Do any of you belong to a quilt guild?
Do you like it?

I belong to several, but most of them are out of town. Even out of state...

The one here in town I just dread going to...tonight is guild night and I just do not feel like going...though I do have obligations to being there!

How sad is that?

I enjoy the guilds but I can't do the sewing groups where you have to pack up everything and lug it to a destination and sit and sew all afternoon. Its just too much trouble.

I belong to 3 guilds right now. I'm going to drop one of them at the end of this year (which is in June since it runs the school year). That group is the furthest from home and I'm just not enjoying it anymore. I am the photographer for that group and made a commitment to be the photographer, so I will stick it out. I totally understand what you mean about not wanting to go but having an obligation to be there.

Seeing who is in your avatar and knowing you recently put this precious dog down is probably another reason you don't want to go tonight. Having said all that, I hope you do go tonight as it will probably do more good than harm. {{{hugs}}}

I drive hours to go to other guild meetings and the one that is just 3 minutes from my house, I just loathe going to! I have gone ever since I moved here in '05 and it has gone so downhill that it is just no fun to go.

All they ever do is have a trunk show, same ole, same ole. the old ladies who think they invented quilting do not want to hear about let alone learn about anything that is NEW, creative or inventive!

I have done everything I could possible do to try and like going there, but this year, is my NEW year, NEW me and I don't want to do anything that does not make ME happy any more....

I wish you all were going to be there...would be more fun!

Me too, I would love to join you!

How about starting your own group? You can probably rent space at your church or at a Senior Center. I bet some of the ladies in your current group might like something different for a change. What do you think?

I tried to get a day group started, but it is hard in this town to find a place to use for free.
and when a group is just starting, FREE is the best you can do.

THe churches want $150 for a 3 hour day!

If you aren't comfortable in that guild, wrap up your obligations and stop going! I belong to the sewing guild, I'm always there if they need a volunteer but I don't attend any meetings and I only participate in 2 major functions a year. They're a nice group of ladies but a bit too clicky, and somewhat set in their ways, for me, so I keep a low profile and enjoy what little I do.

I am so sorry you feel like that about going to your guild. I used to, but that was before I joined mine. There are a few kindred spirits in the bunch and we tend to hang together. Don't pay any attention to those old bitties that are afraid of something new. Keep at it, and keep doing it for your love of quilting. Is there a chance you could get some of your quilting buddies to join? New membership is a great place to start making changes. Good luck to you. I hope it gets better.

you ladies and gentlemen on this board are my guild! :)

Mine too

:thumbup:

I agree with you there. I know this message board has several threads about local quilt guilds. I wanted to try the bigger one in Dallas, but it snowed/iced on the last one. I will be going to this next one though. Hopefully it won't be so clique-ish

Im with you about making ME happy!! I just told my husband the other day...." I spent the first 49 years doing what others wanted me to do, I'm gonna spend the next 49 years doing what I WANT TO DO" !!!! If I don't want to do it I'm NOT GOING TO DO IT!

That's a shame that your local guild is so un-enjoyable! Life is too short and time is too precious to spend time dreading those meetings. I had the same problem (on the executive board for the local Agricultural Museum)I fretted months about it before finally submitting my resignation due to increased family and work demands. I haven't regretted my decision for a second!

I was guild president for the last few years and held that office six months after joining! I showed up for a meeting and said I've never been to a guild before so let me know if I do something wrong like sit in the wrong spot or something. The greeter laughed and said go sit right there by Lucille, she will keep you company. Lucille move over and let her sit by you and behave yourself. I have loved it from the first visit. I jumped in with both feet and raised my hand for every task. I figured the only way to get the guild to a fresh new agenda was to be in position to nudge it in that direction. Many of the older members have loosened up and enjoy the new ways of doing things. The old biddies that don't well, they just come to gripe and never offer anything constructive.

Do you have a public library or Parks and recreation center near you. Sometimes these public places have meeting rooms for free use. Also our Panara has a meeting room that can be reserved for community events-but I don't know if there is a fee.

is this the Dallas guild that has the big show in March
That must be one amazing guild..that show is one of the best and I go every year...yes, it is a 6 hour drive, so I spend the weekend...it is that good!

so are you going to be 50 this year?
I am...so I am with you on this!

we can use the library room but NO sewing, and if the city decides they need it, you get a call THAT day saying you can not use it...sometimes we are not rural enough for me....

Well that makes 3 of us. My birthday is in June, when are your birthdays?

Does anyone have a room big enough in their house to get a group going? Once you get a group of people together, someone might have a connection to get you into another place.

I don't belong to any guild, don't have any desire to join one, even if there was one in my area.

