So true about groups. Quilters are human and get excited seeing their buddies. Several times a year I have new members stand up. this reminds the other members, "we are all the welcoming committee". This seems to wake us up to how a new member may feel. Group activities that new members join in make them feel right at home with everyone.
But in truth, there are guilds that are too large and unfriendly. That does happen everywhere. Keep looking, guilds are quite inspirational and there are great ones everywhere.

I am a loner. Never have the time to do all the things required to be a member and my schedule isn't the same two days in a row.

Guilds can offer us lots of support, educational classes and workshops,speakers to help us learn about new products/techniques/resources, trips for groups of similar interest, opportunities to give to others (ie, Quilts of Valor for returning soldiers, comfort quilts for hospitals, baby quilts for young children and infants who are in need,etc etc). I've been told in the past "I know everything I need to know about quilting...why would I need to know more?" That's sad to me. Guild membership can offer much inspiration and oppportunity to grow our craft and fellowship with other like-minded women...and men!

sounds like an ideal situation......as far as guilds check "requirements" before joining and realize that they can multiply at the next board meeting ! senior citizen discount can be dropped, work hours at annual show can increase with no exception for disability, number of oppertunity quilt tickets to be sold can increase, many things requiring time and money can change rather suddenly at the "whim" of the board.

My sister and I are recently-retired teachers and are both quilters. We visited the local guild's show in September, and ran into a handful of people we knew, and were invited to come to the guild meetings. We've been to two now, went on the fall retreat (2.5 days of sewing, sharing, eating, laughing, and great fun!), and have gotten to meet more guild members. All of the folks have been so welcoming, supportive, and encouraging! At our first meeting, the new folks were invited to stand and we were welcomed with applause and smiles all around the room. I am impressed with all the service projects these folks do! This guild of around 300 members donated over 800 quilts to local need-based organizations this year! In addition, they raised over $2500 to donate to a local camp for handicapped folks. I like being a part of a group that cares for others. The monthly meetings feature a guest speaker who presents between the morning and evening meetings, and you can attend that part or not. The focus of this group is educating others, and learning from each other. They seem to be of the mind that we do and should learn from others and share what we've learned along the way.
Many days I sew alone at home, and I love that, especially after 43 years of working outside the home and being way too busy! I am blessed to be so close to my sister and we quilt together at least once a week so that is something of a mini-guild for the two of us.
Both my sister and I visit this Board daily and have learned so much form all of you! Thank you for your continued inspiration!
We are blessed to have the best of all worlds!

This site IS my guild and it open and available 24/7:>). Can get help from quilters worldwide, get to chance to help other quilters, show my work, as well as seeing the work of others, get guidance to best online shops and other sites, and on, and on, and on.....
Even if just want to talk "non-quilting" which I rarely do or share/find a recipe in the middle of the night. You can't beat this place - I'm 70+ and I know.

I belong to a very small group. Memebership limited to 20 members and by invitation only. When we have an opening, the members submit names of someone wanting to join. All of the members vote yes or no by secret ballot. One "no" vote and the person doesn't get in. The person being voted on isn't aware that they have even been submitted, so there aren't any hard feelings. If they weren't voted in, they never know that. I know it seems rigid but this is a very small town and most of these people have been here all their lives. There is another group in a town close by that has some members that are gossipy and clique-y. The founders of the group I'm in didn't want the same problems in this one. So far, seems to be working, we all get along nicely and don't have the competetive/jealousy thing to distract from the fun of getting together and enjoying ouselves.

I sewed on my own for about 10 years and finally found a guild. I have learned many new techniques that I would not have tried on my own and met a lot of fun, encouraging people. I love the help, new friends and fun we have. I do sew very well by myself but it is nice to have that circle to help you

Tried a guild when we lived in Arizona. Very cliquish group of women, very talented and not very encouraging to a new member, or those less 'talented/experienced' than they were.

My long arm quilter has been encouraging me to visit the guild here, am considering it as I'm not going to judge all guilds by the one I tried to participate in that I felt wasn't a good experience.

I have never heard of a guild having a waiting list. Why do they limit the number of their members?

Good Morning...

I am a member of a medium size guild (cap at 75 members-just recently raised from 55 members)and thoroughly enjoy it. I was a member from the very beginning so that might make a difference. Everyone is very friendly. I think the smaller the guild the easier it is to make friends. I am also a member of two smaller 'friendship' groups all consisting of my best friends. Loads of fun. If you don't want to join a large guild, try starting a small "Bee" group of like-minded people and meet at each others homes.

I had much the same experience with the guild I tried to participate in very, very cliquish and chit chat was not encouraging...

I too bathe regularily and generally thought to be somewhat 'okay' in appearance! LOL with your P.S. comments!!!

