Our guild does newsletters two ways...on-line and mailed. If you want it mailed...you pay for the yearly postage.
We still have members who don't have computers or still have dial-up in the more rural communities.

Another thought...is a feature of local quilt shops. Interview the owner...it is good marketing for her...and her target audience.
Perhaps she can offer a discount to guild members that month her article is featured.

There is a section for book reviews, tools, and guild members tips and hints and recipes. Also announcements concerning members...perhaps illnesses, family births, etc, items for sale...etc.
Each 'Bee around the Hive' reports on their groups projects and news.
The officers always include their reports...such as quilt show committee, 'education director', treasurer, etc.
Always there is a section for quilt shows local and in surrounding states.

A guild BOM or project is always included. A pattern for a needleholder...pin cushion...block ....usually for a guild challenge theme.

It can be a ton of work...but it can also be a ton of fun. I always appreciate the postive tone of my guild letter.

FW

I just do a mailing to the quilt shops or drop off of the ads when I go to the shops on my regular visits.

As for the mailing I have a partner that does that otherwise it would not get done. I am at work M-F from 9 to 5pm when the print shop is open. Sat I have classes I will not skip and Sundays the print shop is closed.

I am planning to post on line but that will be from home and I just copy and paste into MS -FRONT PAGE which writes most of the code for me. It is super easy doing it that way and I post just info not formats or graphics or pictures. That I can usually do in 3o minutes.

My main job is organizing the information into the newsletter.

Anna, get someone else to get the ads from quilt shops and businesses--you're doing too much. You should ONLY be involved in writing, printing and mailing. Maybe someone else would like to help with the mailing, too.

"For some reason the ladies around here are balking at getting the newsletter on line or by email. They want their printed newsletter even if it just details information that was at the last meeting."

Anna, my guild announced that it spent over $900 last year in printing and mailing the newsletter and about half of us get it via email. I think that when that amount was mentioned and the fact that it would have paid for a speaker and part of a workshop, the ladies listened. Some of us are to the point that those who want it mailed should pay higher dues. Sounds fair to me!

Of course, the Post Office will raise rates, that's what they do, isn't it? It seems like it's always on the day after Mother's Day. At least they have some heart.

JoAnne

I agree with Judy Mc the printing costs are rocketing. Last year to publish a 4 page newsletter it cost $1.10, this year the printing costs is increasing. There will also be an increase in postage this spring. ( A substantial increase from what I am hearing as US Post Office is in debt again.) That will probably mean an increase in dues. For some reason the ladies around here are balking at getting the newsletter on line or by email. They want their printed newsletter even if it just details information that was at the last meeting.

I am trying to sell ads to the local quilt shop to help defray the costs of printing, but they also are facing budget cut backs. Thing is there is limited time for me to do this. I am only going to devote 8 hours in a month to this endeavor. I am spending more time right now because I am setting everything up on my computer (I made a template for the basic format) , but after this I am cutting back. I already told the ladies if the information is not there at deadline I will not be going back to add it in.

GUILDS are always looking for good instructional material, well written patterns, techniques etc. because they deal with so many different level of sewers. What is old hat and common knowledge to one sewer is a novel problem solving tip to another.

Alex, I think quilting tips would be something all guild members would love. Something short and to the point would work--also it would be cost effective for the guild with printing and mailing costs. Some newsletters are sent online, but our guild still does alot of mailing. Anna, I did the newsletter for the Citrus Belt Guild in Redlands, CA, in the 1990's. The guild should have a deadline set for article submissions by chairpersons. This deadline should probably be the last Board meeting before the newsletter will be published or no later than two weeks before publishing. You have to be FIRM about this deadline. I enjoyed doing the newsletter that year and a friend did the mailing part of the newsletter, but it is time consuming (I included alot of art work and borders, etc.). Good luck with it. Judy in Torrance

Alex, I think that offering articles for guild's newsletters is a great idea! Quilting hints, information on choosing colors, anything about fabric would be very welcomed. Honestly, Alex, anything you or Ricky write would be exciting to put into our newsletter! Fabulous idea!

JoAnne

Alex,

I am assuming you are trying to get your names out their more and drive up membership for TQS. ... but here are my ideas off the top of my head. I am not sure what most guilds would want. Maybe you could post a survey of give them options of what you would be willing to do. Whatever, you offer have it easy to download. A lot of rural communities do not have fast internet connections so the files should be small.

