Greenville Modern Quilt Guild

Author: webmaster@greenvillemodernquiltguild.com

  • July 2026 Guild Meeting

    Meeting Date: July 11, 2026

    The July meeting was opened with a welcome from Diana Pickens, Vice President /Programs. Diana asked for a motion to approve last month’s minutes as written. A motion was made by Dagmar Theodore and seconded by Pat Merkle to accept the minutes as written.

    General Announcements:

    • Secretary, Cindy Brothers reminded members to check the mid-month Bullet Point Blast for upcoming events. She also shared that the ByLaws are being edited to comply with the national organization of which we are a part. We will push back our
      nominating process and vote for next year’s officers to set a new process for acquiring programs. This change in the timing of the vote may happen before we have actually approved the final edition of bylaws. We ask for your consideration in
      this matter, and will share all information with you as it becomes readily available.
    • Donna Boylan and Dagmar Theodore are chairing our holiday luncheon and auction in December along with returning members of the committee. Donna encouraged everyone to begin acquiring and / or making and putting together donations for the auction and raffle. All handmade items, artwork, supplies that support makers, and themed items are welcome. Contact Donna or Dagmar if you need additional information about an item.

    Committee Reports:

    • Membership – Mandy Ruden: Mandy shared that we had 30 members in attendance. She also asked for help in checking in members for the August and September meetings. Marina Gill volunteered for August and Cindy Brothers for September 12. Note the difference in September’s meeting to 2nd Saturday due to Labor Day.
    • Programs – Diana Pickens: Diana Pickens reviewed our next challenge
      • July Improv Challenge
        • Due: August 1, 2026
        • What: Tree, House, or Both – 2 or 3 Blocks
        • Size: Height – Finish at 9”. Width – Finish 4” to 10”.
        • Colors: Sky: Light Blue, plus any solid-ish colors
        • Optional: Pop of red
        • IMPORTANT: If you have fused elements in your block, please top stitch the edges. Children who receive this philanthropy quilt may be curious and start to peel off the fabric. They won’t care, however, if it is a pretty stitch or a stable straight stitch. Just not peelable.
      • Melinda McLaughlin provided a discount code to purchase patterns on her website:
        • www.Hamptonquiltstudio.com. The code will be valid until Labor Day. Contact Diana (VP@greenvillemodernquiltguild.com) for the code if you need it.
      • August Program – Faye Jones “Take a Second Look”. She will demonstrate the practice of art critique, using her own quilts as examples of how to improve the composition. Please contact Faye if you would like to volunteer your quilts as an additional examples. Faye shared with us that critique is a positive process that helps us build our skills and should not be viewed as “critical” feedback. Welcome the critique at the August program.
      • September Program – Jennifer McClanahan, Sweet Tea Patterns. Jennifer will demonstrate how a pattern can be made in a traditional style, or in a modern style by controlling the colors and patterns of the fabrics. She will offer her patterns for sale at the meeting.
      • October Program – Combo Sew Day / Regular meeting. The room will be available at 9:00 am. Bring your sewing machine and any projects you want to work on. The theme for this sew-day is “made fabric”, where you sew scraps together to create usable pieces of ‘new’ fabric. At 11:00 Cheryl Brickey will share her upcoming QuiltCon lecture about intellectual property rights for quilters. The regular meeting will be held at 1:00 and we will finish up and clean the room by 3:00.

    The meeting adjourned at 3:20.

    Our next meeting will be held on August 1st at 1:00pm at St. Giles.

    Upcoming Events:

    • The Anderson Area Quilt Show (“A Celebration of Quilts”) takes place on July 17 and July 18, 2026 at the Anderson Civic Center (3027 Martin Luther King Blvd, Anderson,SC). Hosted by the Electric City and Prickly Fingers Quilt Guilds, the biennial event features over 200 handmade quilts, regional vendors, demonstrations, and a silent auction.
    • The 2026 Asheville Quilt Show runs from August 13–15 at the Davis Event Center at the WNC Agricultural Center, 765 Boylston Hwy, Fletcher, NC. The 3-day eventfeatures over 300 quilts, $13,000 in prize money, 25+ vendors, and a kids’ sewing station.
    • Greer Fiber Arts Collective exhibit from July 11 – August 29 at the Greer Cultural Arts Center, 804 Trade St., Greer, SC. Go to www.upstateartistcollective.com for more information.
    • Quilters of South Carolina will host the annual Retreat on October 22-25, 2026 in Myrtle Beach. Go to www.quiltersofsc.org for more information.

  • June 2026 Sew Day

    The June meeting was a planned Sew Day featuring a presentation from Faye Jones on Curved Piecing techniques. Diana Pickens coordinated the day, and shared an alternate way to put together curves.

    Thirty One (31) members signed in during the day, which was an outstanding turnout for our first Sew Day. Since there was not a business meeting, these minutes will reflect announcements and events discussed during Show and Share, but will document that no official guild business was presented.