What about a community centre? I belong to a group of ladies and we each pay $25.00 for the season...think it is from Sept to June...and we use it all day.
sass

nope nothing like that here! I wish there was something...even in bush Alaska we had more choices...everything in this town is owned by 2 families or the city and they all want TOP city dollar for use of the places....Even our Knights of Columbus hall wants $250 for just 3 hours!

I used to belong to the guild but then I found the QB. This year, I thought I'd rejoin (and I may yet) but the meeting was last Tuesday and my goodness, it was raining cats and dogs. So I went home instead and got online here. See, here, I have guild meetings every day.

Sounds like you are in the wrong guild. I usually can't wait to get to our guild. I have only been a member for a year, but have met several people and most of them are so kind.

Finish your obligations and then done with going. Life is too short.

Boy! I joined and got very involved. After about 3 years I decided it wasn't how I wanted to spend my time. Too much time was spent trying to make everybody happy, and you know how it goes. You can make some of the people happy some of the time, and not all of the people all of the time. Not for me!

One of the Panara's in our area lets people use the room for free (I went to a business meeting at one but I'm sure they would love a group of quilters :) ) They probably count on people getting something to eat.

THe churches want $150 for a 3 hour day![/quote]

Shame on them, especially if you are making quilts for Charity. Our church lets us use if for nothing. We usually meet from 9 am till 3 and we order lunch in. We have a blast.

remember I said I lived rural...our nearest Panara is 2 hours in any of 3 directions!

I would love to be more active in this guild...however, they only want their buddies and newcomers who will follow directions to be on the board. They never have classes unless they are at the queen bee's classroom(which I still believe it is wrong to use a high school classroom for quilt classes when the school district is paying the bills) A note here, we have a Queen Bee, she is the founding member and all of the rules are hers. Nothing is done in that guild unless SHE approves or leads it.

Could be why it has gone from 150 members to 35 in less than 5 years!

Does anyone belong to a guild in the Hazel Park,Royal Oak area of Michigan?
And do you like it?

So sad!

So sad!

Guilds just like people come in all shapes and sizes. My one guild is friendly, open and accepting. My other guild from which I have recently resigned is small minded, judgmental and crushing for those who want to stretch the "acceptable limits". I rocked the "queen bee's boat" which didn't sit well with her and her honour guard. Even though the rest of the membership are wonderful people, I can no longer deal with such small and petty thinking. The whole business left me feeling abused and taken advantage of and I refuse to be involved with activities or people who suck the joy out of my soul. If your guild is leaving you feeling drained and empty, there are other things to do on guild night!

Life is short and why in the world would you waste precious hours doing something that brings little joy to you. If it's your family or those friends you care about, that's a choice. I do not surround myself with negative people of small minds who want to belittle or to hurt others. One other small detail that helps cheer me up on a dark winter's day is to surround myself with all my jewel-tone fabrics. Ideas start floating around as to which pattern I can make with this beautiful and tactile material. :lol:

I rejoined a local Guild this year since the programs had improved. After two meetings - ugh! Those women are the rudest bunch of people, constanting talking among themselves while the President is trying to conduct a meeting. Not only is it disrespectful and rude, but I can't hear the speaker over the constant hum of conversation. Adults should know better.

when I moved here I joined two groups, never felt like any one was friendly. Kind of felt out of place. So now you all are my group and boy am I learning alot.

Wish we could all be a guild!
I dont belong to one either, but if you dont like it, I would just try to get out too. I agree, life is too short doing something you wontenjoy!

Now I'm just the opposite! LOL! I belong to two guilds but I seldom go to meetings at #1 (which is quite clique-y) and I go to #2's meetings 'cause I'm filling in on the board. If there is to be a guest speaker at Guild, I Google them. If I decide I like what they do, then I'll go to the Guild meeting.
Now the Friendship groups are enjoyable. For 2 years I've driven 25 miles every week to attend one (that's today, YAY!), and then 64 miles round trip twice a month to longarm about 500 of the 750 philanthropy quilts we make a year.
I've been a member of the Presbyterian quilters (we meet weekly) for 5 years and a hand quilting group member at the Methodist Church for about 20 years (we meet weekly too).
I have made some dear friends in the smaller groups. The Guild meetings are all about business or presentations, leaving hardly any time for socializing and meeting new people. But they are trying harder lately as the word has finally penetrated :)

I belong to one. We officially meet once a month from 10 to 4.
We have at least four UFO days a month from 10 to 4, but since the extension office opens at 8:00 we can arrive earlier. I usually get there between 8:30 and 9:00. It is my only cutting and sewing time, so I want to get as much in as I possibly can.