I remember well being a new quilter. It was hard to remember everyone's name much less understand what they were talking about. I just knew I wanted to do it. You will find a wealth of information. My favorite part was and still is show and tell. I wanted to see the back side of the quilt tops to see how they pieced and ironed the seams. And the finished quilts. What technique did they use. Was it machine or hand quilted. All details were important to me. Everything comes with time. Just hang around and you will be surprised at how quickly you catch on. This is a talented group. You will be happy that you decided to join.

General Info
We have ten business meetings from January to October every year. November Thanksgiving meeting is always at a local restaurant and December Christmas meeting is always at a member's house. Our dues are $12 per year. More information about our group can be found on our website www.southernsamplers.com.

Sit and Sew
We have several sit and sews during the year. Sometimes it may be for a specific project and other times it may be just to sew on whatever you wish. A member may show a particular quit pattern or technique. For example, once we all made the Magic Nine Patch quilt and another time we all made fabric bowls. It is usually at the community center or at a member's house. Lunch may be brown bag or a buffet. We always let you know what to expect.

Quilt Retreat
It is the most pampered experience you will have. We do this twice a year. In September and in January. We go to the Feliciana Retreat Center in Clinton, Louisiana. You bring several quilt projects that you want to work on along with your sewing machine and notions. You may arrive as early as 9:00 am on Friday and stay until 3:00 pm on Sunday. It is basically a huge pajama party. You sew to your heart's content for the whole weekend. Bring a brown bag lunch for Friday if you go early. The form has the prices for your room, supper on Friday night, all meals on Saturday, and breakfast and lunch on Sunday. To attend for the whole weekend, have a double occupancy room, all meals and tax is $ 123.40. The pampering part is that the sewing room and the dining room are separate. So at sometime during the day someone tells you that "dinner is ready". Positively luxurious to just leave your sewing area to enjoy a meal prepared for you. You can sew to your heart's content. We have an activity on Saturday night like a fashion show or a scavenger hunt. Most of the time we will also have someone show a quilt technique on Saturday afternoon. There is a drug store in town that is a must. It has end of bolt material from the most amazing sources. You will be surprised at the name brands that you find there. Just watch out for Ginger Mizell who is the queen of fabric selection! I like to bring my own quilt and pillow to put on my bed. Also bring a snack as we have a table for everyone's goodies. Lee Barends is charge of this and does a great job.

Houston Bus Trip
What a bargain. For the price you get a room for the night, breakfast at Shoney's on Saturday morning, dinner on Sunday night at Golden Corral, tickets to the show on Saturday and Sunday, and the bus fare. You are responsible for lunch on Saturday and Sunday and dinner on Saturday. There are is a food vendor area at the show where you can purchase lunch. And on Saturday night, we go to Pappa's Restaurant. There is a free breakfast buffet at the hotel on Sunday morning. It is called the International Quilt Expo and there are 2,000 quilts that you can see along with probably 1,000 vendors. Awesome, awesome, awesome. Bring your camera and money to spend. If you are a newbie, hang out with Myrlene. She will clue you in on the first time experience. Bring a lap quilt or blanket and a travel pillow as we leave at 4:00 am sharp on Saturday from Ponchatoula and arrive back home around midnight on Sunday night. The bus meets us at the Park and Ride area next to the railroad tracks across the street from Berryland Produce. Our favorite bus driver for several years now is Patrick. We also collect for a tip for him. We do so much on this trip that there is always a waiting list. On your journey you will have opportunities to participate in several things. Currently we have fat quarter bingo. Bring two fat quarters (or more) and play bingo on the trip. Awards are the fabric collected for the game. And!!!! We also have a blackout bingo. Bring fabric, notions, books or any new item that you wish to donate. It is given away as a grand prize to the blackout bingo winner. You may also bring a $10 exchange gift if you wish. And we give away quilt blocks if you would like to do that. 2009 theme is Christmas blocks in Christmaslike fabric and white that measure 12 ½" square. Myrlene is in charge of the whole thing and does a wonderful job. She always sends out emails as to what we will be doing every year. All are optional. Participate if you wish. Danette is in charge of "big prizes". This year we will have a drawing for three big prizes. She is the shopping queen and you will be pleased with the prizes. We also give away ten $10 door prizes and we have a drawing where one lucky winner gets their fee back for the trip.

Wounded Warrior Quilts
We have adopted the wounded soldiers sent to Walter Reed hospital as our perpetual community service project. The minimum size is 45" x 65" and the favorite size is a small twin 65" x 85". We also do other community projects as the need arises. Participation is optional. There is nothing like the good feeling you get for doing for others.

Circuit Teacher
Once a year we try to get a circuit teacher to show the club a technique. In the past we have had such talent as Judy Holley to show us how to make the New York Beauty. Half of the cost is picked up by Southern Samplers. You will pay anywhere from $10 to $20. Well worth the cost.

GSQA Seminar
This is an organization of quilters that you may be interested in joining. Membership will give you a substantial discount to their annual seminar usually in March in Baton Rouge. There you will benefit from classes taught by quilt teachers from all over the country. In the past, such teachers as Ricky Tims, Sue Nickels, and Linda Jenkins have taught classes.

KSQG Quilt Show
We have adopted a group in Krotz Springs, Louisiana as our sister quilt guild. You will find them absolutely charming. In July they have their annual quilt show and we organize a caravan to see them. We leave at 9:00 am in the morning and are back around 5 or 6 pm. It is a great day of quilts, fellowship and fun. They also participate in our January retreat in Clinton and our bus trip to Houston. You have never met a group as fun as this one is.

Berrypatch Quilt Expo
It will now be an event every other year on odd years. The Pine Belt Quilters have theirs on every other year on even years. Support from Southern Samplers to put this show on has been essential. We display about 200 quilts between downtown outside and inside the community center. It is awesome. Check out more information at www.berrypatchpreservation.org.

Welcome to our group!