NQA Chapter Showcase

Hands All Around Quilt Guild of Central Illinois was founded by a handful of ladies in 1982 and has grown to over 300 members. This year the guild celebrates 30 years of quilting fun. The purpose of the guild is threefold:

• To form a fellowship of those interested in the preservation of the art of quilting,
• To encourage community awareness of quilting and related arts, and
• To share our knowledge and the enjoyment of quilting.

The guild gathers monthly from September through May for a business meeting, show and tell, and a program. Several times during the year, quilt artists are invited to lecture and conduct workshops.

HAAQG offers a variety of activities for its members, who can participate in block of the month, progressive quilt, and challenge quilt programs. Members can also sign up for various trips and retreats or attend workshops taught by visiting quilt artists. New members are introduced to HAAQG in a Quilt Guild 101 session held early each year. New quilters can attend monthly mentoring sessions to work on quilting skills. There are also a number of small groups that meet separately for purposes specified by each group.

The guild is very active in Community Projects. This year the guild will focus on Quilts of Valor and quilts for little brothers and sisters of Big Brothers and Big Sisters.

Each spring HAAQG sponsors an annual quilt show called Quilt Spectrum. In addition to the member quilts on display, there are vendors, special exhibits, as well as a featured guild artist and a bed turning. Each year, members skillfully design and make a quilt to be raffled at the annual quilt show. The 2013 raffle quilt is named "Midnight Mesa". It is made of hand-dyed fabrics, and is artfully quilted.

For more information, visit our website at http://haaqg.tripod.com/.