Quotes from Oprah Winfrey on Challenges:
It doesn’t matter how far you might rise. At some point, you are bound to stumble. If you’re constantly pushing yourself higher and higher, the law of averages predicts that you will at some point fall. And when you do, I want you to remember this: There is no such thing as failure. Failure is just life trying to move us in another direction.
Do the one thing you think you cannot do. Fail at it. Try again. Do better the second time. The only people who never tumble are those who never mount the high wire.
Now, when you’re down there in the hole, it looks like failure. When that moment comes, it’s okay to feel bad for a little while. Give yourself time to mourn what you think you may have lost. But then, here’s the key: Learn from every mistake, because every experience, particularly your mistakes, are there to teach you and force you into being more who you are.”
Challenges are gifts that force us to search for a new center of gravity. Don’t fight them. Just find a different way to stand.
Although there may be tragedy in your life, there’s always a possibility to triumph. It doesn’t matter who you are, where you come from. The ability to triumph begins with you. Always.
Contact: Toni Beattie
Annual Challenge- 2025
Decorative Flying Geese
Theme: Decorative Flying Geese
Size: 36” x 36” or smaller
The 2024 Westside Quilt challenge – Challenges you to be as creative as you can using at least one Flying goose block and decorative stitching
The Rules:
- Quilt must be 36×36 or smaller
- it can be any shape.
- It must be finished to present at the challenge reveal.
- The quilt must contain at least one Flying Geese or variation block
- and must have decorative stitching either by machine or by hand.
The reveal will be at the April 2025 meeting
Have Fun!!
Contact: Cathy Batty VPEducation@westsidequiltersguild.com or look up her cell number in the directory and text her.
2025 Sew-Along!
Join us in a new quilt along for 2025!
It is all about Dwellings!
each block will be some kind of dwelling — house, barn, fish bowl, tent, camper, etc — whatever dwelling you want.
Each month beginning in January 2025 you will make 2 blocks per month.
- You can design your own or find a pattern, the more original the designs the more fun this will be!
- All colors are fine – this will be a quilt, so it should be fabric that works for a functional quilt as well as a wall hanging ( probably not a good candidate for wool applique).
- You keep one block for yourself and bring your second block to the monthly meeting where it will go into a pot. Everyone will take a number and when your number comes up you will pick a block out of the pot. (If you pick your own you will put it back and take another).
- At the end of the year you will end up with 24 blocks that you can put together however you want
It is very important that your block measures 12.5″ by 12.5” unfinished ( for a 12″ finished block) so the person getting your block doesn’t have to take it apart to get the right measurement.
We will have a show and tell sometime at the beginning of 2026. Just have fun with this and let your imagination run wild!
Any questions contact Cathy Batty at vpeducation@westsidequiltersguild.com or text her at her cell number ( in the directory)
Have Fun!!
Registration coming right here soon!
UFO – UnFinished Object Challenge
Our 2024 UFO challenge was a great success! A lot UFOs were finished!! Check our Facebook page to see photos of the ones presented at the November 2024 meeting.
Stay tuned for info on the 2025 UFO Challenge
It will start sometime in early 2025.
UFO is a project that you previously started and not completed…….not fabric in a bag yet to be started or a pattern you would like to make some day. The challenge is designated for a quilting project. However, if you have a clothing item that is quilted or you have a bag that is quilted, those would be considered UFO’s……the key phrase is ‘quilted” and they must have been started in time past.
To qualify for a completed UFO it must meet the following: the quilt (or item) must be quilted, the binding on, and a label. I understand some quilters do not label your quilts so we would let you skate by with that one..
Click Here for a form for your use
Check back here after the new year for further info!!
Contact: Connie Gaebel ( in the directory)
Contact: Darcie Casper
Here are the Monthly Prompts –
Hi Block Swapers! Here are some prompts to make this a little more interesting. You don’t have to do the monthly prompt, you can just go with your own preferences, but I thought it would be fun and challenging to up the ante a bit.
January – Make whatevery you want – learn the process
February – Make your stars with the center and star points with all the same fabric – you can use a different fabric for each block, just keep it the same within the block.
March – Make your stars with no repeat fabrics – each point a different fabric and the center different from all of the points
April – Make an economy block in the center. Remember, your center block should be finish at 4 inches, which makes it 4.5 inches unfinished. Here’s a website with a video and written tutorial as well as a chart on how to cut your squares to get to the right size. https://homemadeemilyjane.com/economy-quilt-block/
May – Make eight 6 inch (finished size, unfinished 6.5 inches) squares and join them together in a 4 patch to make each large block – you can use the original tutorial (above) for cutting instructions. Click Here for a printable pdf of instructions.
June – Make the centers of your block a wonky log cabin
2024 Wonky Star Block Swap!
Join us in a new quilt along challenge activity for 2024!
At the January meeting we are launching a Wonky Star Block Swap. A Block Swap is a project where quilters make and contribute blocks. The blocks are collected by the leader who mixes them up and re-distributes them at the end. Each member ends up with the other quilters’ blocks. It’s a great way to share our skills and creativity with each other.
We will do 2 blocks a month for 6 months. Watch the Wednesday Patch and attend the general meetings for sewing instructions and prompts to change it a bit each month. Examples of prompts could include: make your star all the same color, don’t use any repeating fabrics in the star point, make the star center a 9 patch, etc.
Click Here for the full information (printable document)
Click Here to go to the tutorial
Have Fun!!
Stay tuned for information on a meeting to show your quilt!
Quilt Show Challenge –
Grow me a Garden!
Theme: Grow Me A Garden
Size: 24” x 24” or smaller
The 2024 WQG Quilt Show “Grow me a Garden” Challenge, challenges you to make a quilt which expresses your garden. Your quilt must be 24’x24’ or smaller; it can be any shape, and it must be finished in order to present it at the quilt show challenge reveal.
The challenge quilts will be accepted starting in mid-September 2024 when the committee collects quilts for the show. Anyone who attends the Westside Quilt show will have the opportunity to vote on their favorite.
Questions? Contact Melinda Fish: QuiltShow@WestsideQuiltersguild.com
2023 Temperature Quilt Challenge
The reveal (on April 15, 2024 ) was fabulous – an amazing display of styles and creativity. Check our Facebook page for photos! ( or see the Facebook feed on this website Home Page).
If you want to make one on your own here is some info for you –
Click Here to see a document for lots of info, tips and tricks.
Here are some great links:
Chart for recording your fabric choices and tracking the temperature: Click Here
One example design: French Braid on You Tube
Here are some links for temperature information:
• Farmers’ Almanac Weather History Archive
• National Weather Service
Please post what you have on our Facebook group, so we can ohh and ahh. If you sign up from our website, you can be in the drawing for monthly prizes. (Or let Sherry know to add you to the list.)
You will be amazed at the variety of styles. Be careful, though, the fun is infectious; and we might be using some of our precious stash and need to buy more!
Sherry Smith vpeducation@westsidequiltersguild.com
Sherry’s temperature quilt fabrics, plan and finished quilt!
