilts “grow”

After Santiam Scrappers annual quilt show, “Rock Around the Block” on October 17–18, the quilted car cover will be put away for the Oregon winter. Peggy says, “It will get really heavy when wet and Oregon can be very wet!”

However, these ladies have more plans for future car covers. They are now talking about a “Quilt for the Cure,” promoting breast cancer research, on a Mercedes Convertible. Another idea is to do a scrappy cover on a PT Cruiser and for the men, a Harley “Fat Boy” Motorcycle.

Since there are only about 10 quilted cars in Canada and the US, based on internet research, Santiam Scrappers believe they may make Oregon the “capital” of car quilts, and, “Adding three more will really put us and quilting on the map.” Watch out Rollin Oldies, theses scrappy quilters may soon show up on the car show circuit!

Quilt Show 2009 "Rock Around the Block" Oct 17–18

The 7th annual fall quilt show in Lebanon, Oregon is more quilting and textile art fun for all. It is the last quilt show in Oregon form 2009. Come to the mid-valley and start your holiday quilting.

$250 in Judged Awards—Judged quilts accepted & judged Oct 15
$300 in Other Awards
Entry form deadline: Oct 1, 2009 to get entry info in program.
Late entries accepted up til Show Time, Oct 16.
See http://santiamscrappers.org/quiltShow
Get entry forms everywhere in mid–Valley
At local quilt shops
Lebanon Chamber of Commerce, 1040 S Park, Lebanon
9am-5pm, Mon-Fri, 541-258-7164
On SSQG website http://santiamscrappers.org/quiltShow

Awards-Prizes

14 Door Prize Giveaways
$250 Judged Quilt Awards
$300+Themed Quilt Awards
Gift Raffles

Talks on

Sewing Ergonomics
Oregon Quilt History
Rock ‘n Roll Era Quilts
Quilt Documentation

Featured Quilter

Alice Leisy

Quilts

Heritage
Vintage
Traditional
Art
Crazy
Small Quilt Silent Auction & Buy
Youth (under 17)
Family
Baby
Wearable Art
Old

Classes

Fabric Folding Art
Make a Purse
Dimensional Flowers

More Fun

Scissors Sharpened
Kid's Quilting, Games, Education
Bed Turning
Giant Quilt Block Scrabble Game
Quilted Car Show
Guess Number of Blocks Contest
Portland Lace Society
Project Linus

Come enjoy Quilt Show 2009, Oct 17–18, at Sand Ridge Charter School, 2900 S Main Rd, Lebanon, Oregon. $3 admission fee, Raffle tickets, Gift baggies, Gift Yo-Yos

Who is Luella Allen in 1930s?

2008-12-24T06:53:00.000-08:00

Peggy Christopherson, Mary & Giff Jones and Noel (Moist) Storms look for the jacquard weaver's signature

A FRIENDS HOME IN LEBANON, OREGON, MID-1930'S...Luella Allen found a historic jacquard woven coverlet “at friends home in Lebanon,” in Oregon. In the mid-1930’s Luella gifted it to Kathryn Cornwall Smith.

In 1985, KC Smith passed the coverlet to Giff and Mary Jones for safekeeping. On Saturday, 20 December 2008, the Jones brought this bit of Lebanon’s heritage back home.

Lebanon's heritage... 1840s jacquard woven coverlet
The coverlet may have been woven in the 1840 era in Virginia (West).

According to KC, Luella told her the coverlet, “... came from Virginia over the Oregon Trail with the pioneer Moise family.” Today, it’s believed Moist may be the correct pioneer family instead of Moise.

Who was the Oregon Trail pioneer family?
Who is “Luella Allen?” Was she in the mid-valley?

Was her “friends home in Lebanon” area a Moist family (1845, Oregon Trail)? Or was it a member of other Oregon Trail pioneer families – 1852-McDonalds, 1852-McCullys, Crawfords, or Reeves?

KC Smith... Anyone remember her being up here?
Where was Kathryn Cornwall Smith in Oregon in the mid-1930s? KC was a Californian in her early 30’s up here studying Oregon pioneer history. She became a journalist. Probably born: San Fernando Valley, California, 1906, and died: Goleta-Santa Barbara, California, 1986.

Check the Lebanon's woven coverlet website
For more info, check the website for photos, family trees (Moist, McDonald), and other helpful articles. Or call Peggy or Chris 541-258-1774, at Peggy’s Alaskan Cabbage Patch B&B, 194 S Second St, Lebanon.

Historic Jacquard woven coverlet comes home to Lebanon, Oregon

2008-12-14T14:03:00.000-08:00

Seattle couple donates historic jacquard coverlet to Lebanon
Donation 4pm, Saturday, December 20, 2008

LEBANON, OREGON Saturday, December 20, 4 pm...At a small ceremony, Mr. and Mrs. GT Jones, of Seattle, Washington, will donate a bit of Lebanon's heritage to the Lebanon Museum and community of Lebanon.

For more on how Giff and Mary Jones received the coverlet and planned their gift back home to Lebanon, check out Lebanon's Woven Coverlet on the Alaska Quilt web site.

Came west on the Oregon Trail
It's possible this beautiful coverlet was woven in Virginia in the early 1800's and came west via the Oregon trail in the 1840 to 1850 era.

Joseph Moist, who came to Oregon in 1845 as a young man of 22 or 23, eventually married Elizabeth Jane Ralston in 1849 in Lebanon, Linn county, Oregon territory. In the 1850 census he was listed as a 28 year old farmer and "Jane" was his 22 year old wife.

Jeremiah Ralston, Elizabeth's father, is known as the founder of Lebanon, Oregon.

It is believed Joseph Moist was born in 1822 or 1823 in Juniata/Mifflin county, Pennsylvania. Local historians are seeking more on Joseph's family back in that beautiful farmland country along the Juniata river.

Coverlet used daily—Who brought it west?
Being a historical bit of Lebanon's early pioneer days...This jacquard woven cotton and woolen warp coverlet was likely a staple of everyday use in the early Moist or Ralston or McDonald homes.

Pat Dunn is trying to determine how the coverlet actually arrived in Lebanon. If anyone has any information on the early Joseph Moist family or other local families who married into the Moist line, please respond here or call 541-258-1774.

Display in new Lebanon City Library, July 2009
Lebanon Museum accepts coverlet, may display this bit of Lebanon's heritage
Larry Nelson, board member Lebanon Museum, will accept the woven coverlet on behalf of the entire community.

Eventually the plan is to create an educational display around the coverlet. However, since Lebanon does not have a local museum, it is planned to display in the new Lebanon City Library which is to be opened in July 2009.

There may be a temporary rotating display in such locations as the Santiam Lebanon Community Hospital, the Lebanon Center Linn-Benton Community College, local schools and senior centers. If you have a suggested place to add to this list, please call.

Pat Dunn, another board member and Lebanon historian, who has done major research on the local Moist family, could not come to the ceremony due to a prior engagement—A granddaugher's dance recital up in Portland. ('Course it is well known—All grandmas got to watch all grandkids dance.)

The Lebanon Museum, is an IRS 501(c)(3) organization which accepts, documents and preserves historical items from Lebanon’s immediate area. Their goal is preserving local articles that would otherwise be discarded until a suitable building is acquired.

Moist family members, Lebanon City Librarian, others to be at ceremony
Also representing Lebanon will be: Denise Lee, Lebanon City Librarian; Noel Storms, Renee Wooldridge & Susan Wilson–Moist family descendants; representatives of Scroggin's Mill Rural Heritage Foundation; and possible textile art historians.

The small ceremony will take place in the living room of Peggy's Alaskan Cabbage Patch B&B at 194 S Second St, Lebanon. It is open to the public.

If you are interested, please call Peggy at 541-258-1774.

October 18–19, 2008 Lebanon Quilt Show Great Success

2008-11-18T22:29:00.000-08:00

LEBANON, OREGON November 18...The Santiam Scrappers Quilt Guild (SSQG) Post Show Evaluation Report tells, in almost academic detail, how the show was a major success.
However it was people’s comments that told the true tale. As Guild President Peggy Christopherson says, “Everyone had real positive, good words about the show.” According to her, attendees, tourists and locals alike, said, “It’s alive,” “It has so many things to see and do,” “There’s fun galore and lots of beautiful quilts to see.”

Big benefits: Tripled attendance, Increased local business, New promotion of Lebanon as place to come
These were three major changes detailed by the report.

This 2008 show had over 360 folks who paid a small fee at the door. This was a big contrast to last year’s attendance of just over 100.

New marketing campaign promoted quilt show and Lebanon
One of the major factors in this increase was an advertising campaign in the Democrat-Herald newspaper and on KGAL radio station. This ad program was a direct result of a $500 touristm-marketing grant from the Lebanon Tourism Board (in Lebanon Area Chamber of Commerce) and additional monies from the quilting guild budget.

Bigger show space brought more visitors
The larger venue with more parking, food service, and more show and activity space was a second big factor.

The bigger show floor (Sand Ridge Charter School gym) allowed the public to enter quilts in the show.
Plus 180 quilts were hung, almost double the number hung last year. Of this 180, 106 were bed quilts, art quilts, wall hangings, and lap size quilts made by 23 guild members and 13 non-members—kids made five of the 13 public quilts.
Another 39 were community service quilts made by guild members. These quilts are donated to support groups such as—ABC House, Shop With A Cop, FISH, Camp Attitude and Lebanon Community Health Clinic.
Additionally 40 small, wall hanging quilts were donated by guild members for the silent auction and sale.
With this bigger location they also created quilting and sewing vignettes, adding variety to the show and giving all a lot more to see.

More vendors, speakers, and fun things to do
Plus there were 10 vendors, quilting and sewing demos, space for kids quilting games, and a big, 9 square foot, Super-sized Quilt Block Scrabble game board.
Speakers on liturgical and historical quilting were able to give their talks on the gym stage. More space allowed the showing of over a dozen quilting and sewing vignettes scattered throughout the room.

Food service, provided by Sand Ridge school, and lots of nearby, off-street parking were also big pluses.

Having the larger space, Santiam Scappers Guild invited community quilters, local textile artists, and children to be a part of the show. Previously the show was only of quilts made by guild members.

Bigger space means a more varied, larger show in 2009
In October 2009, with this large space, the guild plans to have more non-guild quilts and textile art on display. They plan to invite quilters from area senior centers, churches, schools, and quilt shops. Also the plan is to have a wider variety of textile artists, quilters, and sewers doing demonstrations and possibly even some workshops.

Possibly there will be historical, family, and heritage quilts and items like the Moist family jacquard woven coverlet from the 1840–1850 era.

Quilt show brought more business to Lebanon
The increased business in Lebanon as a result of the show was noted in the Post Show Evaluation Report. This is a list of those benefits to Lebanon.
• Several local businesses indicated their business was increased during the quilt show.
• Finally Together Quilt Shop was packed—Literally—Saturday afternoon one could hardly walk in the shop.
• Restaurants had additional business.
• Lebanon’s only B&B had 5 room-nights with guests from Portland and England. The English guest, a quilter, came from Torquay, Devon—the English Rivera—to Lebanon specifically to see the show.
• Local motel business—At least two quilt show speakers stayed in a local motel. Probably some vendors also stayed in local motels.
• Outsiders shop locally—All speakers, vendors & others shopped or ate locally.
• Sand Ridge Charter School made money from facility rental and food sales.

Drew visitors from outside town and locally, also promoted Lebanon as a place to come
The marketing campaign, the bigger location, and bigger event—speakers, vendors and new activities drew many new local and non-local visitors. As the Guild’s most successful quilt show in 6 years, this helped promote Lebanon as a new place to come for quilting, textile art.

This show and promotion has not yet made Lebanon the “Sisters, Oregon” quilt show place in the Willamette Valley, but it’s a start.

Need more quilted cars —possibly next year
Although it may not have brought more business to Lebanon or increased attendance at the show, Peggy Christopherson’s big Honda Odyssey van was the only quilted car at the show. Many visitors walked ‘round the car and took a bunch of photos.

Peggy and other guild members created a true quilted cover for the van. Members donated orphan quilt blocks, batting and backing that they sewed together and quilted. The blocks were pieced into a form fitting cover for the car. Windows are covered with see-through screening and there are headlight openings so the quilted car is a legal driving quilt. This is only the second known quilted car here in the valley. A group in Jefferson quilted a PT Cruiser earlier this year.

Maybe the 2009 Lebanon Quilt Show will have a display and competition for quilted cars.

Do you think a quilted car drag would draw more visitors?

Planning underway for 2009 Lebanon Quilt Show
Guild members are already planning for next year’s show. Preliminary working plans include: Increased promotion—ads, PSA, radio and possibly TV announcements plus flyers and brochures; more and a wider variety of vendors; more workshops, and demos; inviting more non-guild quilters and textile artists; increased schedule of children’s quilt classes during the year and encouraging them to enter their quilts in the show; and more show activities and events in more rooms at the school.

They have already scheduled more speakers & stage events—three lecturers are already lined up to make these presentations—The History of The Sewing Machine, “From Saint to Singer”; a lecture by a Salem chiropractor and ergonomic expert; and quilt historian Amelia Endorf will be back to present additional lectures. Amelia will offer a documentation session for quilt owners.
Finally the show will solicit entries from all the textile arts—weaving, surface design, quilting, needlework, basketry, fiber, sculpture, knitting, papermaking, and wearable art.

Lebanon’s 2008 Quilt Show was a wonderful success
It increased local business, expanded quilter and textile artists’ showcases, and broadened interest in the textile arts in Lebanon. These are just 3 big benefits of an expanded annual Santiam Scrappers Quilt Guild annual quilt show.

Putting on a quilt show is a lot of work. But there are also many benefits. Linn County’s quilters and textile artists have a great, new place to show off their work. Lebanon and the community benefits from increased business.

Finally, it added a new promotion to a new market for coming to Lebanon, Oregon to have fun and stay over a weekend.

Future possibility—new annual, expanded Lebanon tourism event
Lebanon is only 90 miles from Sisters, Oregon, which has a one-day quilt show every year, which attracts 20-30,000 people. Think what that does for their community! We aren’t there yet, but anything is possible with hard work and support from the community.

Quilt Block Scrabble is in Lebanon this weekend

2008-10-12T22:42:00.000-07:00

LEBANON, OREGON October 12, 2008...The annul quilt show in Lebanon is definitely “Quilting Outside the Box.” This weekend the show will become famous with quilters playing the very first ever game of Quilt Block Scrabble. While it is not going to be as famous as the Sister s’ Quilt Show, this year the local show is trying to bring more tourists to Lebanon.

The 6th annual quilt show —which will feature more than 100 quilts along with quilting and other textile arts fun is from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday and Sunday at the gym of the Sand Ridge Charter School, 2900 S. Main Road, Lebanon. Admission is $2 and all guests receive a yo yo flower pin. Proceeds benefit the Santiam Scrappers Quilt Guild and their community service projects.

Quilt Block Scrabble game
Heading up the Quilt Block Scrabble game and possible team competition is Peggy Christopherson. She is the Santiam Scrappers Quilt Guild president.

Peggy has organized quilting and textile arts games and events since the late 1990’s, when she lived in Delta Junction in interior Alaska. At a Delta Junction quilting retreat, Peggy and her quilting sister, Dawn Grossmann, organized a quilt block mystery game. Quilters had to read a set of fictional letters and guess which quilt blocks were described therein. The letters were supposedly written in 1920 by a young woman who was traveling with her new husband to the gold fields in Fairbanks, Alaska.

Super Scrabble-sized, quilted board
Peggy says such games make the quilt show much more fun and give folks more to do. “It makes a quilt show more like a festival or a fair,” she said. “This years show is in a bigger space and we have much more for other textile artists and visitors to see and do,” she continued.

Quilt Block Scrabble is to be played on a Super Scrabble-sized board. Peggy described the game, “It’s a big quilted board on the wall with 21x21 or 441 squares vs. the standard 15x15 or 225 squares. Players add quilt block names which are then verified as one of the 4,000 quilt block names in Barbara Brackman’s book—Encyclopedia of Pieced Quilt Patterns.”

Winners will include a player drawing, chosen from all players, and a “Top Block (word)smith,” the player with the most points.

“Quilting Outside the Box” plus traditional textile art fun
The show will also feature other “Quilting Outside the Box” and textile art activities. This year will have many vendors, a number of unique quilting vignettes and art quilts. Peggy said the addition of public, heritage and family quilts plus a quilted van is also new.

The shows traditional fun happenings are a small quilt silent auction and sale, quilting games, and children’s quilting—I Spy and Make a Block. Also there are quilting bed turnings, textile arts demos, and talks on historical and liturgical quilting. Plus there is a quilt and crafts flea market and a holiday boutique.

We want more tourists and visitors to enjoy Lebanon
Peggy concluded, “The Quilting Outside the Box quilt show is making a big attempt to bring more visitors to enjoy the fun and sense of community that is growing anew in Lebanon.”

For more information, call Peggy at 541-451-4910 or visit www.santiamscrppers.org.

Quilting Outside the Box: What is it?

2008-09-25T17:03:00.001-07:00

SOUTH LEBANON, OREGON, September 25, 2008... What is Quilting Outside the Box?

Is it art quilting?
Is it art quilting, surface design, wearable arts, mixed media, embellished quilting, crazy quilting, beading, silk ribbon work, and fabric painting—to mention a few?

Is it Quilt Block Scrabble?
Is it a modified Super Scrabble game played on a 7 foot quilted board — 21 x 21 squares = 441 vs. standard 225 — with additional quadruple word and quadruple letter scoring blocks in the outer 3 rows/column and played with quilt pattern names as found only in Barbara Brackman’s Encyclopedia Of Pieced Quilt Patterns?

Such a game which might be played by any quilter or quilter-wanabe who pays one dollar for each word and then has the chance to win at least one or two prizes — A drawing from all the word tickets in the game basket or the overall Quilt Block Scrabble word total points?

Or might it even be a quilter team competition game played almost like a real scrabble game?

Is it a real Car Quilt?
Is it a 2005 Honda Odyssey van covered in a real quilt made by a bunch of slightly crazy quilting ladies?

Is it a series of vignettes depicting “Quilting Outside the Box”?
Is it displays of non-traditional quilting and unique ideas among the quilts in a traditional quilt guild annual quilt show?

Is it textile artists and handcrafters?
Is it quilters, sewers, weavers, spinners, tablet weavers, lace-makers, felters, yarn-makers, fabric painters, dyers, knitters, crocheters, tailors, rug weavers & hookers, lucetiers, macramérs, decorative braiders & tasselers, beaders, spinners, machine embroiders, knitters, dress makers, hand embroiders, appliquéers, tatterers, tapestry artists, or other folks doing arts and crafts using plant, animal, or synthetic fibers to construct practical or decorative objects?
Is it such artists doing demos or such product vendors?

Or is it the 6th Annual Santiam Scrappers Quilt Guild Quilt Show, October 18–19, Saturday–Sunday, 10am to 5pm in the gym at Sand Ridge Charter School, 2900 South Main Rd, Lebanon?
Is it a show with public and guild quilts, plus heritage or just real old quilts, with other fun quilting and sewing demos, talks, shows, prizes, sales, and games?

YES, SI, OUI, JA, DA, AYE, YEAH — That’s “Quilting Outside the Box” in Lebanon, Oregon October 18–19.

