Barbara Eades-Member of 1st Quarter 2011
The vote of the general membership chose Barbara Eades for our first Member of the
Quarter for 2011. She joined our Guild only about a year and a half ago, but she sure
didn’t just stay in the corner hide! She has been very active in the Art Quilters and the
Divas groups, giving many demos on all kinds of surface design techniques. Some of the
things she has taught are: scrunch dyeing, some Shibori tying, using various kinds of resists, sun painting, and making silk paper.
Lately, she has been working on photography with which she can create designs and
incorporate into wearable art. She has taken lots of time teaching some of us on an
individual basis in her lovely studio, as well.
This year, Barbara has also worked with the membership chair to get our roster up to date.
With all those email address changes we’ve had lately, you know it has been a big job.
She helped Joy Neal with our audit for two years. Is there anything she cannot do?
Barbara started sewing at about age 8 or 10. She made doll clothes and was in 4H. She
has sewed many of her own clothes, including doing tailoring. And of course, she sewed
for decorating her home.
In the early 1990s, she went to “Experimental College” at the U. of W. This was the for-runner to noncredit community classes that so many colleges offer now. That is when she started quilting. Her first quilt was all hand pieced. It sat in a closet for 20 (!) years before
she quilted it. She never belonged to a guild before. We are sure glad she chose to join
FIQ!
Kelly Price – Member of 3rd Quarter-2010
Kelly says she started sewing when she was in 4th Grade. She got a sewing machine for Christmas that year. She worked at JoAnn Fabrics for 5 years while at college, earning her degree in therapeutic recreation and currently works at Fabrics Plus in Anacortes. She has served as a Recreation Director at a hospital in Forks, WA, around 1998.
She is not sure exactly when she started quilting, but remembers she joined the Guild in 2003. Her first project was a Dresden Plate. She bought a beginner’s template booklet and cut out the pieces with scissors. This quilt is pieced, and partially appliqued, however, it is not finished yet. She swears it will be some day. She also assures me that each plate is a slightly different size from all the others. She started a mystery quilt while living in Forks, which is finished but not quilted. Since then, she has completed many beautiful quilts and other projects.
Kelly has served previously as Stars Chair, and holds that position again. She has been the Quilt Camp Coordinator, Friendship Blocks Manager, and many other jobs. Thanks so much, Kelly, for the hours, days, and weeks of work you have given the Guild!
Lane Johnson – 2nd quarter 2010
My first sewing experience was stitching appliqués on ditty bags in Girl Scouts. My mother taught me to sew simple clothes for my dolls. In junior high school I had to take a sewing class for home ec and then began to sew clothes for school.
I became interested in quilts in the late ‘70s. I didn’t know anyone who quilted so I looked at books and magazines. Finally, in 1980 I signed up for a class to make a quilted pillow. I learned the importance of the quarter inch seam the hard way, but my daughter loved the pillow I made for her anyway! I am not sure rotary cutters existed for the home sewer then, so I used scissors to cut the pieces.
I discovered “strip quilting” when I was living on the east coast. A friend from work and I found a pattern for a trip around the world in a ladies magazine. We got together to study the article and then spent an entire day in one quilt shop putting the fabric together. The strips were torn into strips, sewn together, then cut with scissors and sewn into the top. We spent one night a week for months getting together and sewing the quilt top.
I always have a project or two (maybe 10) going, and some take years to finish. But it’s something I can pick up at any time, wherever I am, and get right back into it. For me, quilting is a place you can go to wherever you are and find a friend.
After 44 years as a military wife (38 years of military active duty) and eighteen cross-country moves, I have found that quilting or the interest in learning to quilt is everywhere, and the awkwardness of feeling like the stranger in the room disappears with the phrase “What are you working on?” or “Where did you find that great fabric?” Quilting is truly a sisterhood for me. It has always brought me comfort, good friends, lots of laughs, challenges and has certainly kept me out of trouble!
To nominate a Member of the Quarter, see the info and form under the Forms tab.
Bernice Haner 1st quarter 2010
Bernice is honored to be named member of the quarter for the first quarter of 2010. She has been quilting since 1981 and is a founding member of FIQ. She has been very active in the guild serving on every committee, but never chose to take an office.
She spent 2 1/2 years in Nepal, with the Peace Corps. There she taught women to embroider, appliqué and quilt. These were all fun things to do at the sewing center where she worked. She is also proud to say there are several bed covers in homes there. Upon her return she took up where she left off, by being active in the guild and doing the things quilters love to do. Bernice is moving to Oregon in March 2010 to be near family…we shall miss her and her daughter, Julianne, and we wish them well in their new adventures.
Carol Chapman 4th quarter 2009
Started sewing by hand when I was nine, and I’ve been quilting about 15-16 years. Because I was ‘retiring’ I took a quilting class from Cathy Berk when she was teaching for the Parks Department. Thought I’d use up fabrics left over from sewing for many years, and I was going to have so much “free” time after I retired. That fabric is still in a trunk in storage because there are so many wonderful new fabrics out. My first quilt top is still in the stage of quilting and has been for years. I got hung up on the hand quilting. I took three more classes from Connie Bogle who only teaches hand piecing, and another beginning class in Oak Harbor. By then I was hooked for good and joined FIQ. Then I got involved in Community Quilts and have continued to do that over the years.
