Meet the EVQ Board
Tina Batori, President:
I've been quilting for over 20 years. Sewing wasn't part of my family's history, so I began sewing after taking home ec in junior high school. I made a fair amount of my clothing for many years (although I never figured out exactly how to fit the clothes as well as I'd like). After a church women's retreat on creative spirituality, a former EVQ member, Carolyn Grant, offered to teach a beginning quiltmaking course at church. EVQ member Carol Hanika and I took the class, quickly becoming addicted. Carolyn also introduced us to EVQ and I was active and a board member as early at EVQ's 10th anniversary celebration. My original board position was co-chair of Intra-Guild. I had won so many raffles my first year that I couldn't imagine the committee not having a chair. I co-chaired that year, a solution I recommend to anyone who is curious about serving the guild. Since returning to active membership in EVQ in 2016, following a trip to England where my cousin took me to her local quilting group, I've chaired Block of the Month and Birthday Club (not currently active) and acted as Vice President. My outside loves are MECCA, which repurposes art supplies; upcycling vintage finds; and my Mary Kay beauty consultancy. I'm recently widowed and have a silly old, deaf, blind, and incontinent rescue pug.
Renee Clark, Vice President: I learned to quilt 15 years ago when I became a first-time aunt. I joined the guild in 2018 and the board in 2021. The best part about being in the guild is the friendships I have made and the quilts I make for community service. My favorite quilts to make are scrap quilts, taking left over fabric with the selvage left on (any size larger than my thumb) from projects and just sew them together, no pattern.
I like to spend the summers camping on the Oregon coast with my sewing machine and kayak. Kayak in the morning and sew in the afternoon.
My advice for new and seasoned quilters is always make one extra block from your quilting project. Over time you will have several blocks and sew them into a quilt top as a record of the quilts you have worked on.
Be brave and make mistakes! That mistake could be the most interesting block in the quilt top.
Karen Wilson, Community Service: I began my quilting journey, as many of us did, by saving every scrap from every garment I sewed. After moving them many times, I realized I had not reached the time that was right for me to start quilting and I donated all the scraps. My time finally came in 1999 when my daughter left for college. Over the years, I took many classes to develop and improve my skills. Now, I take classes to continue to learn new things and because I enjoy the social part of classes. I joined Emerald Valley Quilters in 2005. I’ve held several board positions. Currently, I’m on the Community Service committee. My husband and I will be married 52 years this May. We are grandparents to 3 granddaughters who are growing up way too fast. We also have a granddog we allow to sleep on our bed when we visit. So easy to spoil the grands!
Karen Klemme, Membership: I took my first quilting class in Long Beach, CA in 1975, but didn’t begin quilting regularly until I moved to Coburg in 2005, when I got involved in the Coburg Quilt Show. I’ve worked with Sandie Massett on Block-of-the-Month and Programs & Workshops and thought I’d give Membership a try. If you want to help on the Committee, I could sure use your help!
I love using my stash to create existing patterns or making up my own. My cousin Wanda gifted me a sit-down/stand-up Bernina Q-16, which has enabled me to quilt some of my own larger quilts and I am improving slowly.
I enjoy going to the Aldersgate retreats & sewing with other Guild members and getting to know them better. I have made my final “family member” quilt (as far as I know anyway), so am looking forward to making all those quilts I have in my Project Bins someday soon.
Judy Schuler, Webmaster: Hi there! My name is Judy Schuler. Some people know me as Julia Schuler. I am a southern Indiana native and married to my loving, tolerant and handsome husband, Steve, for 53 years. We have two healthy, happy adult daughters and sons-in-law. I am a retired Certified Medical Coder specializing in OB/GYN services. Steve and I moved to Eugene in 2011. I was introduced to piecing quilt tops and hand quilting at my local church back home in Indiana. I joined the guild in 2013. I have served as Librarian for several terms as well as Recording Secretary and currently am Webmaster. My quilting journey is still evolving thanks to the many talented and helpful members of the guild. When I am not quilting Steve and I are visiting the coast or finding some wonderful hikes to tackle. I also enjoy hosting family gatherings as often as possible.
Bev Harrison, Raffle Quilt Ticket Sales: I've been a member of the Guild since 2000, and I have served as President twice. I love fabrics and color and have been quilting for almost 40 years.