Our guild uses PDF files, unfortunately over half of the members do not know how to down load that information. I found MS Word files work pretty good except for graphics, but that is because I have limited computer knowledge. For those quilters without computers/ internet we print it out as hand outs at guild meetings, problem with that is printing cost are sky rocketing. Not all quilters are computer literate. To be honest I think those quilters are the most prolific as they spend more time on the quiting than they do on computer.

Sewing Tips ... that can be copied and printed in a newsletter. They can be from your QUILTING SUPER STAR BUDDIES.


HOT OFF THE PRESS NEWS that effects all quilters not just in California or Colorado. Maybe you can post some regional information for different parts of the country; then the guilds could post what interest them.

Book / DVD Reviews by knowledgeable and newbie quilters ... I find new quilters look at information and books differently than a season quilter. Maybe have some of your TQS members write some of them and post them... PROS AND CONS.

New product information from Gizmo Girl. ... Pros and Cons ... I know you have to satisfy your advertisers but I like an honest report about a product. Money is tooooo tight to waste. I loose respect for people who just try and sell me stuff.


Free, easy, forgiving patterns / directions that can be used ROYALTY free by individual guild members and/ or for charity quilting. We have blocks use for charity quilts, but the pattern were kind of lame.

Fons and Porter sent out discounts to their magazine for Guild Sign up. I think it was $10 off a yearly subscription. I have gotten their subscriptions that way for three years. The guild sent in bulk orders/ subscription blanks with check for pre-payment. 2 months later we started getting our magazine.

You might want to do something similar for guild members. Maybe $10 off your DVD series ( less than TQS members but still a nice discount for guild ) for the first 100-1000 guild members that order the DVDs. I found out that not a lot of guild members knew that quilting lessons were available on DVD. I am starting posting reviews of various books and DVDs

Just a thought, I am still buying mine direct just so I can have it HOT OFF THE PRESSES.

I am not sure how you would get in touch with guild/ quilt group officers. In Michigan there are several quilt related organizations and state wide guilds that have rosters of quilt guilds. I am thinking of MICHIGAN STATE UNIVERSITY QUILT MUSEUM and Michigan Quilt Network may be you should target them first. That might mean less work for you. I do not know what other states have that is similar. Maybe you can ask TQS members to send you links and contact information for such groups and organization for all states.



These are idea from just the top of my head, I will think some more on this and post again. I am sure others will have ideas of what they would want.

Anna

Anna, tell them all about TQS!!

Lorchen

We are talking about providing content for guild newsletters. We would like to know what would your guild want? How many words, ect. It would be at no fee with the exchange of putting our info in at the end of the article. Good or bad idea?

she-quilts

I just might take it.. Anything interesting ???
I now know when the next officer meeting is and I now have all (MOST) of the info I need? I guess whining helps. I now have over 3/ 4 written and just need to update everything... just before publication.

My problem is finding time to do the work... When I have the time I do not have the information needed. When I have the information I need to program I do not have the time to work on things.


I KNOW... DO I WANT CHEESE WITH THAT WHINE... HEE HEE

I'm the new guild president. I've sent in announcements, my President's letter, the 09 budget, and more announcements. Have not heard NADDA from my newsletter person! I think I have to call her!

Anna, I could email you my stuff if that would help!

Anna, (now I see your name!) my guild has members submit things for the newsletter. I write about swaps, that's what I am in charge of. The person in charge of the programs writes about that. The president writes a message. The membership person writes about that. You should only have to put it all together. Good luck! I always enjoy receiving my guild's newsletter.

JoAnne

I got volunteered to write the newsletter for our quilt guild. In a moment of weakness I said, " YES, if no one else volunteered for the job, I would do it." .... OF COURSE, NO ONE ELSE volunteered.

I thought it should not be to hard... just follow the pre established format and type it up. "YOU, like to talk Anna how much harder will writing be??? " ... Wrong, I have spent the last two days trying to get the information needed to type up the newsletter... Everything is compounded by the fact everyone is STILL out of town for the holidays. I am seriously running out of time... and this new job is cutting into my already limited QUILTING TIME..... I reiterate .. What THE HECK have I got myself into NOW?

I will have to write in formal, correct English grammer.... no more creative punctuation. How will I ever survive ????

THANK YOU... for letting me whine...