greaterexp

I lead our little group at our church. The experience/expertise levels vary widely. We found that out quickly the hard way. So after our first and second projects that had big problems, I did mini classes on the areas in which things went wrong. (I wish I had started that way, but assumed all ladies there were already accomplished quilters!) I wrote up some standards or best practices for each area, such as how to press, 1/4-inch seams, measuring, cutting, etc. and went over these with a brief demonstration. I was shocked to find out that very few of the ladies knew what I was talking about, even those who had been making quilts for years, but doing it their own way. I think everyone understood that in working with a group, we had to do things in a consistent way. We also stopped allowing work to go home, since the blocks came back with mistakes. We do all the work there, so it goes more slowly, but we have far fewer problems. The ladies can ask questions when they have a problem and it can be taken care of quickly. We also have a couple of "go to" ladies, who are knowledgeable, and I encourage people to go directly to them if they have a question or problem, rather than getting wrong information.
It's also interesting to discover the group dynamics, the personalities, and what areas can cause trouble. I just thought that we are all mature Christian ladies with a common goal, but found out that we are all at different levels of personal growth, that none of us are perfect, and we would have to overcome some obstacles.
I still do reminder lessons when I see that an old problem is creeping back in, and on rare occasions have had to speak privately to a member (always the same one!) about her negative attitude and unwillingness to learn. I think it's possible to have that one member who wants to be in charge or has some other weakness that can cause problems, so you will have to find ways to lovingly correct those.
Be sure you know who you are quilting for, so you don't make quilts that are inappropriate for that group in size, color, style, or materials. We tried to start with patterns that weren't too challenging and have gradually learned more so we can branch out a little. If it's too hard, folks will get frustrated and want to quit.
I can tell you that it's been a lot of hard work at times, but it's been immensely rewarding. We always start with prayer and a scripture that someone wants to share, so we've bonded as a group and are now like family.
We are so blessed to have our church behind us, and though our room is tiny, and we've had to move a couple of times, we always make it work.
We laugh a lot! When someone makes a mistake, and all of us do, we have developed a practice of having a good laugh over it, and moving on. I try to set a good example and remember everyone is watching me!
We try to do an occasional potluck or take in a quilt show or two as a group just for fun and inspiration. Those activities bond us together even more closely.
We make quilts for a mission that helps young girls coming out of sex trafficking and also make some for a hospice home. We've made a couple to sell at our bazaar, as well as for a church campground bazaar who requested it. We try to stay open to new ideas.
We started with hand quilting, but no one really wanted to learn, so now a friend and I who share a long arm do all the machine quilting to avoid the high costs of sending them out. I'm also the one who keeps the machines up and running and does any troubleshooting, so having someone who understands sewing machines in general is a bonus. I loved the idea someone else had about using all the same machines, but we've had to use whatever machines I donated.
Our church lets us put on a small Christmas bazaar to help fund our quilt group. We quickly found that donated material often wasn't appropriate for quilts.
Have fun with your new group! God bless you!