2020 - 2021 Guild Challenge reveal

After two years and a pandemic, the results of the 2020-2021 Choo Choo Challenge were revealed at the November guild meeting. These are the 11 entries that were submitted in the "Inspired by 20-20" Challenge.

"Zooming with The Sistas" by Cristy Clark
3rd Place Winner

by Vista Mahan

by Garie McClelland

"Alone Together" by Veronica Hofman-Ortega
1st Place Winner

by Delores Dady

by Ginny Minninger

by Becky Troxler

by Janice Wheeler
4th Place Winner

by Nyki Uhrich

by Sally Richardson
2nd Place Winner

by Cheryel Byrd

The Challenge Winners (voted by viewer's choice) were awarded Challenge ribbons, a fabric tote bag of goodies, and a gift certificate from a local quilt shop. 

Thank you to the Challenge Team of Cheryel Byrd, Deb Horn and Veronica Hofman-Ortega, for their coordination, planning and implementation of the 2020-21 Guild Challenge and for their creativity and beautiful workmanship on the tote bags, goodie bags and award ribbons.

Challenge award ribbons.

Challenge winner gift bags.

All Challenge participants received a goodie bag filled with fabrics, threads, coupons from local quilt shops and other quilty things.

Challenge participant goodie bags.

A commemorative tag and a 2020 symbolic TP roll. 

Congratulations to all the winners and participants!
Well Done. It was a wonderful show.

Choo Choo Quilters, November 2021

How to make a travel jewelry pouch

Here's a fun, fat-quarter-friendly project to make and use yourself or give as a gift. At the April Choo Choo Quilters guild meeting, Deb will be demonstrating how to make a drawstring jewelry pouch with pockets. You'll want to be close to your kitchen cupboard for this project. Join us via Zoom on Monday, April 19, at 6:30 pm to find out why.

Travel jewelry pouch with pockets.

Bring something for "Zoom and Tell" and we'll check in to see how everyone is filling up their Quilting Bingo Card. Anyone have a Quilt Bingo yet?

If you are not currently a guild member, visit the Choo Choo Quilters Facebook page and ask for a Zoom meeting invitation.

Calico Cove retreat house, a virtual tour at the March guild meeting

A quilting getaway, relaxation, and a gorgeous view! These are a few of the things that the new Calico Cove quilting retreat house has to offer. What to know more? At the March Choo Choo Quilters guild meeting, Jodie Justice, the owner of Calico Cove retreat house, will be giving a virtual tour (via Zoom) of her new retreat house.

Looking out from the porch at Calico Cove.

Calico Cove is located in Woodville, Alabama, about an hour and a half drive from Chattanooga. The house is a newly renovated cottage located on a private farm. It's surrounded by trees and nature with a view of the cove from the porch. 

While it was created for quilters and sewers, the house is also perfect for crafting, related activities, workshops or any small group getaway. Basic notions and quilting essentials are available for purchase should you forget something or are looking to try something new.

Natural light fills the dining area and the adjacent covered porch offers space for outdoor eating and conversation.

Jodie has been quilting for 20 years and the idea of a retreat center has been a long-time dream of hers. The house has a full-service kitchen, dining/living room, 3 bathrooms, sleeping quarters, Wi-Fi, smart TV and other amenities. Huntsville, Scottsboro and Guntersville, AL are all about 30 minutes away for dining out, shopping, or to visit nearby attractions.

Come and meet Jodie at the March 15 guild meeting, 6:30pm., and join us for a virtual tour of the new Calico Cove quilting retreat house.

Virtual shop tour of Sew and Sews Place at the February guild meeting

Turn up the personality volume! Molly Hayden creates the perfect mix of sewing experience, knowledge of fabric, creativity and inspiration at Sew and Sews Place Fine Fabrics in Dayton, Tennessee. At the February Choo Choo Quilters guild meeting, we’ve invited Molly to be our guest to talk about her background in sewing and textiles, her shop's activities and take us on a virtual shop tour via Zoom. 

Sew and Sews Place Fine Fabrics, 280 2nd Avenue, Dayton, TN

Meet Molly
With a deep love of all things fabric, Molly relocated her fabric shop from Fayetteville, NC and opened her storefront in downtown Dayton in the fall of 2020. The shop offers beautiful designer and dressmaker fabrics from Jones NY to Vera Wang, with lovely choices in between for every season and taste. On the Sew and Sews Place Facebook page, you’ll often see Molly unboxing quilting cottons from fabric companies like Art Gallery Fabrics, QT, Northcott, Diamond Textiles, Moda and other favorites before setting up displays, draping them on "Audrey," and stocking the shop's fabric shelves. 

Meet Molly Hayden of Sew and Sews Place Fine Fabrics.

Molly hand-picks all the fabrics and notions that come into her shop. As a huge supporter of home sewing and hand-made projects, she takes on the challenge to find the best materials at affordable prices to offer inspiration and project ideas to help her customers be successful in their sewing and quilting endeavors. 

Along with fabrics, notions and trims, shoppers will find garment patterns from independent designers such as Sew Chic Pattern Co., Serendipity Studio, Collette, Petites Plus, The Sewing Workshop and Indygo Junction. Classes are offered in quilting, garment construction, and private instruction. At other times, space is available as an open sewing lounge and for machine rental. 

If you haven’t been to the Sew and Sews Place yet, invite your friends to join the Choo Choo Quilters guild meeting for an armchair shop visit, Monday, February 15, at 6:30pm. There will also be a give-away… so don’t miss out.

January guild meeting on Zoom

Welcome to a new year with the Choo Choo Quilters. We will be having our first Zoom guild meeting of the new year this Monday, January 18, at 6:30 pm. Due to COVID, we suspect that we'll continue our virtual meetings into the late summer/early fall of this year... but don't despair! We are planning several things to keep us connected mentally, even though we must remain physically apart. 

Cheers to a new year with the Choo Choo Quilters.

At Monday's meeting, we will have a discussion of possible program ideas and we will need your input. Come join us and contribute your ideas to the guild. We have plans for a Choo Choo Bingo Challenge which will be introduced on Monday. We will also have Show and Tell, so gather up your recent projects to share with the group.  

Cuddle Quilt Update
We will be collecting our cuddle quilts to donate to the Chambliss Center, and we will have a special drop-off on Saturday, February 6 from 2-4 in the parking lot at Valleybrook Presbyterian (where in-person guild meetings were held). 

Sherry and Ginny have arranged to provide hot chocolate and treats for everyone who brings a quilt, and we can have a little socially distanced celebration of our continued work with this fine organization. If this collection time doesn't work for you, post a message on the Choo Choo Facebook page and someone will reach out to you. The quilts will be delivered to Chambliss on Monday February 15. 

In case of bad weather, the collection will be postponed until the following Saturday, February 13. 

So, come join us Monday night and enjoy the company of your fellow quilters!