Originally Posted by Great-great granny
Guilds definitely have their pros & cons. If it is a large one, but has smaller evening groups, you can probably find a great group of people to meet w/& share ideas. I've found SOME can be kinda cliquish(?), especially in larger cities. I've heard a few negative comments on here about a some.
Small towns can be very cliquish and don't have the numbers for multiple cliques. I found a great guild while in Florida house/pet sitting for my daughter, thanks to a wonderful quilter I met online. The best part is the bee she hosts at her home every week where 7 or so of us get together to sew, go out to lunch, shop hop and just chat. Finding a warm and welcoming heart in a fellow quilter has made a world of difference in my stay here in Florida. I am much closer to my Sew What group in just a few months then I am to my guild back home after 3 years. The guild has monthly meetings with great speakers every month...June was Bonnie Hunter :shock: who was fabulous!!! Small guilds can't afford to have speakers like her every month, so maybe you need 2 guilds!
If the first one isn't what you are looking for, keep hunting because there are wonderful guilds out there. The larger ones allow you to remain anonymous if you'd like, but they do provide opportunities to get involved in different smaller groups so you can get to know people better.