Welcome from the President
Hello quilters! Whether you have been piecing since before rotary cutters were invented or you just bought your first machine last month, you are welcome at Prairie Points. We are about 60 members strong, we meet once a month, we laugh a lot, and we get an awful lot of quilts made for people who need them. Come to a meeting as a guest, no obligation. Sit by somebody, we don't bite, and most of us will talk your ear off about fabric if you let us.
Happy stitching,
Marge Hulsizer, President
Meeting Schedule, August through December
We meet the third Thursday of the month at the 4-H Building, Buffalo County Fairgrounds. Social time 6:30, business and program at 7:00.
| Date | Program |
|---|---|
| Aug 20 | Trunk show: Norma's 40 years of scraps. Norma says she is only bringing half of it, so plan on a full evening anyway. |
| Sep 17 | Quilt show work night. Bring your entries, your entry forms, and your patience. Pizza provided by the board. |
| Oct 15 | UFO Challenge reveal night. If you signed the list in January, this is your moment. Prizes for finished, mostly finished, and best excuse. |
| Nov 19 | Binding clinic with the charity committee. Machine binding, hand binding, and the corner trick Rita swears by. |
| Dec 17 | Holiday potluck and fat quarter exchange. Wrapped fat quarter, any holiday fabric counts, even the ugly ones. Especially the ugly ones. |
Charity Sewing
Our charity committee keeps two projects going year round:
- NICU quilts for the hospital nursery. 36" x 36", flannel preferred on the back, soft quilting, no embellishments or buttons of any kind. Bright and cheerful tops are always a hit with the nurses.
- Veteran lap quilts, about 40" x 60", patriotic or masculine fabrics, delivered quarterly to the veterans home.
We delivered 214 quilts in 2025, you all amaze me. Kits with precut tops and backing are available at every meeting, see Rita at the charity table.
Monthly sew-in: first Saturday of each month, 9:00 to 3:00 at the 4-H Building. Bring your machine and basic supplies, or just come and iron and trim, there is always a job for you. Coffee pot is on by 8:45.
Quilt Show 2026: "Prairie Skies"
September 26 and 27 at the community center. Saturday 9 to 5, Sunday 10 to 4. Admission $5, kids under 12 free.
Entries: open to all members. Entry forms are available at meetings or from JoAnn by email. Entry form deadline is August 30, no exceptions this year, the layout crew has spoken.
Categories:
- Pieced, Large (over 60" on any side)
- Pieced, Small
- Applique
- Modern
- Hand Quilted
- First Quilt
- Miniature
- Group and Charity
Raffle quilt: this year's raffle quilt is "Sandhill Sunrise", queen size, pattern by our own Linda K., pieced by the Tuesday small group and quilted by Heartland Longarm. Tickets are $1 each or 6 for $5, available at meetings and at the show. Drawing Sunday at 3:00, you need not be present to win. Proceeds support the charity quilt fund.
We also need white glove volunteers and admissions table help. Two hour shifts, you get in free, sign-up sheet at the July and August meetings.
Block of the Month: Churn Dash
July's block is the Churn Dash, one of the oldest blocks in the book and a great one for using up your plums and greens (guild colors, hint hint). Make one or make five, bring them to the August meeting and we will draw a name, winner takes the lot for a donation quilt top.
- Half-square triangle corners: cut two 3-7/8" squares of dark and two 3-7/8" squares of background. Cut each once on the diagonal, then pair a dark and a background triangle and sew along the long bias edge. Makes the 4 corner units, each should measure 3-1/2" square. Press toward the dark.
- Side units: cut four rectangles 2" x 3-1/2" of your accent and four rectangles 2" x 3-1/2" of background. Sew an accent to a background along the long edge. Each unit measures 3-1/2" square, with the accent bar toward the outside edge of the block.
- Center: cut one 3-1/2" square of background.
- Assemble in three rows of three, quarter inch seams throughout. Watch the corner units, the dark triangles point to the outside corners.
Tips Corner
- Check your quarter inch before you start a project. Sew two 1-1/2" strips together and measure the pair. If it is not exactly 2-1/2" wide, adjust your needle position or your seam guide and test again. Ten minutes here saves a whole afternoon of unsewing.
- Press, don't iron. Set the seam flat first, then lift and lower the iron. Sliding the iron back and forth stretches your pieces, especially anything with a bias edge.
- Starch before you cut curves or bias. A good spray starch or starch alternative on the yardage keeps drunkard's path and clamshell pieces from stretching out of shape while you handle them.
- Change your needle more often than you think. A new 80/12 at the start of every big project, or after about 8 hours of sewing. A dull needle sounds like a tiny punch press and it is snagging your fabric on every stitch.
Membership
Dues are $25 per year, running June to May, payable to the treasurer at any meeting. Membership gets you the newsletter, the lending library, entry in the monthly drawings, and eligibility to enter the quilt show.
Guests may attend two meetings free before joining. Bring a friend, bring a neighbor, bring your mother-in-law, we'll be nice.