Wanted—Quilting & Textile Art Vendors

Vendor fee—$25 for 2 days
Vendors receive–"Outside the Box" box lunch
Deadline—October 1, 2008

Wanted—Demos by quilters & textile artists
Artists & Artisans Like—

Deadline—October 1, 2008

Contact

Peggy Christopherson
Call 541-451-4910, Cell 541-409-0740
Email—quilterpeg@peak.org

Wanted—Quilts—Family, heritage, art, used, friends, new, old—For Display in the Quilt Show

Wanted quilts from your families, friends, church groups, senior centers, quilt shops, guilds & schools.
Wanted quilts old, new, bed, baby, lap, heritage, newly made, art, traditional, well made, children’s & art.
Wanted quilts from Linn, Polk, Benton, Lincoln, Marion & Lane Counties. Even all the rest of Oregon & Idaho, Alaska, B.C., California or Washington.
Contact—Peggy Christopherson
Deadline—October 13, 2008

What’s happening at “Quilting Outside the Box”? You might ask
The fall show will answer that question with these Fun things to see and do —

Quilting vignettes
Art quilts
Strawberry quilting bee
Liturgical quilting lecture
Kid quilters & quilting games
A quilted car
Guild quilters show their visions of “Quilting Outside the Box” in a challenge competition
80 to 120 handmade family, art and heritage quilts
Small quilt silent auction sale
Vendors
Artists demos—Quilting, sewing & textile art
Bed turning
Historical quilting talk

You can be part of the fun by—

Vote for People‚s Choice Quilts
Watch quilting demos
Even take fun quilting tests

You can sit at the show & see—

Bed turnings
Quilting & textile art demos
Quilting & sewing talks, and
Even have a bit of tea & crumpets

It's cheap quilting & textile art fun

Daily admission is $2
Guests get a small gift
Buy a "Sew Scrumptious" guild cookbook
Get a copy of the show poster signed by the artist

Children have fun too

Do kid quilting
Play children's sewing games
Do Quilting I Spy

"Quilting Outside the Box" is—

Santiam Scrappers Quilt Guild
6th Annual Fall Quilt Show
Lebanon, Oregon
October 18-19, Saturday–Sunday, 10am-5pm
In the gym at Sand Ridge Charter School, 2900 S Main Road, Lebanon, Oregon

Check the guild website for event schedules

http://www.santiamscrappers.org or
Call Peggy Christopherson
541-451-4910, Cell 541-409-0740
Email—quilterpeg@peak.org

Come Quilting Outside the Box

2008-08-29T22:32:00.000-07:00

COME--Quilt Outside the Box
In the Box [Married 45 years] in Lebanon, Oregon, August 29, 2008...“What’s Quilting Outside the Box?” you might ask.

Actually it’s the Santiam Scrappers Quilt Guild 2008 annual quilt show on October 18 and 19. The fall show will answer that question with unique quilting vignettes, art quilts, a strawberry quilting bee, a liturgical quilting lecture, kid quilters and a quilted car. Guild quilters also show their visions of “quilting outside the box” in a challenge competition.

HAVE LOTSA FUN--Outside the Box
All this “outside the box” quilting and sewing fun will be Saturday–Sunday, October 18–19 from 10am to 5pm in the gymnasium, at the Sand Ridge Charter School, 2900 S Main Road, Lebanon.
Of course the show will have more traditional events such as 80 to 120 handmade family, art and heritage quilts, and a silent quilt auction. New this year will be a number of quilting, sewing and textile artists and vendors.

WANTED--Quilts from the Public
“We want quilts from area church groups, schools, and individuals,” said Peggy Christopherson, guild president. “Anybody who wants to show his or her quilts should contact us by October 1st,” she continued.

GUESTS HAVE FUN--Guests Are Part of the Show Fun
They can vote for the people’s choice quilt awards and watch various quilting demos and even take fun quilting tests. Children can to do a bit of kid quilting or play children’s sewing games.
Rather than just walking through the displays of quilts, wall hangings and wearable art, guests can sit for scheduled bed turnings, quilting and textile art demos, and even have a bit of tea and crumpets. Check the guild website for the schedules of these events.

WANTED--Textile Art or Related Vendors and Demos
Vendor space is limited; however if there are vendors who want to be at the show, please contact Peggy Christopherson/ Peggy is the quilt show chairperson and can be reached at 541-451-4910, cell 541-409-0740 or email at ACQC@alaskaquilt.com or quilterpeg@peak.org.

Also want textile artists to do demos and show folks their art.

IT'S REALLY CHEAP FUN--Come to the Show
This show has a daily $2 admission charge and runs from 10am to 5pm, Saturday and Sunday, October 18 and 19.

There is a small gift for all attendees, you can buy a special “Sew Scrumptious” cookbook and get a copy of the show poster, signed by the artist.

SEE ALL THIS STUFF--Show Features

Quilting, Textile Art Vendors
Quilting Demos
Textile-Fiber Art Demos
Unique Quilting Vignettes
Public & Guild Quilts
Unique Quilting Vignettes
Art Quilts
Strawberry Quilting Bee
Liturgical Quilting Talk
Small Quilt Silent Auctin & Sale
Kids Quilting & Games
Quilted Car
Bed Turnings
Historical Quilting Talk
Afternoon Tea

“Quilting Outside the Box” — 6th Annual Fall Quilt Show in Lebanon, Oregon
October 18-19, Saturday-Sunday, 10am-5pm, in the gymnasium, at Lebanon Sand Ridge Charter School, 2900 S Main Road, Lebanon, Oregon. Free, off street parking.

–30–

What is main purpose of quilt guild website?

2007-11-20T15:59:00.000-08:00

LEBANON, OREGON, November 20... Surfing quilt guild websites, one finds quite a range of ideas & non-ideas. This leads to the question — What is a good set of reasons & designs for a good quilt guild site?

Most quilt guild front pages you always skip
Many sites have front pages that are static. They don’t really serve any function.

In contrast — E-commerce sites, news sites & similar sites have proactive front pages.

Front pages need newsy info designed to attract public
Look at big quilt shows (Sewing and Stitchery Expo ), flower shows (Philadelphia Flower Show), fair websites — Their front pages have news, frequently updated information, interesting photos & 1 click to helpful stuff.

Some guild sites have such features — They serve members proactively and offer "hooks" to attract non-members.

Some quilt guild front pages help members, public
St. Andrews Bay Quilt Guild has some proactive member & non-member attraction aspects.

SABQG front page offers recently updated news items, info

Next meeting date, time, location & potluck lunch
List of update dates & what's updated
Direct link to latest newsletter
BOM thumbnail graphic link
President's "Head shot"

SABQG has 1 click to other active pages

Member services
Scrapbook page... Photos text —Shows they are a fun guild!
Calendar has photos of quilters
Meeting location map
Quilt show... Photos, list of winners, preview of next show, entry forms... More than just poster

Front page — Guild’s best chance & place to help & attract members & non-members

Why a front page saying, in a static message, “Welcome to our guild”?
Why a front-page with no new info?
Why a front-page with more than 2 clicks to find where, when, what & who is the next meeting?
Why not What? — Headline* main meeting program, agenda item, fun activity
Why not Who? — Headline* program quilting speaker & topic

*Headline NOT label — Gudrun Johansdottir shows Spoon Licker: 13 Elves styles of Icelandic Christmas quilts — NOT— December Show & Tell by Gudrun Johansdottir

Why not update front page at least monthly?
Even a small guild website is updated monthly — At a minimum guild newsletters are added monthly. When your Webmaster does that quick FTP — Add 3 to 5 other quick updates...

Put newsletter update date on website front page
Put 1 or 2 main newsletter headlines on website front page
Link both directly to newsletter
Add photo of most recent guild Show & Tell
Photos of recent youth class quilts

Why have a guild website?
In many cases a guild board or publicity committee needs to decide what is the mission or purpose of the guild’s website.

If you don’t have a guild website mission or purpose — Why have a guild website?

What are 10 main purposes, functions, missions of a quilt guild website?

Stimulate guild activities?... Active stimulating? Or just source of links?
Reference for members?... Bylaws? Members list & contacts? Routine, scheduled updates?
Guild news for members?... On front page? More frequent than newsletter?
Attract new members? ... News/photos on front page?
E-commerce for guild?... Cookbook sales? Community service? Guild specials?
Place for guild talk?... Forums or blogs? Past BOM source?
Place for guild photos?
Newsletter source?... Link directly to latest newsletter? Newsletter headlines?
Guild promotion?... Quilt show posters? Quilt show PR? Meeting program PR? Guild classes PR? Guild community service promotion?
Guild calendar?
Website committee?
Share guild photos?
Guild members post quilt related articles, tips, info?
Share guild BOM, patterns, recipes?
Updated regularly?
Guild contact source?
Next meeting date, time, location & potluck lunch on front page?
List of website update dates & what's updated on front page?
Direct link to latest newsletter on front page?
BOM thumbnail graphic link on front page?
President's "Head shot" on front page?
Member services pages?
Scrapbook page?... Photos text —Shows they are fun!
Calendar has photos of quilters?
Meeting location map?
Quilt show info?... Photos, list of winners, preview of next show, entry forms... More than just poster
Guild meeting notices & details?... Date, Time, Featured program/speaker, main agenda item?
Show off work of our talented, award winning quilters?
Lists of guild quilt show winners?
Guild budget?
Guild bylaws?
Quilt show forms?
Public guild info?... Meeting minutes, etc.
Promote self-confidence & skills of beginning guild quilters?
Showcase (i.e. YouTube, MyFace) for youth quilters?
Give non-quilting public exposure to & info about guild?
Educate quilting & non-quilting public about quilting?
Show public our commitment & level of community service?
Promote to public guild events & activities?
Seek public input on future guild activities & events?
Initiate discussions on guild activities?... Like comments on blogs, forums, newspaper articles
News for guild members
Reference for guild members
Attract new members
Promotion of guild events & activities
Educate public about guild
Educate public about quilting
Link to guild newsletters
Please post your ideas of most important purposes

Thanks Chris (Peggy's husband)

2007 Quilt Show Over, Countdown to Christmas Begins

2007-10-22T23:24:00.000-07:00

Great new quilt show needs more planning, more publicity

LEBANON, OREGON, October 22, 2007...Its a relief to have the 2007 Santiam Scrappers Quilt Show behind us.

Bigger Show But Less People
But I was really disappointed at the turnout. We had so many beautiful quilts and only about half of our usual attendance (never very good any year). But those who did attend really enjoyed seeing the quilts! We have some really talented people in our guild!

New Location Needs More Planning
We were at a new location this year and it seemed to take forever to figure out how to display everything to the best advantage. But it all came together and only took us over 5 hours. I am so grateful that so many members showed up to help. It made such a difference to have enough room to properly hang the quilts.

Guild Needs Publicist Promoting Guild Shows, Events
We now hold enough sizable events and activities that we need to add a publicist to our board. It should be someone with a liking and a talent for writing.

Quilts pulled off walls, put back on beds—It’s Lebanon’s Bed Turning

2007-06-12T22:17:00.000-07:00

LEBANON, OREGON, JUNE 23… In a year of quilt shows, Lebanon’s Santiam Scrappers Quilt Guild presents a new mid-summer event. It’s an old-time quilting tradition–a Bed Turning. Several quilts are layered on top of one another. As each quilt is turned back, it reveals another beautiful pattern. You’ll see antique and family quilts as they were meant to be seen--on a bed. As you view each handcrafted quilt, you’ll hear stories behind the quilts. Stories of quilters’ lives, quilting techniques and skills used to sew these coverlets of cloth and comfort.

The June 23rd Quilt Bed Turning, Mini Show and Sale is from 10am to 5pm at Santiam Place, 139 S Main St, Lebanon. Scheduled bed turnings are in the garden at 10:30am, 12noon, 1pm, 2pm, 3pm and 4pm. Stop by any time for questions and turnings. Admission is free with small gifts and seating provided. Also there are quilting demos and art quilts for sale.

The quilt show is part of an Antiques and Yard Art Sale. It’s all outdoors—Santiam Place’s gardens are filled with vintage, heritage antiques and older collectables. Vendors and food sales are sprinkled in the backyard gardens. Contact Sally Skaggs, 541 259-4255 for vendor information or http://santiamplace.com.

Quilts are a big part of Linn County’s long heritage
2007 is a year of quilt shows and events for Linn County and Santiam Scrappers Quilt Guild. They just finished working with the Lebanon and Fern Ridge Garden Clubs to add a quilt show to the 98th Strawberry Festival Flower Show. Upcoming quilt shows and events include:

June 15–17, 2007 — Quilt and Fiber Arts Show, Linn County Pioneer Picnic, Brownsville, Oregon — For 120 years, Brownsville has held Linn County’s Pioneer Picnic. This tradition of celebrating Oregon heritage continues at the Quilt and Fiber Arts Show in Pioneer Park this weekend, sponsored by the Brownsville Friends of the Library. You will enjoy beautiful handiwork of vintage and new quilts and other fiber arts on display in the Community Arts Building at Pioneer Park, Noon-6pm Friday and Saturday, and 11am-3pm Sunday. Come vote for your favorite display. This year there are afternoon demos by lace makers. Friday demos are by Mid-Willamette Valley Tatters from 1pm–4pm. On Saturday, it’s Oregon Trail (Bobbin) Lacemakers from 1pm–4pm. Hardanger (Norwegian Drawn Work) whitework-embroidery demos are Sunday from 1pm–3pm.

June 15-16, 2007 — Fiber Arts Show at Living Rock Studio, Brownsville, Oregon — Spinning, needle felting, and tapestry weaving demos are 10am–5pm at Living Rock Studio on Highway 228 in Brownsville. Many beautiful tapestries on exhibit and Oregon’s largest painted canvas ceiling, “The Tree of Life.”

June 23, 2007 — Bed Turning, Lebanon, Oregon — The Quilt Bed Turning, Mini Show and Sale is from 10am to 5pm at Santiam Place, 139 S Main St, Lebanon. Scheduled bed turnings are in the garden at 10:30am, 12noon, 1pm, 2pm, 3pm and 4pm.

July 19–22, 2007 — Linn County Fair, Albany, Oregon — Santiam Scrappers has quilting demos plus displays of guild community service comfort quilts. Guild quilters are working on their own projects, plus answering quilting and sewing questions and talking about quilting. Children and adults can do quilt projects and play quilting games. All this quilting fun is in the main exhibit hall at the Santiam Scrappers demo table in the quilting exhibit area. Quilting demos daily 11am–7pm.

July 26–28 — “Riding the Dream” Albany Quilts Downtown — Albany’s annual downtown quilt show has quilts displayed in store and business windows throughout downtown. A raffle quilt, a viewer’s choice award and more quilting activities let you “Ride the Dream”. Santiam Scrappers participate in this event.

September — Quilt County, Benton County — A biennial community exhibit of quilts throughout Benton County venues in Corvallis and Philomath. Lebanon’s quilters display quilts at the Corvallis Library.

October 19–20 — 5th Annual Santiam Scrappers Quilt Show — This big quilt show is really a small town quilt show with over 80 locally made quilts. Lebanon’s modern heritage is on display in baby and bed quilts, wall hangings, and guild fabric challenges—bowls, wearables, wall hangings, lap quilts, table runners, and pillows. Annual guild challenge quilts are featured. About 20 small art quilts are in the Small Quilt Silent Auction. They are in many favorite styles and are great as gifts and collectables showing old-fashioned, handcrafted workmanship. Guild quilters also have quilting demos and interactive quilting games for adults and youth. The show is daily 10am to 5pm in St Martin’s Episcopal Church, 1461 Grove St, corner Milton & Williams Sts, Lebanon. Admission donation. Contact Peggy Christopherson, 541-451-4910, quilterpeg@peak.org, for information about these shows or other local quilting events.

Santiam Scrappers Quilt Guild is one of Linn County’s larger quilting bee groups
The Santiam Scrappers Quilt Guild is based in Lebanon with members from cities in Linn and Benton Counties. Guild meetings are monthly on the 1st Tuesday, 7pm. Meetings are in St Martin’s Episcopal Church, 1461 Grove St, corner Milton & Williams Sts, in Lebanon Oregon. The public is welcomed and when you come, please bring your family and heritage quilts for Show & Tell. Guild members love to see your special quilts.

Quilting bees are held weekly to make community service quilts and other quilting projects. Classes and retreats are also part of Guild fun. Santiam Scrappers began in 2002 and now has about 50 local members. The guild website is http://www.santiamscrappers.org.

For Quilt Show information, contact Peggy Christopherson, 541-451-4910, quilterpeg@peak.org

Best Listing of Oregon Quilt Shows, Events

2007-04-25T19:08:00.000-07:00

EUGENE, OREGON — For the best listing of quilt shows & related events in Oregon (and a few nearby states), check out the Emerald Valley Quilters website.

Cindy Dietrich is doing a great job keeping all these fun quilting (and related) activities listed in the Emerald Valley Quilters web calendar.

Cindy is EVQ's webmaster, and a fine master and commander she is! Keep up the great work Cindy!

BTW Emerald Valley Quilters live down in the fabled land of ducks, in and around Eugene, Oregon. Occasionally, they allow smaller beavers to quilt with them.

“Another Bloomin’ Quilt Show” at Tom’s Garden Center on Mother’s Day Weekend

2007-04-24T13:53:00.000-07:00

“Another Bloomin’ Quilt Show” at Tom’s Garden Center on Mother’s Day Weekend
NORTH ALBANY, OREGON, MAY 12–13, 2007 — Mother’s Day quilts and blooms at Tom’s Garden Center offer an incredible range of color to brighten Mother’s Day weekend for gardeners, quilters, and most of all, Mothers. The Second Annual “Another Bloomin’ Quilt Show” will decorate Tom’s Garden Center in North Albany with over 40 handmade quilts. During the show, these quilts, made by Santiam Scrappers Quilt Guild of Lebanon, will complement Tom’s flowers and plants in the main hall. Flowers and quilts of almost every color and size will be there.

The public is invited to view the quilts hung among Tom’s beautiful flowers and plants on Saturday, May 12, 7:30 AM to 7:30 PM and Sunday, May 13, 9 AM to 5 PM. The second “Another Bloomin’ Quilt Show” is presented by Santiam Scrappers Quilt Guild. Tom’s Garden Center, at 350 NW Hickory St, North Albany, is just across the river from downtown Albany.

“Another Bloomin’ Quilt Show” Has Colorful Mother’s Day Gifts, Flowers, Plants, Quilts
As you search for your Mother’s Day gifts to enhance your homes and gardens, look at the small, wall hanging quilts for sale. Other, larger quilts are for display only. Quilt Guild quilters will be on hand during the show. They will be doing quilting and sewing demos and try to answer all your questions about quilting.

While viewing the quilts, please stop at the guild table and cast your vote for the “Best of Show” quilt. Your vote will also enter you in the drawing for a special Mother’s Day prize. On Mother’s Day the first 100 guests to stop at the Guild table will receive a special Mother’s Day gift.

