Schedule

Event Dates and Topics
13-June-23Community Service Sew Day Ridgedale Hennepin County Library
26-June-23Mea Clift, “Minnesota Quilt Project”
Active since the late 1980s, the Minnesota Quilt Project is a team of volunteers
through Minnesota Quilters tasked with preserving quilt history throughout the
state of Minnesota. What does this organization do? How do you get involved? How
can I catalog my own quilts as part of the project? What can I do to preserve my
own quilt history? All this and more will be discussed in Mea's Presentation.
While by day she is a Cyber Security Officer for an environmental firm, by night, our
presenter Mea Clift is an avid hand quilter, learning from her aunt just 10 years ago.
She is passionate about the traditional blocks and styles, fabrics, and the history
and stories that are told within each stitch. She is an active member of Minnesota
Quilters, the American Quilt Study Group, and also runs TreadleOn, a mailing list for
people-powered (treadle and hand-crank) sewing machine enthusiasts. A collector
of vintage and antique machines, feed sacks, and antique quilts, Mea is passionate
about keeping the history of quilting and the hobbies of quilting and sewing alive
for generations to come. You can follow her adventures in all of these at
facebook.com/historybyhand.
11-July-23Community Service Sew Day Ridgedale Hennepin County Library
24-July-23WOW Member Picnic
Our Annual WOW Picnic will be held at Weaver Lake Park Pavilion in Maple Grove and will start
at 6:00 PM. Back by popular demand will be our WOW “not really a Garage” Sale! Start setting
aside items you may wish to donate, such as tools, notions, fabric, etc. Funds raised will support
WOW programming. Stay tuned for more details about the picnic coming soon.
28-Aug-23Sandi Irish, Irish Chain Trunk Show - Sandi Irish returns to WOW for a trunk show featuring new patterns and projects. Sandi founded The Irish Chain pattern company to share her love of traditional quilt designs, creatively adapted to be achievable by beginners while at the same time challenging for experienced quilters who want to sharpen their piecing skills and play with color.
21-24-Sep-23We are getting ready!! We are now accepting members' and accompanying guests' deposit/registration for the retreat to be held at The Green Lake Retreat Center in Spicer, MN. Plan to arrive at 2 pm on Thursday, September 21, stay one, two or three nights and depart for home on Sunday, September 24 by 5 pm. That’s 70+ hours of quilting, socializing, relaxing, maybe some shopping?? AND ZERO hours of cooking, cleaning, laundry, getting the mail, mowing the lawn...you get the idea!