    General Announcements:

    • Kerry Newberry suggested that we invite a scissor sharpener to our next sew day. Teresa Melonson’s husband, David, offers that service, but will be out of town in October, so Kerry will explore others.
    • The July meeting’s program will be: Quilt What You See presented by Melinda McLaughlin. It will be a hybrid program including lecture and mini-class. Check the website for further details under Calendar.
    • The possible theme for our October Sew Day will be Made Fabric. The art of sewing together scraps, or small pieces of fabric to create a larger piece of fabric that something can be created
      from.
    • Items from the Free Table are out, and anything left behind will be taken to ReCraft.
    • Reminder of the July 11th meeting (moved due to 4th of July) where we will have our Christmas Exchange. Make a small quilted piece as a gift to another quilter. Small pieces such as mug rugs, candle mats, small wall hangings are useful ways to explore modern quilting. Bring them to the July meeting, with a small, signed note about your design. We will place them in a brown paper bag for random exchanges.
    • Our next challenge was unveiled: Make a house or tree or BOTH. Use light blue for sky /background and you may also use a splash of red (door, etc.) Height of the block should be 9” and Width between 4” and 9”.
    • If you wish to enter a quilt in the Asheville show, complete your paperwork and bring it along with your quilt to the July meeting. Anita Wilbur will collect them there and bring them to the show. Pick up after the show will be arranged among the group who enters quilts. Entry Form can be found here. Note that online entry is only $20 for non-members of their guild but mailed in entry is $25. Deadline to enter is June 19.

    Nominating:

    Members were reminded that a Nominating Committee will be formed shortly to select a slate of officers for next year. Please consider sitting on that committee, or taking a job that will be open. Those rolling off the board are: Secretary, Treasurer, President and Vice President / Programs. Three of those positions are term limited and will need to be replaced. Feel free to reach out to any of the current officers for details of the position and / or requirements needed to fulfill the position.

    Special Presntation In October:

    At our October 3rd meeting (which will be our next Sew Day) we will be a privileged audience to here an early presentation from Cheryl Brickey of her planned lecture at QuiltCon next year. Mark your
    calendars now to learn about how designs and other creations are protected legally.

    Cheryl Brickey will present:
    Stitching Smart: Intellectual Property Basics for Quilters

    Description: Quilters are constantly creating patterns, designs, techniques, and tools but many aren’t sure how (or if) their work can be protected. This lecture provides a clear, approachable overview of
    intellectual property as it applies specifically to the quilting world. Attendees will learn the differences between copyrights, trademarks, patents, trade secrets, and know-how, along when and how each
    type of protection may apply. Real-world examples from the quilting and textile industries will illustrate how intellectual property impacts quilt patterns, block designs, surface design, techniques and notions. This session is designed to demystify complex legal concepts and empower quilters to make informed decisions about protecting their creative work without overwhelm or legal jargon.
    Please refer to the Bullet Point Blast sent earlier this month for upcoming events in the area.

    Reminder of the July 11th meeting (moved due to 4th of July) where we will have our Christmas Exchange. Make a small quilted piece as a gift to another quilter. Small pieces such as mug rugs, candle mats, small wall hangings are useful ways to explore modern quilting. Bring them to the July meeting, with a small, signed note about your design. We will place them in a brown paper bag for random exchanges.

  • May 2026 Guild Meeting

    Meeting Date: May 2, 2026

    The May meeting was opened with a welcome from Diana Pickens, Vice President / Programs. Diana asked for a motion to approve last month’s minutes as written. A motion was made by Laura Black and seconded by Dagmar Theodore to accept the minutes as written.

    Diana also took a moment to thank the volunteers who are helping with the web site, and acknowledged Madison Moyer who was in attendance.

    General Announcements:

    • Secretary, Cindy Brothers reminded members to check the mid-month Bullet Point Blast that comes via email for upcoming events.

    Committee Reports:

    • Membership – Mandy Ruden: Mandy shared that we had 34 members in attendance. She welcomed 7 guests Charlene Lovell, Sheri Corbin, Nancy Swanner, Sheila Currivan, Diana Gange, Eve Howes, and Annie Segal.
    • Programs – Diana Pickens: Diana Pickens reviewed our first challenge results with the number of blocks we produced and showing the 3 quilt tops made from those. The second one has been assembled and quilted by Denise G.
    • The blocks for the second Challenge were due at this meeting. As they were turned in, blocks were displayed on a design wall. These will be assembled by Cheryl Budnaitis and made into a Quilt of Valor.
    • There are 3 openings in the Cindy Grisdela class. If you have any question about those classes, feel free to reach out to Diana Pickens at VP@greenvillemodernquiltguild.com Diana is also available to help you become familiar with Zoom prior to those classes if you need some direction.

    Classes:

    • Those who took the Christina Cameli class shared their completed pieces.
    • All Details of Upcoming Programs are included in the Attachment to these minutes. Please take note of those details including our upcoming June Sew Day in lieu of a regular business meeting.
    • Following these announcements members participated in Show and Share.
    • After a 20 minute break for shopping Jittery Wings pop up shop, Mitzi Shafer from Jittery Wings presented a program focused on color with a trunk show to illustrate her Color Flow theory.

