WARREN COUNTY FAIR

Date:   Sunday, July 27 to Saturday, August 2, 2008

Hours:   Sunday - Saturday 11 AM – 9 PM

Place:     Warren County Fairgrounds

                 Lopatcong Township, NJ

Need for Additional Volunteers:

We have several time slots that still need to be filled:

    Tuesday, July 22^nd                       10:30 AM – 1:30 PM        (tagging/pricing)

    Wednesday, July 30^th                     2:30 PM – 6:00 PM

    Friday, August 1^st                           6:00 PM – 9:00 PM

    Saturday, August 2^nd                     2:30 PM – 6:00 PM

    Saturday, August 2^nd                     6:00 PM – 9:00 PM        (and take-down)

If you’re able to fill one of these time slots, please contact Pat Solimani

Volunteers:

If you have volunteered to work at the Fair, you will receive a pass in the mail.  If you are being accompanied by a spouse, or a friend, please indicate that on the sign-up sheet.  Passes will be mailed to you by the Fair Committee, and will have to be shown at the gate in order to get in free – every individual needs a pass.  If an emergency arises, and you’re unable to keep your volunteer commitment, please notify Pat Solimani  or Anna Strelec  as soon as possible.

FYI /Volunteers:

We are asked to bring something to demo during our time at the Fair.  Table workspace, fans, and electrical hookups for sewing machines will be provided.  We will be provided with six chairs, but you may want to bring your own comfortable chair, as well as water, lunch/dinner, and/or snacks.  If you don’t feel like brown bagging, hot dogs, hamburgers, soda, and delicious pies will be sold at various stands throughout the Fair.  As items are sold, we get bare spots on the tables, feel free to rearrange things in order to make a nice presentation of our wares.

Donated Sale Items:

Money raised from the sale of items at the Fair goes towards the cost of guest speakers at our monthly meetings.  This is our main fundraiser.  At the 2007 Fair, our sales totaled $1,094 (plus additional sales of $72.50 for leftover items sold during our September and October meetings).  Let’s try to surpass that amount in 2008!!  All items must be made by our members.  We cannot sell magazines, fabric, quilting tools, etc.  Things that are priced at $5, $6, or less, sell very well.  Fall, Halloween, and Thanksgiving items sell real good.  Aprons, wall hangings, and Christmas items have not been good sellers in the past, but you never know what will sell!!  We’re grateful for every donated item – we realize everyone is extremely busy with their daily lives and obligations, but if you could find some time to make something, our entire membership will benefit.  Your donated item(s) can be dropped off at the church on Tuesdays, July 15th and 22nd, between 10:30 AM and 1:30 PM.  Deadline for Fair items will be Tuesday, July 22^th.  A Donation Receipt Form needs to be completed for each donated item.  Exception would be if you’re donating several of the same thing, then only one form indicating the multiple # of that particular item. 

Change for Sale Items:

Volunteers will be working in teams.  A team member should be designated to bring $50 made up of $5s, $1s, and coins to make the necessary change for sales.  When an item is sold, remove the price tag, put it in the appropriate envelope (located in the file box) for your shift, and record the sale on the clipboard.  PERSONAL CHECKS WILL NOT BE ACCEPTED.  At the end of your volunteer shift, separate your $50 from the money collected.  Do not leave any money in the file box – send/give all sale money to our Treasurer, Janis Agnew, who will deposit into our Guild checking account.

Quilt Show:

This year, no official judging will take place.  However, Viewer’s Choice ribbons will be awarded for 1^st, 2^nd, and 3^rd place.

The theme is patriotic, but there is no restriction as to the type of quilt to be displayed in the quilt show.

There is no insurance coverage for quilts entered in the show.  If this is a concern, check with your insurance carrier to see if your homeowner’s policy provides coverage.  Security of the building will be provided by the Fair after 9 PM, when our volunteers are no longer present.

Quilts being shown must be constructed of fabric and either quilted or tied, and be clean, free of pins, pet hair, and smoke.  A label must be sewn to the lower left-hand corner of the back, indicating name of owner, address, phone number, name of quilt and guild.  A completed entry form and two photos must be submitted for each quilt.  The quilt must be placed in a pillowcase with the necessary entry form, two photos, and your name and address attached to the pillowcase for each quilt entered. 

Show quilts can be dropped off at the Readington Reformed Church on July 22nd between 10:30AM and 1:30 PM. 

The show will be hung at the Fair on Saturday, July 26^th, starting at 9:30 AM.

Show quilts can be picked up at the Readington Reformed Church Tuesday, August 5th between 10:30 AM and 1:30 PM.

Directions to the Fairgrounds:

Take Route 78 West to Exit 3 (Phillipsburg/Route 22 West/Last Exit in NJ).  Pass the Home Depot/Shop-Rite on the RIGHT, GET in the RIGHT LANE.  At the next light, at the cemetery (Route 519/Uniontown Road), make a RIGHT onto 519.  You will see a green sign for “WC Fairgrounds 3 mi.”.  Continue a bit until you see a large sign for Rath’s Deli on the LEFT.  This is Stryker Road, turn LEFT.  Continue through the light at the Route 57 intersection, and go through a residential area until you come to a stop sign at Belview Road.  Ahead you will see the Fairgrounds on the RIGHT and a sign for the back gate.  Enter through the South Gate entrance, if possible.  Park in a field near Belview Road.  The EXPO Building is the green “Morton” (aluminum) building.

