August 2026
August Program: Teresa Coates
Teresa Coates is nationally adored for all things fabric. She teaches, she quilts, she writes. And she designs patterns for her own company, Crinkle Dreams. Known for her popular quilt coat patterns and thoughtful approach to teaching, she blends creativity with practical know-how to make garment sewing feel approachable for all skill levels.
On Tuesday, August 18, 2026, Teresa’s presentation, “Coat to Quilt”, will give an overview of the history of quilted outerwear, from the 1300s to modern-day, with a deep dive into ways of personalizing a coat you create in ways that will let you share your love of quilting with everyone you meet. She will discuss best practices and material types.
Teresa will also talk about ways to incorporate your piecing and quilting skills into coats, dresses, tops, bags, and shoes, with lots of inspiring examples.
Teresa’s next day workshop has been well anticipated and at this time has a wait list for sign-up.
President’s Report
Flexibility strikes me as a key word for today. When we all attempted to log into Zoom on Tuesday we learned the difficulties of technology meeting real life. We rely on our computers to simply 'work' when we need them to, but the reality is there are people behind the scenes who we must rely on without being aware they are busy in their own lives. In this case, our indefatigable member Linda Spring had been dealing with a family health issue, and our tech guru Margaret Martin, as well as other members, were working hard to create alternative options on the fly. All of which is to say the guild will be getting a Zoom account for our use in the near future! There may be other uses for the Zoom - streaming live meetings, creating virtual sew-in events, or sharing workshop participation. We are limited only by our creativity and the willingness of members to be flexible as we try new things.
But isn't that the joy of quilting in a nutshell? Learning about new ideas (pixel quilts anyone?). Tackling new projects (get to work on your service blocks). Asking for help when things aren't going to plan, such as running out of fabric, getting stuck in a pattern, or technology isn’t working. Our members are a huge resource and our flexibility to offer help, solutions, assistance, and support remains the reason I continue with this great group of (mostly) ladies.
Erica Jarret, President
Member at Large News
There have been conversations about starting an afternoon group of Village Quilters. We know that there are some members who would prefer to not drive at night for our regular meetings, or want to be home in the evenings. The idea is to have an afternoon group that would meet on the same Tuesday and at the same location as our regular monthly Guild meetings.
We are planning on having the first afternoon meeting on September 15 at 2:00 p.m. At this first meeting, we will discuss what times work best and what would happen at the meetings. Vicki Doolittle has agreed to help spearhead the formation of an afternoon group. Thank you to Vicki for agreeing to help.
The afternoon group would be an opportunity for socializing with fellow quilters. Maybe it would start out as a time for sewing together and grow from there. It would be a time to keep you informed on Guild news. Maybe a Village Quilter member could teach certain techniques or a member could do a show and tell of their work and share their quilting journey. It could grow into the speakers that have been contracted for an evening meeting coming early and speaking to the afternoon group.
An afternoon group could be a fun and engaged extension of the current structure of Village Quilters. If this is something that interests you, or if you have questions, please contact Sharon Pierluissi or Vicki Doolittle. We are excited to explore this idea.
Service Blocks
We will be kicking off Service blocks for Staben House quilts in August. The block for August will be an “I Spy” done in primary colors with a white border. The pieced block will measure 8.5 in. with seam allowance (the finished size within the quilt will be 8 inches).
We are hoping to collect a large amount to put together several quilts for the children residing at Staben House. This is the same block that we made in May 2025. The middle “I Spy” can be one fabric or 4 fabrics.
Instructions can be found on the Service page. We will also get the list of blocks for the remainder of the year on the website. Please contact us with questions.
Nancy Smith & Yolande Sherrod
VQ Block of the Month - August 2026
It’s the fourth month already! Once again, the August pattern files are available on the Members Only section and on our members’ private Facebook group page. Feel free to print any pages and copy them as needed.
I have set up a page to sign up for updates and tips. Please sign up to let me know you are participating. All fields are required, so please answer all questions. Once you have signed up, I will add you to the group, send you a welcome message, and you may use a reply email to ask any questions or raise concerns.
I call this month’s block Now and Then. It’s another mash-up of two blocks: the traditional Nine Patch and an original Pineapple design. Both blocks are to be paper-pieced. Read about their significance and history in the pattern.
Visit the Members Only page to download the cutting instructions, pictures, and history comments for the Now and Then blocks, as well as the actual pattern pieces. There are two foundation paper files that must be printed. If you are doing the EZ version, just print one copy of each. For other versions, print two copies of both files.
If you haven’t heard before, this Block of the Month celebrates 250 years of American Independence and runs through December 2026. Previous blocks are on the Members Only page. The goal is to have as many members as possible participate. The plan is to hang these quilts together in our 2027 Quilt Show. The quilt is meant to be a skill-builder, so blocks become more complex each month. Participants can make as many or as few blocks as they like. The patterns come out on the first of each month, and the history and meaning of each block are included in the pattern.
I hand out little packets of star buttons to those who bring their completed flag blocks (from the May BOM) to the guild meeting. If you haven’t finished your flag yet, or you forgot to bring it to the meeting, or you haven’t started yet, no worries. There are still more stars to be handed out and it’s never too late to join the fun! I will be out of town for the August meeting, so you have until September to get those flags made!