    The meeting adjourned at 3:20.

    Our next “meeting” is Our Sew Day will be held on June 6th. This is our regular meeting day, but we will not hold a business meeting. The day will begin at 9 a.m. and go until our usual ending time of 3 pm. Bring any project to work on. Our theme for the day will be Curved Piecing, and Faye Jones will demonstrate her method of
    freehand curved piecing.
    This is a sample of the block to be demonstrated.

  • April 2026 Guild Meeting

    Meeting Date: April 11, 2026

    Minute: Greenville Modern Quilt Guild

    The April meeting was opened with a welcome from Dawn Bianco.

    Dawn asked for a motion to approve last month’s minutes as written. A motion was made by Dagmar Theodore and seconded by Anna Taylor. The minutes were approved.

    Secretary, Cindy Brothers reminded members to check the mid-month Bullet Point Blast for upcoming events. The Foothills Piecemakers quilt show will be held April 24 and 25th, and the other upcoming events can be found in the document noted.

    Faye Jones announced that the Asheville guild has opened to accept entries for their August show. Faye suggested that we entertain forming a group to deliver entries from our guild membership, and pick up the entries when the show closes. Quilts can be entered for $20, but anyone who joins the guild may enter 2 quilts at no additional charge. The 2026 Asheville Quilt Show will be held August 13–15, 2026, at the WNC Agricultural Center (Davis Event Center) in Fletcher, NC. Contact Faye Jones if you are interested in forming a group for entries.

    Membership – Mandy Ruden: Mandy shared that we had 35 members in attendance, including one new member in attendance. She welcomed guests Jimmy and Dale Hernandez.

    Webmaster, Suzanne Elswick announced that she has purchased Carolina Quilt Gallery from the Hernandez family and will reopen it in May under the name The Upstate Sewing Room. Details can be found at www.theupstatesewingroom.com or on Facebook or Instagram under the same name. Please connect with Suzanne at suzanne.elswick@gmail.com if you are interested in teaching classes, or have suggestions for the new shop.

    Programs – Diana Pickens reviewed our first challenge results with
    the number of blocks we produced and showing the 3 quilt tops made from those. One of the quilts has been entered in the Asheville quilt show under the Group category.

    The next Challenge was announced and are posted to the web site.

    Spring Challenge: A Different Kind of Star.
    Use solid blue fabrics and white fabrics to create your variation of that star. Make
    2-3 blocks that measure 10-1/2” x 10-1/2”, and will finish at 10”x10” in a quilt. Explore curved lines, unbalanced points, extra or missing points, etc. Find your
    own style to create a unique version of a star. Donate your blocks to the guild
    May 2, 2026. The blocks will then be assembled into charity quilts.
    TIP: If you want to start with a star block based on a 9-patch, cut your nine patches at 3-1/2”. The star will finish at 9”. Add a background border of on each side, then trim to 10-1/2” square! MAGIC!

    There will also be a Christmas in July Challenge. Those details can be found on the web site. https://greenvillemodernquiltguild.com/challenges/.

    There are still openings in both the Christina Cameli and Cindy Grisdela classes. If you have any question about those classes, feel free to reach out to Diana Pickens at VP@greenvillemodernquiltguild.com Diana is also available to help you become familiar with Zoom prior to those classes if you need some direction.

    Mitzi Schafter with Jittery Wings will be our May program presenter. Should you place an order online and use the code “GREENVILLE” to remove the shipping charge and Mitzi will deliver to our meeting on May 2nd.

    Our informative April Program was presented by Veronica Moriarity discussing her experiences with entering quilts in Quilt Con and being rejected. Cheryl Brickey discussed her experience as a juror for Quilt Con and how various decisions were made in choosing participants.

    After a break, the members held Show and Share of their own creations. The meeting adjourned at 3:40.

    Our next meeting is scheduled for May 2nd at 1:00pm at St. Giles.

  • March 2026 Guild Meeting

    Meeting Date: March 7, 2026

    Minutes: Greenville Modern Quilt Guild

    The March Meeting was opened with a Welcome by President, Dawn Bianco.

    Dawn asked for a motion to accept the February minutes as written. Dagmar Theodore made a motion, and Linda Cassell seconded. The minutes were approved as written.

    The Board held a meeting in late February for which the minutes are posted on the Members Only section of the web site. Members are welcome to review those and contact any board member with questions or input.

    The June meeting is slated for a sew day with a break for lunch and Show and Share. There will be no business meeting for that day. And there will be no program.

    Other announcements included a custom table for sale by Sandy Helsel who is moving away. (This flyer was sent in a separate email to membership by Dawn Bianco).

    Dawn also announced that Dagmar Theodore and Donna Boylan will serve as co-chairs of our holiday luncheon this year.