Do Santiam Scrappers Like Blooms & Quilts Too Much?
The Santiam Scrappers Quilt Guild is based in Lebanon with members from cities in Linn and Benton Counties. Guild meetings are held monthly on the 1st Tuesday, 7 PM. Meeting location is St Martin’s Episcopal Church, 1461 Grove St, corner Milton & Williams Sts, in Lebanon Oregon. The public is welcomed at the meetings. When you come, you are encouraged to bring quilts for Show & Tell. Guild members love to see your work or family quilts.

In addition to monthly meetings, there are weekly quilting bees making community service quilts. Classes and retreats are also part of recent Guild fun. The Guild began in 2002 and presently has about 50 members from cities in Linn and Benton Counties. The guild website is http://www.santiamscrappers.org.

PUBLIC VIEWING
May 12, Saturday 7:30 AM–7:30 PM, May 13, Sunday 9 AM–5 PM

CONTACTS
For Quilt Show information, contact Peggy Christopherson, 541-451-4910, quilterpeg@peak.org, or Marina Rosario, 541-259-4633, appliquegoddess@yahoo.com.

What I Like about Santiam Scrappers Quilt Guild

2007-04-23T23:21:00.000-07:00

By Peggy Christopherson

In 2002 a few quilters here in Lebanon helped me convince about twenty other quilters of the benefits in forming a quilting guild. Thus, the Santiam Scrappers Quilting Guild was created.

I really like doing quilting things with other quilters. When I moved here I didn’t know even one person. So I stopped by the local quilt shop! I knew I would be able to meet other quilters who would eventually become good friends. And that’s exactly what happened!

Some of the Santiam Scrappers activities I really enjoy are...
...Meeting and talking with other local quilters daily, weekly, and monthly,
...Seeing all the skill and pride that comes in our “Show and Tells,”
...Showing our guild quilts at shows, fairs, retirement homes, and Safeway,
...Going on retreats, to shows, and on trips with quilter friends (Yes that includes fabric shopping trips and Quilter’s Safari),
...Doing community service quilts and giving them to people in need of the comfort and physical warmth of a quilt,
...Educating young and old about the history, fun, and heritage of quilting, plus learning about textiles, colors, patterns, and so much more.

I have pushed the guild to participate in doing quilt shows. I am so impressed with the talent of our members, young and old, (we aren’t old, just older!) beginners and experienced, that I want others to see what we are doing.

I think it is so important to do these shows to educate people. We have to teach people why a quilt isn’t just another blanket!

We are also the driving force in creating new quilters. So now I’m pushing us to add quilts to other events such as The Strawberry Festival Flower Show, the Bed Turning at the Antique and Yard Art Sale, and to continue with our quilt show at Tom’s Garden Center. These kinds of venues are where we generate interest in those not already interested.

Lately, there have been negative comments, a lack of participation in mini programs/classes and 3rd Saturdays and a bit of dissension in guild activities. These negative things can remove so much of the fun of quilting with guild quilters.

So, now let’s not think about the negative but talk to the whole about how we can make things better.

We create a beautiful thing from bits and pieces of fabric. So lets continue to create a wonderful guild from the bits and pieces of our experiences and expectations. I really love quilting with everyone in our guild, so this is why I hope we can continue to grow and expand.

I really hope...
...We can get more members,
...Raise more money for more classes,
...Do more comfort quilts for people in our towns and villages, and
...Have so much more fun sharing our love of quilting.

Lets all concentrate on keeping the guild fun, growing, generous, and active in the community, the valley and the quilting world. I sincerely hope we can continue to grow the Santiam Scrappers Quilt Guild.

I really hope we that together we can move on into a future of having even more quilting fun.

Do Quilters Like Quilt Shows?

2007-04-23T22:10:00.000-07:00

MID-VALLEY, OREGON — Quilting has a long, strong heritage of family quilting, quilting bees, and quilting frames (with little girls sitting “underneath the quilting frame at grandma’s house.”)

Nowadays the little girl may be sitting beneath the frame singing to her iPod, but there are still quiltings, quilting bees and quilting frames.

As all these quilts accumulate, some go in the baby’s crib, others hang on the sewing room walls, and some even are used as bed covers.

In the past five years Peggy has made a quilt for all six of our grandchildren—even Carter, our only grandson. We have quilts on our bed and down on Dane’s bed. She has even made appropriate quilts for our B&B suites upstairs. Our den has at least three wall quilts!

Yet with all these quilts "showing" on walls and on beds, Peggy likes to put her quilts in a real quilt show.

It's clear there are many other quilters who like to share their work with others. From “Show & Tells” at monthly guild meetings, to the annual guild quilt show, Peggy and many other quilters like to show their quilts.

In 2007, the Santiam Scrappers Quilt Guild is involved in a large number of quilt shows, quilt hangings, and quilt bed turnings.

Here is a list of Santiam Scrapper's...
“Quilting Fun in Linn–Benton.”

—Monthly guild meeting—On the 1st Tuesday there is a “Show & Tell” during the meeting. They meet at 7 PM in St Martin’s Episcopal Church at 1461 Grove St in Lebanon.

—May 12–13 —Another Bloomin’ Quilt Show
Tom’s Garden Center, 350 Hickory NW, North Albany, Saturday 7:30 AM–7:30 PM, Sunday 9 AM–5 PM

—June 1–2 —Strawberry Festival Flower Show Adds Quilts, Art
Quilts from SSQG & Local Art. Evangelical Church Annex, 75 E Ash St, downtown Lebanon. Friday 1 PM–4:30 PM, Saturday 12 Noon–4:30 PM.

—June 23 —Quilt Bed Turning & Mini Show, Sale
Antique & Yard Art Sale, Santiam Place, 139 S Main St, Lebanon. 10 AM–5 PM

—July 19–22 —Linn County Fair, Albany
Enter your Quilts! Quilting Demos, Bed Turning?

—July 26–28 —Albany Quilts Downtown Quilt Show
Santiam Scrappers invited to participate

—September —Quilt County, Benton County
SSQG Displaying Quilts at Corvallis Library

—October 19–20—Santiam Scrappers Quilt Show
Episcopal Church, Lebanon. 10 AM–5 PM

—Mary’s River Quilt Guild, Meeting: Monthly–Last Thursday 7:15 PM, 2nd floor, Benton County Historical Museum. 1101 Main St, Philomath

If you know of any other quilt happenings this year here in the mid-Valley, please tell us. Tell us so we can tell other local quilters… Because as you know…
“Quilters Do Like Quilt Shows!”

PS… We even have kind of a patchwork dog pillow. However you can be assured it’s not going to be in a quilt show!

Would you come to “Blooms & Threads”– A fun, 3-day Flower & Quilt Show in Lebanon, Oregon in 2008?

2007-03-25T18:27:00.000-07:00

2008 JUNE– STRAWBERRY FESTIVAL, LEBANON, OREGON… A few local Lebanonites are considering developing this idea for June 2008. They are asking the following five questions –

Would mid-Willamette Valley gardeners and quilters enjoy a major, local, 3-day flower and quilt show with garden displays, judged flower arrangements, juried and judged quilt competition, art quilts, heritage quilts, local art, workshops, speakers, and a commercial vendors marketplace?
Would Lebanon benefit from a major new tourist event at Strawberry Festival?
Would Lebanon’s businesses and organizations like to have $5,000 to $8,000 new income?
Would Strawberry Festival like to appeal to a new type of visitor & expand its long term potential?
Would the City of Lebanon and Lebanon Area Chamber of Commerce like to support an economic development event in the manner of Sweet Home’s Oregon Jamboree?

MEETING
If you are interested in discussing this idea, Please come to a meeting about “Blooms & Threads” Flower & Quilt Show 3-days, workshops, speakers, vendors at 2008 Strawberry Festival Lebanon, Oregon

What– Lunch meeting – Informally discuss “Blooms & Threads”
When– Noon, Thursday, March 29
Where– Peggy’s Alaskan Cabbage Patch B&B, 194 S. 2nd St. Lebanon
Sponsor – Alaskan Chocolate Quilting Company.
RSVP– (541) 258-1774, (5410 451-4910 ACQC@alaskaquilt.com

FICTIOUS NEWSPAPER STORY

500 Gardeners and Quilters Attend 2008 Strawberry Festival Flower & Quilt Show — “Blooms & Threads”
New York Times
BY MARK TWAIN, Published June 13, 2008

LEBANON, OREGON… Festival attendees enjoyed a new event for the 99th Strawberry Festival. The 3-day Flower & Quilt Show inspired them with 5 glorious gardens, 100 beautiful floral arrangements and over 125 colorful and unique quilts.

In six scheduled classes and workshops they tried new quilting skills and learned helpful garden techniques. Local and regional artists and professionals led these sessions in exploring a variety of Blooms & Threads.

For gardeners, quilters and general shoppers, the marketplace had many specials in gardening supplies, beautiful flowers, high-tech sewing machines, and a variety of special fabrics and quilting notions.

All this fun and learning was under cover and air-conditioned inside Lebanon’s River Center. River Center has easy parking and is close to Strawberry Festival’s Open Air Country Fair and Carnival in Cheadle Lakes Park.
–30–

SPECIFIC ITEMS OF DISCUSSION
Attendees/ Market

500-800 – Tourists & Locals – Gardeners & Quilters – Baby Boomers & others

Activities

Flower/Garden Displays with Awards– Personal & Business
Quilt Displays wish Awards– Personal, Heritage, Antique & Artistic– Juried & Judged– Open & Invitational
Commercial Vendors– Nurseries, Landscapers, Sewing Machine Dealers, Quilt & Fabric Shops & Dealers
Workshops– 4–6 Flower/Gardening & Quilting/Sewing
Professional Speakers & Artists

Funding & Support

Generate income– $5,000-$8,000 – Admission Fees, Vendor Fees, Sponsorships, Quilt Raffle–High quality, year long raffle, Flower & Plant Sales, Silent Quilt Auction
Tourism promotion grant– City of Lebanon “Bed tax”
Economic Development Support– Lebanon Chamber of Commerce
Technical Support– OSU/Linn County Extension Service & Master Gardeners. Oregon State Federation of Garden Clubs, Lebanon Garden Club, Santiam Scrapper Quilt Guild

Benefits

New Market– 3-day event targets new Strawberry Festival market – quilters & gardeners

Interested?
Think this might be a fun tourist event for East Linn County?

Give us a call – Alaskan Chocolate Quilting Company (541) 358-1774, (541) 451-4910 or email ACQC@alaskaquilt.com.

Thanks Theresa. Thanks for “Life on display”

2007-03-22T20:25:00.000-07:00

INTERNET, ACQC BLOG… Elspeth was neither an Elizabeth Barrett Browning nor an Emily Dickinson, however El’s special journal of her Alaskan life had something neither they nor modern bloggers have — Elspeth had quilts in her letters!

Elspeth sends her thanks to Theresa Hogue for writing an article concerning mid valley bloggers and for mentioning Alaska Chocolate Quilting Company’s Alaska Quilt in Oregon blog.

Elspeth encourages all readers of this blog to click over to the Gazette-Times (Corvallis) or Albany Democrat-Herald websites for her article.

Thanks Theresa. Thanks so much!

Peggy and Chris say Thanks Theresa also.

Giant Fabric Sale in Lebanon Oregon

2007-03-17T00:14:00.000-07:00

ST. MARTINS EPISCOPL CHURCH, LEBANON OREGON... The following story was is the March Snippets, the Santiam Scrappers Quilt Guild Newsletter.

Fabric (and related items) Sale! Even though Sharon Reece’s recent eye surgery has improved her sight signifi cantly, she is still determined to reduce her stash and sewing paraphernalia by offering up lots of good stuff for sale at half price. Our meeting room at the church will house the event on March 17th. (And remember: we are ALL Irish on St Paddy’s Day!)

Some of the items she will be selling: Fabric (she and Rusty bundled over 1000 fat quarters!), books, patterns, lots of sewing accessories, a John Flynn frame, a Q-snap Floor Frame with tilt legs, a good quality lap hoop, and a rug hooking stand. I am still trying to get past the 1000 fat quarters!

Setting out all the fabric was a lot of fun tonight. "Where did she store all this fabric and stuff?" was a question we heard over and over again. Her home is a small mobile home in the Lacomb hills. Sharon's small dog LEO was even going crazy tonight because he had so much room to run around once all the totes were loaded into the truck!

The church is at the corner of Grove and Milton streets.

Where have all the days gone

2007-03-16T01:19:00.000-07:00

LEBANON OREGON....Can't believe it's been so long since I posted to this blog. What have I been doing all this time? Well, Thanksgiving and Christmas came and went in the usual rush to get everything cleaned, purchased, made, wrapped, cooked and mailed. I didn't get many Christmas cards out but I did make and finish a quilt for one of my granddaughters. She was the last of the grandkids to get a quilt other than the ones I made each of them when they were born.

Since the first of the year I have trying to lose some weight but today I sabotaged myself by going on a sugar binge! Now I must get back on track. I feel so much better when I stay off sugar!

I've also been on a kick to declutter this house. Have been throwing stuff away or taking it to the Goodwill. I joined Fly Lady.net last year and her system and emails have helped me set up some routines, get rid of some of the clutter, and began to put our home and life in order. I still have a long way to go but I know I can do it one step at a time. Check out her web site at FlyLady.net.

Elspeth’s Blocks Found!

2007-02-28T20:18:00.000-08:00

RICHARDSON HIGHWAY, ALASKA… 87 years after Elspeth created her Alaskan Honeymoon Sampler Quilt Blocks, five blocks have been rediscovered! These historic quilt blocks have been added to the Elspeth’s Quilt Mystery on the Alaskan Chocolate Quilting Company website.

Creating a special journal of a new life
It was June 1920 when Elspeth and William were journeying up the Richardson Highway by wagon. While traveling from Valdez up the almost 400 miles, heading to Fairbanks and their new life, Elspeth sewed 20 block of her first quilt.

As they traveled north through the long, Alaskan summer days, she kept a special type of traveler’s journal — a series of letters and quilt blocks. Her letters were short, yet very descriptive and her 20 quilt blocks were pictures in fabric and thread of the sights she and William saw and experienced.

Elspeth only wrote eight letters to her “Dear Friend” who lived outside, in Elspeth’s old home back in Calloway county, Kentucky. The letters were “mailed” at roadhouses along the highway. Every few days a bus or truck would travel from Fairbanks down to Valdez and the roadhouse mail would be collected and delivered for shipment from Valdez back to Seattle.

Beginning a new life together — Married in Murray, Kentucky
Elspeth, b. Jan. 1901, Calloway county, west of the Tennessee river, and William, b. Aug. 1894, New Madrid county, Missouri, were married earlier that year back in Murray, Kentucky.

Their wedding was noted in the Murray Ledger & Times on June 20, 1919…

Married BOGGS – WARREN
MURRAY, Ky., June 20—At the home of the bride's parents in this city, on Saturday evening, June 16, 1919, the Rev. L. Greenfield, married Mr. William John BOGGS, of New Madrid, Mo., and Miss Elspeth Martha WARREN, of this city.

The bride is the daughter of Lawyer and Mrs. J. D. WARREN, and has grown up in this community where she has a host of warm friends. Since 1917, she has been studying music and other college subjects at Bethel Woman’s College, Hopkinsville, Ky.

The groom is a young gentleman of New Madrid co., Missouri, who was discharged from the Army Signal Corps with the rank of sergeant on June 5th, 1919. Mr. Boggs had served in the Army since August 1917. He served in France in the AEF from June 1918 to May 1919. He is highly esteemed by all who know him.

The MURRAY LEDGER & TIMES extends its hearty congratulations to Mr. and Mrs. Boggs, and wishes them many years of unalloyed happiness wherever their adventures might take them.

Elspeth receives a “Female education in proper Kentucky style”
Prior to their wedding, Elspeth had spent two years studying music, nursing, and “other college subjects” at Bethel Woman’s College in Hopkinsville, Christian county. Her mother, Mary Jane, and her two older sisters, Dawn Elise, b. Dec. 1897, and Margaret Ann, b. Oct. 1899, had also studied at what was then Bethel Female College.

Young William’s wild streak is mining, steamboating
William, Elspeth's husband, came from a family in southern Missouri. Originally his family came from the Georgia seacoast. Although William’s father was a well-to-do banker, William had a bit of a wild a streak and left home at a young age.

William has done some mining in Colorado and Utah before coming back to Kentucky and meeting Elspeth. William has also worked as a boy on the Mississippi as a deck crewman on the paddle wheel freighter Col. John Germain. Working the lower river down to New Orleans.

Two young folks meet in Hopkinsville
In 1917, William had met his future bride while she was studying in Bethel Woman’s College in Hopkinsville, Ky. He joined the U.S. Army August 7, 1917 there in Hopkinsville. He served in the Army Signal Corps and attained the rank of sergeant. He was discharged on June 5th, 1919. William served in France in the AEF from June 1918 to May 1919.

Going to Alaska with side trip to California, Oregon
William Boggs had a bit of money from his savings during Army service. His father had given him some tracts of land in New Madrid county, Mo., as part of his father’s real estate business. William sold half of his tracts in a number of land sales.

This provided money to take the railroad to California, Oregon, and Seattle. There was money for steamship passage to Valdez and to buy a wagon and goods for the trip to Fairbanks.
Before coming to Alaska, the young newlyweds had traveled to meet William's uncle in the gold mining country of the Sierra Nevadas in northern California. There they also visited with Elspeth's very old aunt (she was in her late 80s) who worked in a house on the Barbary Coast in San Francisco during the California Gold Rush (c. 1849-1860).

From California they took the railroad north to visit relatives in Linn co., Ore. This was where Elspeth’s mother had been born — Mary Jane WALKER, b. Sep. 1870, Linn co., Ore., on a farm north of Peoria, Ore.

Eventually, in Seattle, they boarded an Alaska Steamship Company steamer heading for Valdez, Alaska.

1920’s pioneers choose wagon rather than bus
When they arrived in Valdez, they found the way to Fairbanks was on the Richardson Highway. While by 1919, most of the highway traffic was motorized, William and Elspeth wanted to save money and to have a more pioneer-like experience, so they bought a wagon and team. The journey was over 360 miles and they took 16 days for their trip.

Back to Elspeth’s new found quilt blocks
Elspeth remained all her life in Alaska — she bore 7 children, raised two additional stepchildren, eventually had 3 husbands, and was a B&B operator in Tok — quilting all the while. When she passed in 1996, in Fairbanks, her quilts were stored. It wasn’t until recently that some of these old patterns were found.

Here is a bit more background of her quilt patterns.

Her wedding hope chest is filled with quilt patterns
When Elspeth was married, one of her wedding gifts was a package of printed quilt patterns.
El’s grandmother, her mother, and her sisters created this collection. They placed it in a hope chest with fabric scraps as a very special gift for their new bride. The hope chest was handmade by her father from Kentucky hardwoods.

Patterns — heritage, traditional, and LHJ, Godey’s — from her family
Grandma Elspeth Martha had cut many patterns from magazines such as the Ladies Home Journal and Godey's Lady's Book. Mary, El’s mother, had collected printed patterns from newspapers and mail order companies when she had traveled to St. Louis for the World Fair in 1904.

Dawn Elise and Margaret Ann, El’s two older sisters, drew patterns from old family quilts and made copies of patterns from mail-order companies. Her two younger sisters, Mattie (Dauphine) and Cleo (Cleopatra), collected four patterns from a local quilter who sold patterns and kits from her home in the county near the Tennessee River.

