Athens Friendship Quilters Guild held their annual potluck luncheon and year end celebration on April 11.

During the business portion of the meeting we heard the results of our member Vicki Kellogg’s quilting and sewing charity garage sale. More than $3,000 was raised and was donated to the Athens Police Department for use in their outreach efforts benefitting children and elders in Athens as well as one of the area’s women’s shelters.

The show-and-tell portion of the meeting always shows what members are up to. Some projects take longer than others, and members gather to explain the designs of their quilts and why they made them, possibly for a friend who loves Alabama or cows or using 41-year-old wedding tablecloths for a memorable keepsake.

• Ann Johnson showed us her “Die Hard Alabama Fan” quilt she made for a friend.
• Loreen Thompson displayed her split rail fence quilt that was made from the fabric which was used as tablecloths at her wedding 41 years ago. Some projects take longer than others.

Sharon Rush showed a lap quilt she made for a 91-year-old friend in a nursing home who loves cows.

• Shane Everett showed us the beautiful red raffle quilt she won at the Huntsville Quilt Guild’s annual quilt show held in Huntsville. She also showed her quilt depicting a bicycle with a basket of flowers that was stunning, with each flower “fussy cut” to perfection.
• Vangie Patrick displayed the travel iron cozies she made for her friends. This makes taking an iron along so much easier for sewing days away from home.
• Jill Menefee displayed the start of several patio pillows she is making for her daughter-in-law’s annual July 4 celebration.
• Tonya Hall’s shoe fetish quilt was so much fun she made two — one for herself and one for her daughter-in-law.
• Carole Izatt, our French speaking member, displayed a “catalogue,” which is a handmade bed covering used in Quebec, from where she hails. We learned quilting is not so common in French-speaking Quebec — instead they make the “catalogue,” which is made using the technique Americans use to make a similar rag rug.

After the show-and -tell portion of the meeting, member Sharon Rush, who won three ribbons for the three quilts she entered in the Huntsville Quilt Guild’s annual show, explained quilt judging. Rush was lucky enough to be invited by the judge of the show to go around and learn exactly how a quilt is judged. She learned all the criteria, rules and subjective thinking that go into judging quilts and shared this knowledge with the group. It was very interesting and informative.

The group also recognized another of their members, Roxana Presnell, who was recently named 2020/21 Woman of the Year by the Madison County Homemakers and Community Leader organization.

The Guild meetings are held on the second Monday of each month at The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints building at 1716 Market Street in Athens, starting at 10 a.m. All are welcome to attend.