OR, you can follow the directions above and from the green “WC Fairgrounds 3 mi.” sign, continue through the light at 519 and Route 57 (Centerpoint Liquors on LEFT).  As you approach the Fairgrounds, make a LEFT onto Belview Road, then a RIGHT at the 4-way STOP at Stryker Road.  This is the rear of the Fairgrounds.  Enter through the South Gate, if possible.  Park in a field near Belview Road.  The EXPO Building is the green “Morton” (aluminum) building.

Please note, there is a good possibility of 12 parking spaces being reserved in the parking lot adjacent to the rear of the EXPO Building.  Parking permits will be issued to the volunteers for these spaces.  

Heat:

In year’s past, we’ve had some really bad heat waves during the days of the Fair.  If it happens this year, and you find it’s unbearable and must leave, drape the sheets over our tables/merchandise so that everything is covered and people know we are not “open for business” at that time. 

Freebies:

Baskets containing old quilting magazines, and fat-quarters will be available to the public for free, until we run out of them.  We feel this creates good will and may encourage someone to browse our wares, and perhaps make a purchase.  We welcome any donation of old magazines, as well as fat-quarters.  Perhaps your stash includes fabric that you’re no longer fond of, or fabric you can’t understand why you ever bought in the first place.  If you’re able to part with anything, it would be very much appreciated.

End of Day Duties:

Each night before leaving, please place anything that’s on the floor up onto the tables or chairs.  In case we have heavy rain, this building is notorious for having problems, and things on the floor will be ruined.  Don’t forget to drape the sheets over all of our tables/merchandise each night.

FOR QUESTIONS, OR SUGGESTIONS, CALL EITHER PAT SOLIMANI  OR ANNA STRELEC-735-4306).

HUNTERDON COUNTY FAIR

                The year’s Hunterdon County 4-H and Agricultural Fair will be held August 20 – 24, 2008.  Our guild will once again be participating by helping with the quilt show.  We need volunteers to help with set-up, take-down  and  “manning” the booth.

                Please call Cheryl  or e-mail to hcqgnews@verizon.net asap if you are able to help with the following:

- set-up at the fairgrounds on Tuesday, August 19^th at 9 AM

- take-down at the fairgrounds on Sunday, August 24^th at 6 PM

-man the booth on Wednesday, August 20^th:

10 AM – 1 PM (one person needed)

1 PM – 4 PM (2 people needed)

4PM – 7 PM (2 people needed)

7 PM – 10 PM (2 people needed)

In addition, if you can work any of the shifts on Sunday, August 24^th, that would be helpful.  All those working at the fair will receive a free parking pass.

Responsiblities at the Hunterdon Fair are to hand out, collect and encourage visitors to complete viewer’s choice ballots and to keep an eye on the quilts.  It is suggested that you bring your own comfortable chair to use.

Pre-registration, guidelines and entry forms for the quilt show only are attached.  Forms for the needlework and rug hooking show are available at the website: co.hunterdon.nj.us/4HAGfair.htm or by calling 908-788-1340.  Quilts will be judged and ribbons and rosettes awarded.  You may also enter a quilt for viewer’s choice only, if you prefer.

PROGRAMS

Round Robin: Thanks to all the Round Robin participants.  Those quilt tops were remarkable…what a talented group we are!  Be sure to check out the photos of the Round Robin quilts on our website (hcqgnews.tripod.com).

2008-2009 Quilting Around the World Challenge:  In keeping with our “Quilting Around the World” theme, we invite everyone to bring ½ yard of fabric that reminds you of the theme in an unmarked bag to exchange anonymously at the September meeting.  Each participant is then free to interpret the theme in their own creative way and reveal their finished piece at the June 2009 meeting. 

Programs for 2008-2009

October Open House Lecture:  A Quilted Journey Around the World by Linda Poole

November:  Lecture on Indonesian Batiks and Paint stick workshop with Trish Hodge

April:  Lecture on Japanese Textiles and Folded Kimono Workshop with Susan Faeder

May:  Hawaiian Quilting lecture by Karen Dever.

COMMUNITY SERVICE

What a year we’ve had!  As we closed out our books, we discovered our guild year had produced:

-          15 baby quilts for Friendship Center of New Beginnings

-          12 baby quilts for New Moms New Beginnings

-          12 baby/child size quilts for Tennessee flood victims

-          10 quilts for individuals with serious illnesses

-          1 large quilt donated to the Shannon Daley Fund to be auctioned

-          119 placemats for Meals on Wheels

-          19 quilts for the Somerset Hospital Chemo Unit

-          19 quilts for Hunterdon Medical Center Chemo Unit

There are also a few quilts that will be kept on hand for distribution during the summer if needed.

THANK YOU SO MUCH for your cooperation and support of our projects this year.  Your enthusiasm was tremendous and enabled us to have a very successful year.

Thanks to all

The Community Service Ladies

NEW YORK BEAUTY WORKSHOP

The New York Beauty workshop offered by Linda Hahn seemed to be a great success.  Linda thanks those who participated and wanted you to know that her class in Ohio was great!