El’s Great-aunt Marcie had mailed two patterns from California. (Aunt Marcie had once been known as Madame Marcelle. That was in the early days when she worked on the Barbary Coast in San Francisco.)

Quilt block documents are traditional and special
In addition to her wedding collection of patterns, while on her travels, Elspeth pieced adaptations of traditional patterns. She also was becoming a quilt pattern designer and drew new patterns to reflect the sights she experienced in Alaska.

When she arrived in Fairbanks, Alaska, El had 41 block patterns in her collection.

Five blocks found
Moose tracks, spawning salmon, bear paws, raven tracks, and single wedding ring are El’s creations, or modifications of traditionals, which have been added to the ACQC website. Check to see if you can identify these blocks.

Send Peggy and Dawn an email with your guesses. If you are correct, they may send you a small gift and then again, they may not!

Historical note
The explosion of printed quilt patterns was part of the quilting revival of the late 19th century and the early 20th centuries. This revival, which reached it’s maximum in the 1920’s and 1930’s, was associated with improvements in sewing machine design, electrical sewing machines, and their wide distribution.

Marina’s a blue ribbon winner and we were there

2006-08-15T15:02:00.001-07:00

SEATTLE, WASHINGTON...Where were we? We were at the 2006 Pacific Northwest Quiltfest. And getting there was quite an adventure.

The adventure began when Gail and I found out that one of Marina’s quilts, Penny’s Bird Brooch, had been accepted into the Pacific Northwest Quiltfest in Seattle Washington. This is a juried and judged exhibition of the finest quilts from Alaska, Alberta, British Columbia, Idaho, Montana, The Northwest Territories, Oregon, Washington and The Yukon. Just having a quilt accepted for this show is quite an honor. Only 276 quilts out of over 500 entries were accepted.

So, now Gail and I wanted to go to Seattle with Marina to see her quilt hanging in the show. Plans were made for a quick trip up there for only one night, probably Friday.

Then Marina got an invitation to the awards ceremony .She had won a ribbon! But they wouldn’t tell her which award. So our plans changed to go there on Thursday so we could go to the ceremony and then on to a private showing of all the quilts.

We left for Seattle around 11am and after a stop in Olympia to pick up Marina’s friend from California we continued on our way. There was a lot of laughter as we got lost more than once finding our motel in Auburn. It was getting late and after a quick change of clothes we were on our way to the Seattle Center. It got later still because the traffic into Seattle was terrible! Gail got pretty vocal about all the crazy drivers.

So, we were on our way to get lost again! That Seattle Center is a big place and we had problems finding road signs. Then once we got there we couldn’t find any signs or people who knew were the awards ceremony was being held.

Of course, we finally found it and were really breathless when we got there. We had sent Marina and her friend Charlotte on ahead while Gail and I parked the car. Then Gail and I were really hoofing it. We were afraid we would miss the announcement of her award.

We did get there and had a front row seat. We were Marina’s cheering section when the award was announced. I even have a picture of a headless Marina doing a curtsey to us as we cheered for her. (She doesn’t remember doing the curtsey). She won $300 and a goody bag full of really nice gifts including fabric from In The Beginning and the Calico Cat and many notions. I wonder if her favorite notion will change now?

There were so many beautiful quilts at the show. The work in many of the quilts was unbelievable. We also saw Jean McDaniel’s colorful Heartstrings quilt in APNQ’s fifth invitational traveling exhibit. Seeing all these beautiful quilts made us all want to go home and work on out quilts.

After leaving the show we traveled quite a distance trying to find the Muckelshoot Casino located just 3 miles from our motel. Traffic was so bad and it was so late and we still needed some dinner. We knew that we could get food all night long at the casino. It was a really good choice. The food was plentiful and tasted really good.

The next morning we headed (the wrong way again) back to the casino for breakfast. Of course we had to stop at the Calico Cat a quilt shop in Auburn. It is a really nice shop and not too far off the freeway if you are up that way. I would make a special stop there again.

We finally got home about 10 pm, after making a quick stop at the Fabric Depot in Portland. Don’t ask Gail how to get there! She got really good a turning around during the two days!

We all had a wonderful time and were so proud of Marina. She is such a talented and creative quilter!

Congratulations again to Marina on her fantastic win and also to Jean for being invited to part of this great quilt show.

Big Red dead but quilts still there

2006-07-20T19:03:00.000-07:00

SCIO, OREGON... Known for Linn County's Lamb and Wool Fair in May, Scio is a neat small Oregon town that used to have a chicken mascot and home made quilts at the Fair.

On July 11, Big Red, Scio's chicken mascot, met an untimely end with a tough dog. So next year, Big Red won't be pointing the way to the quilts in the school gym.

Big Red was a proud Rhode Island Red, but now he's dead. Read the full story of Scio's unofficial patrol rooster in Albany's Democrat-Herald on July 12.

But if you are a quilter or a quilter-looker, drive up Ore. Hwy 226 to Scio in May. Get an elephant ear with sugar and cinnamon, visit the train depot museum, shop in the feed store visitor shelves, and check out the quilts in the gym.

'Course there are some other neat and unusual events in Scio on Thomas Creek during the Fair.

Fair time for Santiam Scrappers

2006-07-20T18:48:00.000-07:00

LINN COUNTY FAIR AND EXPO CENTER, KNOX BUTTE RD, ALBANY, ORE... Several of the Wednesday Ladies went to the Linn County Fair to help with displaying the items in the textile division.The Wednesday Ladies are a Sub-group of guild who meet at my house on Wednesday afternoons to sew on Community Service Quilts.

Anyway, Jenny the division manager said she needed lots of help. Well, after we helped fasten quilts to polls and hand them up to a guy in a lift there didn't seem to be much for us to do. We did sort the items into several catagories: baby; Christmas; fall; etc.;. Then we were asked to set up a display of the baby items on a table and layer them to get them all on the table.

Then, after sitting around for awhile with nothing clear that we could help with most of us left. Would have liked to have been more help.

Today we went to the opening day of the fair in 2 hour shifts of two or three guild members to do demonstrations. Last year we had 3 tables and just enough room for everyone to set up their demo. This year we only were given 2 tables and we were pretty crowded. I was just glad that my friend Leola and I changed our minds about bringing our sewing machines for a demo.

I looked around at some of this divisions displays and was disappointed that all the stuff that I and several others worked at displaying yesterday had been moved and put on different tables. Guess we didn't sort it correctly.

Maybe I'm being too critical. But I will think twice about volunteering to help next year.

My friend Marina's quilt took best of show which was great! I was lazy and didn't enter anything.

A quilt that covers Denali Park—Wow! They sure do things big in Alaska!

2006-07-15T14:26:00.000-07:00

MILE 231, PARKS HIGHWAY, ALASKA... As otherwise noted in this blog—Quilters (DQ's) are a strange breed. This applies especially so to DQ's who live along the upper Nenana River where it flows along Alaska's Denali National Park.

At 6 million acres, this park, with Mt. McKinley peaking at 20,320 feet, is a bit of a challenge to cover. Of course, quilters really like projects that are demanding, elaborate, and even grandiose. Thus quilting a map of the park apparently was an undertaking the Denali Quilters accepted with sharpened needles and roller cutters at the ready.

As reported by Kris Capps in Fairbanks Daily News-Miner's July 12 issue, the Denali Quilters created a "fabulous" quilt. At 12-by-12-foot, this quilt took 1,000 hours of cutting, piecing, ironing, and hand sewing over a four-year period.

Definitely sounds "fabulous"!

As Kris notes, the quilters created an interesting set of border blocks,

"Twenty-two blocks surround the map, each depicting a close-up view of selected plants and animals. There is the nose and curl of a Dall sheep horn, among rock and mountain avens. There is the hind end of a swan feeding in a pond and incredible blocks showing colorful vegetation.

Each quilter designed her border block, which all provide an illustrated legend for the map."

Yep! At 12-by-12, those Alaskan DQ's sure do things big in Alaska.

Final question is—Who has a bed that needs a quilt that big?

A Big Black Dog and A Duck

2006-07-11T01:54:00.001-07:00

TIMBER-LINN PARK, ALBANY, OREGON... If it looked like a duck, swam like a duck and quacked like a duck it was fair game for Ellie Bear (our big black dog) Monday night when we took her to the creek. But the duck swam circles around Ellie Bear, as she tried to keep Ellie away from her babies.

Chris and I had been out for dinner and after picking up some computer paper we took Ellie to a park with a creek and obviously a duck. And a Mama Duck at that! One who didn't take it well when Ellie jumped in the water. The only thing Ellie saw or heard for 1 1/2 hours was that duck swimming in circles around her.

Mama duck was trying to protect her babies. It finally got too dark to see a black dog head or a brown duck or much of anything else in the park. As time went by the Mama duck's quack got horser and horser and Ellie's breathing got more labored.

After the first 40 minutes I was worried that she might drown before she would try to get out.

As much as she loves "Pig Ears," even the those two words didn't get her attention. For all my calling and talking to her it was like I wasn't even there. I guess she has the instinct even if she hasn't been trained to retrieve for hunters. But, I thought the ducks were supposed to be dead when labs retrieved them!

I finally called Dane to come to the creek when he go off work, a 25 minute drive. My hope was that since she is really his dog and minds him much better than me, that he could get he to come out of the water.

Of course, as soon as he drove up, she comes dragging herself up the slope. She is a really smart dog and most of the time knows when Dane is coming home from work. So, now I wonder if she just got tired or if she heard his car and knew she was in trouble.

Well, all ended well, but we had one tired dog. I don't think she moved at all on the way home and she slept the rest of the night away.
Peggy

Safe and Sound in L.A., part 2

2006-07-04T00:21:00.000-07:00

Back on June 22, this "...rest of the story" was forwarded by frostystitcher. There is no other connection to anything quilting. Sarah is frosty's oldest daughter and mother of her only grandchild—Rafe—a 5 year old boy. Frostystitcher is an Alaskan DQ of the first order—end of quilting connection.

Sarah Grossmann—Leaving Fairbanks, Alaska
On June 8, Sarah Grossmann and her father, Bruce left Fairbanks, Alaska to drive to Los Angeles. After 6 rather long days they arrived in L.A. on June 14.

After surprising her dad—Bruce
According to frosty, "All of us were surprised when she invited her dad to come along after he was laid off from Ft Greely. She and he have gotten along okay since she left her teenage years but it isn't like they spend too much time together." Frosty continued, "It had been a long time, since her young childhood, that they did a road trip together. I was proud of them both for showing such self constraint."

Here is Sarah's story

Los Angeles, Calif., June 22... And now for the rest of the story...

For those of you who know my dad, you know that he's a nice, bumbling guy with an amazing aptitude for retaining every bit of knowledge that ever enters his head. But it's hard to have a real conversation with him. It's not a conversation at all, it's more like tuning into a talk radio station that has a 45 second topic limit. Or, putting your iPod on shuffle, but only listening to the first 10 seconds of each song. His topics are jumbled and mixed together like a tossed salad. He may get to the point eventually, but more than likely, he won't. And somewhere, in his head, the 20 or so seemingly random topics are connected somehow and the progression makes perfect sense to him.

I love him dearly, but he's my dad, and no father and daughter should be subjected to a 6-day roadtrip together anywhere. Ever.

The following is a list of things that I, proudly, did NOT do to my dad on this trip:
• Leave him in Canada at a gas station
• Shove him out of the car while driving
• Strangle him with my bare hands
• Cram dirty socks down his throat to get him to stop talking
• Cuss him out . . . much.

I wonder what kind of list my dad has about me . . .?

Okay, enough about my dad. I'm here, I made it, everything is fine and no one got hurt. So I'm here in L.A. and I'm working on my demo reel. Actually, I'm slacking on working on my demo reel, writing this email. But the point is that I'm excited. I'm glad to be starting a new career, and moving to a new place.

The trip down the Alcan wasn't that bad. We saw no less than 8 bears. Mostly black bears, a dozen or so elk, 2 mountain (dall?) sheep, a porcupine, several bald and one golden eagle, a red fox, a bobcat and one moose. The weather was great, the Canadians were friendly and I got great gas mileage (dad kept track). And just in case you were wondering, Dad gets better gas mileage than me.

Dad kept a journal throughout the trip, recording what towns we drove through, what animals we saw, people we talked to and lots of other stuff. I drove the majority of the trip, I would guess that Dad drove about 500 to 800 out of the 3,500 miles trip. Dad's journal could tell you for sure, of course. When Dad did drive, I used that time to write in his journal too, but I continued to write from his "perspective". Let's put it this way, I just put into writing all those wonderful things he wanted to say about me, but never could.

I visited some of my friends in Portland. Some of you may know Melissa, most recent Fairbanks employment being at Steve Neumuth Advertising. She moved to Portland the same time I came to L.A. the first time, and I was able to spend the night at her house, visit with her the next day and meet her charming new boyfriend. (Way to go, Melissa!) Then another friend of mine from Colorado, Danica, was visiting her father who lives right outside Portland, so I was able to spend the next night at her place the next night. We hadn't seen each other in about 4 years, so it was great to catch up. We had a few margaritas and stayed up late chatting and reconnecting with each other. Good times.

The next night I stayed with my Great-Aunt Ginny in Anderson, California, near Redding. She busted out the old photographs of her and my Grandma when they were young. I never knew I came from a family of such hotties! I learned a lot about the family. Grandma is the oldest of 14 kids and Ginny is the youngest, only 7 (?) years older than Dad. I also got a recipe for a tofu cheesecake from her that I can't wait to try out.

Then we drove on to Stanford University to hang with my "in-laws", Rafe's other grandparents. Dad and Dick toured the campus a bit and visited while I hung out with Mary and had a great time catching up with her. It was my birthday, and they gave me the most delicious carrot cake I'd ever eaten. Really. . . the best carrot cake ever!

We left that evening around 8pm heading down I-5 South. There were millions of semi trucks and also an accident, so we lost a good hour and a half of time. At one point we were going about 35mph and I had to go the bathroom really bad, we were about 50 miles from the nearest rest stop and Dad was yakking my ear off, so I pulled into a campground exit thinking there surely had to be a bathroom somewhere.

It turned out that the campground was like 10 miles away up this weaving, unlit road. I was cranky, having missed my personal goal of reaching L.A. by my birthday and Dad was complaining that I wouldn't let him listen to talk radio.

Zoe called me to wish me happy birthday and right at that moment I hit a skunk. Oh yeah, I should have added a skunk to that previous list of wildlife . . . The car started stinking and Dad started complaining about what a reckless driver I was. I lost it a bit and snapped at him, but then I found a portapotty (try using that in the dark!) and I felt much better.

After all that, the rest of the trip went a little easier. Dad fell asleep. After awhile I got tired and pulled off into a trucker's stop about 150 miles north of L.A. to take a snooze. I slept for a few hours, then got back on the road. We made it into Venice at 5am that morning.

Now it's been over a week since we pulled into town and I just put my dad on a plane this morning heading to Wisconsin to visit his folks. Ahhhh, now I can have a little peace and quiet before the real work begins.

No job yet, hasn't been looking. I'm getting started on my demo reel and once that's done, I'll be in the market for work. Piece of cake.

Sorry for talking your ear off, but these emails from me tend to come few and far between, so you'll have to forgive me.

Summary Quote: "Driving to LA with my dad was a once in a lifetime experience."

Translation: "Once in a lifetime was just enough for me. . . and him too, no doubt."

Until next time,
Sarah

And to anyone who might forward this email on to my dad . . . I love you dad, come visit again next year!

Sarah is one of four—Final bit of background
Frosty (and Bruce) are parents of 4 children. Sarah is second oldest at 27. She is in L.A. to do graphics things for movies.

Ben Grossmann—VFX Supervisor
She is apparently going to get some help in that crazy business from her older brother, Benjamin. He is, at the ripe age of 29, visual effects supervisor, sequence supervisor, compositing supervisor, digital compositor, and many other titles, on many recent movies. He's a neat young person too.

Eli Grossmann—WHL Seattle Thunderbird Defenseman
Benjamin is oldest, Sarah second, then comes Eli. Elias is a Alaskan trapper, a deep sea fisherman, a tough hockey defenseman, and has eaten caribou nose at an Athabaskan (Alaskan native) potlatch in Tanacross, Alaska. He's only 18 and has said he wants to be an Alaska State Trooper. Taking photos of his Alaskan animal friends is another of his talents. See the Photo of the Day – June 22 on DeltaNewsWeb.com.

Annie Grossmann—Crabby, but tough on da ice
Last, but not least is Annie. Only 16 going on 24, she's sells Alaskan king crab (red) to raise money for her hockey team trips. That's right she plays hockey and is reputed to be tough on the boys. Her team is girl/boy. She is a neat young lady. See her photo on ACQC's web site. She is in the small photo down on the right.

Yep, she quilts. Heck, even Eli took quilting classes back in the day when ACQC was open in Delta Junction in the '90's. Frosty, was Sarah a quilter at ACQC?

Mom and Dad done well
BTW all these nice young people were home schooled. Good job "frosty"-teach and Bruce.

Whatcha think blog readers?

2006-06-22T01:24:00.001-07:00

Thursday, June 22, 2006 1:24 AM
Question 1—Are DQ's in Delta Junction, Alaska like DQ's elsewhere?
Comments please.

Question 2—Should Pat White be a blogger here?

Question 3—Should FrostyStitcher blog here?
(She's already a team member.)

Question 4—Where are some blogs from QuilterPeg?

Question 5—Why a duck?

Dedicated quilters live in Alaska too

2006-06-22T01:04:00.000-07:00

Ideas 'bout fair quilt shows as true fair attractions
DELTA JUNCTION, ALASKA… During the past few days I've been working on some ideas to make a quilt show in a county fair quilt exhibit. Some of the work is in earlier posts here.

In Fairbanks, Alaska, they do it at Tanana Valley State Fair. The "they" are some of the 200 members of Fairbanks' Cabin Fever Quilter's Guild.

The "show" quilts are quilts and quilted items entered in the fair's Division 24. The "what" is 45 minute narrated shows of the entry quilts. The "when" is every hour on the half hour for all 10 days of the fair.

It's not the guild's quilt show. It’s a fair quilt show. The guild members formally are fair supers, entry clerks, judges, quilt hangers, and taker-downers.

Conversation: Ideas for improving
Some of these ideas have been emailed to quilters here in Oregon as well as a few quilters back up in Delta Junction. It stimulated Pat White and she said she will read the ideas some time.

But then the following short series of emails came to pass. From Pat White and Dawn Grossmann—FrostyStitcher. These two quilters may be true Alaskan DQ's.

Pat white: Go ahead she says

2006-06-21T19:28:00.000-07:00

Wednesday, June 21, 2006 7:28 PM
From: Pat White
To: Chris

Go ahead Chris, but I don't know if I could commit to be a regular writer. I do enjoy reading yours though.

Thanks for the compliment. Pat

Great story Pat

2006-06-21T17:20:00.000-07:00

Wednesday, June 21, 2006 5:20 PM
From: Chris
To: Pat White
Cc: BuffaloGal, FrostyStitcher, QuilterPeg

Please, please, please let me post it on the ACQC blog.

This is what the blog is all about
News, stories, photos 'bout living in Delta Junction and Oregon as a quilter.