    Another announcement included news that Sarah Hibbert, who presented to us last year, is part of a UK Tour during the quilt festival. She’ll lead a shopping excursion. Information can be found here: https://opulentquiltjourneys.com/allcraft-
    journeys/textile-adventures/item/festival-of-quilts-uk-textiles-journey?category_id=60

    Programs: Diana Pickens – Members have a Priority Enrollment for the April 25th Zoom class with Christina Cameli through March 14th at a discounted cost of $40. After that date, you can enroll through April 18th at a cost of $50.

    Diana also shared postings for Lake and Mountain Guild classes being offered to their membership. Visit their website for more information: https://www.lmqg.org/

    TheModernQuiltGuild.com has an option for members to view every quilt that was displayed at this year’s QuiltCon. As a member of our guild, you are automatically a member of the national guild. The display will be discontinued on March 31, 2026.

    Next month Cheryl Brickey will talk to us about QuiltCon rejects
    and what judges have to say about those.

    Diana displayed the first quilt put together from the first challenge blocks turned in by members last month.

    Membership: Mandy Ruden – Mandy recognized one new member and no guests at this meeting. There were 43 members in attendance.

    Secretary: Cindy Brothers – Cindy asked that members send any quilt shows, classes or other opportunities to her at
    secretary@GreenvilleModernQuiltGuild.com and she will send those out to them membership in a mid-month email.

    Following the business meeting, a program was presented on free motion quilting with Mandy Ruden demonstrating Ruler Work, Donna Boylan demonstrating Walking Foot and Diana Pickens demonstrating various methods of reducing friction for free motion work.

    Our next meeting is scheduled for April 7th at 1:00 pm at St. Giles.

    Respectfully submitted,
    Cindy Brothers
    Secretary

  • February 2026 Meeting

    Saturday, February 7, 2026


    Minutes: Greenville Modern Quilt Guild

    Check the Website for Current Information: https://greenvillemodernquiltguild.com/

    The February meeting was opened with a Welcome by President, Dawn Bianco.

    Dawn asked for a volunteer to perform an audit of the chapter treasury records to comply with our by-laws requirement. New Member Denise G. a retired CPA, volunteered to do that for the guild.

    Dawn asked for a motion to approve the minutes from last month as written. Pat made a motion to approve the minutes and Dagmar seconded.

    General Announcements:

    Committee Reports:

    • Philanthropy – Diane Kent: Diane shared a free pattern from Fat Quarter Shop for philanthropy quilts that can be made from 2 Charm Packs. She also shared tips for completing the binding using a serpentine stitch. Each of our charities needs 10 quilts (for a total of 20) by the end of the quarter, and we are on track to make those numbers in time for the March delivery. (Pattern can be found here: https://
      www.fatquartershop.com/charm-box-quilt )
    • Membership – Mandy Ruden: New members and guests were welcomed:
      • Members: Monique D., Denise G., Chris T., Christine M., Priscilla C and Debbie N.
      • Guests: Lisa J., Sheila C., and Mary B.
        Mandy complimented those who had renewed their membership early and a drawing
        was held to thank the winners drawn. Butterfly magnets were awarded the winners.
    • Programs – Diana Pickens: Winter Challenge: 71 improv blocks using green and white in a log cabin style were collected at the meeting. Raffle tickets were given for each block. The variety of styles, sizes, and innovations were extraordinary. Charity quilts will be made from the contributed blocks.
    • Diana announced that Show and Share tickets would be awarded. One ticket per item shown and an extra if it is a charity quilt. Solid fabric strips went to the winners drawn.

      The March program is a round robin, featuring demos of quilting on a domestic machine. Mandy Ruden will demonstrate the use of quilting rulers.
      Donna Boylan will show the many different ways that quilting with a walking foot can create compelling designs.
      Diana Pickens will share her methods of folding, holding, and moving a quilt while quilting in order to minimize friction and drag.

      Two zoom classes are confirmed for this year. Details about enrollment and a supply list will be distributed soon. Members will have the opportunity to enroll first. If there are unclaimed seats in the classes, they will be offered to other modern quilt guilds.

      You can refer to the teachers’ website for details about the selected classes.

      Christina Cameli (www.christinacameli.com) – “Magic Triangle”. A 3 hour class Saturday, April 25, 2026.

      Cindy Grisdela (www.cindygrisdela.com) – “Freehand Curve Quilts”, based on her recently released book of the same title. A 3 hours class Saturday, June 13, 2026.

      Future programs are described in our website: www.greenvillemodernquiltguild.com. Go to “What’s Happening” and select Calendar. Click on the text “Guild Meeting” to see a description of the program scheduled for that month. You can also select the button marked “Month” and switch the view to “Schedule”. The title of all planned
      programs will be listed and you can select any of them for more details.

      Please note that the programs for the first half of the year are available. The remaining program details will be updated at a later date.

      Show and Share was then opened to share member creations. Please see social media accounts on Facebook and Instagram for great pictures of those.

      Mandy Ruden then presented a wonderful program entitled “Quilt As Desired” including many examples of domestic machine quilting on items made by her. Program handout.

