Programs & Workshops
Prairie Star Quilt Guild Contracts and Programs Vice Presidents schedule numerous renowned Guest speakers and teachers each year. Every Special Guest will educate us with their own unique skills and styles in both lectures and workshops.
Lectures are included in a PSQG Membership and, as a member, you’ll have first chance to register for workshops at a reduced rate.
Calendar of Events
Note: With the ever changing world, all events are subject to change.
Banquet Speaker
Sara Hochhauser
Quilted Garments Trunk Show
Tuesday, May 20th, 2025
Sara Hochhauser has been a powerhouse in the industry for 40 years. Sara has been published in numerous Quilt syndications and has been a Quilt instructor for more than 25 years! Her quilting technique takes heirloom quilting and modernizes it.
May 24th & 25th
Sue Pawlowski of Jack Squares Studio
Sew Small Stuff with Sue Lecture/Trunkshow featuring small quilts from Sue’s Collection
Monday, June 23rd, 2025
7:00 pm Meeting
My 600 lb. Life, Confessions from a Quiltaholic Lecture/Trunkshow
Tuesday, June 24th, 2025
9:30 am Meeting
The quilter behind Jack Squares Studio. She have been quilting for about 23 years and haven’t gotten tired of it yet. Guess that means she is hooked. A few years ago, Sue decided to try her hand at writing quilting patterns. It has been an interesting journey with a huge learning curve. Her goal is to create patterns that make you really happy. After all, isn’t that why we do this thing called quilting?!!
Frère Jacques or Jack’s Chain
Monday, June 23rd, 2025
9:00 a.m.to 3:00 p.m.
Location : Congregational United Church of Christ
40W451 Fox Mill Blvd. St. Charles, IL
Members: $65
Non-Members $70
Good for the Gander
Tuesday, June 24th, 2025
1:00 p.m.to 4:00 p.m.
Location : Congregational United Church of Christ
40W451 Fox Mill Blvd. St. Charles, IL
Members: $40
Non-Members $45
Required Kit & Pattern is $18 will be available for purchase at the workshop. To make sure we have enough of the options During registration you will be asked to select which table runner you’d like to complete in class.
Maria Groot
The Creative Grids USA Marketing Coordinator
Pineapple Trunk Show
Monday, July 28th, 2025
7:00 pm Meeting
What’s New at Creative Grids
(includes history and company info)
Tuesday, July 29th, 2025
9:30 am Meeting
If it takes needle and thread, Maria loves to do it! After running a professional long arm quilting business for both the professional and hobby sewer in 2021 she made some big changes. She continues to sew and quilt, but now she does it for Creative Grids Rulers. She took the job with Checker Distributors, packed up her house with lots of help from her kids and moved to Ohio. Her duties are quite varied, but her focus is on the rulers and the support needed to sell them to quilt shops all over the world.
Pineapple Block Workshop
Learn to Use the Pineapple Trim Tool
& Create a Quilt Block
Monday, July 28th, 2025
11:00 a.m.to 4:00 p.m.
Location : Congregational United Church of Christ
40W451 Fox Mill Blvd. St. Charles, IL
Members: $35
Maribeth Schmit "The Quilt Judge"
Entering Your Quilts in Shows:
What Judges Look for
Monday, August 25th, 2025
7:00 pm Meeting
&
Tuesday, August 26th, 2025
9:30 am Meeting
Ever wonder how quilts are judged in competitions? Want to know what takes a quilt out of ribbon contention? Learn about quilt judging standards and processes. Hear about the common mistakes quilters make and how to avoid them. Become a savvy exhibitor and increase your chances of success at any show!
Maribeth is an award-winning quilt maker, quilting teacher, author and NQA Certified and Master Quilt Judge.
Maribeth is well-qualified to evaluate any machine or hand wrought pieces as well as traditional and art quilts.
She actively judges quilt competitions across the country. Opportunities have taken her to: Minnesota, Wisconsin, Illinois, Iowa, Ohio, Florida, North Dakota, Nebraska, Kansas, Tennessee, Texas, North and South Carolina, Arkansas, Asia and Europe. Her art quilts have been exhibited in museums, national shows and fine art galleries.
Heidi Zielinski
Monday, September 22nd, 2025
7:00 pm Meeting
&
Tuesday, September 23rd, 2025
9:30 am Meeting
Creating art through fiber and stitch is Heidi’s passion. In no other pursuit (besides raising a child) has she ever found the rewards and joy that she finds in using textiles, thread, paint, beads, yarn and other materials to make a work of art worthy to share. Heidi enjoys creating her own fabric with dyeing, painting, stamping and other surface design techniques, but also continues to use commercial fabrics in much of her work.
Heidi’s work is based in the quilting tradition of three layers stitched together but she has embraced the Japanese sentiment of Wabi Sabi—imperfection in all things. She is more organic than precise! You will see reflections of nature in her work as she lives in a valley in the Rocky Mountains of Western Montana surrounded by mountains, rivers, streams and her own yard and garden.
“Basically” Monochromatic Abstract Collage
Monday, September 22nd , 2025
10:00 a.m.to 4:00 p.m.
Location : Congregational United Church of Christ
40W451 Fox Mill Blvd. St. Charles, IL
Members: $75
Heidi’s collage process uses raw edge applique with satin or zigag stitching to secure the edges. It is intentionally quick and easy so that most of the class time can be spent designing a strong, pleasing composition for your art quilt. You will learn how to make decisions on shape, color, repetition and placement in order to make a quilt that is pleasing to the eye. Heidi says they are “basically” monochromatic because she loves to add touches of other color to make them more interesting. These little collages are small, but mighty!
Select a color from the color wheel and create a small art quilt in a collage style using mostly that one color. She recommends 12” x 12” as it is a good size to work with. To create interest you can add bits of other color and texture with fabric shapes, simple hand embroidery stitches, beads and other embellishment. We will discuss various elements of a good art quilt: balance, value, scale, negative space, etc to help you create a successful collage. Free motion stitching is optional—it can be all done with satin/zigzag stitching if desired.