Your story is great for that
Maybe you could become a member of the ACQC blogger team? Maybe there are others who might be guest bloggers? Suggestions?

Pat White: Norma Ross a closet DQ

2006-06-21T16:11:00.001-07:00

Wednesday, June 21, 2006 4:11 PM
From: Pat White
To: Chris

You are too much!

Norma Ross a closet DQ
I met Norma Ross at 11:00 to peek at a quilt Rose commercially quilted for her (but I didn't get to see it before it was returned).

Norma is a closet quilter. She sews on her own and is happy that way. She was very gracious in sharing her quilt with me though.

She made a scrappy quilt and it took 3 years to finish the top. I loved it. So in talking with her (and being interrupted by several customers...!) she disclosed that she just puts her finished quilts in her closet like it was no big deal.

Remember Norma? She is in her 70s and still working at the Coop, carrying 50# bags of fertilizer. She's cut back to only 3 days a week though.

While visiting Andy Growden stopped in. He, of course, acts interested. At least he comes across genuinely. He did say he was curious how much quilters spend on their habit.

That might be a chore. You'd have to start with our stash inventory and have a very good equation for depreciation. Adding up a year's worth would not be difficult if all the receipts were kept.

Florida has DQ's too
Maribeth Miller [One of Calico Cow's owners] was telling me how a lady from Florida bought fabric one day and waited and waited for her husband to return.

He was across the street at Granite View Sports. - Calico Cow is now in the old Colombo building, the rock structure that Roy
Gilbertson finished and is now a "mall" that houses the new Mt. McKinley Bank, Calico Cow, an elevator and many empty offices.

Anyway the lady finally decides on a whole new line of prints and buys quite a bit more while she's waiting for her husband to pick her up.

When Maribeth hands her receipt she says, "Eat the receipt. My husband thinks I've only got $100 worth of fabric in my whole stash."

Now THAT is quite the husband! You can't tell me he is clueless. Someone must pay the credit card and balance their budget.

Guys don't really understand DQ's
When I was in Hawaii for my niece's wedding we shopped a bit and twice I overheard husbands say, "Honey, do you have enough money?" or "Do you need the credit card?"

You could've picked my jaw up off the floor! And those ladies were buying breakable dishes.. in Hawaii… that required shipping and bigger bucks.

I can come up with a pretty good figure on what I spend on fabric.... and dishes ($0.00).

Are you a DQ Pat?

2006-06-21T14:00:00.000-07:00

Wednesday, June 21, 2006 2:00 PM
From: Chris
To: Pat White

Thanks for responding and possibly sharing ideas with other guild members the in Delta. 'Course you must work on your quilting.

Are you a DQ? Maybe you're not that addicted yet—but it may be coming. Part of the addiction is having many UFO's. Thus you may be slipping down into that pit—that fabric lined pit!

Again, thanks Pat. Some of the ideas might work to catch more and younger quilters—and that is a big potential business.

What's your annual average fabric spending?
That might be a neat question to put to FMKQ Guild members. Then put the notes out in a flyer at the fair. Fair goers can pick up a copy when they tour the quilt exhibit.

Ever thought of having "conversation" quilts
Put then on display at the fair and other local events where the guild makes a presence?

The most ugly quilt? Your personal quilt nightmare? Heritage quilts? Think those would stimulate more interest, young and old, in quilting.

The photo album job sounds like good "conversation" starters also. Will you have photos of ugly quilts? Signature quilts? Nightmare quilts?

Do a DQ survey of fair goers
• Do you have more than 2 sewing machines? More than 4?
• Do you have a sewing room? Sewing corner? Quilting closet?
• Do you have a fabric "stash"? Plastic bags of fabric?
• Can you pass a quilt shop with out going inside?

Then have an award—a basket of Calico Cow and Lovin' Stitches [Quilt shops in Delta] fat quarters—for the most DQ. And a certificate to a quilting class for the least DQ survey respondent.

Take care Pat
Keep on quilting—if you ain't a DQ yet, with a little bit of fling you can be one soon!

Another Delta DQ admits her addiction

2006-06-21T12:43:00.001-07:00

Wednesday, June 21, 2006 6:43 PM
From: FrostyStitcher
To: Pat, Chris
Cc: QuilterPeg, BuffaloGal

Ha..that is a good story Pat. I know what the lady at Maribeth's shop meant about eating the receipts. I have been doing that for years. Now I am much more exposed and it is dangerous... gives me nightmares.

First there is stash weeding
Here I have been sitting in my basement cleaning out and preparing for a yard sale (should the rain ever stop.) So I had gone through my stash and weeded things out 5 months ago...I tried to repackage and reorganize it all to look like less but I don't think I succeeded.

Looking at it all in boxes and tubs stacked against an entire wall of my basement, all visible and open for scrutiny.. feeling all exposed... okay.. maybe my husband is right. Maybe it is a bit much.

A DQ on line—Trying to sell? Or buy?
So now, I am being more ruthless and going through it again. Pulling out more that. The problem is of course that I will never get what I paid for most of it when I sell it. Unless I boldly jump on line and try it that way. Which I am seriously considering.

I sheepishly walk by it all when Bruce is around. He is right. I was/am obsessed.

Actually in all honesty, other than a few extra pieces for Eli's graduation quilt I have not darkened the door of a fabric shop in quite some time. I have really been good and controlled my spending.

Good thing too since we are now jobless! I know there are beautiful fabrics out there I just can't let myself look.

But she knows the way
It has been fun looking through these fabrics, touching them, remembering where I bought them, what my plans were for them, what can I do with them now... sigh, yard sale.

From the basement, FrostyStitcher
(Yes Chris this can be blogfodder)

Pat White - My goal - Get guild photo album up to par by end of July

2006-06-21T10:29:00.000-07:00

Pat's first email
Wednesday, June 21, 2006 10:29 AM
From: Pat White
To: Chris

Chris, I'm not ignoring you. Will read these when I get a chance. I like your idea about a fair committee.

This year, in Delta, the guild opted to get outside quilt judges from Fairbanks. I'm not too active lately but I'll share your letters and ideas with others. Eddy Growden, Marcia Ward and Anne Mauer are very involved with fair time.

My goal is to get the guild photo album up to par by the end of July so they can have them (two, maybe three albums) at the hostess table. We have such an awesome group in Delta.

Thanks for being a cattle prod. You're what I need. Want to get a quilt together to enter in the fair. Have participated in four quilts, one gift and three donations for fundraisers, since April. Half done with my niece's wedding quilt.

Quilt shops in Lebanon, Oregon—here and now

2006-06-20T21:51:00.000-07:00

ACQC sells no fabric presently
LEBANON, OREGON...Yesterday QuilterPeg had a phone call asking for directions to Alaskan Chocolate Quilting Company in Lebanon. A woman wanted to come buy some fabric. Maybe she wanted some chocolate quilting fabric?

QuilterPeg had to tell her ACQC last sold fabric when the shop was in Alaska. Then she said, "I'm preparing ACQC Lebanon to teach some classes. But I have no fabric for sale now."

That call got my attention. The caller said she got the name from the web site. So I gots to put a note or two on the ACQC web site and put a note on the Alaska Quilt in Oregon blog telling that ACQC doesn't sell fabric now.

To witACQC is not selling fabric now. Come by, talk a bit of quilting, see Peggy's Alaskan Cabbage Patch B&B suites upstairs, and QuilterPeg will offer you a bit of chocolate. But ACQC ain't got no chocolate fabric for saleACQC ain't got no fabric for sale!

Can quiltersdedicated or intermediate get a quilt fix in Lebanon?
When we came to the area, there was a quilt shop selling quilting fabric on Main StreetStrawberry Patches Quilt Shop. Neat shop, neat, friendly shopkeeperSue Davis. After a while she moved a few stores down the street to a new shop. Then she closed the Patch. Took her quilting frame home and became Strawberry Patches Longarm Quilter.

Strawberry Patches Longarm Quilter
Sue Davis offers machine quilting and other services. In April's Scrappers Snippets (the Santiam Scrappers Quilt Guild newsletter) Sue Davis offered the following machine quilting specials.
"NO FOOLIN' FINISH THOSE TOPS", Edge-2-Edge Pantograph, Choice of five designs: • Up to 60" wide - $45, • Up to 75" wide - $55, • Up to 90" wide - $65, • Over 90" - $75. Those all "Must be scheduled during April 2006. You provide backing and batting."

Strawberry Patches Longarm Quilter, (541) 451-3424 or (541) 619-8778, 1651 Hiatt Street, Lebanon, Or 97355, nonni@centurytel.net

Santiam River Quilt Co.
Jean McDaniel is also an experienced longarm quilter. Jean used to work at Strawberry Patches. Most recently she was the guiding "longarm" as president of Santiam Scrappers. Jean offers Gammill Stitch Regulated Longarm Quilting Services. This web page, jeanquilts's homepage, shows photos of Jean's long arm quilting.

Santiam River Quilt Co.,
Contact her for more information. For brochure call or email, Jean McDaniel, (541) 259-3853, jeanquilts@hotmail.com

Finally Together Quilters
Claudina Wilson & Paula Lammert do sell fabric and other items for the addicted quilter at their quilt shop. Claudina said she will provide more information about the offerings in their shop tomorrow. So check back later.

Finally Together Quilters, 33786 Santiam Hwy, Lebanon, OR 97355, (541) 258-3577, grandpaw@copper.net

Calling all dedicated quiltersCome get some Alaskan Chocolate Quilting
That's all we know 'bout in Lebanon. So come on dedicated quilters, come stay a while in Peggy's Alaskan Cabbage Patch B&B, stay in the Alaskan Bear Suite or Alaskan Wild Flower Suite, and QuilterPeg will help you feed your belly and quilting addiction.

When posting citizen's community news

2006-06-20T20:51:00.001-07:00

Shelina is right "…depending on… subject matter of your blog."
ON THE WEB... Yesterday Shelina had some good words in her comments on June 3rd's post "Writing good posts is not hard".

Thanks Shelina
She said, "These are great ideas. I think these guidelines are too much work though, depending on the subject matter of your blog. A blog made just to inform friends of your goings on doesn't have to be so time consuming, and friends should forgive your errors."

'Course you're right Shelina
Personal blogs don't need all that stuff. Personal blogs are just that—personal, friendly, and fun.

It's when one gets into citizen or community blogs then it becomes more important. Then blogs become a bit closer to journalism blogs.

Reporting blogs by reporters, editors, even publishers are a basic blog type. And these types of blogs are really exploding. Then there are topical blogs, science blogs, technical, and on and on.

CAT, BOSS, and VIRAL
In "Double minded blogging" this blogger refers to a free e-book by Seth Godin in which Seth defines three basic types of blogs..

CAT BLOGS are blogs for and by and about the person blogging. A cat blog is about your cat and your dating travails and your boss and whatever you feel like sharing in your public diary....

BOSS BLOGS are blogs used to communicate to a defined circle of people....

The third kind of blog is the kind most people imagine when they talk about blogs. These are blogs like instapundit and Scoblelizer and Joi Ito’s. Some of these blogs are for individuals (call them citizen journalists or op-ed pages) and others are for organizations trying to share their ideas and agendas. These are the blogs that are changing the face of marketing, journalism and the spread of ideas. I want to call these VIRAL BLOGS....

5 basic blogs
Librari*s & 'Blogs' "How Blogs are moving into the Library World" gets it up to five basic blogs.

As different people blog for different reasons, they also create different types of blogs. The type of blog they create will depend on whether they are blogging for business or pleasure, to inform a specific group on a particular topic, or to talk about what they had for breakfast. Different types of blogs are aimed at different audiences, or different parts of an audience's interest.

That's personal (CAT), news, campaign, tech (VIRAL), and organizational (BOSS).

So maybe 3 basic blog types? Maybe 5? Whatever.

When posting citizen's community news
Since your blogs are often part of citizen or community journalism, use some of these ideas when your posts have items community news.
This is my goal in "Writing good posts…" It was directed to personal bloggers who occasionally do community news on such sites like YourHub.com, NorthwestVoice.com, or Delta News Web.

Use "Great ideas"
• Be direct
• Write good headlines
• Keep sentences, paragraphs short and simple
• Use bulleted points, subheads, bold text and italics
• Don't take yourself too seriously and never lose your sense of humor

Use some of these, as Shelina said, "great ideas" when you write community news blog items.

IDEAS Santiam Scrappers Quilt GuildLinn County Fair

2006-06-18T15:44:00.000-07:00

Fair quilt exhibits can be true fair attractions

LEBANON, OREGON...These ideas are suggestions to make quilt exhibits at small county fairs true fair attractions. Similar activities are part of quilt exhibits we've experienced in Alaska and elewhere.

This is an outline of ideas to improve fair quilt exhibits. Details are on ACQC's Web site—Click here.

Promoting, publicizing is very important

Promoting guild quilting events must be a very important part of all events. Promotion and publicizing quilting events will bring more visitors for all events. This applys to quilting events at county fairs as well as guild sponsored, stand-alone events.

The outline for promoting and publicizing such quilting event is based on Canadian Quilting Association's "Guidelines for Publicizing Quilting Events" (it's a pdf file on that page).

Santiam Scrappers Quilt Guild
(SSQG)
Suggested Activities

New–Plan well in advance–Must do

• Begin now for 2007 fair
• Time table with plan outline
• Publicity & promotion plan

New–Promote, publicize–Must do

• Widely–Must do
• In advance–Must do
• Beyond fair exhibitor books
• Beyond guilds, quilters pubs
• During fair–Must do

Presently–SSQG at fair

• Booth, quilt & sew demos
• Various other activities
• Free fair pass, Booth sitters

New–Fair quilt show, CFQG/TVSF-style

• Publicize
• Quilt exhibit supers, Option 1
• Show or guided tour, Option 2

New–Quilt exhibit activities

• Find a block
• Mystery quilt contest

New–SSQG table activities

• Quilt shop, long-arm quilters displays
• Invite non-guild quilters to help at SSQG table
• Different quilts–on SSQG display
• Paper quilt blocks–contest
• Quilting stars–contest
• Quilt dater–fairgoers bring quilts for dating
• Post cards–fairgoers make
• Gift bags–fairgoers make
• Quilt block on paper–kids make
• Cheater quilts–do for newbies
• Community service quilts–fairgoers help
• 4-H type quilting, sewing–for fairgoers
• Drawing a quilt–young ages make
• Drawing a quilt–all ages make
• Glue a quilt block/quilt–all make
• All awards at SSQG table

New–New quilters & non-quilters

• Ugliest fabric–contest
• Mini quilt–demos, activity
• Color match: ?
• Fabric post card, fair theme–make
• Quilting trading card–make

New–Dedicated quilters

• Embellished quilts–contest

New–Digital quilts

• DQ done at home–contest
• DQ done at fair–contest

Publicity Guide–Quilting Events

Based on Canadian Quilters’ Association/Association canadienne de la courtepointe (CQA) publicity guide.

Publicity timetable–quilting event

• One year–Committee, first PR
• 8 months–Plan event, press list, PR,
• 3, 4 months–Store display contacts
• 2 months–Contact radio, TV
• 6 weeks–Newspaper PR's
• 3, 4 weeks–PSA's, store flyers, ads
• 3, 4 weeks–Press invites, VIPs, photos
• Day of event–Photo area, meet press
• Day after–Post PR's, photos
• Week after–Thank you's, event report

Newspapers, magazines

• News release format
• Preparation for mailing, folding
• Where to send release, editors
• Press coverage, editors names

Tickets

Radio, television

• Copy format

Internet (not from CQA)

• Web sites
• Write for "scanner" readers
• Basics–Lively, factual, tight, clear, short
• Short simple paragraphs
• Good headlines
• Friendly style
• Check readable, scannable, clear
• Search engine targeted

Quilt Show in CFQG/TVSF-style

Based on Cabin Fever Quilters' Guild (CFQG) at the Tanana Valley State Fair (TVSF) quilt show in Fairbanks, Alaska: Outline of what CFQG members actually do at TVSF.

• Quilt exhibit superintendents & judges
• Booth sitting & show presentation
• 45 minute show–Display quilts & spoken quilt stories
• Every hour on half-hour–Afternoon & evening
• Publicity
• Quilt displays
• Small quilt silent auction

Are you a "dedicated quilter"?

2006-06-18T01:59:00.000-07:00

In Alaska, Peggy slowly became a "dedicated quilter"
LEBANON, OREGON… As Peggy got more into quilting, I noticed this was more than a passing fancy. Then she and Dawn did that thing they called Alaskan Chocolate Quilting Company quilt shop. (See ACQC's Web site.)

Even back then, dumb me figured when they would be quilting 'til 2 or 3 in the morning, it was getting serious. Then there were stops at every quilt shop and fabric store along all Alaskan highways. More clues.

There were a few more signs
'Course that expensive, computerized sewing machine and that little bitty Singer said "dedication". All the fabric in plastic bags, on shelves, in four storage cabinets in her "sewing room" yelled out "dedicated". But what was it really? What is a "dedicated" quilter?

Not 'til we looked at starting a quilt/tea shop
Not 'til we moved here to Oregon did I find out. Not 'til making a business plan for ACQC as a quilt/tea shop in nearby Brownsville, Ore. In 2001, did I discover the numbers that define quilters as "dedicated".

"America's in stitches!" a survey report
"America's in stitches!" was a press release from Houston's International Quilt Festival. Found a copy somewhere on the Web. It was packed with great numbers to put in ACQC's business plan. Was sure with all those numbers about dedicated quilters, banks would soon be seeking us out!

ACQC in Brownsville never made it. That's another post. But I learned dedicated quilters spend money. Or rather I looked at our checkbook and realized Peggy was a dedicated quilter!

$1.84 billion is what quilters spend
What did "America's in stitches!" say about these nearly a million adult Americans who spend "a staggering $1.84 billion per year on their hobby"? They said the numbers were growing!

Since 1997, the previous survey—yeah there was a 2003 survey and probably one going on now—but back to the 2000 numbers.

In 2000 there were 15 million U.S. households with at least one quilter. On average, those quilters spent $118 on quilting each year. But 824,400 households had “dedicated quilters,” who spent more than 500 bucks on quilting annually. That's $1.7 billion of the total spent on quilting, or 94% of the total market.

1,104,696 ladies were these high spenders. That was a huge 68.8% jump over 1997.

You might question the use of "ladies" above. Sure there are male quilters, but do you think many qualify as "dedicated"?

Yes DQs buy fabric
These dedicated quilters (DQs) put their dollars where their hearts are. In the past year they had bought 106.6 million yards of quilting fabric worth $736 million. That was 60,568 miles of fabric—enough to circle the globe 2.5 times.

These DQs start an average of 14.2 projects per year. 76% of them had a sewing/quilting room at home. Most, 88% said they are intermediate or advanced quilters, and almost half enjoyed both contemporary and traditional styles.

Some DQs buy a "few" more machines than average
Here, in the basemen of Peggy's Alaska Cabbage Patch B&B, Peggy's ACQC has 7 sewing machines, a New Joy quilting frame, 6 cutting mats, 1 cutting table, 10 rotary cutters, 4 irons, 5 ironing boards, and a working Ironrite mangle, ca. 1934. Her computerized Bernina is in our bedroom with more fabric.

But Quilting in America™ 2000 survey found DQs had only an average of two sewing machines and 24% of them bought a new one in the previous year. 13% were planning to buy a new machine in the next year.