To Register, please complete the registration form (available on the 2023 Quilt Retreat tab of this website). A deposit of $10 will get you started and hold your spot; balance to be paid by September 10th. Payment can be by check or via PayPal. Feel free to pay full amount with registration.
25-Sep-23Marilyn Foreman “Kaleidoscope of Quilts – Rotate & Create!” -- Marilyn Foreman of Quilt Moments will share her love for designing pieced quilts that look
complicated yet include basic piecing techniques. See how she lets the fabric elements do the work to create stunning results. Whether it’s including easy 4-patch kaleidoscopes made from a large print in the block centers, rotating simple block units, using unique ways to show off panels, or using the popular Twister tools (she’s co-owner atTwisterSistersDesigns.com, home of the twister tools), you will find all her techniques addictive and fun! Marilyn lives in a suburb of St. Paul, MN, with her husband and three kids and started her pattern company in 2006. As a busy Mom she finds it challenging to make time to quilt so she uses every moment she can find…thus Quilt Moments. Over the past 16 years, she has published over 75 patterns, a book titled “Kaleidoscope Symphony”, and filmed a Craftsy online video class called “Quilted Kaleidoscopes”. With a background in analysis, she really enjoys the challenge of making her pieced patterns as versatile as possible so they all include a variety of sizes and fabric options.
14-Oct-23Quilt show, Maple Grove Community Center
23-Oct-23Recap of WOW 2023 Quilt Show and other topics to be determined
27-Nov-23Holiday-themed activities and Show and Share
Dec-23No meeting. Happy Holidays!
PREVIOUS MEETINGS
23-Nov-20We will have the vote for the Triangle Challenge. Members will also share our favorite holiday creations. This meeting may be on zoom. more information to come.
25-Jan-21Debbie from Just Sew Studio will speak about finishing quilts and the many choices of batting, backing, thread and quilting design options
22-Feb-21Various YouTube quilting videos
22-Mar-21Penny Kaspczak, who has been quilting for 40 years, discovered the quilting arts several years ago. She will share her passion for collage quilts, especially pet portraits, and thread painting. With a trunk show, she will take the members of WOW through her personal journey from traditional quilter to art quilter and show samples of her efforts along the way.
26-Apr-21Kellie recently started producing her own line of miniature quilt patterns which area available at her Etsy Store, LittleQuiltCreations. Please visit her website to see more of her work at www.littlequiltcreations.com and follow her on Facebook at Kellie Willey's Little Quilts.
24-May-21Business Meeting & Social
28-Jun-21Carol Steuck will give a program on purse making tips.
26-Jul-21Picnic @ Weaver Lake Park, Maple Grove
23-Aug-21Her company, Anika's Treasures, features stylish, fun patterns and simple techniques to make fabric creations
come together easily and quickly. Heather teaches piecing and applique for a variety of skill levels, something for
everyone.
www.ankastreasures.com
27-Sep-21Shelli Ricci, an "artist in residence: at Wild Blue Whimsy, will lecture on textile arts, painting on quilts, and making quilted postcards. Shelli creates whimsical art quilts that are embellished with beads and loads of humor. She teaches at Quilters Haven in Rosemount, on quilting cruises, and at quilt guild meetings.
25-Oct-21Meeting will recap the WOW 2021 Quilt show and also share decoration ideas.
22-Nov-21Joanne Hillstad of Fat Quarter Gypsy and Swirly Girl Designs.
Jo has been sewing for years and years. As a very small girl growing up in Duluth, Minnesota, my sister and I were always
making something. Fabric is just one medium I love to play with. As a teen, clothes were #1. When I married and later a
baby was on the way, I switched to baby blankets, clothes and home décor. Once it was determined I wasn’t going to be
blessed with a baby girl (which is not a sad thing at all), I had to find a way to express my creative side. I made fancy bags
with a thousand pockets for little cars and a play mat with a road on it to drive them around, tried to solve Lego storage
issues, sleeping bags for stuffed animals, etc. Then one day my Mom-in-law, Nancy, told me about the quilts she was
making. Bam! Shazam! Zippity Doo Dah… I was hooked! www.fatquartergypsy.com
Dec-21No Meeting
24-Jan-22Member Quilting Journey
28-Feb-22Melanie Schatz-Pattay – How Batiks Are Made
Melanie Schatz-Pattay is an Art teacher at St. Cloud High School and will share “How Batiks are Made.” Melanie will
provide a presentation with slides and video clips on “How Batiks are Made.” She will share information about Batiks
fabrics and inspire us to be creative with our quilting.
28-Mar-22Peter Byrne – Behind the Seams
Peter Byrne’s “Behind the Seams” will take viewers through his personal quilting journey. He will share quilts and
include “how to” pictures of my quilt making process, along with “close ups” of every quilt! He will start with his
experience of winning “Best in Show” and “Best Machine Quilting Frameless” at QuiltCon 2020, the largest and most
prestigious Modern Quilt Show in the world! He will share his sewing studio and go back to the first quilts made in 2009
and move forward to 2017 when he became a full time student of the craft and joined the Toronto Modern Quilt Guild to
