When I started to quilt a few years ago I tried 2 local groups. One of them was unwelcoming to inexperienced quilters, the other couldn't cope with me because I'm single. As soon as they'd found out that I didn't have husband, children, grandchildren (their only topics of conversation) I was ignored. I tried very hard to find common ground (I do have neices and nephews), but they obviously just couldn't cope with this exotic "different" person. Quilting groups are thin on the ground around here, so since then I've worked on my own, with this board and Leah Day's site as my companions. I can imagine that a young person wouldn't have been welcome in that group either. Some people are just very insecure and easily feel threatened, or just too narrow in outlook to take an interest in those who are different from themselves. I'm 59 and have friends in every decade of their lives from 20s to 90s. I learn so much from both ends of the age spectrum.