      Community / Group Events:

      Quilt Con, Raleigh NC: If you plan to attend and would like to gather with other members of the guild for a meal, contact Dagmar Theodore at 864-978-9872 (call or text) and she will coordinate a time and place.

      Webmaster, Suzanne: Long arm quilters who would like to be included on the website under “resources”, please send your information to her at: webmaster@greenvillemodernquiltguild.com

      Barbara S. Shared a Zoom class from another guild that she is a member of. There are openings for non-members. If you would like to participate, please see the attached flyer with details including contact information.

      Kathryn Garven from Southern Tidiness, an estate sale business is having an upcoming estate sale in Fair Play with a large professional style sewing/quilting/needlepoint room.
      “There is a huge amount of brand new and gently used items from spools of thread, bolts of fabric, quilting squares, quilting kits, sewing machines, etc. We need help thinning out this area before the estate sale and are inviting those interested to preshop. If you have anyone in your group who would like to do this, please have them contact me at 704-400-5938. The pre-shopping dates are February 5 through the 18th from 1 to 4 PM. “ If you have interest in shopping, please contact Kathryn directly at the number provided.

      The meeting was adjourned at 3:25 p.m.

      Respectfully Submitted,
      Cindy Brothers
      Secretary

  • January 2026 Meeting

    The January Meeting was opened with a Welcome by President, Dawn Bianco.

    Dawn announced the roll out of the new web site, and gave an overview of:

    • The Year At A Glance with details of meetings and programs to come
    • Challenges
    • Christmas in July
    • The members only section will house membership directory, bylaws and minutes. The current password is pin25 but will change on March 1 when a
      new pin will be sent to all current members.
    • Philanthropy
    • Resources such as local quilt shops
    • Member owned businesses

      All members were encouraged to visit the site and explore all the information there. This is where all details of meetings, programs, classes and special events will be found going forward. Find the web site here: www.greenvillemodernquiltguild.com

      Any web site information should be sent to our web master, Suzanne Elswick at webmaster@greenvillemodernquiltguild.com .

      Any social media posts, pictures, info should be sent to Anna Taylor at communication@greenvillemodernquiltguild.com

      Dawn also provided a brief overview of the results from our recent survey.

      Overall there were 35 responses our of 70 members in the recent survey. Survey Results

      77% want the quarterly challenges to continue

      67.6 % would participate in a workshop via Zoom

      57.1% follow us on social media

      Top techniques to learn
      Free motion quilting
      Improv
      Circle and curves
      Improvement noted Sew Days, with teaching opportunities, Saturday sew days
      Shorter business meetings more focus on hands on opportunities, allowing time to socialize

      The actual survey results will be attached with these minutes.

      Philanthropy: Diane Kent
      Diane announced that she had labels with her for anyone who wants to take them to sew into charity quilts being offered. She will attach them to any quilts that do not already have one. She reviewed a sign in form for quilts, and reviewed the numbers of quilts that we have obligated to for the two charities we support: 10 quilts per agency per quarter. Details of the agencies can be found on the new web site under the Philanthropy heading.

      Dawn Holter, Treasurer
      The holiday luncheon raised $1,660 which is the highest dollar amount for any fundraiser to date. As of 12/30/2025 we have $8,130 on hand. $2,250 has been collected from membership, but approximately one third of that goes to the national organization. The Guild Budget will be posted in the Members Only section of the new web site.

      Cindy Brothers, Secretary
      As Secretary, Cindy asked for a show of hands of those who use the website, and those who use social media. The board has discussed starting a newsletter for the guild, but before we use the time on that, we’d like to see what the membership wants, and if they would find value in a newsletter. The consensus was that there was no value in a newsletter, and other than minutes of the meetings, communication will be via web site, and social media.

      Diana Pickens, Programs
      The Programs committee is made up of Diana, Pat Merkle, Jennifer Griffith, and Donna Boylan. Using the survey input, the committee has put together several upcoming events
      to answer those.
      1. Our June meeting will be a combination Sew Day / Meeting. We have the room beginning at 9 a.m. and will break at 1 pm for the regular meeting. Bring whatever you are working on, or gather at a table to review curved piecing.
      2. The committee is looking at Zoom workshops so that
      members stay in their own sewing room and take a class with a national speaker. That is a cost savings for elevated program, and there may be a per person charge for this. Details will come as programs are identified.
      3. Challenges are welcome, and will be repeated this year. The first challenge was announced. A sheet outlining that challenge will be shared with these minutes.

      Diana and committee are looking for speakers local to SC / Western NC (within 2 hours driving time) who have skills universal to all quilting scheduling with other guilds in the area is also being investigated to see if we can share workshops or sew days with other guilds.

      Meanwhile, in February our own Mandy Ruden will be discussing quilting motifs that work well for traditional and modern quilts. Free-motion quilting can start with any shape you can draw, then add some echoes, and move on from one
      motif to another to completely fill the space. There is so much more than straight lines, or only stitching in the ditch. Bring something to write with. Mandy will be leading activities using preprinted samples of free-motion motifs.

