January 2026 Newsletter
- Claire Paul
- Jan 25
- 5 min read
OUR NEXT MEETING: TUESDAY JANUARY 27 AT 6:30PM VIA ZOOM
Meeting ID: 843 1973 8878
Passcode: 43213
Please remember to renew your guild membership. This does not happen automatically. To be included in the membership roster, you must renew by the February meeting. Here is the link: https://www.commonthreadsquilt.org/join-1
MESSAGE FROM THE PRESIDENTS
Welcome to a new year for all our friends at Common Threads. We are hoping to continue making Common Threads the most warm, welcoming and interesting guild in central Ohio. We have planned interesting guest speakers and workshops based on feedback from the polls we ran last year and hope to see many of you enjoying yourselves. Our retreats are always top-notch and sewcial sews are great fun and a place where new and old friends help us master new skills and celebrate completing projects. Let's all look forward to a year of friendship, fun, learning and laughter.
See you soon,
Karen and Melanie
2026 Officers:
Co-Presidents: Melanie Dodd and Karen Jackson
Co-Vice Presidents: Jennifer Thurmond and Gayle Vargo
Secretary: Claire Paul
Treasurer: Betsy Truex-Powell
Committee Chairs:
Membership: Valerie Rake
Out of Town Retreats: Monique Muncy, Sam Chapman
In-Town Retreats: Melanie Megias
Sew-Alongs, Swaps: Mary Hoffman
Social Sews: Sue Atkins
Ways and Means: Judy Starr-Lintner
Birthday FQ Swap: Betsy Zimmerman
Sunshine: Karen Beckley
Service/Charity Quilts: Jennifer Thurmond
Veteran Quilts: Claire Paul
Webmasters: Valerie Rake, Betsy Truex-Powell
Shop Hop: Open
Equipment: Open
Quilt Show: Melanie Dodd, Karen Jackson
Raffle Quilt: Cheryl Nash
TREASURER’S REPORT
The 2025 guild year saw a dramatic change in guild financial activity - there was much more income than in 2024! A phenomenal effort of guild activities, member-taught classes, and generous donations continued to help transition the guild to a post-COVID dynamic. While expenses were less than anticipated for the year, expenses were still greater than income. Retreats, both in town and out of town, continue to be run as budget neutral but dues alone are not enough to support programming and rent. The 2026 budget includes a conservative income estimate that could improve with full workshop registrations and additional fundraising activities. Expenses could come in lower but are currently higher than income. If income and expenses occur exactly as planned, the guild will end the year with ~$2,300 bank account balance and, if 2027 is exactly the same as the 2026 plan, the guild will be insolvent - over $2,200 in the red - in 2027. Kudos for the 2025 effort and creative thinking that helped change the income direction, and keep it up for 2026 to change the future outlook! Full financial details are linked here.
QUILTED TENNIS SHOE WORKSHOP
Saturday, February 28th
10:00 am - 3:30 pm.
Cost is $60.
Teara Cornmesser will be the instructor for this workshop. The class will teach how to make your own DIY tennis shoes. Supplies must be ordered prior to class in order to participate. There will be some preparation work required prior to class. Everyone should be able to complete one shoe in class, and know what to do for the other shoe.
RETREAT UPDATE
The Retreat Committee has been busy looking into options for the retreats currently scheduled. The dates for 2026 are currently:
Spring 2026 Retreat:
Note: (Location and Date may change - Trying to save us some money.)
April 30 - May 03, 2026 Berlin Inn and Resort, Millersburg, Ohio
**Please note: Monique and Sam are visiting the Comfort Inn at Parkersburg and Bolts and Quarters on Wednesday 1/21/2026. We have been delayed visiting due to the events coordinator has been out ill and the hotel conference room has been under renovation.
Registration will begin in late February 2026.
Fall 2026 Retreat:
August 27, 2026 - August 30,2026 - Comfort Suites, Berlin, Ohio (Registration will begin in late July, 2026)
Retreat Dates for 2027:
(These dates are confirmed with the Comfort Suites, Berlin, Ohio)
Spring: April 29 - May 2, 2027
Fall: August 26- 29, 2027
Please note the costs for the retreats will be increasing due to the increase in costs of the conference room and sleeping rooms. The committee is still working hard to plan out of town retreats that will continue to be cost-effective and most importantly fun. (Please note that the retreats, according to our bylaws are to be cost neutral.) The carryover that is included in the retreat budget is to cover the deposit for future retreats. The committee will be sending out more information next week. Thank you in advance for your patience.
IN-TOWN RETREATS
We will not be having winter retreat this year due to scheduling conflicts. Summer retreat save the dates July 17th, 18th and 19th.
CHARITY QUILTS
Our new project for this year is I Spy quilts. Children can look for specific objects, colors, numbers, etc to build language skills. We will primarily use 5.5 inch blocks of novelty prints, in a 6 x 7 block format. Add a border, 3-4 inches. Final quilt top size goal is less than 42 inches on the short side, to eliminate the need to piece a back. Ok to add non-novelty blocks as fillers. Alternatively, you can also use 5-6 inch blocks if you have precuts. I have a good stash of precut squares (thank you Melanie M., Lisa S., and several others who cut FQ or this project) We will assemble kits with 42 squares to distribute. Add your own border from your stash or scraps. Can be 4 different fabrics, because these quilts are colorful.
Contact Jennifer Thurmond Wwaterjen@yahoo.com with questions.
RAFFLE QUILT
All materials for the raffle quilt were donated and have been cut and assembled into kits. We will hand out kits at the February meeting to be returned by the March meeting. This is something all guild members can participate in! It’s an easy block. If you can’t come to the February meeting, but still want a kit, contact Cheryl Nash by phone or email. We will be hanging the raffle quilt at the AQS quilt show in September, and at some shops around the area. Sign-up for volunteering at the AQS quilt show will follow soon.
BIRTHDAY FQ SWAP
Thank you to everyone that signed up for the Birthday FQ Swap!!! You should have received an email with the list of everyone’s birthday month and fabric choice. The roster does not include mailing addresses, so you will be able to pick up your packet with the labels when we meet in person at the February meeting and we will put the labels on your Jan/Feb FQ’s when you turn them in at the swap table. In the meantime, please use the list to begin collecting your FQ’s! If you have any questions, or did not receive the list, please contact Betsy Zimmerman at 614-354-3860.
SUNSHINE COMMITTEE
If you become aware of any guild member who is ill, facing surgery, or has had a death in the family, please let Karen Beckley know. Email: karensew@aol.com or text to 614-246-6566, so that a card can be sent out on behalf of all of us.
Also, if you know of any reason to celebrate or receive a pat on the back such as graduation, promotion, or award, we would like to publish it in an upcoming newsletter. Please contact Karen with any celebrations.
Please leave your name and contact info so you can be contacted with any questions.
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