Happy New Year!

2025 promises to be a year of transition as your Guild Board of Directors begins the new year! Let me share about myself, since I am new to the guild and not even in the directory! I am a retired pastor and previously a nurse. I started sewing in high school, making many of my own clothes. As a parent, I switched to making my 2 sons their Halloween costumes. Two Ninja Turtle outfits from a Vogue pattern were a big accomplishment for me. As a middle-aged adult, I started quilting as a hobby and therapy while I was getting my Master of Divinity and then Doctor of Ministry degrees and leading a retreat center and then congregation through transitions and adaptive changes. So, that is why I think I am called to be the president for 2025—to help the guild transition between old and new. We are all creative women, hence our membership in this guild. Now is the time to use our creativity gift and embrace the traditions we are familiar with while trying new ways of being a guild celebrating its 40th anniversary. This may be challenging at times, but as women, we understand the need for support and grace.

Back to my story, I really love the piecing aspect of quilting. I started out tying my quilts together with yarn since that is all I knew. After some convincing from a friend, “stitch in the ditch” is now how I quilt. I just recently learned a new technique of sandwiching from a guild member and taught myself, thanks to You-Tube, how to bind a quilt. I am not an expert, but I am open to trying new techniques. Now, I am getting the courage to try to quilt with a ruler to add something special to my quilts. I think I will take a class at the Lancaster Quilt Show in March. That will be a risk for me. Thank you for taking a risk by choosing me as your president. Let’s look together to 2025 as a year of creativity—valuing traditions and trying some new techniques. Joy in your quilting,

Betty