Peggy is not doing business with ACQC so I guess she has to be termed an extreme DQ! What do you readers think of that—Is she an extreme DQ?

It's said "Don't ask a woman's age"—but they asked quilters
Quilter's ages were another number to count. Most span the generations from 35 and 75, but DQs were mostly college-educated women (74%) with an average age of 55 and average household incomes of $74,806. Only 20% of DQs were between 18 and 44. On average DQs had about 11.2 years’ quilting experience.

They also buy a few books/magazines and have a "stash"
As many of your may guess, quilt books and magazines were their most frequent source of quilting info. DQs purchased five quilting books a year (mostly local quilt shops). Plus they subscribe to 3.7 quilting magazines on average. (How does that ".7" mag come?)

DQs bought 96.5 yards for projects started in the last year, spending about $667. They admit to $2,407 as the average value of their reserve “stash” of fabric—though 5% own up to owning more than $10,000 worth!

Then there are digital quilters and surfer quilters
Computers and the Internet were becoming a part of many quilter's lives. 76% of DQs own computers (up 15% from 1997), and 57% of them log on every day. They spent 2.1 hours each week visiting strictly quilt-related web sites.

So that was my introduction to dedicated quilters defined
Peggy, Dawn, Rusty, JoAnn, Ruby, Jean, Sue and more Santiam Scrappers are either dedicated quilters or dedicated quilter wannabes. At my dialysis center, at least two health care women are also wannabes.

Me thinks there are lots of DQs locally and about 10 or 12 meet in the basement each Wednesday afternoon. A couple DQs come on Thursday evening. Then there are those Scrappers who meet on the third Saturday.

Plus all the quilting bees at local senior centers, in churches, in the local Mennonite community, and on, and on—there're everywhere! DQs are almost a plague.

Oh yeah—What about the 2003 numbers?
The latest Quilting in America 2003 survey said there were 2.1 million quilters and they each spend an average of $139.70. That's an estimated total dollar value of $2.27 billion for the quilting industry.

Now they spend more than $500!
"Dedicated Quilters" are now defined as individuals that spend more than $500 per year on quilting-related purchases. They are a small but mighty group. They represent 5.21% of all quilters, yet make 94.7% of total industry purchases.

The total DQ spending in the 2003 survey was $2.149 billion, an increase of more than 26% since 2000.

Most dedicated quilters are women
The DQ profile says, they are 99% female, 58 years old, 76% attended college, and they have $80, 397 household income. Spending is up to an average $1,934 per year on quilting and they have been quilting for 12.3 years.

In a DQ's sewing/quilting activities there is $5,542 of quilting tools and supplies and $2,860 worth of fabric. They still have 2 sewing machines, but 21% own more than 4 machines.
In the past 12 months, 25% of DQs bought a new machine for $1,811 plus $181 of accessories. Their 12-month fabric buy was 100.7 yards costing $772.40.

Like all surveys, there are all sorts of strange numbers—DQs favorite patterns are small-scale florals (78%), tone-on-tone neutrals (68%) and holiday prints (62%). Wow!

So—Are you a "dedicated quilter"?

Are quilter's guilds bees or businesses?

2006-06-09T22:51:00.000-07:00

LEBANON, OREGON… At the most recent Santiam Scrappers Quilt Guild meeting, JoAnn Dutton took over as the guild's third president. Evidently JoAnn wants to take her Scrapper friends in new directions. Possibly this direction might be back toward a quilting guild as a quilting bee.

In the guild's June newsletter, Santiam Snippets, JoAnn first thanked members for electing her president. Then she outlined one of her main goals is to change meetings from "… sometimes boring, and not much fun… to try not to bore you, and to liven them up."

Evidently, recent guild leadership was a bit too dictatorial and not as much into listening to members. Since a quilt guild is not into doing a bunch of formal "business" one might think a guild can be run almost informally — more like a quilting bee.

Actually, some guilds don't have bylaws, elected officers, or dues. Some only have a love of making quilts, sharing, and talking among members. Sounds more like what it was when they were "quilting bees".

Guild meetings — monthly, "sit and sew", and even quilt shows – should be fun and friendly quilting bees.

'Course this leads some to ask… What is a bee?
A bee is a gathering of friends. A bee, as used in quilting bee or spelling bee, is an old word to describe a gathering of friends and neighbors to accomplish a task or to hold a competition.

The tasks were often major jobs, such as clearing a field of timber, building a cabin, or raising a barn, that would be difficult to carry out alone.

It was often both a social and utilitarian event. Female jobs like corn husking or sewing, could be done as a group to allow socialization during an otherwise tedious chore. Such bees often included refreshments and entertainment provided by the group.

Back in colonial America, "bee" is common in literature describing groups doing other tedious chores such as spinning, quilting, and even corn husking bees.

The earliest known printed example of the term was the use of spinning bee in 1769: "Sometimes the women would have spinning bees. They would put rolls among their neighbors and on a certain day they would all bring in their yarn and at night the boys would come with their fiddles for a dance."

Today's Santiam Scrappers guild meetings sound like bees.
Again from the June Snippets, these are things which happened at the May 2 meeting — Competitions, sharing, learning, doing tedious chores, and more "bee" things.

There was talk about speakers and classes — learning from each other.
Quilt shows — sharing and making a few bucks.
Round Row Show and Tell, Secret Sisters and retreats to Sisters — more sharing in different ways.

Then there is the small "Block of the Month" thing — It's a competition. Sounds as if this is a big part of the bee aspect. From the newsletter… "Thirty-one Simple Four-Patch squares had been completed. The drawing was won by Jane Lehn. The June BOM is a two-block set titled “Purple Mountains Majesty”. Sue reminded everyone to use a SCANT 1/4” seam for this block." 31 blocks from a "bee" with 57 members!

And another Show and Tell — "Twelve members shared items which included a hand-pieced “Block Explosion”, machine and hand appliqué, 3-D, Triangulations, post cards and quilts made for the conversation fabric exchange last year. Definitely a "bee" operation.

What about the guild's non-group Wednesday Gals?
They convene in basements, quilt shops, or homes every Wednesday afternoon to work 3 to 4 hours on community service quilts. Cutting, ironing, sewing, and quilting in mass — are definitely "tedious" chores — updated to the 21st century.

Are Standard Operating Procedures (SOP's), 501(c)(3) applications, board meetings and such like, really needed in a small quilting guild? Shouldn't these guilds be more like bees and not businesses? Shouldn't these guilds be loving quilting and sharing that love with each other informally

Santiam Scrappers Quilting Bee sounds nice.

One last question… What night are the boys coming with their fiddles for a dance?

Cucumber Lovers UNITED

2006-06-04T23:44:00.000-07:00

CALLING ALL

PJDA'S
This brochure is copywrited by
A.A.P.J.D.A.—A.C.C.,C.P.P.,C.P.P.A. & R.S.C.
American Association of Pickle Juice Drinkers Anonymous
and
Affiliated Co-Dependant Children,
Concerned Pickled Parents,
Cucumber Pickle Packers Alliance
& Random Second Cousins

PICKLE JUICE DRINKING is wrong!
It's harmful to your health.
PICKLE JUICE DRINKING is above all — Against the original pickle eating guide as first transcribed by ancient Greek or Persian pickle packers and refined by an old German pickle maker from Milwaukee who moved to the Pacific Northwest then Alaska in the early 20^th century.

Join PJDA Or —

Unless you join PJDA soon you could go beyond mere sipping of pickle juice (sweet or tart), to becoming —
A hard-core pickle-on-a-stick eater!
You'd be a "Pickle-Sickle Eater" & that's
A real PickSickE!

Join PJDA If —

To determine if you should join PJDA, please honestly and truthfully evaluate your personal association with pickle juice and answer this question —

Did you ever?

c Use pickle juice to make marinades,
c Use sauerkraut juice to marinade grilled Alaskan moose or Copper River salmon,
c Doctor barbecue sauce with pickle juice,
c Add cut-up raw carrots, celery sticks, broccoli and cauliflower florets, and red & green pepper strips directly to jars of leftover pickle juice for the church social,
c Hide small bags of relish in your purse or wallet for secret snacks at work,
c Slip sliced onions in a jar of sweet-hot bread & butter pickle juice for your children's school lunch,
c Add pickle juice to the mayo in your mom's family recipe potato salad,
c Dose Grandma's macaroni & cheese with sweet pickle juice,
c Mix hot pickled pepper juice in your friend's Spanish Gazpacho,
c Put pickle juice & pickle spears in your Bloody Mary,
c Stir dill pickle juice in your favorite beer,
c Take pickle or sauerkraut juice as tonic,
c Bring your spouse pickle juice to smooth a difficult moment in your marriage,
c Down pickle juice to get rid of cramps,
c Swig pickle juice to stop mosquito bites,
c Inhale pickle juice as a hangover remedy (Very common if you're Polish),
c Attend the Rosendale (NY) International Pickle Festival or any other Picklefest,
c Know pickle juice once was a "secret weapon" of the Philadelphia Eagles?

c Finally, Have you ever opened the fridge &amp;amp;amp; drank directly from the milk jug —
or even worse —
Sipped pickle juice right from the jar.

If you checked ANY box on the list — Please strongly consider joining —

A. A. P. J. D. A.

For those PJD's who are unable to reform, consider drinking watermelon pickle juice and
Save a Cucumber.

Watermelon Pickles
(Southern ORWAAK Style)

Makes about 10 quarts — Cherries add a little extra color.

10 pounds peeled watermelon rind
12 pounds granulated sugar
1 quart, more or less, white vinegar
19 to 19½ drops oil of cinnamon
17 to 21 drops oil of cloves
2¼ lemon, thinly sliced
23¾–37½ Maraschino cherries, halved

Cut all green parts from watermelon rind before weighing (if firm, a little of the green may be left on).
Cut into pieces, put in large pot, and cover with cold water. Bring to a boil, and then simmer 10 minutes.
Drain, and wash with cold water. Let stand in colander until well drained (1 to 2 hours), then put into enameled kettle.
Pour sugar, vinegar, and oils over rind.
(Optional: Add lemon slices and Maraschino cherries.)
Let stand 24 hours, stirring occasionally.
Boil 10 to 12 minutes.
Let stand 4 or 5 days, stirring once each day, before putting into jars. Follow regular canning methods for pickling.

Save Pickle Juice

A. A. P. J. D. A

Is Approved & Supported by —
Pickled Packers International, Cyprus, Swanson Pickle Co., Muskegon, Mich., Nalley's Pickles, of Tacoma Country, H. J. Heinz of Delta Junction, Alaska, Steinfield's Pickle Co., Duck, Ore., Farman's Northwest Grown Pickles, Garlic Gus (Pickle-in-a-Pooch) & The Pickle Guys of Scio, Ore.
For more information contact — Oregon Cucumber Eaters Coalition, Linn County Chapter, Lebanon Post, Chair #8. Or Call 1-800-PICKLES or Email CukeLoversUnited@Cowcumber.com or CabbageBnB@peak.org
Prepared in support of cucumber lovers every where.

This brochure was drafted and published at no cost to

A.A.P.J.D.A.
by

Officially Approved and Funded by Crystal Lake Productions C.E.O (And only worker bee)

Cucumber Lovers
United

Writing good posts is not hard

2006-06-03T21:19:00.000-07:00

Recently reading blogs has become one of my interests. Blogs have exploded on the Web. Blogs by scientists, journalists, cops, city mayors, farmers (women-type), quilters, and more are out there to read.

Whether the blogs tell about a person's daily life or focuses on international news, blogs are a new wave of the printed word. Most are not Shakespeare or poetry. But blogs are neat to read.

There are many guidelines for writing blogs. Given that blogs are mostly read on a computer screen (How many folks print blogs?) there are some basic ideas which all bloggers should consider.

The following was taken from www.marketingprofs.com. If you are interested in making your blogs easier and more interesting to read, check out these ideas.

How to Write Compelling Blog Posts
by B.L. Ochman, published March 1, 2005.

These are basic ideas. More is included below.

Adopt a direct style
Link like crazy
Write less
Write good headlines
Keep sentences and paragraphs short.
Don't take yourself too seriously.
Never lose your sense of humor
Write like it counts
White space is your friend
Use the simplest possible word and sentence structure
Read your post out loud
Forget what you learned about business writing in school if you graduated before 1990
Use bulleted points whenever you can
Use subheads
Use bold text and italics for emphasis on words and phrases
Make sure your posts are easy to scan
Don't be afraid to voice opinions
Ask these questions to yourself before hitting "Publish"

Is the topic clear to someone who reads only the headline?
Does the lead paragraph tell who and what the story is about and why the reader should care about it?
Is the angle you've used likely to seem newsworthy?
Would someone who knows absolutely nothing about this topic understand this post?
Is the post free of jargon?
Is it written in journalistic style and does it make an effort to be objective?
Have you peppered the headline and the post with keywords and phrases that will be attractive to search engines?

Here's the article- - - - - -

Writing blog posts and comments on blogs is actually very simple. The basic guidelines: keep your copy lively, factual, tight, clear, short and search engine optimized.

Here are basic blog style guidelines to follow:

Adopt a direct style
Declarative sentences are good. Web readers demand them.

Link like crazy
One thing that distinguishes blog posts from dead-tree journalism is that bloggers link prodigiously.

Link to any other blog or Web site you mention. Link to articles, books, products, bios, explanatory materials on other sites and anything you mention in your blog.

Always link to information that clarifies or gives background on information and opinions in your post.

Write less
Omit all unnecessary words. The best advice I ever got about writing was from my first boss, the late "press agent" Leo Miller, who taught me a game to play with sentences. He'd keep taking out words until removing one more word destroyed the meaning of the sentence.

For example: He'd take out words until removing another destroyed the sentence meaning.

Aim at keeping your posts at about 250 words.

Write good headlines
Most people use a news feeders like News Gator to scan blog headlines. They decide after seeing the headline to click into the post. Tell as much of the story as you can in the headline:

Before: Pakistan: NA body on S&T meets [Huh? Who's NA? What is S&T?]

After: Pakistan National Assembly Calls Water Resource Problems the Nation's Major Issue

Before: The B. B. King Book

After: I'm Writing The B. B. King Biography

Keep sentences and paragraphs short.

Don't take yourself too seriously.
Blogging isn't brain surgery. Don't get pompous or dictatorial.

Never lose your sense of humor

Write like it counts
"No matter what your audience size, you ought to write as if your readership consisted of paid subscribers whose subscriptions were perpetually about to expire. There's no need to pander. Compel them to re-subscribe," said Dennis Mahoney on A List Apart.

White space is your friend
It makes reading from the screen easier. Nothing is harder to read than a solid block of copy on a computer screen.

Use the simplest possible word and sentence structure

Read your post out loud
Make sure you don't get stuck on complex construction. If you trip on a word the midst of reading a sentence aloud, rewrite the sentence.

Forget what you learned about business writing in school if you graduated before 1990
Go ahead! Start sentences with "and" or "but." Don't be afraid to break archaic rules. But, jeez, follow all grammatical rules that provide clarity to your content.

Cardinal Sin: Say "This is about me," never "This is about myself." Same with "you" and "yourself."

Stiff, formal writing is only for lawyers. And you know what Shakespeare said about them.

Use bulleted points whenever you can

Use subheads
Every few paragraphs, even in a 300-word post.

Use bold text and italics for emphasis on words and phrases

Make sure your posts are easy to scan

Choose your voice and keep it consistent.

Don't be afraid to voice opinions

Ask these questions to yourself before hitting "Publish"

Is the topic clear to someone who reads only the headline?

Does the lead paragraph tell who and what the story is about and why the reader should care about it?

Is the angle you've used likely to seem newsworthy?

Would someone who knows absolutely nothing about this topic understand this post?

Is the post free of jargon?

Is it written in journalistic style and does it make an effort to be objective?

Have you peppered the headline and the post with keywords and phrases that will be attractive to search engines?

How to Write Comments on Blogs

Some blogs are more influential than others, and many are trolled by journalists and your potential clients who are seeking ideas, trends and sources. Commenting intelligently on blogs, even if you don't have a blog of your own, can be a very good way to build a reputation as an expert in a field.

The key is to provide useful, factual information so that over time it becomes clear to other readers of the blogs to which you post that you know what you are talking about. In general, it is a good idea to keep your posts short and on point.

Since blogs are archived online, anything you write in a comment will be there until forever. So think before you write; and edit, edit, edit before you hit "submit."

Blog Comment Guidelines

Sign
It is necessary for you to sign your comments. In most cases, anonymous messages will not be published. You're also generally asked for your email address and your URL.

A signature that looks like an ad will simply be cut. Stick to the facts about what you do. The quality of your comments will prove your expertise.

Because of comment spam, many bloggers ask you to register or to have a Typepad key.

If you have a business connection to a product or service mentioned in the blog post, this should be clear to anyone reading your comment.

Offer something of value
Comment only when you feel you can offer something of value that is relevant to the types of issues that are discussed.

Use short comments
Size constraints make space limited, and bloggers may shorten your comments. Better to simply write shorter.

Make appropriate comments
Bloggers are free to reject inappropriate posts, including overt solicitations and personal attacks.

Quote accurately
When quoting material, strive for accuracy and note where you have omitted copy; provide attribution for the quote, including source and URL (if available).

B.L. Ochman, publisher of WhatÂs Next Blog and president of whatsnextonline.com, is an Internet marketing strategist and blogging consultant to Fortune 500 companies, including IBM and Cendant.

Calico Cow has a web site

2006-06-01T19:51:00.000-07:00

DELTA JUNCTION, ALASKA... It's here, it's there, it's everywhere. It was here yesterday, today, and for the future... Calico Cow is on the Web.

For all of you quilting-addicts, fabric surfers, and otherwise strange people know now the Calico Cow has moved from the Alaska Highway to the Richardson Highway. Then, from up on the second floor in their new home, the Calico Cow went digital.

So click on to go to the Cow's new "fabric barn" on the Web.

On the Cow's home page you find these welcoming words,

"Welcome to The Calico Cow!
We are a quilt shop located in the beautiful interior Alaska city of Delta Junction. Delta Junction is at the end of the Alaska Highway, and about 100 miles southeast of Fairbanks, at the junction of the Richardson and Alaska Highways.

Our shop has recently moved from the Alaska Highway location to larger quarters on the Richardson Highway within walking distance of the Delta Junction Visitor Center, in the same building as the Mt. McKinley Bank.

We would love to have you come and visit on your next trip through Delta Junction - it will be worth your time!

Contact us at 907-895-9895 or info@thecalicocow.com if you have any questions."

Like most good quilt shops, Calico Cow pushes their top-quality 100% cotton fabric, convenient downtown location (in rural Delta that's really nice), and their classes.

However, these Cow-ladies are a bit different — they encourage You (or your spouse) to come sit and visit, read magazines (*** note*** they have male-friendly reading as well as quilting magazines) and talk quilting with friends in our "chair corner".

( Question — What is "male-friendly reading"? Alaska Fishing Guide? Milepost? Playboy? Mudd Boggers Northwest?

And who made these "male-friendly" selections? )

Really — inspite of the reading selections, they have an elevator to get to the second floor, and as I recall, they are very nice ladies. So stop in and visit the Calico Cow when you pass through Delta Junction.

