I have been in my guild for over 20 years. We have a membership of over 400 people. Active ones- probably 150. We have a day and a night meeting, except for twice a year we only meet at night for a Christmas party and when the board changes over. We have a couple of national speakers a year, just last week David Taylor was here -WOW!- is all I can say about him. Go see him if you get a chance. Our members do a few meetings, we have one a year where we have 6-8 tables set up with members showing how to's. Sometimes we have grant recipients come back and tell us what they have done with the money we gave them.We always have vendors, door prizes, show and share, along with our meeting. We have a quilt show every other year. We have classes most months from the speakers, Heartwarmers meet every month (charity quilts), and I know I am leaving out stuff. There also lots of small groups that meet in homes. There were times I didn't attend regularly, but I have enjoyed my self most when I was involved, especially with the quilt show.

I recently moved to the Carolina area from the west coast and have not been able to located quilters I have built a sewing shop and I m looking for Christian ladies to sew with me to make quilts for childern that are sick maybe even unwed mothers. I live in Rock Hill SC. Joyce

I joined one of our local Guild's last month but I'm having second thoughts for a couple reasons.

There are around 60 members and they meet once a month. They have show & tell, fat quarter drawing (every one brings one and each month is a different theme, then they draw a name), BOM, a meeting, snacks (sometimes) and that's about it. It's very clique-ish and I don't really feel comfortable there. They don't do any sewing. Another drawback is during the fall and winter I cannot drive at night because I can't see that well at night. My DH has offered to take me (8 or 9 miles one way) but I don't like going that well so I guess I'm not missing much. They have a nice web and the minutes are posted so I can always see what's going on. Something that bothered me was when I joined, the President didn't even come over to say she was glad I joined or anything and there was nothing in the minutes about new members. Like I said, these ladies have been together for a long time and I didn't feel that welcome.

I like doing my own thing at home and I don't like to feel like I need to do a certain project by the next meeting. Last month it was making a pillow to show at the Sept. meeting. I could care less about making a pillow! I thought we'd be doing some charity quilts like I did when I lived in TX and met at our LQS and sewed all day making blankets or quilts for Linus Project.

There are several long-armers and the quilts they bring are fabulous and I don't feel like showing anything I've made because they don't quite measure up to theirs.

I would like to join the local guild but they meet during the day and I work so that would be tough. I emailed the contact person and she said there had been interest in an evening meeting but they had issues like where to have it without room rent and they needed a person to head it up. She asked if I wanted to be that person and if I would host a group in my home?? I thought that a little strange since I'm not even a member, haven't been to a meeting and she wanted to know if I would take the lead on this? I just started quilting about 4 months ago. I'm not even sure what is done at a quilt guild meeting?

The local guild I belong to has both a day and night guild. The day one is the one I joined 2 years ago. Just held a show at a local school, shows are every 3 years, next one will be 1013.
The guild I belong to has over 100 members. The day our 100th member joined I won the raffle basket and gave it to her as a welcome gift.
I do enjoy going twice a month to the meetings as it is an outing away from home.
I was in the show and tell yesterday with 2 pieces. One was a stack the deck using very bright colored fat quarters and a brick border that I designed myself as I didn't want just a plain border.
The other piece is a small wall hanging, I got the pattern out of one of the block a day calendars. Going to tie it using buttons in the intersections! Something different. It was also done in bright colors for my white walls.

Why not use this opportunity to get active and then you'll be the one calling the shots...perhaps the evening meeting could be one targeting new quilters with the more experienced quilters coming as mentors...a different technique each month - to training on it one meeting and have folks bring machines to sew at the next meeting...a show and tell could be a block made from the new technique. it could be a really helpful and fun group, I think.

In 2002 4 of us started a guild we just wanted to share our quilting with others and make it a fun social time. We are not part of a national guild and are quite informal. We have made donation quilts,chemo caps, mystery quilts,And once a year we do a group project. One year it was an angel wallhanging another time we did a snowman wallhanging.We have also taught a beginner rail fence. We are now completing a D9P.We have many younger quilters and every year we have more.We do a BOM each meeting it is explained and brought back next month for a show and tell.We also do a FQ draw ( 3 for $1.00 tickets) the money made from this goes to buy FQ for the next months FQ draw.To start this or group of 4 donated FQ from our stash This draw is a hi point in our meetings. Dues are $20.00 and when we taught courses we put the money back in the guild. A lot of our new quilters are making a sampler with the BOM blocks some are scrappy and others chose color co-ordinated. Next month we are doing ironing mats so they will learn machine quilting sandwiching and how to make and sew binding.We have about 22 members and that is a lot for the small community I live in.Also 2 of the first 4 are here now!

No quilt guilds in my area. They have 1 about 25 miles from here, but, mostly elderly women who talk about families and things of that nature, rather then quilting.
self learner here

I belong to my church group not guild I have yet to find one besides this group where I belong. My church group is like the old time quilting bees we make dedication quilts, and such. It is fun I like it!

No, guild for me. I am not very competitive and I feel that there is a lot of competition in guilds and that is okay for some people. I just quilt for my own enjoyment, although I would welcome the fellowship from other quilters.