further my quilting experience. He will walk us through quilts made in 2017 and 2018 when developing his quilting
skills, followed by sharing the spotlight at Quilts at the Creek, 2019! Also, he will share a new approach to raw edge
appliqué he has developed called Hover-quilting. He will close by looking at his quilts made in 2019 specifically for juried
shows and finish the show with all of my current work from 2020 and 2021. Peter Byrne Quilts –
Quilter/Designer/Teacher (peterbquilts.com)
25-Apr-22Page Johnson – The Quilting Makes the Quilt
Page Johnson will present ""The Quilting Makes the Quilt."" Page will bring a few ""professional"" level quilts to view and
present a lecture with pictures on the impact of quilting on a quilt. Her presentation will describe quilting for a
professional quilt, e.g., displayed in Houston or Paducah shows, and outline how quilting makes quilts for any level quilter.
She continues to create award winning quilts in national quilt shows and in publications. Page is known as a teacher for
both free-motion and computerized quilting. Page Johnson is a professional long-arm quilter and owns The Quilting Page
in Eagan.
23-May-22Judy Gauthier – Quilts for Scrap Lovers
Judy Gauthier from Bungalow Quilting and Yarn will share ideas on using scraps for quilts. Along with being a shop
owner, Judy has written several books including Quilts for Scrap Lovers. Judy is a knowledgeable and experienced sewist.
She also designs fabrics for Studio e Fabrics. Ask Judy about her other books that she has written for C & T Publishing.
Bungalow Quilting and Yarn - Ripon, WI (bungalowquilts.com)
27-Jun-22Jean Carlton – Think Small: Inspiration and Education from Vintage Textiles
Jean Carlton made her first quilts in 1972, after having grown up sleeping under quilts made by her Aunt Agnes. Jean's
long-time interest in vintage textiles and quilt history led to her rescuing and giving new life to many unfinished projects
that others left behind. Jean, who is a national speaker on a variety of quilt related topics, will present “Think Small:
Inspiration and Education from Vintage Textiles.” Her slide presentation detailing the process and background of several
projects will be followed by a trunk show of small wonders for you to examine in person. WOW members will go home
with new ideas! You can make new projects from old quilt tops.
Over 40-plus years, Jean’s passion for all things quilt expanded into a long list of activities and accomplishments:
- Quilt Appraiser: AQS Certified 202-2015
- Author: “MN Quilts Creating Connections with our Pasts”, Voyageur Press
- Facilitator: Land of Lake Quilt Study Group in Minnesota 2002-2014
- Writer: Quilts Etc. Blog - quiltsetcetera.blogspot.com
- Creator of ""30 years 30 Quilts Project"" on KARE 11 Newshttps://www.youtube.come/watch?yv=szq-MdRqIIE74
25-Jul-22WOW Quilt Guild Picnic
22-Aug-22Maxine Rosenthal - “What You Do When You Cannot Follow Instructions? One Block
Wonders”
Maxine Rosenthal of Timeless Threads invented the One Block Wonders and will share the concept with the WOW Quilt
Guild. She will share that One Block Wonders are created with no two being alike and are great for individuals who don’t
follow instructions well. Maxine Rosenthal, Author of ""One Block Wonders"", comes from a long career writing software
in corporate America. Maxine brings a strong sense of geometric balance and a wonderful sense of humor to her quilts and
accessories. Maxine also co-authored ""One Block Wonders - Encore"" and ""One Block Wonders - Cubed"". These two
books give an assortment of ideas for using kaleidoscopic quilts, from adding cubes to the quilts to making tote bags and
book covers.
26-Sep-22Dawn Cook Ronningen – 200 years of Quilting and Tools
Dawn's program will cover 200 years of quilting with a mix of quilts and the needlework tools and supplies used to make
them. This program will appeal to all quilters and sewers. Dawn will bring a full trunk show to share with the WOW
Quilt Guild. Also, Dawn has written a book titled “Antique American Needle Tools”.
24-Oct-22
Suzy Webster - Mystery and Award-Winning Quilts
Suzy Webster will share Mystery and Award-Winning Quilts, with a Trunk Show. Suzy of Websterquilts in Apple Valley, MN, is an award-winning quilter herself, with expertise in machine quilting, art quilting, and mystery quilts. Website: Websterquilt/
28-Nov-22
Holiday Themed Activities and Show/Share: We’re celebrating the season with three activities for November’s meeting.
- Veterans Day is November 11. We’ll commemorate the season of honoring veterans with a Quilts of Valor trunk show hosted by Terri and Cheryl, who will show several quilts made by volunteers and share information about the organization.
- Want a cute holiday project or quick hostess gift? Karen will demonstrate a design you can make with materials you probably have in your stash.
- Celebrate fellowship among WOW members with a Fat Quarter fabric exchange. Bring one fat quarter of seasonal fabric to share in the exchange. It can be a winter holiday motif, fall/winter seasonal design, or a favorite blender, just please make sure it is of quilt-store quality fabric and fat quarter size of 18” x 21-22”. Give a little surprise and get one too!
- Remember to bring your Show-and-Share items also - especially your holiday projects!
23-Jan-23Laura Wennstrom, “Artist Talk: An Accidental Quilter”