I had volunteered to help hang quilts monthly at The Quilt Shop in Anacortes. That eventually led to working at the shop where I still work one or two days a month. Working in a fabric store is like being in the candy shop. I’ve always been a fabricoholic, and now I have an excuse to collect fabrics.
I have made several smaller quilts over the years. My husband and father-in-law each have quilts I’ve made, and most of my grandchildren have gotten my quilts. I’m working on my first really big bed quilt for one son and daughter-in-law. Of course, I’ll do another one because I have another son and daughter-in-law. The saving grace with large quilts is having someone else actually do the quilting, otherwise, they might always be tops.
FIQ is my social life—all my friends are quilters! I hope to continue quilting until I expire—I’ll have to in order to use the fabric I have accumulated over the last 15 years. And when I die, FIQ will get whatever fabric is left. Thank you all for being my friends.
Kae Eagling June-Aug 2009
Kae Eagling has been a member of FIQ for nearly 5 years. She says she joined the guild for two reasons. The first was to make friends with people who have like interests. Second was to be able to show her work to the public at the Quilt Walk and Shows. She is doing both and is growing daily in her quilting and art, but friends are the biggest gift the guild has given. “I have to say, volunteering is how I really met and made friends. I suggest everyone become involved.”
Best Subjects: art and home economics. At 14 (before Hm. Ec.) she made all her clothes for school. She moved to Anacortes, January of 2002.
Jobs: Chiropractic assistant for 15 years and A/R & A/P for an Idaho software company and Florida airline owned and operated by her and her husband, Mark.
Unusual Jobs: Artist for Flow Industries and Scott Trophy Company (one year she designed the Seafair pin).
Landscaper at the Sheraton Hotel, Golf and Country Club in Tucson, AZ. Volunteered at Bio-Sphere 2 collecting live cockroaches in 5 gallon buckets and hand feeding (with gloves on) to the chicken flock enclosed there.
Picked apples in Eastern Washington.
She also has lived near Oroville Washington on 100 acres, mostly by herself, with no running water or electricity for close to 2 years. She has raised chickens, ducks, rabbits, horses, dogs, cats, milk goats, milk cows and canned the food she has grown. For fleece, she has raised rabbits, goats and sheep. She has also cleaned and butchered sheep, deer, chickens, ducks and pigs.
She has lived in Washington, Alabama, Utah, and Arizona and back to Washington every time. “I love saltwater and sweaters. My favorite time of the year is early fall. My favorite color is red, and myfavorite foods are fried chicken and deviled eggs.”
Janet Foster
Since Janet became Programs Chair, she has spent countless hours researching, contacting and 
scheduling lecturers and instructors that she feels will best meet the learning desires of our Guild members. Her desire to bring us fun and informative classes that appeal to a range of guild members is clear in her efforts to elicit our ideas and opinions. She has been our Programs chair for 2 years and all have benefited from the caliber of talent she has recruited. It can be difficult to strike a balance between Guild activities and visiting speakers but she works hard to give us all a reason to attend each month’s meeting. She is also an active member in the Divas and dedicates much of her time in a leadership position for that group as well.
Members like Janet are what keep our Guild active and exciting, offering us all a chance to learn and grow in our exploration of quilting and embellishment techniques. Thanks Janet – you’re an inspiration to all of us!
Evelyn Greenlee
It is our pleasure to announce our Member-of-the-Quarter, Evelyn Greenlee. Evelyn’s many nominations refer to her dedication to our comfort and well-being in her gracious, generous and steady attention to our various luncheons and monthly goodies table. She oversees the sign-up sheets, manages the set-up, hauls in the drinks, etc. She clears and cleans and is the last set of FIQ eyes out at night. But Evelyn goes far beyond her responsibilities as Hostess co-coordinator. Pat Thompson said Evelyn was the first to greet her when she was a new member and she, Evelyn, had Pat supplying table runners by the December meeting. Dorothy Fredrick reminded us of Evelyn’s many efforts in chairing the Tea Room during the Quilt Shows. Suzanne Lockridge talked of Evelyn’s cheerfulness that keeps many of our spirits elevated.
Evelyn gives more than a hundred percent to both her jobs and our guild. She is a person of high standards and one who brings her warmth and caring to share with all of us. As Patti says, Evelyn is a true ambassador of our guild. Thank You, Evelyn.
Evelyn began quilting when she was about 12 years old when a neighbor lady started a 4-H club in her area. Since it was winter, Evelyn and her sister had fun tying knots in wool comforters. She was introduced to FIQ by member Mary Lou Hart. She lent Evelyn her rotary cutter, mat and ruler when Evelyn received her mother’s quilt blocks. With Mary Lou’s help and advice, Evelyn trimmed the blocks, added sashing and borders.
Later, when Mary Lou invited Evelyn to an FIQ meeting, she was “in awe and overwhelmed by show & share and all the creativity of the guild. I joined that very day. After I joined FIQ I took a beginning quilt class from Cathy Berk at the Quilt Shop and use that quilt for a tablecloth.
I love the entire process of quilting from selecting the fabric to sewing on the binding. I love the feel of fabric. My favorite type of quilt to make is a traditional quilt, but I enjoy all types of quilts. I have made many quilts, but always gave them away. There is a lovely hand quilted 9 Patch quilt on the bed that my mother made for our wedding present. I did hand quilt the first quilts I gave away, but the extra work was not appreciated so now I have quilts machine quilted.”
Evelyn’s advice to beginners is to sign up for a quilt-making class and then have fun and explore on your own from magazines, TV, and quilt shows.