      Visit the web site, and social media for other program details as they are booked.

      The members participated in Show and Share before a break, and program for table talks on identifying characteristics of modern quilts.

      Respectfully submitted,
      Cindy Brothers
      Secretary

  • November 2025 Meeting

    Meeting Date: November 1, 2025

    Minutes of the November meeting of the Greenville Modern Quilt Guild

    The meeting was called to order with a welcome from Dawn Bianco, President. She asked for a motion to approve the October minutes as written. Phyllis made a motion to approve that was seconded by Corey Bredderman. Minutes are published as approved.

    Dawn Bianco read the proposed slate of officers for the 2026 Board of Directors: Dawn Bianco, President; Diana Pickens, Vice President/Programs; Cindy Brothers, Secretary; Dawn Holter, Treasurer; and Mandy Ruden, Membership. The membership was asked to vote via a show of hands. The ayes had a unanimous result with the proposed slate being approved for the 2026 Board of Directors.

    As we plan further for 2026, the calendar of meetings was reviewed to
    adjust dates for meetings that fall on holiday weekends. The following
    meetings will move from first Saturday to second Saturday in the month:
    January 10, April 11, July 11, ad September 12. It will soon be time to renew our membership, and this year payment can be made through Zeffy
    for the $50 dues. Make sure to observe the donation amount that Zeffy
    includes in the transaction. Should you choose not to support the platform with a donation, you can turn that off.

    Dawn reminded us of tickets on sale for our holiday luncheon that is
    scheduled for December 6 beginning at NOON. This is an hour earlier that
    we usually convene. Using Zeffy for those tickets will help significantly. The
    Zeffy system will assign the donor a number and the we will no longer need to put name and address on every ticket, as the assigned number can be tracked through the Zeffy system. At the break, a table is set up for you to 1 purchase tickets, sign up for food, and ask any questions. Items are being accepted today for the auction. November 15 members of the committee will be at their respective homes and will receive last minute donations to the auction. Should you not be available to attend, please consider donating and assigning a proxy to drop your tickets for you. Guests are also welcome. Tickets are available for purchase the day of the event.

    Membership: Mandy Ruden introduced our one guest, Ingrid Christianson and announced that we had 40 members in attendance. We also celebrated Cheryl Budnaitis, our member who won Best In Show at the Upcountry Quilt Show. Cheryl shared her lovely quilt with us.

    Cindy Brothers also shared that member Linda Cassell had 11 quilts in the
    Upcountry show and won multiple ribbons. Congratulations to both Cheryl and Linda.

    Philanthropy: Diane Kent
    Diane Kent shared with the group her lovely experience with the delivery to Hidden Treasures School for special needs kids. The staff was very
    grateful, and praised the lovely dog themed quilt made by our new
    member, Suzanne Elswick. Diane also shared the Greenville Modern Quilt
    Guild labels that are available for all philanthropy quilts.

    **A note was sent to Diane Kent from Hidden Treasures to let us know that the quilt went for $500 at their auction.

    Programs: Michelle Giles
    Michelle pointed out the Free Table available at the meeting. The items
    there are from Sherry Eisenstein who is moving to Portugal. Sherry is
    having a sale on Saturday, November 8 from 9 to 1 pm at 2 Thornfield
    Drive, Greenville. She will donate 10% of her proceeds back to the guild.
    2 Fat Quarter for October was Stripes, and the drawing was won by Kathy
    Harrison.

    Following the break, November’s program is Tips and Tricks / Holiday Gifts. Many members shared holiday gifts to make with a display of items and patterns. Various members also shared a favorite tool or tip as we went around each table.

    Michelle Giles thanked everyone for their support of a great year of
    programs and projects. She thanked her committee, Ruth Freyer and
    Cindy Brothers and offered her support to the incoming Programs
    Committee chaired by Diana Pickens for 2026.

    December has no program as we celebrate the year with our luncheon/
    auction.

    Polly Pohlman shared that she is also a member of the Swamp Rabbit Quilt Guild. They lack a budget for costly programs, and she invited our
    members to offer a program for their guild in exchange for an honorarium. They meet the 2nd Thursday at Travelers Rest United Methodist Church at 10 a.m.

    Treasurer: Dawn Holton
    The guild currently has $5,369 in the bank and all bills have been paid. We currently have 73 paid members on the roster. Dues will soon be due, and about half of that goes to the national organization. The board has also committed a $2,000 budget to the Program Committee for 2026. All
    proceeds from the December luncheon go to support programs.

    After a short break, members shared their creations from the Ugly Fabric
    Challenge followed by Show and Share.

    The meeting was adjourned at 2:50 pm.
    Respectively submitted,
    Cindy Brothers
    Treasurer

    A few Tips Shared during the program:

    GE Designs has free patterns for the holidays

    The Modern Quilt Guild Resource Page is filled with great information.

