GENESEE VALLEY QUILT CLUB
Rochester, NY
April 2024
Meeting Day Program
April 11, 2024
Donna Schalge - Trunk Show
Donna has been a lifetime sewer. As a teenager, Donna had to sew her own clothes out of necessity. Taught to sew by her grandmother and mother, she has a legacy of many sewing mentors. However, it was her sister that got her interested in quilting in 2004. Surrounded by several prolific quilters where she taught math, they thought she needed to learn a new skill. Donna was hooked from the first quilt. In 2009 Donna joined Genesee Valley Quilt Club and a couple of years later she retired from teaching secondary Mathematics and serving as a school administrator.
Donna mentions, "I am in awe of the skills our (GVQC) members have and I learn something new all the time." Donna is a past club President and has served in many different capacities at GVQC from a show committee chair to club administration and teaching wool applique at Demo Derby.
Donna has embraced a new passion for quilting with enthusiasm. She discovered wool applique when she attended the International Quilt Festival in Cincinnati. She took a class by Charlotte Agnotti and that was it. She was hooked! "I would say I probably do more wool applique now than quilting, but I’m always in search of a new skill to add to my repertoire. I’m not afraid to tackle something I haven’t done before." Recently, Donna has gone outside her comfort zone to explore designing her own version of a pattern.
Donna's advice is to step outside your comfort zone and try something new. Learn as many skills as you can. Embrace the challenge! You can’t fail – you just make something new.
Workshop: April 12 - "Pennies for Pillows"
Donna Schalge
In this class, participants will learn to sew the versatile penny design and incorporate it into a pillow. I will show several examples to choose from. All you need to know is how to sew a blanket stitch. You’ll learn all the tricks of the trade when working with pennies.
Required Kit: $35 (pay teacher day of class). The kit will contain background fabric and enough pre-cut pennies to complete the project of your choice. Two versions and several color choices will be offered to complete either a rectangular pillow or a square pillow. You will be asked to decide on your pillow shape and color choice when registering for the class.
Skill Level: Beginner
Workshop: April 13 - "Designer's Choice Flower Basket"
Donna Schalge
In the course of my wool appliqué design work, I have learned to create and include many different flower designs in my work. Participants for this class will “design” their own flower basket and choose from 10-12 different flowers patterns to fill it. In the florist world, that is called Designer’s Choice.
Required Kit: $40 (pay teacher day of class). The kit will contain the basket wool and enough wool charm squares of many shades and colors to complete your flowers. You will learn/practice a variety of stitches to create and embellish the flowers you chose.
Skill Level: This is a more advanced class than the “Pennies for Pillows” class.
Register for Workshops
Workshop Fee: Member $60, Non-member $75 (unless otherwise noted). Some workshops require purchase of kit/supplies.
Non-member registration opens for fall workshops on August 1 and for spring workshops on February 1.