October 2026
October Program: Sara Hochhauser
Sara Hochhauser is an accomplished quilt artist, educator, and designer with over 40 years of experience. A featured guest on Quilting Arts TV, Sara has taught for more than 25 years, blending traditional heirloom techniques with modern creativity. She is known for her eclectic style across traditional, modern, and art quilting. At Tuesday’s guild meeting, Sara will present her quilting journey, “How I got From Here to There” as well as a trunk show of her work.
During Wednesday’s workshop, “Soft Stitches, The Art of Silk Ribbon Embroidery,” the participants will discover the timeless beauty of silk ribbon embroidery—a delicate and textured form of hand embroidery that brings flowers, leaves, and motifs to life with luxurious silk ribbons. In this hands-on class, the participants will learn the essential stitches and techniques for creating dimension and softness on fabric. Perfect for beginners and experienced stitchers alike, this class will leave you with a beautiful handmade work of art and the skills to continue exploring silk ribbon embroidery at home.
President’s Report
Today the word that I think best suits is "recombobulate". The word means “to put back into order, reorient, or cause to think clearly again after being confused or disorganized”. I don't know about the rest of you, but my life has been spinning in a number of stressful directions - political, financial, and health concerns, to name a few. When my life gets this way I tend to run on autopilot, ticking things off my 'to do' list, and not being good at paying attention to details. And, it seems, communicating.
Sharon Pierluissi has taken on the idea of branching our guild out a bit to offer a space for members to gather who cannot meet during our traditional meeting time. Zoom will offer all members a chance to 'join' meetings virtually when we finally get it up and running. It is not, however, a replacement for the fellowship and connection we get by gathering and sharing ideas and inspirations. While I was confused at September's meeting, being able to talk with Sharon helped me clarify and reorient myself to her ideas and goals. We learned together that we want the same thing: a space for all members to connect and enjoy a common passion. Quilting offers me such a safe haven when life is spinning a tad too stressfully, and the idea of the 'Village Quilters Before Dark' is NOT to create a second guild, but to build a space for members who may need an alternative. It will not be a 'duplicate' of the evening meetings, but an evolving group that is supported by Village Quilters. Any questions feel free to reach out to Sharon or myself. And, in the meantime, I will go “recombobulate” my sewing room.
Member at Large
Our afternoon Village Quilters group had their first meeting in September. It was great to see some members that have been part of Village Quilters for a long time attend and be very excited about the idea of meeting during the day.
This group will continue to meet at 1:00 pm at Grace United Methodist Church the third Tuesday of each month, the same day as our regular evening meeting. At this first meeting there was some brain storming of ideas of what they will do at each meeting.
For October and November, Kearstie will be doing a demonstration of paper piecing for the last two blocks of Village Quilters BOM quilt along. One block each month. They discussed the possibility of doing a mystery quilt along, as well as other topics for members teaching members.
We know that many of you are doing the BOM quilt along, and if you want some extra help you are more than welcome to attend the afternoon meeting in October and/or November. Attending does not mean that you now have to attend only the afternoon meetings. This is meant to be an invitation for anyone who wants a little help with the paper piecing of these last two blocks.
If you are a member and struggling to attend the evening meetings please join the “Village Quilters Before Dark” any Tuesday of our regular meetings at 1:00 pm.
Sharon Pierluissi
Service Blocks
Thanks to all the members making monthly block, and to the members who have taken blocks and returned quilts. We have a few quilts that are available for volunteers to quilt, and still have blocks available for volunteers to put together. I was able to donate 26 quilts to Staben House last week! They were ecstatic! They mentioned that they have a benefit coming up early in December and they asked if we might have a larger quilt that they could raffle off. Does anyone have a quilt or quilt top that they might be able to part with for this? I’m also looking at some of our blocks/quilts to see if something might work. Let me, Nancy Smith, know if you have an idea!
October’s block is the Pinwheel Star Block. It is made with 4 shades of one BRIGHT color (purple, green, aqua, yellow, blue, etc). The block will finish at 8” (8.5” unfinished). See Members Only for instructions.
VQ Block of the Month – October 2026
The October pattern files are now available. This month’s block is a choose-your-own-adventure. There are two 5-pointed star blocks. You just choose one.
The Stars and Stripes block is the simpler and more traditional-looking block. It is only partially paper pieced; check the main directions for other pieces. Shining Star is completely paper pieced (4 pages in the file). Shining Star has a more modern look and is a little more difficult.
Visit the Members Only page to download the cutting instructions, pictures, and history for the Star blocks, as well as the actual pattern pieces. You only need to print one copy of the pattern you choose.
As the blocks are getting more difficult, I will be demonstrating the current blocks at the Village Quilters Before Dark meetings in October and November. This new daytime meeting will be held at our usual monthly meeting location from 1:00 pm - 3:00 pm on the day of our usual meeting. These meetings are open to all members, so if you have questions or you’d like to see how the blocks are made, feel free to attend.
This Block of the Month celebrates 250 years of American Independence and runs through December 2026. Previous blocks are on the Members Only page on our website. We want to hang these quilts together in our 2027 Quilt Show. Participants can make as many or as few blocks as they like for their quilt.
If you haven’t already, you may use the sign-up link to let me know you are participating. I will send updates and corrections and will answer questions using this email group.
Bring your completed flag blocks (from May’s pattern) to the guild meeting and receive 13 wooden star buttons for your quilt. It’s never too late to join the fun! I will be at the October meeting, star buttons at the ready!
If you have questions about this BOM, please email me. My email address is on the guild roster.
Keep quilting!
Kearstie Grenier
Quilt Show 2027
Fall is such a wonderful time of year, with cool days and beautiful colors. Fall of 2027 will bring “Quilts from the Village” quilt show. It may seem early to start planning, but the raffle quilt committee is already working on the raffle quilt. As you plan your submissions for the show, please also consider serving on the show committee. All members of the guild are asked to play a role in putting on a successful show. There are some very specific positions that we would like for you to consider. We have already had several members step up, but we are still in need of about 15 subcommittee chairs. If you’re willing to take on a position – or share a position – please contact Christine Tindell or Nancy Smith. Thank you.
Fall Retreat Information
The fall retreat will be held October 16-18 and the Hilton Garden Inn in Mettawa. There was overwhelming interest in the fall retreat, and it was sold out in less than 10 minutes! If you didn’t make it in, Marti Austin is managing the waiting list, so be sure to email her if you are still interested. If a registered participant can’t make it, she will work through the list to accommodate as many people as possible. All of the details for the retreat can be found on the Fall 2026 Retreat page on the website.
Treasurer’s Report – August 2026
Bank Balance as of July 31, 2026: $40,215.02
Income: $450.00
Expense: $1,175.00
Bank Balance as of August 31, 2026: $39,473.68
August income derived from $150 in membership fees and $330 in workshop fees.
The only expense in August was $1,175 for programs/workshops.
Respectfully submitted,
Leitha Schaal, Treasurer
Membership News
Welcome to new member Ruth Heinrichs! We have 114 members as of September 2026. Fifty-five members attended the September meeting!
We had a number of seasoned guild members step up to mentor new members. Would you like to be a mentor? Just let Rose or Robyn know and we will assign you to 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 the 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 October Birthdays!
Mary Phemister - 10/5
Sarah Stannard - 10/6
Nancy Zamor - 10/8
Barb Jolley - 10/15
Myretta Taylor - 10/16
Ellen Ewbank - 10/19
Ruth Heinrichs - 10/21
Carrol Stovold - 10/22
Sue Ann Kuby - 10/26
Candy Gerber - 10/27
Ellen Black - 10/28
Karen Jacobsen - 10/29