Our VIPs

President

Kathy Theut has sewn most of her life and got into quilting in the 90’s when she lived in Virginia, and took road trips to Lancaster, PA where she became interested in Amish quilts.

In 1995 she attended her first Houston Quilt Festival and she was hooked. She took classes at a quilt shop in Katy and joined CVQG in 2005. She now owns four sewing machines, a quilting machine, a library of books and patterns, a huge stash of fabric and many unfinished projects. They added a room on to the house to accommodate her quilting.

Kathy has served as Block Party Chairman for the past two years.

She and husband of 45 years, Stan, have three boys and a girl, and 14 grandchildren. They have lived in Columbus since 1969. Besides quilting, her other interests include volunteer work at church, their house on the coast and the grandchildren.

Vice President of Community Service

Terry Tomlin and her husband, Al, moved to Texas from Northern California in May of 2004.  Terry went to the Fayette County Fair in 2004 where she met Barbara Hamrick who was demonstrating quilting.  Barbara told her about the Colorado Valley Quilt Guild and encouraged her to join.  Terry then met Carolyn Bell who invited her to go with her to a guild meeting.  Terry started quilting seriously under the instruction of the Tuesday Bee members.

Terry went to her first retreat a couple of years ago and discovered how much you could get done while having so much fun!

Terry has held the office of secretary and is currently the 1st Vice President for the Guild.  She loves being involved in quilting and doesn't let too much interfere with Tuesday Bee.

Vice President of Ways and Means

Kristi is a charter member of CVQG.  She has been a quilter since she was in junior high school.  Kristi and her mom, Jackie, have had a pattern business since 1992.  She moved to La Grange 11 years ago to open the Quilters' Cottage, which she ran for 5 years.  She currently works out of her home quilting for the public. 

Kristi has been an active member of CVQG and currently serves as the Fayette County Fair Liaison and the 2010 Quilt Show Chair.  She has previously served as Raffle Quilt Chair, 2005 Quilt Show Chair, and Programs and Workshops Chair, as well as serving on the quilt show committee since the first show held by CVQG.

Kristi’s husband, Duncan, is a park ranger at Monument Hill; son, Jacob, is a college student and musician.

Vice President of Programs & Workshops

Janet Parker has sewed since elementary school and has quilted since 1991. Most of her quilts have been given to charity. Janet joined CVQG in the fall of 2007.

Janet and her husband, Buzz (Loren, officially), were music teachers in upstate New York. When they retired, they sold their house and moved to Texas. After four years they are still renovating their house and look forward to completing the project this year so they can finally unpack all their belongings.

Janet read about the CVQG trip to the Houston quilt show in 2005. She enjoyed the trip and the members she met on the bus so much that she joined the guild shortly after that. She is the Music Director at First Presbyterian Church, La Grange and teaches voice and piano lessons in her spare time.

Secretary

Katherine Svatek joined the guild at the January 2009 meeting and took a workshop. When Kay Marburger went to the Czech Heritage Center to discuss their quilt show display, Katherine, who volunteers there, pulled out her completed workshop quilt go to show Kay.

Katherine's special interest is in wedding quilts, T-shirt quilts, memory quilts and memorial quilts because they have special meaning to the recipients.

Katherine was born and raised in Moulton; however, she comes to us from Lake Jackson where she recently retired as a chemist after 33 years with Dow Chemical.

She has two children: a daughter in Houston and son
(and daughter-in-law) in the Navy in Monterrey,
CA.

Katherine served as secretary for a non-profit organization in Lake Jackson.

Treasurer

Sewing was always a part of Helen Michalke’s life during the 30 years she spent as City Secretary/Tax Assessor-Collector in Brookshire after six years working in a bank.

When she retired, she and her husband moved to
Colorado County, just south of Weimar, to be near their children.

At a vest-fitting workshop sponsored by the Extension Service in Columbus, she mentioned she would like to find a wearable arts group closer than Houston. Her new friend, Jo Knox, invited Helen to a meeting of the Colorado Valley Quilt Guild. That was about 10 years ago, and Helen has missed very few meetings since.

Serving as librarian for CVQG the past several years was fun. Helen learns best from books and has loved finding, buying and organizing books for the guild.

Vicky leads the Installation of Officers for 2009-2010. Kathy, Janet, Kristi, Terry, Helen and Debbie swear to heroically lead our guild "so help me Eleanor Burns!"

Kay presents out-going president Debbie with her appreciation top. Guild members made and signed blocks to thank Debbie for all her hard work and leadership over the last two years.