Can someone explain what a quilting guild is please. What do you usually do in a guild? How do you join etc..

Thanks

I am a member of the Golden Rand Guild in Johannesburg. It is like a club for quilters and organises quarterly meeting where we have a show and tell (you bring your quilts for people to see), a brief talk from someone - generally about quilting but could be something of interest to quilters - we had one about ergonomics to prevent backstrain/wrist strain etc. The local shops also are at the quarterly meetings so you can shop and catch up with people who don't live too close to you. They also act as a communicator regarding home clubs, and charity drives.

We are having an National quilt festival in September and my guild is the organisers this year.

They are great "clubs" to belong to ... you get lots of nice input and help with quilting issues - very much like this board!

Suggest you join one near you - they are not expensive to join (well at least in South Africa they aren't) and can lead you to meeting a lot of people with quilting as their hobby/passion/obsession.

I haven't had a great experience with a guild.
Here in Memphis, we seem to have "snooty" guilds. All are longarmers or machine quilters, etc.
The fee was $25 to join and then $10 per meeting.
There was show and tell and a local quilt show (which also cost to attend)

I have friends I quilt with, and we invite everyone we meet who shows the least bit of interest! We know have about 10 in the group, we meet off and on Saturday mornings from 9:30 to noon. We quilt around a frame and bring our latest show and tell projects. We are all beginners, so there is only friendship and not criticism.

If you are in Memphis area, pm me and I'll issue you an invite!

Purple

Thanks! Everytime I'm in Hancock someone asks if I'm in a guild and I really didn't know what "guild" meant.

Purple, I'm in FL, but thanks.

I've avoided finding a guild . . .I've been afraid that it would become a very competitve forum and I quilt for relaxation. I'd be glad to hear otherwise from you ladies (and gents) who do belong to guilds.

There is a small guild in the tiny town that I live in and I know almost everyone there. I went a few times, but I found it a waste of time and almost everything they talked about, I had already learned from my daughter. However, I went to a few retreats that her guild goes on and I enjoyed them very much. I wish she were still in So. California so we could still go - But she had to go and move!!

I beong to the Sun Country Quilters in Red Bluff, CA. We have a fairly large group, I think we have about 250 actuve members. We meet on the 4th Monday evening of each month. There is always some kind of program. Some times it is a sew-in when we work on community quilts. Last month was a fun Quilt-a-thon. There was 16 teams of three who raced to put a mystery quilt top together and the tops will be quilted this month by volunteers and then the quilts will be given to various organizations such as adult services and child protective services. The teams were cheered on by the quild members and fat quaarter prizes were given for different judging as first, second and third place finishers, best colors, most accurate piecing, etc. It was a lot of fun. I was one of the on lookers. We also have one meeting to make blocks for the community quilts and the blocks are then put together by a group that meets weekly to assemble the quilts. I have to be close to home as DH needs constant care but I bring home work to do. When I am able I try to go to these meetings, it is almost like a quilting bee. We have many wonderful speakers on all kinds of subjects and trunk shows by members. We always have show and tell each meeting. Of course we have refreshments and every two years we have a hugh quilt show for a weekend and open to the public. It is a big event. The quilts are displayed with props, very perfessionally done, we have venders, a gift shop with members' handiwork and books and magazines and trunk shows, demonstrations on different ways of quilting, piecing, etc. and we have an area where the public actually design a block with precut 2 1/2"
fabric squares on felt boards and quild members sew nine patches that will become community quilt tops.
As all groups sometimes there are some clicks but the group as a whole are very friendly and non polictial. We change officers every year . .
Our guild even has a website: http://www.suncountryquilters.com and a monthly newsletter and we also give scholarship to high school graduates.

Some stores will offer a 10% discount if you're a guild member, so maybe that's why they ask you.
I've been members of 2 different guilds for many years, and think it is mostly a rewarding experience. Yes there are people there who aren't my first choice of friends, but then there are wonderful people there who will do anything for those less fortunate and offer help any time it's needed. I also belong to a group of 8 ... all originally met through my guild.

I'm a member of a "Night" guild (there's a "Day" guild too :-) ). I joined to learn more about quilting. The members are all very nice but the quilt police also attend. :( It seems very cliquey too, but that may be because I'm a younger member and most ladies have known each other for MANY years. I like it because there are some members who are SOOOOO talented - and who are so willing to teach those willing to learn! They're just like the ladies here...
I have heard that there is an applique society here in town and to join you must be invited!?! But then again, they're work is very nice...

I belong to a guild of about 60 members. We meet once a month and the membership is $12 a year (no charge to attend the meeting). It's a lovely group of people who welcomes everyone with encouragement. I'm sorry that some people have had bad experiences at guilds, but I encourage everyone to attend a few meetings at their local guild before deciding whether or not to join. A guild can be a great place to learn, regardless of what level quilter you are, and also a place to meet people who share your interest in quilting.