    Put a note on scraps that says their size so that when you’re shopping your stash you don’t have to unfold every piece to know what you have.
    Greenville County Library has thousands of books online for resources.

    Shop the electronic lists to get ideas, or to preview books.

    Shop for Magic Pins with flat heads that can be ironed over on Amazon.

    Research binding that does not require hand sewing for those who suffer
    with arthritis- particularly in cold months.

  • October Guild Meeting

    Meeting Date: October 4, 2025

    Minutes: Greenville Modern Quilt Guild

    The October Meeting was opened with a Welcome by President, Dawn Bianco. Dawn reminded us of tickets on sale for our holiday luncheon, and pointed to a flyer on each table with QR code for Zeffy payments.

    At the break, a table is set up for you to purchase tickets, sign up for food, and ask any questions. Items are being accepted today for the auction.

    Dawn introduced Anna Taylor, our new Social Media Chair. Anna asked us to send events, sew alongs, or other information to her and she’ll share via our Facebook / Instagram social media pages. Those can be sent to communication@greenvillemodernquiltguild.com .

    Membership: Mandy Ruden, sitting in for Teresa this month, made
    sure to remind members to sign in. We had no guests this month.

    Philanthropy: Diane Kent
    Diane Kent made a quarterly delivery to our two chosen charities and learned that our Quilts for Kids program would love to have some baby quilts to add to her inventory. Those should be the same, or slightly bigger than Tummy Time quilts – 38 to 44” square.

    A dog themed quilt was donated by Suzanne Elswick that is a little large for our program needs. After Diane presented options for the quilt, and with Suzanne’s permission, the group voted to donate the quilt to Hidden Treasures School for a fundraiser supporting Special Needs classrooms. Other options presented were Animal Rescue, St. Giles and our own holiday luncheon.

    Programs: Michelle Giles
    Michelle pointed out the Free Table available at the meeting.

    Ugly Fabric Challenge is due in November. Michelle asked if anyone put in fabric without taking one for the project as we have an extra fat quarter available.

    Fat Quarter for October was Orange, and the drawing was won by Cindy Brothers.

    November program is Tips and Tricks / Holiday Gifts. We are asking each member to bring ideas for quickly made holiday gifts. Bring a sample of one made, along with the web site or book to share for instructions. Members were encouraged to be creative and think of things that can be made in a day or two but not longer.

    Faye Jones will be presenting our program today on Surface Design.

    Nominating Committee – Cindy Brothers and Michelle Giles
    Cindy read from the by-laws particulars of the election that will take place in November. Three board seats will remain unopposed: Dawn Bianco, President; Cindy Brothers, Secretary; and Dawn Holter, Treasurer. Cindy and Michelle have recruited Diana Pickens for VP / Programs and Mandy Rubin for Membership. Anna Taylor was also recruited for Social Media,
    however that is not a board seat. We are still seeking a Web Master. (Upon announcing this need, Suzanne Elswick raised her hand to volunteer for the position of Web Master.) Other non-board committee chairs who will continue in their respective roles are: Philanthropy: Diane Kent, Library: Donna Boylan.

    The information on proposed board members was presented as follows: Diana Pickens has accepted our nomination for Vice President / Programs Chair. She has more than 25 years experience with quilters from all over the state and has been a member of local guilds as well as Quilters of South Carolina. Diana is first to admit she is new to Modern quilting, but hopes to
    learn much more from you and from other new quilters she will meet. With her myriad experiences we look forward to a year that truly focuses on our mission of education. Diana’s goal is to better connect with the other Modern guilds in the state (Columbia and Charleston) and perhaps exchange, share and get to know Modern Quilters as a result.

    Mandy Ruden has accepted our nomination for Membership Chair. We are so excited to have Mandy as a new member of the guild. Her experience is both wide and interesting. Mandy has served as President, Vice President, and Membership Chair of the. Albuquerque Modern Quilt Guild and under her leadership grew the guild from 17 to 130 members. Mandy also serves the board of Albuquerque Fiber Arts Council which brings together 15 fiber
    arts guilds across New Mexico. Their presenter for October is Mr. Ricky Tims.
    Mandy works with other organizations, such as Susan’s Legacy, to support women who have mental health and addiction issues. Mandy comes to us from South Africa by way of Zimbabwe and we’re awfully glad she found South Carolina.

    Mark your calendar for November 1, 2025 for the next meeting of Greenville Modern Quilt Guild.

    After Show and Share, and a short break, the program presented by Faye Jones began.

    The meeting was adjourned at 3:10 p.m.

    Local Events:
    Aunt Hett Festival / Nimble Thimbles Quilt Show: Today and tomorrow in Fountain Inn at the activities center

    UpCountry Quilters Show in Pickens Date: October 10-11, 2025
    Location: Market at the Mill, Pickens, SC (225 Pumpkintown Hwy, Pickens, SC 29671)

  • September 2025 Meeting

    Meeting Date: September 6, 2025

    Minutes: Greenville Modern Quilt Guild

    The September Meeting was opened with a Welcome by Vice-
    President, Michelle Giles. (Dawn Bianco is recovering from recent surgery). Michelle introduced our program presented by Ruth Freyer and the Program Committee – Games!

