I too have made friends because of this board and appreciate all of you. I have attended meet and greets in both MI and FL and have continued to see my new board friends. In FL, one of the ladies invited me to her home where she has a sewing bee every week.
If you cannot locate a guild in your area, try setting up a meet and greet and see what happens. Contact a local shop and ask if you can meet at their store, and make a reservation at a nearby restaurant. Advertise it on the board and see what will happen. I think you will be pleasantly surprised with the response.