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When I joined the guild here they had a block of the month program going on. Each month a block pattern was printed in the newsletter with suggested colors and people could make it and bring it to the meeting. If you made a block your name went into the hat and the winner took all the blocks home. It was a very hit or miss activity. Some months they had so many blocks brought they were divided and several people took home sets, other months two blocks were made and brought in.

So....someone got the bright idea of adjusting the program. She did 12 different star block patterns. You made your block in the fabric if your choice, brought it to guild to put on the flannel wall and show off and at the end of the year you had a set of blocks in fabric you liked to do something with and there were prizes for participating certain months and a prize for those who made them all and brought them each month. This was very popular....until the third year in a row :-)

The Pat shared her guild UFO project here on the list. I sent the idea along to our board and we are doing our own version this year. It is hugely popular. You just can't believe the excitement that has hit our quilters. So many wonderful projects are being finished and the ladies are having fun with it.

But, I worry about next year. It seems that to make this a wonderful activity that maybe it should be repeated every 3-4 years rather than several in a row until no one participates any more.

So, I'm thinking ahead. What else could we do on a monthly basis? I thought maybe a 12 step mystery quilts - though there really isn't anything to show off each month. Maybe alternate the three things we've done? Anything different your guild does or has done that would work?

marcella

Reply to
Marcella Peek
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Reply to
Kathy

This was posted by Pat in Virginia back in February 2006

"I think a description of the UFO challenge will answer that issue. Here goes.

The Organizers (L&N) set the 'rules' as follows. Each participant had to fill out a form, listing any ten UFO, including brief info on color, style, and what needs to be done to take it to finished state. We could list fewer than ten projects. We had to return the list to L&N, and keep a copy for ourselves. Now here is where you need to pay attention!

We do NOT work on these in numerical order. Each month, at guild meeting, L will pull the number for the next project. We have two months to finish that project. Example: in December, she drew number 3, to be returned in February; January, 9 for March; February, 4 for April. So, if a person makes a list and does not include a number 4, she has a 'bye month' but those with a number

4 on list will have to finish by April.

We are accountable to L&N. At the appropriate meeting, we must show them the quilt, have it recorded, and display at the Guild's Show and Tell. If we are not present at meeting, we may ask a friend to do it for us. Each time we have a quilt vetted, we get our name in the hat. A small prize is awarded to one participant at each meeting. All collected names will be eligible for bigger prizes at the end of the activity, in the Fall.

Soooo .... you could do that at home, on your own. Just write slips of paper with the project, then draw the slip to tell you what to do.

PAT"

Our guilds method is quite similar. We do allow other fabric things like wearables, stuffed animals, tote bags and such. The coordinator is also quite flexible...if you really want to work on a different number (like one lady did something different because she needed it by Christmas) than that is fine. Also, everyones idea of "finished" can be different - some ladies just need the top done as they will be sending it out for quilting, some ladies are still working on the binding but count it as at that point it is finished "enough" that it will be completed very soon.

Last meeting we had 32 finished UFO's and every month the number is about that. It's been a very fun project.

marcella

Reply to
Marcella Peek

Marcella: How nice to know your guild enjoyed the UFO Challenge. My guild also decided not to repeat it in consecutive years, for same reasons you stated. We want to keep it 'fresh' and exciting.

So, here is an idea for creating some fun with the mystery. My guild does a Winter Mystery in Sept-Dec time frame. So, we get three months of clues aka instructions, with drawings each month. People get name in drawing first month just for signing up, then next two months, for showing the mystery organizers the parts she's completed. Finally, there are some 'special prizes' drawings when we show off the completed tops the final month. (I won a book last month!) It was fun to compare fabric and progress, and hope for a prize.

Another thing we do is a Challenge, generally Jan-Sept activity. I was a Coordinator for 2006 Challenge. I chose a History Theme: PPQG Celebrates Virginia 1607-2007. This is America's Anniversary: 400 Years since founding of Virginia Colony! I had some History Pop Quizzes and small prizes each month. At the end, members vote for Viewer's Choice.

I look forward to read> When I joined the guild here they had a block of the month program going

Reply to
Pat in Virginia

Reply to
Pat in Virginia

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