About the Empire Quilters Guild

Current Message from the Board of Directors

Posted: Mar 14, 2010 – Empire Quilters was founded in 1982 by a group of women who wanted to meet to work on quilts together and educate their members on what quilting is all about. It has evolved over its 28 year existence to be a registered non-profit organization that is dedicated in preserving and promoting the tradition, culture and history of quiltmaking and to foster good fellowship among persons interested in the art of quilting in New York. However, you might ask yourself exactly what does that mean — it sounds great, but what’s in it for me?

This year alone, we have had lectures and workshops from David Taylor, Gwyned Trefethen, Sherry Shine, and Sharon Schamber — all noted quilt artists. Coming up, we have Betty Pillsbury talking about “Why I am a Crazy Quilter”, Trish Chambers educating us on “The Legend of Freedom Quilts and the Underground Railroad” and Judith Larzelere on “Making Color Strips Sing”. All of these speakers have been paid for by a grant from an anonymous donor, who has enabled our Guild to bring in all of these internationally known quilters at no cost to the Guild. Our program chair, Mary Butler is always looking for suggestions for speakers as well as for comments about the current program. Starting in April, there will be a suggestion box at the tables out front as well as paper at each table. We encourage you to give us your comments and suggestions for future programs.

Also this year, we have had an extremely successful program of member led workshop/demonstrations. This program was so successful, we will be repeating a form of it next year, so be sure to let us know what workshop/demos you would like to have included next year-a good thing for you to put in the suggestion box.

Each month, Janet Randolph ensures that our members who are early birds can enjoy focus groups that teach everything from Crazy Quilting to Ruched Flowers to Charity Quilts to Redwork to Double Miter Binding to Beaded Spiders. We also have an ongoing Elm Creek Quilt Sampler club that meets after the focus groups. Either of these are a wonderful way to meet and enjoy the company of your fellow Empire members.

As a charitable organization, one of the most important functions of Empire is supporting our community with our art. At Christmas, we focus on stockings and stuffed animals, etc to give to a shelter for abused or at-risk women and children. This last December, our members donated close to 300 stockings and 238 bears as well as a huge number of toiletries, earrings and other items. Each year, we also spend an entire day making quilts to be donated to various hospitals, shelters and other charitable organizations in New York. This year, despite the pouring rain, 75 to 80 incredibly dedicated members spent a wonderful day finishing over 120 quilts. In addition there were many other unfinished tops that were taken home to be returned at a later meeting. Charity day is one of the best days of the year for working together, talking together and most importantly, laughing together while doing something that we all love. Although our By-laws do not require each member to make one quilt for charity each year, we are all STRONGLY encouraged to do so. If each of us just made one quilt each year, we would have 374 quilts to donate. As terrific a number as 120 finished quilts is, 374 would be better!

Every two years, Empire Quilters likes to brag a little by putting on a show. In 2009, we hung about 215 quilts to show off to our approximately 2,000 visitors. We showcased quilts made by our extremely talented membership ranging from crazy quilts to art quilts and including every type of quilt between. We are in the midst of planning our 2011 show. We expect it to be just as gorgeous and successful.

As you can see, for our members, Empire Quilters truly does fulfill its mission.

— Kitty Squire
Board Member

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History & Description

Empire Quilters, Inc. is a non-profit 501(c)(3) organization founded in 1982 to preserve and promote the tradition, culture, and history of quilt-making, and to foster good fellowship among persons interested in the art of quilting in the greater New York area. The Guild has a continuing commitment to raising the level of appreciation of quilts among the general public, to using our talents in service to our community, and to the exchanging of our skills, ideas, and visions with one another. The guild has grown over the years to a membership of over 400 women, men and and children from the tri-state area who love to quilt. The guild is a member of the National Quilting Association, Chapter 494.

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Activities

Our monthly meetings are held on the second Saturday of the month from September to June at the Fashion Institute of Technology (F.I.T.), the Dubinsky Building, at 27th Street and 8th Avenue. There we conduct a short business meeting, view a show & tell of member quilts, both finished and in-progress, enjoy a program featuring a well known quilter or craft expert, and join in various focus groups to upgrade our quilting techniques.

Several times during the year, the Guild sponsors bus trips to out-of-town quilt shows and some just to shop for fabric in new and different places. Every second year we sponsor a Quilt Show for all members.

These days quilts have expanded from a simple, traditional bed cover of scrap pieces to intricate pieces of art that are worthy to be hung in a museum. Empire Quilters fall into all categories, from expert to beginner, from the dedicated, full time quilter to the sometime hobbyist. All are encouraged.

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Membership

The Guild membership yearly fee is $45 ($30 for seniors 65 and over, and students). Benefits include:

• entry to 10 monthly meetings (September to June)
• opportunity to show your work at meetings
• eligibility to take part in focus groups
• eligibility to enter the bi-annual show
• eligibility to participate in Block of the Month
• guild newsletter
• discounts at local quilt shops
• discounts on guild bus trips
• use the lending library of books, magazines and videos
• eligibility to participate in guild sponsored charitable quilting work
• eligibility to join the guild's online Yahoo! group

See the Membership Page for additional information, and for a complete description about our meetings.

Download/View a tri-fold brochure (pictured above) with a summary of our guild activities.

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Guild By-laws

The guild by-laws are available here in PDF format.

›› View By-Laws (PDF Format) ‹‹

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Guild Tax Returns

Posted: Oct 27, 2009 – The guild's most recent IRS Form 990 (fiscal year 2008) can be found HERE. Any questions can be directed to info@empirequilters.net.

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