I went to a guild meeting in 1996. I sat crocheting a baby blanket and visiting with the woman next to me. I was crocheting because I'd just had a fire and lost my sewing machine and all supplies. I joined that night. The woman had spread the word and the next meeting they had 2 boxes of donated supplies - everything - thread, scissors, fabric, rulers, books! It was a beautiful surprise!
I tend to be introverted too. If you want to meet friends the best thing is to sign up to join a small group. The guild "bee" person will note which groups are accepting new members or help you connect with other newcomers to form a group. I have made lifelong friends this way. If your guild doesn't do this - run an ad in the newsletter and ask if others want to join you. Currently my group can't meet in person but we do a zoom sew along every Monday.