Newsletter

Did you miss the newsletter or accidentally delete it? Below are the two most recent newsletters sent out to members.

Oct. 26, 2026

An Important Message About the Future of SacMQG

Dear SacMQG Members,

We are reaching out with an important update about our upcoming board elections and the future of the Sacramento Modern Quilt Guild.

As many of you know, our annual board elections were scheduled for October. Unfortunately, we have not received candidates for two of the three open positions—President and Social Media/Communications. We are pleased to have a candidate for the Events position, although we're certain that additional members interested in helping with events would be warmly welcomed and appreciated!

Because two positions remain without candidates, we have postponed the election until our November meeting in the hope that additional members will consider volunteering.

We understand that everyone has busy lives and that taking on a volunteer position can feel like a significant commitment. We also recognize that not everyone has the time, energy, or circumstances that allow them to serve on the board. There is no judgment in that. However, we do need to have an open and honest conversation about what this means for our guild.

Over the years, SacMQG has become a wonderful community of creative, talented, and generous people. It is a place to learn, share ideas, find inspiration, build friendships, and celebrate our love of modern quilting. We believe that community is worth preserving.

But preserving it requires more than simply enjoying what the guild offers. It requires members who are willing and able to help sustain it. Of our approximately 108 members, 18 have served on the board, and another handful have taken on responsibilities such as Block Lotto, Library, and the QuiltCon community quilt. That means roughly 75% of our current membership has yet to serve in a leadership or volunteer role. There is a tremendous opportunity for more members to get involved, bring fresh ideas, and help shape the guild's future.

SacMQG is an entirely volunteer-run organization, and its continued existence depends on members willing to share in its leadership. Behind every meeting, speaker, workshop, retreat, and opportunity to connect with fellow quilters are members who have volunteered their time to make those things possible.

The reality is that if we cannot fill all the required board positions, we will need to consider dissolving the guild. This is not an ultimatum or an attempt to pressure anyone into volunteering. It is simply the practical reality of operating a volunteer organization without the leadership necessary to keep it functioning.

We sincerely hope that won't be necessary.

Serving on the board doesn't require you to have all the answers or previous leadership experience. It does require a willingness to participate, collaborate, and contribute some of your time. There are resources available, and current board members will help with the transition.

And here's something worth considering: You don't necessarily have to do it alone! If taking on a board position feels overwhelming, perhaps you have a friend who would be willing to share the responsibilities with you. Except for the President, all board positions can be shared by two members. You and your partner can divide the duties in whatever way works best for you, with one person serving as the official voting member of the board. This allows both people to contribute while sharing the time and responsibilities involved. Sometimes having a partner makes all the difference!

If you've ever thought about becoming more involved, now is the time to do it. Even if you're unsure whether a position would be a good fit, or you'd like to explore sharing a position with another member, we encourage you to reach out, ask questions, and have a conversation. And remember, even though we have a candidate for Events, there's always room for another helping hand!

We hope that by our November election, we'll have the volunteers needed to keep SacMQG moving forward.

If you are interested in running—or know a fellow member who would be a great fit—please reach out to Laura Beth Thrasher at president@sacmqg.com, or any member of the current board, by Sunday, November 15th so we can include you on the ballot.

Thank you for being part of SacMQG, for everything you bring to this community, and for thoughtfully considering how you might help shape its future.

Warmly,

The SacMQG Executive Board

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Oct. 15, 2026

Happy October, quilters!

Our annual Quilts in the Park meeting will be held this Saturday starting at 10:30 a.m. at the Fair Oaks Horticulture Center, 11549 Fair Oaks Blvd., Fair Oaks, south of Madison. See the attached map. This is a lovingly tended garden with a lot of shade.

This meeting is all about recognizing the creativity of our members in an outdoor setting. If you've never attended one of these meetings, it's very casual: We hang members' quilts on pop-up shade structures and spend most of the first hour of the meeting "touring" them as the makers describe how their quilt came to be.

If you have a pop-up we can use, please arrive early, preferably before 10 a.m., so we can set it up in time. And everyone is welcome to bring a quilt or two to display -- it does not have to be a recent make.

Also please bring a camp or folding chair, if possible. This park has limited places to sit, and we will be having a business meeting -- and an election! -- in the second half. You are also welcome to bring a snack or lunch to enjoy in this setting.

About those elections ...

Three of the six board positions must be filled for the 2027 year: President, Director of Events and Director of Communications. We changed the bylaws this year to move the election earlier, in order to have more transition time.