Buy from their wide variety of fabrics, (they say many are difficult to find elsewhere). Or check out the complete Jinny Beyer Palette and the wide variety of Alaskana/Northwoods fabrics. If that is not enough to satisfy your fabric-addiction, there is a large selection of batiks plus florals, kid's prints, flannels, wide backings and the standard — "Lots of books, battings, gifts, and notions".

Come take a June class from an official "Cow Teacher". If you are quick sign up for a Beginner Four-Patch Baby Quilt/Wall hanging class. Jackie Becker is the instructor and she will be there this Saturday, June 3rd, from 10AM to 4PM.

If you can't make that... plan on taking
"Crazy Cats", a Buggy Barn class on June 24. Joyce Bendell will do the teaching honors.

Come to the Calico Cow and be greeted with Alaska prints as well as new and seasonal fabrics.

My only questions...
1. Are there any Calico Buffalo Cows?
2. Are there Calico Cow pies in chocolate?

Strawberry Quilt Show in 2007?

2006-05-24T13:20:00.000-07:00

LEBANON, OREGON... This was emailed to QuilterPeg and Sue Davis (she used to own Strawberry Patches Quilt Shop in Lebanon).

I suggest...
In 2007, Santiam Scrappers Quilt Guild, should hold...

WHEN

Strawberry Quilt Show
Held annually
Sat-Sun
During Lebanon's Strawberry Festival

WHAT

Pre show contests — Strawberry Quilt Challenge quilting contests end before quilt show.
Show winners — Strawberry Court picks a Queens Strawberry Quilt winner at quilt show.
a "Peoples Choice" Strawberry Quilt winners (1,2,3) chosen by votes during quilt show.
Involve youth — Youth Strawberry Quilt quilting contests with local schools and Boys and Girls Club.
Additional activities — Other Strawberry Quilt events and activities (idea source: Sue Davis and the activities she had at Strawberry Patches Quilt Shop)
Invite other Oregon guilds — Strawberry Quilt entries from other quilt guilds (by invitation.)
Expand SSQG activities — Consider related Strawberry Quilt community service quilt promotions.
Make money — Adult entrance fee... $2-$3.
Make money — Small Strawberry Quilt Silent Auction... Set some quilts with “Buy It Now” prices.
Make money — Have vendors.
Promote year round — Place winners in Linn County Fair.
Promote year round — Put on guild cards, newsletters, brochures, press releases, guild email signatures

MARKET

Market — Do marketing. Have an informal marketing plan.
Market Strawberry Quilt — This is main promotion term.
Make it unique and special — Strawberry Quilt Show.
Use local promotion — Hold during Strawberry Festival but make it the Strawberry Quilt Show.
Consider joint promotions — Joint Strawberry Quilt Show – Strawberry Festival drawing
Do it NOW — Begin basic promotion now. Details added as they evolve. Begin now!

Would this work?

Elias Grosssmann — Graduate 2006

2006-05-19T17:16:00.000-07:00

DELTA JUNCTION, ALASKA SEATTLE, WASHINGTON AND PLACES IN BETWEEN OR NEARBY OR IN WESTERN CANADA AND THE NW U.S. ...

Congrats Eli! YOU DONE GREAT! From Peggy and Chris Christopherson... Congratulations on graduating.
In the Community News blog of the Delta News Web, the list of Graduating Class of 2006 contains the following...

Elias Grossmann Hephzibah Home School (His ceremony is June 3)

Eli (Elias) is the third of Dawn (frostysticher) and Bruce's fine children.

The photo and following is from the Western Hockey League (WHL) Seattle Thunderbirds roster Web page for Eli.

Player:Grossmann, Elias
Pronounced: Gross-man
Position: D
Shoots: R
Height: 6'2"
Weight: 202 lbs.
Birthday: 05/10/88
Hometown: Delta Junction, AK
Draft Status:Eligible 2006

2004-2005:As a rookie with Seattle, Eli played in 42 total games and recorded one assist. He spent 20 minutes in the penalty box during the regular season. In the play-offs Eli contributed by playing in all 12 games. During the summer he was selected to play for the Pacific District Team at the USA Hockey Select 17 festival in St. Cloud, Minnesota.

2003-2004: Eli played with on the Arctic Lions U-16 team in the USMH. Statistics from this season are unavailable.

Also on the roster page is this important stuff about Eli...

What was the best movie you saw this summer? Lord of War. It was a good show.
If Jennifer Aniston and Angelina Jolie were to get in a cat fight over Brad Pitt, who would win? Angelina Jolie for sure. She is Tomb Raider

Which one of your teammates would be most likely to be on a reality TV show? Which show? Bud. Canadian Idol

What is the best concert you have ever been to? Adema. They are a smalltime rock band.

What color crayon would best describe your personality? Dark blue

Who is the one person on the team you could not share a room with? I could share a room with any of them.

What song best describes the teammate with the number above yours? Put your head on my shoulder- Michael Buble

What country would you like to visit? Why? Australia. The largest reef in the world and I love diving.

What is your favorite Will Ferrell movie? Anchorman

If 50 cent and Snoop Dog were in a rap battle who would out rap who? 50!!

If the team were to re-enact the movie Napoleon Dynamite, weÂ?ve heard Bud Holloway would play Napoleon, but who would play Kip? Clayton, he is a good actor.

What is the funniest Saturday Night Live skit you can think of? Any one with that monkey character

What is more unbearable to watch: Patrick Swayze in Dirty Dancing or John Travolta in Grease? Patrick Swayze

What was your best golf score, and where? Never have kept score

What do you consider the best comedy movie of all time? Super Troopers

What is one thing you wish your teammates would NOT bring on the bus with them? B/O

If you were on the cover of ESPN magazine, what would be the headline? Who is this guy?

What movie series have you seen all three of: Star Wars, Mighty Ducks, Lord of the Rings, the Matrix movies, or the Jurassic Park trilogy? All but Matrix.

What color of M&M would you consider yourself and why? I don't like M&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;M's, but if I did then maybe blue.

Who on the team would make the best professional wrestler? JAMES MCEWAN! He loves that kinda stuff.
How many licks DOES it take to get to the center of a Tootsie pop? None. I bite em!
Which Disney character do you most identify with and why? Dopey, because we both say dopey stuff
Who is your favorite NHL player of all time? Scott Stevens
If there was a Survivor: Seattle Thunderbird Edition, who could outwit, outplay and outlast the rest of the team? Gibby
Coke or Pepsi? Coke
If you were stranded on an island and you could bring 3 things with you, what would they be any why? Flippers, My Hawaiian Sling, and Goggles. Cause IÂ?d be in the water all day everyday
If you could only eat one food for the rest of your life, what would it be and why? Lasagna cause its pasta with meat and veggies, kinda
You get a free pizza, but are only allowed two toppings other than cheese, what two toppings do you choose? Pineapple and ham

Yep, Eli is a teenager. But he is still a nice kid.

He is developing as hockey defenseman. (How many teeth have you lost todate Eli?) Eli has spent a summer working on a fishing boat in SE Alaska, he is a trapper, he's eaten caribou nose at an Athabaskan potlatch, and he used to hit his younger sister Annie. That is just in the past few years

Like his other three siblings, Eli is a special person. Guess home schooling and parents like Dawn and Bruce (plus living in Alaska) makes good folks.

Congratulations Elias Grossmann

Mother’s Day Quilt Show big success

2006-05-18T23:26:00.000-07:00

NORTH ALBANY, OREGON… On Mother's Day weekend, Santiam Scrappers Quilt Guild held "Another Bloomin' Quilt Show" at Tom's Garden Center in North Albany.

The following report written for the guild June newsletter. When it is published, copies are available on the guild Web site.

Thanks to the hard work of a lot of people, and Tom’s Garden Center, our first Mother’s Day Quilt Show was an unqualified success.

A large crew of guild members and relatives descended on Tom’s Garden Center late Friday afternoon and again late Sunday afternoon. Sixty-two quilts and 19 small auction quilts later, the garden center was a beautiful mix of flowers, greenery and quilts of all shapes and sizes.

It took us a little while to figure out the best way to hang the quilts in this unique setting. We had to be sure that the garden center merchandise was still visible to the customers and the quilts were at a height they could be viewed.

A special thanks to Jean McDaniel, Gail March’s sister Gywn Collister, Sally Latimer and Bud Pulliam, (Arline Pulliam’s husband) for being brave enough to tackle climbing the ladders.

And what went up had to come down. Not surprisingly, it was much faster to take the quilts down than to put them up. Another big thanks for the help from Sharon Reece’s husband Larry and her son-in-law Mark Remily along with Bud Pulliam and Gail March’s sister Gwyn Collister for once again climbing the ladder to take down quilts,

Other guild members were present a good part of the weekend and helped with set up and take down and many also acted as hostesses through out the weekend. This assistance came from: Rusty Sylvester; Becky Weisberg; Gail March; JoAnn Pope; Arline Pulliam; Majorie Mitchell; Marina Rosario; JoAnn Dutton; Annie Swett; Sharon Reece; Leola Erwin; and Carol Webber.

Those acting as hostesses were able to visit with many show viewers. Several quilters asked for information about the guild and one lady came back on Sunday to show us a handkerchief quilt after telling us about the quilt earlier.

After much discussion on Saturday night and Sunday morning, it was decided to change the small quilt auction to a sale. Many of the people interested in the small quilts wanted to buy them for Mother’s Day Gifts and some mentioned the cost of gas if they had to come back to bid again.

There were a few quilts with one bid, and those bidders were called and told of the change and that the quilts were theirs. So the outcome was that we took in $400 from the sale of those small quilts!

Tom’s Garden Center was a beautiful place to hold a quilt show and lots of people saw our quilts and talked with us.

Tom and Annette Krupicka, owners of Tom’s Garden Center, were wonderful to work with and have suggested we make it an annual event.

No Quilt Show at Strawberry Festival?

2006-05-18T22:17:00.000-07:00

LEBANON, OREGON... On May 18, the following was submitted as a Letter to Editor to... Lebanon Express, Corvallis Gazette Times, and Albany Democrat Herald. Then it was sent to the Santiam Scrappers Quilt Guild newsletter.

Some of this is from talks with at least two guild members. One member has significant experience marketing quilting commercially.

No Quilt Show at Strawberry Festival?

Most local festivals have quilt shows. Not Lebanon. Why not?

Scio's Lamb and Wool Fair has a quilt show. Pioneer Picnic in Brownsville has a quilt show. Lebanon used to have quilt doings at Strawberry Festival. Why not now?

Lebanon's Strawberry Patches Quilt Shop had Strawberry challenge quilt contests. For 5 or 6 years, the Strawberry Court made a "Queen's Choice" from entries and there were "Visitor's Choice" winners. Strawberry Patches gave prizes and decorated the shop.

In 2002, Lebanon's Santiam Scrappers Quilt Guild was formed. In 2003 they held a quilt show during Strawberry Festival. However, in 2004 and 2005, the quilt show was in October.

If there was a Strawberry Festival Quilt Show it would be another reason for tourists to stay in Lebanon.

Lebanon's Strawberry Festival Quilt Show could be a big tourist attraction like the Sisters Outdoor Quilt Show. Sisters is the largest outdoor quilt show in the country. Tourist businesses in that part of Oregon are packed during the show.

Possibly the city's tourism marketing monies could make Strawberry Festival a real "tourist" event. Santiam Scrappers Quilt Guild should join the Festival board and plan to make 2007 a big Strawberry Quilt Show year.

Tourists — defined by the tourist industry — are people who travel for 24 hours or more to a place other than where they live. This distance is more than 50 miles from their home. Tourists visit for leisure, business, family, mission and meeting.

This section was added in the email sent to the guild...

TomÂs Garden Center & guild quilt show on Mother's Day weekend was a success.
It was designed and marketed for more than quilters.
MotherÂs Day and TomÂs other attractions brought over 1,000 folks.
They all saw the beauty and skill of guild quilts.
They bought over $400 of quilts.
The guildÂs production costs were low.
The show benefited from TomÂs marketing plans and location.
Many of these folks would not come just for a quilt show in Lebanon in October.
Strawberry Festival brings many to Lebanon.
People go to the garden show while their children enjoy Festival rides.
People eat ham and pancake breakfasts in town to support the Festival.
A guild quilt show in town will support the Festival.
Done right, a quilt show is an added attraction for Lebanon.
The guild would make more money.
Every quilt show I have attended is designed to attract more than just quilters. The annual Pacific International Quiltfest in Santa Clara, California, is in a major convention center and marketed to wide range of potential attendes.

(QuilteerPeg and I went here from Alaska back in the '90s. I spent much of my time sitting in our rented car on top of the parking garage There is only so much quilting I can handle!)

Sisters is definitely unique. Its growth was not an accident. It took hard work, marketing, planning, and coordination.

Santiam Scrappers should do more than a small quilt show in October.
Santiam Scrappers should support Strawberry Festival with a quilt show.

"Strawberry Fields (are not) Forever"

2006-05-17T09:52:00.000-07:00

MID WILLAMETTE VALLEY, OREGON… When we came to Corvallis in 1979, our small abode was a 2-bedroom, second floor apartment near Oregon State University.

It was May and then, as now, it was a ripening time for Oregon's big red strawberries. With a small apartment, 3 sons, a cat, and a couple dogs, getting boys outside was a major goal.

So in late May and early June, Jon (oldest – almost 14), and Mikel (turning 11 in November), were signed up to take a daily bus ride to near Independence, along the Willamette River. Their job was to pick strawberries. Back then this was accepted work for Oregon's youth.

The boys had not had this type of experience. It was only two years before that we had come to central Illinois after living for four years in Iceland.

"Strawberry fields forever" was the Beatles best recording back in 1967. But along the Willamette River in 1979, the strawberry fields were not of the "psychedelic rock" type.

For young boys it was hot, hard work. 'Course the berries were vary tasty and they make great throwing fun.

Mikel only lasted two days. He was fired as he fell asleep in the field and had only picked one flat. Jon lasted longer.

Today the boys are middle-aged men, Jon lives in Albany, Oregon, and Mikel is up in Anchorage, Alaska. Strawberry fields, Beatles-type or picking-type, are distant memories.

Here in Lebanon, the town's big community fair, the Strawberry Festival is coming in just over two weeks. Saturday's big parade will feature huge strawberry shortcake covering a flatbed semi-trailer.

But three local papers have recently addressed the loss of Oregon's strawberry fields. In the 1950s, farmers had more than 17,000 acres in strawberries. Today there are only about 2,000 acres in strawberry production. California has 387,000 acres.

Most of Oregon’s berries end up in jam, as most local berries are too fragile for shipping.

Of course, Lebanon's giant strawberry shortcake is made with berries from outside Oregon. On the other hand, Oregon strawberries are available at the local farmer's markets and U-pick fields.

Strawberry fields in Oregon may not be forever as a big farm crop, but they still taste great!

Another bloomin' quilt show is here today

2006-05-13T00:36:00.000-07:00

ALBANY, OREGON... Members of the Santiam Scrappers Quilt Guild (from Linn County Oregon) are planting quilts in a garden. Actually as this is posted, the quilts are all surrounded by dirt.

'Course quilts do not normally grow well in dirt. But these quilters sometimes they do different things.

It's Mother's Day and Tom's Garden Center in North Albany is hosting this event. Peggy and other Scrappers spent this evening hanging quilts in the Garden Center. It's Tom's new location, just across the Willamette River from downtown Albany.

tom has told the ladies that there may be a thousand shoppers coming to the Garden Center on Mother's Day. If that is the case and these shoppers are interested in "Bloomin' Quilts" possibly the Scrappers will make some money from their small quilt silent auctions.

Small quilt silent auctions are a prime money raiser for the Santiam Scrappers Guild. Cash raised is used for quilt education for children and adults. Such projects include activities for 4-H and at the Linn County Fair.

Another big use of the cash is to support the guild's "community support" program. Each Wednesday a group of six to over a dozen guild members work to make quilts to donate to folks in need. In addition to these Wednesday Gals working in Peggy's ACQC-basement space, other Wednesday Gals work at home to make community-support quilts.

In 2005 the guild made and shared 143 quilts. These quilts brought smiles and warmth to people in need throughout the area.

Wednesday Gals is an unrecognized subgroup

2006-05-12T01:14:00.000-07:00

LEBANON, OREGON... Although the Santiam Scrappers are a guild of friendly ladies, sometimes there are some rather small-minded folks involved.

At a recent guild board meeting, (Tuesday evening, May 9), Peggy and others were told the guild did not have subgroups such as Wednesday Women or Gals.

Who are Wednesday's Gals? Are they defacto a subgroup of the Santiam Quilters Quilt Guild?

Small quilt silent auctions are a prime money raiser for the Santiam Scrappers Guild. Cash raised is used for quilt education for children and adults. Such projects include activities for 4-H and at the Linn County Fair. Another big use of the cash is to support the guild's "community support" program.

Each Wednesday a group of six to over a dozen guild members work to make quilts to donate to folks in need (community service). In addition to these Wednesday Gals working in Peggy's ACQC-basement space, other Wednesday Gals work at home to make community support quilts.

In 2005 the guild made and shared 143 quilts. These quilts brought smiles and warmth to people in need throughout the area. See the "Press Release" post on May 9, 2006, for a list of groups supported with guild quilts.

Not being a quilter, who am I to say? However, many quilt guilds do seem to have subgroups. Those "Baltimore album quilt" quilters or "cat block" quilters, or "satellites" found in local Oregon guilds, they're subgroups of quilters. Sometime they're "Bees".

Across the river, in Benton County, Mary's River Quilt Guild Web site states, "Various subgroups also meet during the month according to their particular interests in quilting." From the newsletter, it appears an active subgroups is the "Secret Sisters".

To the south, Emerald Valley Quilters (Eugene) have "satellite groups". On the EVQ Web site they write… "Numerous small "satellite groups" have spun off from EVQ. Close camaraderie develops in these small groups and mentoring is a great benefit for members."

They continue, "A Satellite Group often begins with two or more quilters who live fairly near to each other or who can meet at a mutually convenient time. Sometimes a group forms of quilters of similar ages and experience, sometimes a common style of quilting interests folks enough to form a group to learn or practice it. Some groups meet weekly in one member's home, or in a larger location central to most of the members, and some groups meet irregularly."

Among other features of an EVQ satellite group, they could… "regularly or occasionally make quilts for fundraising, community service, or other causes meet to quilt on own projects or on other people's projects," and "gather for one hour at a time - or for two or three hours."

The write-up closes with, "The most important feature members of successful satellites share is their love of quilting."

Kind of describes what I've seen here locally with the Wednesday Women/Gals. They love to share their love of quilting with each other. This love extends through community service quilts to people in need. This Bee loves to share whether they meet every week or work at home on the quilts. The guild and it's extended subgroup gives handmade quilts to make someone's life a bit brighter.

Whether Santiam Scrappers members meet in ACQC's basement or Wednesdays at JoAnn Dutton's, JoAnn Pope's, Arline's, or Claudina's, they are a guild subgroup. If other guild members work on community service quilts at home, it seems they are part of the same community service subgroup.

Wednesday's Women or Wednesday's Gals, they are a neat subgroup.

What are the subgroups, Bees, or satellites in your guild?

