Bloomington Quilters Guild
at a glance: August 2026
OUR Next MEETING is Tuesday, August 4, 2026.
Time: 6:00 PM Social Hour
6:30 pm Meeting start
PROGRAM: “Summer Camp” WITH socializing and arts & crafts. we'll make hexagon baskets with Lead Camp Counselor Dee Mortensen.
Location: Congregation beth shalom
3750 E. 3rd Street
Bloomington, Indiana 47401
AUGUST Meeting
Our August meeting, aka “Summer Camp” wouldn't be complete without socializing and arts & crafts so we'll make hexagon baskets with Lead Camp Counselor Dee Mortensen. We will be using English paper piecing to make a small trinket bowl. We will provide the paper pentagons and complete instructions. You can get a jump on the project by accessing a free pattern at The Original Pre Cut Paper Pieces for English Paper Piecing. Search “pentagon bowl” when you get to the site.
SUPPLY LIST FOR THE BOWLS
Fabric cut to size (12 pieces 4.5 inches square for 2” pentagons)
Hand sewing kit including a stout needle for puncturing paper and a fine needle for sewing fabric together
Waste thread
Coordinating thread for sewing pentagons together
Wonder clips or glue stick
Perle cotton for sewing the edge of the bowl
Bring canned food items for Hoosier Hills Food Bank!
Thanks to everyone who contributed non-perishable items to the Hoosier Hills Food Bank! We will continue to collect food at every meeting, so, if you forget, you can always bring something next month - food insecurity never goes away. Keep a couple cans in your car after shopping. Anyone interesting in helping please contact Annie Kelly Amnkelly602@gmail.com.This is just one more way our Guild can support our community, especially those in the greatest need.
BQG Swag
This summer, the Bloomington Quilters Guild is making Guild apparel available for pre-order. Order and payment will be collected at the July, August and September 2026 guild meetings. You must pay BY CHECK at the time of ordering (no online orders or PayPal payments, to avoid fees)
Please bring your order form found at this link BQG Apparel — Bloomington Quilters Guild and check to the July, August, and September guild meetings or mail them to our post office box:
Bloomington Quilters Guild
PO Box 5802
Bloomington, IN 47407
Thank you to Maria Schmidt, who spent and a lot of time coordinating this order.
Screen printing by badknees - https://badkneests.com
DUES FOR 2026-2027 Quilt year
We will begin collecting dues for the 2026-2027 Quilt Year on July 1, 2026. Our fiscal year begins July 1, so please pay between July 1 and September 2 so we can complete the membership directory. You may pay online, or feel free to bring a check or cash to the July, August, or September meetings! The dues continue to be only $30 ($15 for seniors age 80+ or juniors age 18 and under). We have been able to maintain this membership rate for several years due to the generosity of our membership donating to and buying from the Treasure Shop during our quilt show! Thank you!
September Meeting
Nina Cotfelter will present via Zoom, Threads: What’s the Big Deal. This is a FUN presentation on all the things you didn't know you needed to know about thread! As an educator for WonderFil Specialty Threads, Nina has learned a lot and she wants to share! Thread is like candy! Sometimes you just can't get enough...LOL! When we purchase thread it's usually the color we buy, or the thread the shop carries. In this lecture you'll learn about the different weights of thread and why they make a difference. Ply, why is that important? Specialty threads like metallic, monofilament, tinsel threads, how do we work with them? Why do metallics give us issues? This presentation is FULL of information you'll be thrilled you know now! For More information
click here NINA CLOTFELTER QUILTS
SEW Day News!
Sew the day away with friends old and new. We have the guild’s ironing boards, cutting mats, rulers and power cords available for use. Bring a project to work on and anything else you need for a day of sewing! Our sew days are held St. Mark’s United Methodist Church.
OUR WEEKDAY SEW DAYS will be regularly held on the Second Tuesday of even-numbered months! Our next date will be August 11, 9:00 am- 3:00 pm If the usual Sew Days on Saturdays don't suit your schedule, we hope you'll try out Tuesdays!