To be a fully functioning guild, we must have a completely staffed Board of Directors. Please consider running for one of these positions. Nominations can be taken from the floor. Information on the election and the duties of each position are listed on the Elections page of our website, sacmqg.com.

Added attractions

Our fabric sale fundraiser from August will continue in the latter part of the meeting, with large fabric pieces featured, along with items that did not sell last time. Cash, check and cards will be accepted, as before.

And yes, the secret word is back! This month's word is persimmon. Get a ticket for a drawing when you say the word at the check-in desk.

No free table or library this month -- those will resume in November. Block Lotto and Community (Charity) blocks are due in November as well, but you can turn in any blocks for our QuiltCon Community Quilt this month.

Sept. 15, 2026

Hello quilters!

Fall (and fall quilting) is almost here! We have a couple of busy months ahead, so please read carefully.  (No secret word this month, since I'll be absent Saturday, but I trust you to please read all of this.)

Sept. 19 meeting features Robert James Bosscher on Zoom

Our meeting this Saturday kicks off at 10:30 a.m. at Meissner Sacramento. (Come at 10 a.m. for social and set-up.) The program features a Zoom discussion with quilt artist and teacher Robert James Bosscher.

Bosscher earned his degree in studio art and art history, with a concentration in ceramics, but after college the reality of the cost and the scarcity of studio space moved him to find another medium. His current passion is fiber and textile art. (His mother was a quilter, btw.) In this discussion he will explore the dynamic influences reshaping the modern quilt movement -- from upcycled materials and nontraditional fabrics to paint, printmaking, narrative storytelling and activist quilts.

Bosscher this year also initiated the "Behind the Scenes" series of QuiltCon on-the-floor tours focused on Modern Design. Find more about him at rjbosscher.com or on Instagram @rjbosscher

Bring in your QuiltCon Community Outreach Blocks

Stephanie Fox will collect blocks from members who accepted the block kits at the August meeting. We are working on getting an assembly sew day scheduled in October.

Update: Block Lotto (pumpkin block) postponed to November

Christine and Sue are both having a mega-busy year, and decided to delay the latest Block Lotto deadline to the November meeting. That gives everyone two more months to make some of those adorable pumpkin blocks. Find the pattern here.

Challenge # 3 to be revealed

Debra Thompsen will unveil the next (optional) challenge for guild members. Think small! Details will be posted on the website after the meeting.

News: October park meeting and a weekday outreach event

We have a new park site for the Saturday, Oct. 17, Quilts in the Park meeting! This year reserving a park has been a challenge. But thanks to the Sacramento County Master Gardener program, we will meet at the Fair Oaks Horticulture Center, their demonstration garden, in the front portion that is open daily to the public. The FOHC is immediately next to Fair Oaks Park, which is on Fair Oaks Boulevard just south of Madison Avenue. This area is not a grass park but a mostly shady site with concrete pathways, several patios and many lovingly tended planting areas. Plenty of room for our pop-ups, and plenty of parking.

As part of this arrangement with the master gardeners, we have agreed to bring a pop-up, some quilts and other guild information to their Wednesday, Oct. 14, Open Garden Day, which runs from 9 a.m. to noon. On Open Garden Days, the master gardeners welcome the public to the entire FOHC, including the back area where vegetables, orchard fruit, herbs, grapes and berries are grown. This collaboration is designed to expand the outreach both for our guild and for the master gardeners. (Did you know that 4 guild members are master gardeners, including myself?)

So we need quilts and pop-ups for Oct. 17, and volunteers and quilts for Oct. 14!

We'll have other details on the Oct.17 meeting toward the end of this month, but start planning now which quilt(s) to bring to hang. It does not have to be a new make. 

Also, anyone who can bring a pop-up to use at the park meeting, please let Vice President Hedy Henderson know Saturday. The more we have, the more quilts we can hang! 

For Oct. 14, if you can contribute an hour or more to set up, staff the booth or lend a modern quilt to display, or all of those, please email me (Kathy H) at social@sacmqg.com. I anticipate that 3 to 5 quilters besides myself will be needed to answer questions about our guild and modern quilts in general. 

And it's election season!

Guild elections, of course. My term as Director of Communications/Social is coming to an end, and I would love to hand this role off to someone as info-obsessed as I am. Please message me separately if you are interested! I will train you!

(Also, I'm sorry to have to miss this Saturday's meeting, but I will be able to see email and get messages while I'm traveling.)

Thanks for reading to the end!

Kathy Hellesen

Communications/Social