(Final Note: When these Wednesday Women meet in our basement... Or even worse... When they have potluck lunch in the B&B dining room... They make it really noisy here where I sit. Got to turn the TV up real loud to hear NBA playoff games!)

Will Al-Can railroad help Calico Cow?

2006-05-11T19:41:00.000-07:00

DELTA JUNCTION, ALASKA... Recently an article in the Anchorage Daily News stated Alaska had 72 dairies in 1958. Alaskan dairies may number only 5 in the near future.

Of course cows are a big part of dairies Delta Junction, Alaska has 3 dairies and there are a total of about 800 milking cows in the state. But more importantly, to this blog, is one Delta cow The Calico Cow.

The Calico Cow was born after I left Delta back in '01. So it's not unusual that I don't know much about this cow. Is it a Holstein? A red Santa Gertrudis? Or a Milking Shorthorn?

Maybe, given the type of livestock in Delta's ag projects Could it be a yak cow? Or a buffalo cow? Or one of those elk cows? Or is one of the wild cows? Moose? Caribou? Musk ox?

Calico Cow is actually a quilt shop. (This blog is, after all, Alaskan Quilt in Oregon!)

Calico Cow is one of the two fabric and sewing shops in the small town at "The End of the Alaska Highway" on "The Friendly frontier". The other shop is "Lovin' Stitches."

So, since it is not a milking cow, how might the railroad help these shops? Also, what railroad?

Many towns have major connections with rail lines. As I was sitting out back this afternoon, enjoying the late afternoon sun, the Albany & Eastern engine pulled a long string of lumber flat-cars down the tracks beside 3rd Street.

Our B&B, Peggy's Alaskan Cabbage Patch B&B, sits on 2nd Street here in Lebanon, Oregon. So almost twice daily the A&E runs slowly through town behind our house. It goes to mills here in Lebanon and on up to near Foster Lake in Sweet Home. Railroads used to be a big part of Oregon's forestry and lumber industry.

So I was thinking about railroads. But last week, I was reading Buffalo Gal's blog, about the Calico Cow, Forget-Me-Knot Guild quilters, and the Alaska Railroad possibly coming to Fort Greely and Delta.

Thus it popped in my loopy brain If the railroad comes to Delta (and maybe on to Canada and the lower "48"), more tourists might ride the rails and so Calico Cow and Lovin' Stitches should stock up on Alaskan quilt patterns to sell (at exorbitant prices) to those crazy female tourists who are quilters.

Whatcha think? Should Calico and Lovin' rewrite their business plans? And start planning long trips to Hawaii?

Will the railroad really change Delta Junction?

Quilters in Delta Junction may be a bit different

2006-05-09T18:13:00.000-07:00

DELTA AG PROJECTS, ALASKA... During the past week or so, much of my time has been working a blog. Not this Alaskan Quilt in Oregon blog, rather its a blog about living in Delta Junction, Alaska.

There is a rather nice lady who quilts and does a bunch of other things in rural Alaska. BuffaloGal is her email handle and buffaloing is among her day-to-day activities.

She has been keeping a Web journal on her ranch web site since last June. Recently she was convinced to add blogging to her journaling. My job was to help BuffaloGal move her Web entries to her blog.

In this process, I was doing a bit of copy editor work creating headlines and making journal entries more readable online. So after moving over 50 entries to the blog plus a bunch of neat photos, I had learned much about raising bison and elk on an Alaskan Game Ranch.

Ruby, thats BuffaloGals original handle, helps her husband, Scott, her sons, Russell and Buckley, her brother-in-law, Eric, and more than a few friends and relatives to run their 2,000-acre farm/ranch in the Tanana Valley of interior Alaska. They used to raise Black Angus cattle on the home place and buffalo on the Frog Farm. Now the entire operation involves buffalo (bison) and elk.

The Game Ranching in Alaska blog is a very interesting read. Ruby and Scott are lifelong Alaskans. While watching the Gulf Coast hurricane disasters, Ruby blogged on her experiences in the Good Friday, 1964 earthquake disaster in Alaska.

To get a feel for living in rural Alaska where it falls to 65 below zero in winter and gets up over 90 in summer, read a few (or all) of BuffaloGals blog entries.

But wait a minute this blog is about quilters and this entry started with Quilters in Delta so one might ask, How does all this about Ruby have to do with quilters? Good question.

The following is Rubys blog posted Sunday, December 11, 2005 and titled Quilter's guild alluring spa fantasies.

Scott, Buck and kids went out to butcher a bison. It's still +15F so we need to get as many done while the weather holds. We were a little worried that the snow would crust and the young herd at the home place might have trouble getting to the hay ground. So far so good. Scott had a hunt yesterday and also took an animal for meat.

Buck and the kids cut 2 spruce down for their Christmas trees. Buck had a bison in the back of his truck plus 2 trees which he lost along the way. His dad went back with the truck to "save the trees."

I attended the Forget-Me-Knot Quilter's Guild Christmas Party at the neighbor's yesterday. What wonderful food. It was my first Christmas Party with the group.

We talked about the humor of starting an "alluring" spa out here. Decided that we could use fresh bison cow chips for the mud bath, also utilize the dry buffalo chips to heat the sauna and have that benefit too, have the elk horn tablets available for? , the Northern Lights for the mood and moose nuggets (droppings) as a skin treatment. Okay, we really all do need to get to a spa.

The guild is 42 strong and is filled with tremendously industrious women. They do quilts for fire victims along with their own that they usually give for gifts. The ladies are originally from South Carolina, Massachusets, Pennsylvania, Texas, Ohio, Iowa, Montana, Michigan, etc. plus Alaska. Quite a mixture of fun people.

That is just a taste of the fun reading on BuffaloGals blog read on!

Press Release - Mother’s Day Quilt Show-Auction at Tom’s Garden Center supports local organizations

2006-05-09T02:09:00.000-07:00

ALBANY, OREGON... On Mother's Day Weekend, Tom’s Garden Center at 350 Hickory NW (off of Highway 20) in NW Albany, Oregon, will be decked out with quilts.

The Quilt Show-Auction, titled "Another Bloomin’ Quilt Show", is presented by the Santiam Scrappers Quilt Guild. The Show will be all day Saturday and Sunday, May 13 and 14.

With all the beautiful quilts nestled among Tom's flowers and plants, it will be a great place to take your moms and grandmothers on Mother's Day.

It's free and bids for the Small Quilt Silent Auction will be accepted until 3 PM Sunday. Proceeds from the auction help with the purchase of supplies for making the guild's community service quilts.

Community service quilts are a big part of the guild’s activities. In 2005, members made and donated 143 quilts to local social service groups. These include: Albany’s ABC House and Healthy Start; Foster’s Camp Attitude; Pregnancy Alternatives, Willamette Manor, Meals on Wheels and the Soup Kitchen in Lebanon; hospitals in Lebanon, Albany, and Corvallis; and the Oregon Department of Human Services in Lebanon and Katrina Survivors and other families in need.

Santiam Scrappers Quilt Guild began in 2002 with 20 charter members in Lebanon. It now is almost tripled in size to nearly 60 quilters from Linn and Benton counties.

For more information about the show and auction call Peggy Christopherson at (541) 451-4910.

Learning to blog in spite of my resistance!

2006-05-08T21:50:00.000-07:00

LEBANON & SISTERS, OREGON... Chris is still trying to convince me that I can do this. He just spent 15 minutes explalning how the comments work and the difference between the blog (by the three people authorized to blog on my site) and the comments. Now I know what to watch for and I will make sure the comments don't automatically go to junk mail.

I have always found writing stuff, papers for school, articles for news letters and even letters, a time consuming chore. Making them interesting takes me a long time and lots of editing. In one more attempt to make him happy, I will try to do a little blogging. I would rather be quilting or most any other thing.

Had a haircut this morning and I feel so much better. It was just long enough to drive me crazy. I have been wearing it pretty short for a couple of years now. I know Chris doesn't like it but all my friend think it makes me look a lot younger. I like it because it is cool. During the summers here I really feel the heat and the short hair keeps me cooler.

I have been trying to be and get more organized in my quilt shop (ACQG) downstairs. With so many of my friends using the sewing room I tend to ignore it when stuff doesn't get put away. So these are my goals for the next week or two. 1) sort out one box daily and put way or throw away everything. 2) put things away when I switch projects. 3) Keep acqc cleaned up!

Quilting Retreat to Sisters Area

10 women, lots of good food, laughter and sewing! What more could we ask for? How about a Quilter's Shop Hop! We found out a few days before leaving for our retreat that there was a Shop Hop in the area. Six of us visited 10 quilt shops in 7 towns. We didn't receive any phone calls about winning any of the many prizes but it was great fun. Each of the shops gave us a Fat Quarter and free pattern and several had notion demonstrations. They also had refreshment for us and beautiful quilts to look at and of course, lots of fabric. All that beautiful fabric made us leave some of our dollars there to make the Hop successful for the shops.

We only got lost a few times and being women we stoped and asked for directions!

Let’s Retreat over the mountains to Sisters, Oregon

2006-04-27T17:25:00.000-07:00

SISTERS, OREGON... A bunch of quilters from the Santiam Scrappers Quilt Guild have left this morning to have a retreat in Sisters. Until Sunday the group will be staying in a cabin in that neat little community. It's just over the Cascade Mountains from here in Linn County.

Sounds like fun The Tollgate Retreat. Sleeping arrangements sounds like more fun 2 double beds, 4 single beds, and 2 foam pads. But Sue has more A queen aerobed that will sleep 2. Ten or twelve ladies in a cabin quilting, eating, and talking, talking and talking Quilters really seem to like that sort of thing.

How strange Especially when there is some premier fly-fishing just back up the hill in Camp Sherman. The latest Web reports say FISHING: Good on the famed Metolius River and there have been some great caddis hatches!

So quilt on ladies The cabin provides toilet paper, towels, dish soap and other common household products So you are all set. All you need to bring is sewing tables and pillows to make folding chairs more comfortable.

Course they took food and all that quilting stuff! Plus they are just three miles from that little quilt shop, the Stitchin Post. As some may know the Stitchin Post is the sponsor and home of the 31st Annual Sisters Outdoor Quilt Show. This event, also known as The Largest Outdoor Quilt Show in the World, will be held on Saturday, July 8, 2006.

Thats to come Now its just a small quilting retreat and no fly-fishing!

Easter in Tanacross is "WOW"

2006-04-16T21:26:00.000-07:00

EASTER 2005, TANANCROSS, ALASKA... This is a story about Dawn Grossmann, frostysticher, and her husband Bruce. It was taken from the Roadside Ministry section of the Summer, 2005 newsletter of the Alaska Mission for Christ (AMC).

"We are still basking in the JOY and WOW of Easter, and we’d like to share a story told by Bruce and Dawn Grossmann about an Easter they experienced. ( Bruce and Dawn Grossman serve as lay ministers for the AMC in the villages of Tanacross, Healy Lake, Dot Lake, as well as the town of Delta Junction where they live.)

“While Bruce prepared for worship service in Tanacross last Sunday, Dawn set up for Sunday school at the Community Center.

Eli (Ed Note: Grossmann's 16 year old son) drove around the village picking up kids for class. Nine students came running through the door into the big room and turned the quiet hall into echoes of laughter and interest.

We have begun our study of the Easter story. This week we spoke of Jesus coming before Pontius Pilate and of how harshly the soldiers treated him. We have spoken often in class the last year about the Old Testament responsibility of sacrifices because of the sins of the people.

This was the day we spoke about Jesus and the blood that he shed as the sacrifice for our sins. The room became very quiet as even the youngest in the class, a 4-year, listened closely as Dawn spoke of the treatment Christ received.

They were all aware of how unfair it was and we talked about how Jesus could have called “bazillion” angels to come and help Him, but He didn’t. When Dawn tied all this in with the sacrifices of the Old Testament figures she was pleased to see the understanding spark in the eyes of three faithful students… …[they] understood why we never have to bring a pigeon or a lamb to church with us.

The biggest and most amazing sacrifice has already been given for us. [Another child] asked, “Why would He do that? It’s crazy. I would punch those mean guys.” “Because He loves us so very, very much. More than our moms and our dads and our grandmas… more than anyone.” Dawn answered.

For a moment that huge room was solemnly quiet. Nine little hearts pressed against that table and someone faintly whispered… “Wow.”
An excellent description of the Easter story… “Wow.”

Tanacross is a northern Athabaskan village located on the Tanana River about 14 miles northwest of Tok in Alaska's Interior. Bruce and Dawn often drive the nearly 80 miles from Delta to Tanacross to conduct services for these people.

Dawn also has a very interesting tale concerning a potlatch in Tanacross and her son, Eli eating caribou nose, an Athabaskan delicacy.

Bruce Grossman & Kenny Thomas, Sr.

Kenny Thomas, Sr. is an elder in the northern Athabaskan tribal group in Tanacross, Alaska. He is also a song and dance leader for the Tanacross community.

Kenny Thomas was born in Alaska in 1922. He has written a very interesting book, "Crow is My Boss, The Oral Life History of a Tanacross Athabaskan Elder". (This book is available online at Amazon.com and Powell's Books)

Quilting at Pineapple Tidbits Weekend in Delta Junction and Playing with 3 Grandkids in Anchorage

2006-04-10T23:35:00.000-07:00

DELTA & ANCHORAGE, ALASKA & OREGON... My how time flies. It's been over a month since I posted anything here. In that time I went to Alaska, visited my middle son and his family. Also I went to a Spring Fling Quilting Retreat (March 17-18, "Pineapple Tidbits Weekend" by the Forget-Me-Knot Quilter's Guild of Delta Junction). Since the retreat was in Delta Junction, AK, where I lived for 17 years before moving here to Oregon in 2001, I got to visit with lots of old friends.

I had lots of fun with my three grandkids in Anchorage. They are growing up so fast. Erica is learning Russian in kindergarten, and Carter is all about going FAST! And poor baby Morgan wasn't feeling so good. But that meant I was able to spend lots of time holding and cuddling her.

frostysticher is an important Alaskan

2006-04-08T13:47:00.000-07:00

IN THE ALASKAN AIRWAVES... Dawn, frostysticher, is a busy woman. In addition to all her other activities, she is not able to post much on this blog because she is talking.

On April 8, an Alaska senate committee took comments from 174 Alaskans. The committee was working on the following bill...

CS FOR HOUSE BILL NO. 365(FIN) am(brf sup maj fld)
"An Act making appropriations for the operating and loan program expenses of state government, for certain programs, and to capitalize funds; making appropriations for state aid to public schools, centralized correspondence study, and transportation of pupils; and providing for an effective date."

At 1:47:22 PM, Dawn had her say...

"DAWN GROSSMAN, Member, Alaska State Community Service Commission, testified via teleconference from an offnet location in Delta Junction to request additional funding for use in its grants and services. The Commission serves the AmeriCorp and other volunteer organizations. She gave examples of services the Commission supports, including litter clean up."

During the years we have known Dawn, she does much more than talk. She is a day school teacher, a homeschooler, a missionary, a fair manager, a quilter, an official weather observer, does gardening, drives to rescue her silly friends, cares for her grandson, travels from the high Arctic to Hollywood, raises ducks, dogs, weasels, and a few other activities.

Go Dawn Go!

The Wednesday Gals quilting in our basement

2006-03-07T01:10:00.001-08:00

March 1, 2006

2ND ST, LEBANON, OREGON... Today is the first Wednesday of the month so we had our potluck lunch instead of working all afternoon on Community Service (CS) Quilts. Sharing our meal were me, were Rusty, Marina, Gail, Leola, JoAnn P., and Sharon. Several of our regular Wednesday Gals were not here today.

Quilters seem to be such good cooks! We keep talking about doing a cookbook. Today was an afternoon for telling jokes. And they were quite funny, if off color! We get pretty loud down there. Chris says we sound like a bunch of chicken cackling.

We did get a little accomplished. Rusty ironed a couple of quilt tops, I practiced on my New Joy, Marina showed Gail how to do an embroidery stitch, Leola worked on one of the few unfinished quilt tops.

This has been a busy year for us. There are usually 12 or 14 regular quilters here on Wednesdays. Some people who can't come to our house work on the CS Quilts at home and a few others donate time to quilt them on their long and short arm frames. In 2005 we made and gave away 148 quilts.

Chris had me download MacJournal so I could do some blogging.

Since I have the ACQC web site up maybe some of the people who access the site may be interested in what's happening with me and ACQC. I put the site back on line about a year ago. Still trying to figure out what I can sell on the site that would be of interest to quilters and crafters. I want site to have a different feel and sell unique items, some of which I would like to make. It would be fun and I would like to make a little money to support my quilting habit.

The day after Peggy bought a new car...

2005-02-26T10:00:00.000-08:00

And possibly got a bit of closure from 2001

Guest Blogger: Chris (Peggy's husband)

ALBANY, OREGON IN 2005 & RICHARDSON HWY, ALASKA IN 2001... Yesterday Peggy, Dane, Ellie and I spent more than three hours at an Albany Honda dealer. After too many signatures, many cups of coffee, and almost endless waiting, ('Course that's how Ellie must view the bulk of our ‘car’ adventures.... She's a dog dontcha know), we drove away in a new, blue, minivan.

The Odessy (Ocean Mist Metallic) has all the bells and whistles. It’s rated one of the top minivans for 2005. Only bad rap… Severe buffeting noise when the back window is open at speed… Today we confirmed this! Very annoying!

Peggy seems happy with the new car. She has had a broken romance-a-minivan… It's been almost exactly 4 years since she chose to send her previous van to the wrecking yard.

Near as we can remember, 'twas February of '01, when late one chilly night she was driving me to Fairbanks. Crossed the flats and climbed the first long hill. Then down and round… going slowly 'cause it was a bit icy… through Richardson, a flat stretch before Banner Creek. ‘Twas there she lost it... with me fast asleep.

The van, a red, '98 Ford Windstar, lost traction and slid toward the guardrail on the downhill side of road. The guard rail worked. Stopped us from going over into the deep Banner canyon… It flung us back across the road toward to uphill guardrail.

That one worked fine also… Flinging us back toward the downhill side. I was awake by this time… the airbag having slapped me to gain my attention!

The van 'kissed' the downhill guardrail again and finally slid to a stop…
Steaming, horn blaring and rocking.

A few cuts and bruises, some blood in my eye… Peggy's chest bruised where she smacked to steering wheel. Both airbags collapsed after doing their job fairly well.

The night was beginning to be very long. First waiting for a passing car or truck... not much traffic late on a weekday, winter night on the old Rich 'tween Delta Junction and Fairbanks. (It’s 100 miles with almost no habitation for the first 70 miles.)

Finally with the help of a trucker and other good Sams, the state trooper was called. (More waiting… It’s forty miles from Delta.)

When he arrived the good Sams left… Young trooper did his cop work. (At that time, Peggy was Clerk of Court for the Delta court and the troopers were daily visitors… So she knew the trooper.)

Decided not to call an ambulance… Instead called Peggy's quilting sister... Dawn. (More waiting!)

Dawn took us to the hospital emergency in Fairbanks... Very efficient and professional. (But more waiting!)

Finally, patched up and tired, we spent the rest of the night in Dane's apartment.

'Twas the last time Peggy had driven her own minivan... 'Til yesterday. So, possibly, yesterday was some small closure.