Charleston Modern Quilt Guild: OCTOBER 2026 MEETING MINUTES

Kerry Bevers called the meeting to order at 6:30 PM with 31 members and 2 guests in attendance.

Program: Tonight’s topic was Labels as a Love Letter by Laura Hartrich, introduced by Phoebe Harrell. Laura lives in Chicago and began quilting 17 years ago. She shared less technical instruction, more focused on inspiration, including her “go-to label-making methods” such as using pen on separate fabric or directly to the back of the quilt. The pen is a Micron pen and recommended. Hand embroidery is a technique, as well as digital printing, such as by Spoonflower. She uses orphan blocks and vintage linens as labels. The lower right-hand corner is her preferred placement.

What goes on a label? Bare minimum is name and year; may add a title and name of the long arm quilter. She now adds her location to every label as provenance. She often adds the recipients, the occasion of the quilt, noting if a swap, and adds quotes for fun. She may add the start and end dates and/or seasons. She may include pattern credit, or denote special fabrics that she used. Mention a historical period of time, if appropriate. The label can tell a story and provide keys to the quilt. She has used a fabric envelope for a tucked away label.

To digitally print labels, she may create a label with fabric scraps, gluing the pieces together, then making a digital copy of the label to place on the quilt.

Laura explained why we should make labels. She does it for herself, not relying on memory and taking credit for hard work. Make labels for others to inspire, intrigue, provide provenance, and deepen connection and appreciation for the art. Make labels for the quilts themselves, to endear them to recipients and have a better chance of them being preserved.

Business / Announcements:

● The next monthly meeting is November 10.

● The next Sew Day is November 21.

● A bylaws update was proposed for removing an officer from office.This bylaw is a new requirement of the MQG and the IRS.There was discussion about the proposed language, then the bylaw was voted upon and passed by the membership.The proposed bylaw language is:

o 6.06 Removal from Office: Any elected officer may be removed, with or without cause, at a meeting called for that purpose, by a vote of a majority of the members.

● Two positions are open beginning in January, to be voted on in the November election: They are Secretary and Treasurer. Amy Mauldin has volunteered to serve as Secretary. Members are asked to consider volunteering for the Treasurer position.

● Alice Anthony has received many stockings for the Sanders-Clyde Elementary school class. The stockings will be filled with goodies using the donations from the Trash to Treasures program.The stockings are due at the Nov 10 meeting.

● The bird challenge is due Nov 10. The Midnight Garden challenge is due in January. Members who brought their Midnight Garden 6” zinnia blocks swapped them with others..

● Molly Piepenburg has organized the scraps to distribute stacks of squares to make a finished 20”x20” block with 10x10 half square triangle squares. Molly will create instructions for the block that Kerry will distribute.

● Many charity quilts were displayed by Kate Weston and Molly.

Many members displayed their quilts for Show and Tell.