Hands Across the Valley Quilt Guild – Amherst, MA quilt guild – sharing the love of quilting in the Pioneer Valley for the past 40 years

Calendar

HAVQG Meetings

Monthly guild meetings are held on Sunday afternoons from 2:30 to 4:30 pm.  Meetings in September, December, January, February, March, and June are held on the second Sunday of the month.  

The locations for the meetings may change from month to month when a meeting site needs the room for a prior obligation. Check carefully each month as to where the meeting will be held.  January 2024 will be via Zoom.

Guests are always welcome and encouraged! Non-members may attend individual guild meetings for a fee of $5 per meeting. There is plenty of parking, and the building is handicap accessible.

NOTE: In the event of inclement weather, the Guild president will decide by 9 a.m. that morning whether or not to hold a meeting.  A cancellation will be announced on NEWS40 Storm Trackers WGGB-TV and on this website.

See the latest on our Facebook page.

PROGRAM 2023

September 10:  2:30 pm South Church, 1066 Southeast St, Amherst. Time to renew friendships and meet new officers. First, a business meeting, followed by show ‘n tell.  
October 1:  2:30 pm, South Church, 1066 Southeast St, Amherst.  Guest speaker Betsy Habich presents “Thread Painting, It’s All About the Details!” Curious about what it takes to make photorealistic, tapestry-like thread painting? This talk takes you through the process of choosing a photo, preparing your machine and work, doing the stitching and finishing.  Leave the process totally demystified!  
Saturday, November 4:  9:30 am– 4 pm, 1066 Southeast St, Amherst.  NOTE: SOLD OUT! Debby Brown’s  workshop “Machine Quilting on a Domestic Machine” will be divided into two half-day classes. First is “Line ‘Em Up.” Debby will show you step-by-step and stitch-by-stitch what you need to know to start machine quilting and teach several different patterns that can easily be stitched on your unfinished quilt tops. (Yes, you can machine quilt!) The second half-day class is “Take a Walk Around Your Quilt.” Stitching an edge-to-edge design on your quilt sounds easy, but where do you start? And how do you keep from getting lost? Debby will answer these questions while teaching you strategies for stitching various patterns over a quilt on a home sewing machine. Bonus: we’ll talk about feathers!
November 5:  2:30 pm, South Church, 1066 Southeast St, Amherst. Debby Brown Trunk Show

December 10: 2:30 pm, South Church, 1066 Southeast St, Amherst.  Social holiday gathering, refreshments, show and tell,  and a short business meeting. 

January 14: 2:30 pm: a Zoom meeting presentation by Jennifer Chiaverini, well-known New York Times‘ best-selling author. Two of her books are Mrs. Lincoln’s Dressmaker and The Quilter’s Apprentice. Ms. Chiaverini will speak on the art of writing. Check out her website. (Zoom details will be sent to members prior to the meeting.)

February 10 and 11, 2024: Community Projects Weekend

Saturday, February 10: 9:30 am–3 pm, Mt. Toby Meeting House, 194 Long Plain Road, Leverett. Community Sew Day: Tie-baste quilt tops, make and attach binding (for finishing on Sunday). What to bring:  

  • Sewing machine to sew fabric strips into binding and attach to quilts
  • Power strip or extension cord to plug in your machine
  • Basic sewing supplies, thread, scissors, pins, etc…
  • We are looking for two volunteers to bring ironing boards and irons

If you are planning on staying for the entire day, bring your own lunch. Bring a snack to share if you wish.

February 11: 2:30–4 pm, South Church of Amherst, 1066 South East Street, Amherst. Community Projects: Hand finish binding and attach labels. Bring hand sewing supplies.

March, April, and May 2024 meeting programs are TBD.

June 9: 2:30 pm at South Church of Amherst, 1066 South East Street, Amherst. End of the year gathering. Business meeting, refreshments, in-house raffle quilt drawing, show and tell.