UVQG History
UVQG Guild Meeting
October 2017
Trunk Show
Bonnie Bryce
Recap by Maureen Tuttle
Bonnie Bryce was the first president of Utah Valley Quilt Guild and organized the group in 1982.
For those of you who weren’t able to attend our October meeting with Bonnie Bryce, I wanted to pass on a few interesting things that Bonnie shared with us.
After taking a quilting class with Carol Hatch, who was the Utah Quilt Guild President at the time, Bonnie asked Carol how to start a quilting group. Carol said, “Just do it”. So Bonnie “just did it”, and aren’t we all so glad?
Bonnie put an article in the newspaper for the first meeting, which was held at the Orem City Library with 19 members attending. After the first year the membership grew to around 200 and it has stayed high in numbers ever since. (We currently have 270 members.) Hortense Harward suggested having a hospitality table at each meeting, and along with her daughter and daughter-in-law (Marsha Harward of Corn Wagon Quilts fame), she did a fabulous hospitality table for over 20 years.
Sarah Hacken was the first Vice President of the guild, so she was the President in the second year. Both Sarah and Liz Fisher, the first program chairman of the guild, had been in quilt guilds in other places so they were wonderful resources as the meetings began. Mazey Buckley started the first newsletter and named it “Patchwords”, which we are all still enjoying as we read this. ☺
Bonnie says, “I couldn't have had a more wonderful first teacher than Carol. She was determined to teach us everything she knew about quilting and she knew a lot. Penny Stephenson was in that class with me.”
Thanks again, Bonnie, for a wonderful presentation and for starting this wonderful guild!
Presidents of
Utah Valley Quilt Guild
2025 - Machelle Preston
2024 - Kim McCloskey
2023 - Karin Crawford
2022 - Lisa K. Johnson
2021 - Lisa K. Johnson
2020 - RevaBeth Russell
2019 - Elise Larsen
2018 - Brenda Sommers
2017 - Maureen Tuttle
2016 - Wanda Sump
2015 - Barbara Murdock
2014 - Kathy Porter
2013 - Nina Cooke
2012 - Laurel Christensen
2011 - Francine Berrett
2010 - Liz Laney
2009 - Ella Simons
2008 - Helen Butler
2007 - Megan Legas
2006 - Sharon Wright
2005 - Debbie Robertson
2004 - Beth Whitaker
2003 - Elaine Carlson
2002 - Kathy Gardner
2001 - Jackie Hadley
2000 - Elaine Smith
1999 - Sharon Geurts
1998 - Ann Lewis
1997 - Barbara Ostler
1996 - Helen Clegg
1995 - Geneal Cutler
1994 - Shirley Olsen
1993 - Marsha Harward
1992 - Wanda Bonnett
1991 - Karen Parkinson
1990 - Tamara Boren
1989 - Dolly Miller
1988 - Sue Anderson
1987 - LeAnn Bang
1986 - Moani Revoir
1985 - Penny Stephenson
1984 - Melissa Clark
1983 - Sarah Hacken
1982 - Bonnie Bryce
Other Random Historical Information about UVQG:
(This is still in progress and may have inaccuracies. Aug 2020)
Guild Meetings
(Not sure when meetings began to be held at Eldred Center pre-2000.)
Guild meetings were held for many years at the Eldred Center in Provo (their senior citizens center) until plans were made in 2011 to close it and make room for Provo's new rec center.
Meetings held at Lindon Community Center from Nov 2011 to Mar 2015
Meetings held at Orem's Senior Friendship Center from May 2015 to Feb 2020.
All meetings since then canceled in 2020 due to covid meeting restrictions.
Online meetings resume Jan 2021 via zoom. In person meetings resume May 2021.
July Fair
A day of classes, vendors, quilt show and auction.
The annual July Fair was held at the Eldred Center while we met there, on a day when senior lunches were not offered.
- Community outreach as no fee to attend.
- Guild fundraiser from auction and bake sale. Many bees (smaller quilting groups) would donate a quilt to the auction. Live auction for several years.
- Most vendors were area quilt stores and door prizes usually offered.
- Some later venues did not have room for hanging quilt show.
- Later venues have included: Springville Art Museum (2012, 2013), Tennis courts at Spanish Fork Fairgrounds (2014), Lindon Community Center (2015), Wadley Farm's Castle (2016), Peteetneet Cultural Arts Center (2017), Noah's Event Center (2018, 2019), Big Willow Barn (2021). River Bridge Events Center (2022)
Workshops/Forums
For many years 3 hour workshops were held in the morning time, often for only $5, usually a certain project or quilt.
When members decided they didn't want to haul around sewing machines as much and more quilt stores were available and offered classes, the guild moved to 1 1/2 hour forums. These were lectures or group discussions.
March 2015 marked the end of forums as we moved to a new facility unavailable in the morning. (Previous facility raised rent dramatically.)
Fall Retreat
First annual fall retreat held in 2002 at Aspen Grove. (Thurs am to Sat afternoon)
It had a full schedule of classes.
In 20?? an additional day was added to the retreat.
Beautiful scenery, but we eventually outgrew the amount of space and electricity.
2011 - 2013: retreat held in Park City (2011 @ Marriott; 2012 & 2013 @ Yarrow)
2014 on Retreat held at Zermatt in Midway
2023 Retreat is moved to 3rd week of November instead of 1st week due to hotel requirement.
Spring Retreat
One day Saturday event - the fun of retreat in one day to accommodate those who work during the week or can't get away for 3 days.
2018 & 2019 @ Jake's Senior Center; 2020 & 2021 @ Corn Wagon
2022 @ office center; 2023 & 2024 @ Sandy Lai's home.
(6 Saturday Sews were scheduled in 2017, but spring had best attendance.)
Other Dates
April 2005: Quilt Block contest to use as guild pin design. Liz Laney's basket block was voted the winner and is the logo used on our newsletter and website. Entered blocks were made into a quilt to be auctioned at the July Fair.
2011: 1st year meetings not held in September to prevent conflicts with UQG Quilt Fest
2020: Patchwords only offered online. Began move to online in 201?, but still offered hard copy. (In 201? hard copy required an extra fee above membership dues.)