    Michelle mentioned Zeffy sending an email to everyone as a
    reminder of their dues being due. This was an automated
    message that is a little premature. A correction will come later in
    the year when we’re ready to begin renewals.

    In conjunction with the new year ahead, Michelle and Cindy
    Brothers are serving as the Nominating Committee and are
    looking for candidates to fill the Membership Chair as well as
    Social Media, and Web Site. We could use committee members
    to support all positions on the board. Anyone interested in
    serving the guild for the coming year should reach out to Michelle
    Giles or Cindy Brothers.

    Also a reminder to check in for the record and to drop your Fat
    Quarter in the bin provided for the Ugly Fabric challenge (which
    will be due in November).

    The Ugly Fabric challengers drew fat quarters to participate. At
    least one third of your project must include the fat quarter you drew today. The finished pieces will be presented at the November meeting.

    Committee Reports:

    Membership: Teresa Melonson: Two new members were
    introduced. Amanda Ruden, who comes from the Albuquerque
    NM Modern Guild and Anna Taylor, who found us on the MQG
    web site.

    Teresa reinforced the Membership Chairman’s position as being
    one to learn about the members and for people new to the area
    to connect with new friends.

    Philanthropy: – Diane Kent, Philanthropy Chair, reviewed the
    two programs we deliver our donated quilts to, Tummy Time and
    Quilts for Kids. Both programs are through Prisma Health Care
    and use about 40 quilts per year each, or a total of 80. Diane
    thanked the member for their lovely work and generous number
    that are donated each month. Finished quilts can be brought
    each month, and Diane will let us know if there are critical needs
    or if we are running low to meet their needs.

    Programs: Michelle Giles
    Michelle held the drawing for this month’s Fall fat quarter. The
    winner was Laura B. Next month’s fat quarter is Orange fabric.
    Sign Ups are open for the last opportunity today in Dawn
    Bianco’s Elemental Jacket class. There are at least 3 spots left in
    the class See us today for sign up, and a link to pay via Zeffy if you don’t have cash or check today. Contact Dawn Bianco if you
    have further questions. (designsbytargee@gmail.com or
    864-201-4133)

    General Announcements:

    • A new quilt shop has opened in Easley: Swoopadaisies Quilt
      and Sew. Contact info: 864-307-8142 /
      info@swoopadaisies.com and the web address is:
      swoopaaisies.com
    • The Upcountry Quilters Guild will host their biennial show
      featuring their My Hometown quilt challenge. The show will be
      October 10 and 11 from 9 am until 4 pm both days. Location is
      The Market at the Mill, 225 Pumpkintown Highway, Pickens,
      SC. Admission is $5.
    • Dagmar Theodore has Raffle tickets for the Quilters of SC quilt. See her if interested in purchasing.
    • Julie Biggs shared a handout about the Annual Holiday Party.
      As our only fundraiser of the year, this fun event could use
      some great items for auction whose proceeds will support our programming for next year. Handmade, new, or store-bought items, please. Cindy Brothers asked if any “Buy It Now” items may be offered to perhaps earn more for the programming budget. None are planned for this year, however a surprise is coming from the committee to be announced later.
    • Tickets may be purchased through Zeffy, or by cash and check at monthly meetings in October and November. Tickets will be available at the luncheon as well. Sign ups for the Pot Luck will begin in October with the usual Soup, Salad, Bread and Dessert lineup. Questions my be directed to Julie at julbiggs@yahoo.com .

    Cindy Brothers offered one more plea for Nominating by
    reviewing the needs of the board / committees and encouraging
    members to keep the positive creative energy of this guild by
    offering their talents to serve.

    Michelle closed the meeting by reminding us that October’s
    Program will be offered by our own Faye Jones on Easy Surface
    Design.

    Show and Share was then presented and following a 10 minute
    break, the Games program began.

    The meeting was adjourned at 3:00 p.m.

    Following is the information shared for the Holiday Party. Please
    scroll down.

    Mark your calendars for…
    Our Annual Holiday Party!

    Potluck Luncheon & Fundraising Raffle

    Saturday, December 6th
    Noon – 3:00 PM
    Giles Presbyterian Church

    Donations for the raffle (handmade or new, store-bought items, please) will be collected at monthly guild meetings in October & November, as well as on November 15 at various locations (to be shared in Newsletter & Meeting Minutes). Donations dropped off at one of the Holiday Party Committee members houses by request are also welcome. We are NOT planning on receiving donations the morning of the luncheon.

    Tickets will be sold beginning this month in $5, $10, or $25 increments on Zeffy. You may also purchase them by cash/check at the monthly meetings through December. Tickets will be distributed at the Holiday Luncheon.

    Sign-ups for potluck will begin at October meeting. We are planning our traditional Soup, Salad, Bread & Dessert line-up.