If you have questions about this BOM, please email me, Kearstie Grenier. My email address is on the guild roster.
Keep quilting!
Kearstie Grenier
Raffle Quilt for 2027 Show
Raffle Quilt Kits will be available at the August 18 in-person meeting and DUE at the following meeting on September 15. It is very important to please volunteer only if you are confident in your accurate quarter-inch seam allowance.
We will have two types of kits available, depending on the time you may have available:
Big kits: Triangle in a Square (TIS) portion pieces are cut using templates and are ready to assemble, but for snowballing corners you’ll need to draw the diagonal lines yourself and then finish by assembling the 9 patch to make the final block.
Small kit: You will have 4, Triangle in a Square (TIS) blocks completed. All pieces will be template cut and ready to assemble with an accurate ¼” seam allowance.
Again, if you pick up a block kit at the August 18 meeting, it needs to be completed and returned at our September 15 meeting. Thank you for your help with our raffle quilt!
Third Thursday Sunshine Stitchers
Would you like to meet more members in our guild and make new quilting friends? If so, join us at our monthly get together. This is a great way to spend a Thursday afternoon.
Time: 10:30 am - 3:30 pm. Drop in at your convenience
What to bring: Whatever you want to work on - hand stitching, cutting projects, or machine sewing. Bring your lunch if you are hungry!
Where: The State Bank of the Lakes, 50 Commerce Drive, Grayslake
When: Thursday, August 20
Questions: Call or email Kathy Heusinkveld or Marti Austin
New Quilts of Valor Sewing Group
Do you like sewing quilts for Quilts of Valor (QOV), but don’t like to do it alone? Now you don’t have to! A new QOV sewing group is starting in Deerfield. The group will meet at The Sewing Space located in the basement of the Kingswood United Methodist Church at 600 Deerfield Road in downtown Deerfield. We will gather the second Thursday of every month from 9:00 am until 2:30 pm, beginning August 13. This location has a large cutting station equipped with cutting mats and rulers, pressing stations with ironing boards, and even sewing machines. You are welcome to bring your own sewing machine. Bring your own QOV project or pattern OR make one using our fabric and patterns.
Can’t do the stairs? No problem, there is a lift available. Bring your lunch and store it in the refrigerator in the kitchen. A microwave is available.
The entrance to the church is actually on Rosemary Terrace with free public parking available directly across the street. Hope to see you on August 13, or any 2nd Thurs of the month thereafter!
For additional information, contact Deb Sherrock or Beverly Schulze.
Local Quilt Shop News
Beginning in August, we will be inviting local quilt shops to set up a small “shop” at our Guild meetings. Our featured shop for August is Early Bird Quilt Shop, owned by our Guild member Jill Cappelle.
Early Bird is located in Libertyville and carries a huge selection of beautiful fabrics, including Ruby Star Society, Andover, Liberty, Kaffe, Anna Maria Textiles, Art Gallery Fabrics, and so much more. You will also find widebacks, wovens, canvas, cuddle, precuts, kits, patterns, notions, and thread. And she does long-arm quilting! Be sure to check out all of the goodies that Jill brings to the meeting. Remember to support your local quilt shops!
Fall Retreat Information
Our retreat will be held October 16 - 18, 2026 at the Hilton Garden Inn in Mettawa, Illinois. The retreat begins at 8:00 am Friday morning and continues until midafternoon on Sunday.
Sign up will take place on Monday, September 1, at 8:00 am on our website.
Treasurer’s Report - May 2026
Bank Balance as of April 30, 2026: $40,710.01
Income: $2,130.00
Expense: $1,819.01
Bank Balance as of May 26, 2026: $41,021.00
May income primarily derived from $1,260 in membership fees and $605 in workshop fees.
Expenses included $1,254.79 for programs/workshops, and $300 for monthly rent.
If you need to mail a check to Village Quilters, please send it to Caren Vollrath, Assistant Treasurer. Her address is in the directory. Caren will be making the bank deposits and writing the checks for the guild. Leitha Schaal, Treasurer, will be tracking income and expenses, and writing the reports. Thank you!
Respectfully submitted,
Leitha Schaal, Treasurer
Membership News - August 2026
Welcome new member Hideko Szymanski. You may recognize her from Early Bird Quilt Shop!
We have 105 members as of July 2026.
We had a number of seasoned guild members step up to mentor new members. Would you like to be help? Just let Rose or Robyn know and we will assign you a new member.
Please remember to silence your phone during the meeting, and remember to wear your name tag. If you forget, your 25 cent “fine” will go to support our library.
Rose Gray and Robyn McGarrigle are your membership co-chairs. If you have any questions, please feel free to reach out to us!
Happy August Birthdays!
Gayle Springer - 8/1
Laurie Golden - 8/2
Sally Evanshank - 8/4
Judy Ayers - 8/5
Elizabeth Culver - 8/14
Leitha Schaal - 8/16
Meredith Brooks - 8/17
Susan DiVarco - 8/17
Alicia Alexander - 8/18
Sari Hurtig - 8/29
Nancy Giebel - 8/30