Ginny Morrow, Intraguild: I have been sewing since my teens, having to make my own clothes, as nothing ever fit. The shirts, dresses and pants weren’t too short, i was just too tall! I became enthralled with quilting when I met a quilter at my previous church, as she made beautiful quilts and then gave them away! Imagine that! I wanted to become like Connie! I then met the mother of my oldest son’s friends and she agreed to hold my hand as I started quilting. A tee shirt quilt for my son, which took me forever because I was afraid to cut up such pretty fabric! I didn’t really have time to tackle quilting in earnest until four years ago when I retired from a 45 year career in health care.
I joined EVQ three years ago, and was quickly welcomed into the community. Bev Harrison was President at the time, and, you know, it’s hard to say no to Bev. She asked me if I’d take on the Intraguild Committee. At the time, I really had no idea what it meant! Essentially, we have monthly door prize raffles and grab bags, occasional silent auctions and round robins, in order to make additional funds to support the guild’s many activities. We help keep the lights on, so to speak, and provide an opportunity for community and connections, plus help the environment by handling the bottle drop Blue Bag program too.
Char Woltman, Block of the Month:
Hobbies: Gardening, Collecting, Fabric quilting, Camping with grandchildren now, rescuing animals
Loving the time sewing, helping, and being with all the quilters I am blessed to know
Ken Casey, Retreat: Ken Casey is a native of Phoenix, AZ and has been quilting for almost 40 years. In his quilting journey, he spent several summers at a Quilt Camp in Flagstaff, taking classes from internationally known teachers, further developing his skills. He has had quilts in shows across the country and is a certified instructor for AnglePlay Templates. Ken spent many years teaching and helping other quilters. He is currently expanding his horizons teaching the craft and quilting for others.
Quilting is a constantly changing and challenging art form for Ken. He LOVES to play with color and use unexpected combinations. He likes challenging himself to try new techniques as often as he can. Learning to paper piece is next on his bucket list. Ken lives in Eugene with his handsome husband Ron; and their sweet and comical dog Elphaba.
I first learned how to sew at 12 years old. After making many of my own clothes for decades, I got into quilting about 30 years ago. I was hooked! Joining a local quilting guild totally opened my world to new friends, new ideas, new skills.
I’m a retired graphic designer, born and raised in NYC. I moved to Eugene when I retired and shortly afterwards joined EVQ. Both decisions were the best!
What I love best about quilting (aside from everything) is choosing the fabrics for each project.
I don’t always get to quilt as often as I would like to these days, but that just means I treasure each moment that much more.
Linda O'Bryant, EB Coordinator: My love of sewing began when I was a latchkey kid. My after school babysitter had a treadle sewing machine and allowed me to "play" with it. I began sewing for my dog, Flip, and by junior high school I was making my own clothes.
While my children were toddlers, I continued sewing and doing alterations for others. Years later, I attended my first quilt show at my church and discovered that quilting was much more than sewing pieces of fabric together. It was truly an art form.
The leader of our church quilting group became my mentor, but
sadly, she passed away unexpectedly. I stepped in for her and organized the church'snext three quilt shows, each featuring an average of 150 quilts. After losing my mentor, I realized I needed more quilting education and companionship, so I joined Emerald Valley Quilters.
As the years passed, nighttime driving became more difficult. I approached the EVQ Board and asked whether we could offer an afternoon meeting. They said, "YES, and you are in charge of organizing it!" So I did, and the Early Birds group was born.
Today, I serve on the Programs and Workshops Committee, helping select speakers and organize workshops for both guild meetings. I enjoy creating opportunities for our embers to learn, be inspired, and share their love of quilting. From a treadle sewing machine and outfits for Flip to quilt shows, workshops and guild programs, sewing has kept me happily in stitches for most of my life.
Rita Grimes - Secretary
Satellite Chair
Newsletter
Treasurer - Marian Alter
Parliamentarian -- Nicki Kilday
Barb Shrauger, Library: I helped my mom make crazy quilts when I was a teenager. I didn't quilt again until my daughter signed us up for a block of the month. I was hooked! I had a year until I retired so I had a craft room addition built on my house. That was almost seven years ago.
The Board Also Includes:
Laura Lowe, Retreat
Historian/Photographer, Shelly Shrauger