Laura is a multimedia artist, working in two and three dimensional formats using quilting, found materials, color, and installation techniques. Her work has been exhibited in numerous group and solo exhibitions across the country. Laura has a passion for helping people connect to their inner creative voice. In her presentation, Laura will share an overview of her fine art background and the quilts she has been making all along. She is sure to inspire our creativity with examples of her work, and entertain us with funny anecdotes about her quilting journey.
27-Feb-23Carol Hancuh, “On Developing a Voice in your Quilts” *

Carol attended Augsburg University, studying studio arts. She began quilting about 12 years ago. Early in her quilting journey, she was inspired by a fusing workshop she attended in Tuscany, Italy that was taught by Esterita Austin of Hudson Valley, N.Y. This was a turning point for Carol and she has been fusing fabrics ever since. Carol will share her quilting journey, mostly focusing on the last 7 years. Her trunk show will include some of her raw edged applique quilts and her fused fabric quilts, including “Bus Stop People,” who appeared at the Minnesota Quilt Show in 2019, and her “Voting Line People” who were exhibited at the 2022 MQ Show. Carol believes it has become increasingly important to give a voice to her quilts in today’s turbulent times. Come hear about her techniques, and “meet” her quilt inspirations.

* In lieu of a speaking fee, Carol has requested WOW make a donation to a local food shelf. To build on her generosity and expand the impact of this donation, members are encouraged to bring a canned/shelf-stable food item to donate during this February meeting.
27-Mar-23WOW Member Quilting Journeys

Each and every WOW member brings unique skills and talents to their quilting. Be inspired by quilting experiences from two WOW members through their Quilting Journey presentations. Kathy will present her “1876 Centennial” quilt which she both pieced and longarm quilted ([email protected]). Jeanne will share her “Posh Petals” quilt which earned recognition in our 2021 WOW Quilt Show and in 2022 county and state fairs.
24-Apr-23Sue Heinz, “Fast & Fabulous Free-Motion Grids”

Looking for unique and fanciful background fills? Look to Sue Heinz’s grid designs! Sue will show us just how fun and EASY it is to make complex-looking designs ‘fast and fabulous’ using her original designs and amazing tools. Come curious, leave inspired. Sue’s passion is teaching and she brings to each of her classes a Fine Arts and Education background, over 25+ years of quilting experience, a sense of humor, design expertise and a commitment to help each of her students reach new levels of quilting excellence. She has authored five books, each brimming with fresh design ideas for free-motion quilting, patented several innovative marking tools and has designed some awesome free-motion rulers - all to delight, intrigue and inspire. In addition to teaching at guilds and national shows across the country. She has been featured on online TV and national and international publications. Visit Sue’s website, SueHeinz.com.
22-May-23Ellen Carter, “Blue and White Miniatures”
Ellen Carter has been a quilter since 1986, focusing mainly on traditional and seasonal quilts. She has made at least 400 quilts, from miniature to king-size. While living in Minnesota, she was actively involved with Minnesota Quilters, serving n the board, including the president, and on many quilt show committees. Currently, she splits her time between Austin, TX and Eden Prairie. In 2013, inspired by the red and white exhibit Infinite Variety in New York City, she and her sister, Andrea Blackhurst, endeavored to make
a red and white exhibit in miniature. This led to the collection being shown at the Houston quilt festival in 2014 for their ruby jubilee. That was followed by Ellen and Andrea's blue and white exhibit, featured in Houston in 2019.