OUR NEXT SATURDAY SEW DAY will be Saturday, September 11, 9:00 am -3:00 pm.
Community Quilts
During the month of July, quilts have been donated throughout the community. If you are interested in contributing a community quilt there are resources here. Community Quilts Sizes — Bloomington Quilters Guild
The following was written by Rachel Spicer from Middleway House:
I wanted to share with you all something that happened this past week. We had a family that did a short stop with us on their way out of state. The kids were very apprehensive about the situation and scared to leave Indiana for the first time. They had been through so much recently. I let the kids pick their quilts and told them it was from a very special group of people who put a lot of love and care into them. The oldest child, who is a preteen, said it was like taking a piece of "home" with them. I just wanted to let you all know that the work that you do makes SUCH A DIFFERENCE in the lives of the residents here. Thank you, THANK YOU for all your time, effort, expenses, and thought that goes into these beautiful pieces.
Best,
Rachel Spicer
Fall Retreat
The Fall 2026 retreat will be at Waycross Camp and Conference Center. The dates are Thursday, October 8, 9:30 am -Sunday, October 11, 2:00 pm.
See the chart on the Fall retreat page to see the costs. Jo Ann has covered every permutation of costs for both cash/credit, number of days and the commuter options. The Register by Mail button near the bottom of the page will allow download of the PDF for registration. You will be able to sign up online or save some money and register at the July meeting when you pay your dues! Registration ends on September 20th.
The sense of community you gain is also invaluable. Being surrounded by people who share your passion creates a unique bond. You’ll meet quilters from different backgrounds and skill levels, and these connections often turn into lasting friendships. Whether you’re sharing a laugh over a sewing mishap or admiring each other’s work, the camaraderie is something you can’t replicate at home.
Quilt EVENTS
THE SEWCIAL COOPERATIVE
Informal gathering of makers, sewists, artists and crafters. This is a bring your own project style club where you can work together, share resources and help each other learn new skills.
What to bring: Your machine, tools and enthusiasm
When: 6-8pm every 2nd Tuesday and 4th Thursday of the month (starts March 26)
Where: Brown County Community YMCA (105 Willow Street, Nashville, IN)
Who: all skill levels welcome! Anyone under 18 must be accompanied by a guardian. There is no fee to join.
Any Questions? Contact KJ Rondomanski at 812-320-6831 or crafter@sewcialcoop.com
Here is a link to their website which is a work in progress Home
THE INDIANA QUILT SHOW
On September 24-26, 2026 in Richmond, IN the Indiana Quilt Show will be offering free admission at the Wayne County Fairgrounds. The show will feature 45 vendors, over 200 quilts, and three days of classes and free lectures. The quilt exhibits will feature three Indiana guild exhibitions- Batty Binders Quilt Guild, Quilters Guild of Indianapolis and Indiana State Quilt Guild. They will also have a collection of Antique Quilts from the collection of Pat & Arlan Christ entitled "American Pride" , small works from the Hoffman Challange and a SAQA regional exhibit entitled "A Drop if Emerald Poison".
Over the three days of the show they will feature classes every day in both hand and machine work. There will be teachers from all over the U.S. demonstrating lots of different techniques. The half-day classes are affordable and fun! Every day they will also offer free lectures in a wide range of topics.
While you're there, be sure to sign up for the free raffle where you can win over $2500 in vendor merchandise! With free admission, free parking, free lectures and a free raffle, you can enjoy a day of quilting without spending a lot of money!
You can see all the information about the show, vendors, classes and more at: Richmond, IN | AQuiltersDestination
HELP us keep up to date! We try to include notices of quilt shows and exhibits on the BQG website. If you know of an event, please send mail to news@bloomingtonquiltersguild.org so that either Karen or Kris can update the page. https://www.bloomingtonquiltersguild.org/upcoming-quilt-events