Absolutely my experience too...but I'm willing to give another guild a try to the area we now live in. Just dragging my heels at this point....

Oh, I wish we'd known each other when we lived in Aurora...lived there 35 years but have moved away. I would have been your quilt buddy!!!!

Give guilds a chance. I am currently president of our guild, for the second time. I do ask if there are any visitors or new members present at every business meeting. I may expand that to have that new person tell us about themselves.
I try to talk to the new person after the meeting is over, but they have usually dissapeared by the time I am done with my duties.
Give it more than just one meeting to try. I do feel that we try to make any new person welcome, but that person needs to make an effort also. We are all there because of our love of quilting. Most quilters are caring and generous people, give us a chance. ;-)

One other thing, if you really are looking for people to quilt with, and don't care for the established groups - start a new one! There are no rules for that!
Put an ad in the paper, ask at the local quilt shop, whatever it takes.

I don't belong to a guild but I feel like I am in one here on the board.
you can ask silly questions get good answers and I feel like I know every one.I get all the help I need.(and I need plenty) The members here are the best!

I'm not sure if you were replying to me but in my personal experience I gave it nearly a year. In fact I stepped up to be secretary when no one else would take the position.

I think from Junior High/Middle school on girls/women, in my experience, can be cliquish...whether it be a guild, a church group....we feel comfortable with established friendships and forget at times to be warm and welcoming to someone new. It's not that we aren't friendly we can without being even aware seem to be cliquish.

I'm guilty of this too in that seeing someone new I should step out of my comfort zone and say hello and welcome. This discussion has given me food for thought...in re evaluating my actions when I attend gatherings, especially should it be in a group of women.

I was in a small guild (about 20 women ) when I lived in a smaller town and they were great. They spent a long time on show & tell and had projects you could learn to do. Really really nice women. Then I moved away and tried a guild recently here in a bigger city and was appalled at the women and how they acted. Will not go back there ! I actually like guilds and maybe will start one someday. Met a lovely lady here on the board and she asked me to join other women quilting on Thursday and that has worked great. You learn so much in a group and the show & tell is fun too.

I joined a guild here about 12 years ago. After about 18 months of being the outsider I left. Some guilds are good, some still have their 'high school cliques'. During that time I watched the same thing happen to 3 other new members....does that make the the slow learner? Much happier doing my thing with a couple friends.

Sounds like we went to the same guild. It's not for me either!

Before we moved back to Fort Wayne 12 years ago I had joined the Noble County Indiana quilt guild but had only gone to about 3 meetings just before the move. I think I would have really loved that guild since most of us lived in the country but now I am back in the city I have never attended a quilting guild here. Have been thinking about it but am afraid I won't fit in. I looked at their guild online and they look very much advanced to what I can do. I think I am a big chicken!

This quilting board gives everyone a voice and lots of feedback. Some are shocked that there are waiting lists. The guild very near to where I live has over 200 and does have a waiting list. I have heard from some that it is not too friendly and based on a a "quilting teacher" that I have taken classes from, I agree. 200 is way too many for me. Then a modern quilt guild came to town and meets in a quilt store - usually no more than 20 attend. I have enjoyed this little group. Time to share, swap and participate in little challenges and make group quilts for donation. Just my speed.

I retired 3 years ago and re-joined our local guild. It was definitely the right thing for me. We have a wonderful guild located in Washington, PA. If you are ever in the area on a Tuesday, PM me and you can visit. We have friends and family in "Picktown", so, who knows, I may get to meet you someday. :-)

I belong to 2 guilds, one meets in the morning and one in the evening. The morning group has over 200 members, the evening has almost 100. I like them both for different reasons. The guilds bring in good speakers and teachers. I take the classes when I can afford to, about twice a year. One has a yearly retreat, both have once a year classes of members teaching members which has a minimal cost.
When I first started quilting the thing I liked most about meetings was "show and tell". It gave me ideas about color, designs, fabric combinations, and sometimes a skill to shoot for.
I also belong to a small group of ladies who meet once a month to sew all day. There are about 14 of us. Usually there are about 8 - 10 who come. It is a great chance to get to know them a little better. We share ideas, teach each other, etc. and generally have a good time. Probably the closest thing to an old fashioned quilting bee.
I have a tendency to be a hermit so being around others is good for me. Although, since DH retired I'm not alone so much. It is still good to spend time with friends who have the same interests.

I like my guild a lot, here are some of the reasons why:
1. Every other year there is a quilt show, next week is our week to shine.
2.There are "small groups" that have a special focus. Some do machine embroidery, some do machine quilting, etc.
3. We take bus trips.
4. We have retreats where you can sew to your hearts delight.
5. Every meeting we have show and tell, where we can get inspired.
The one thing you have to remember is you only get out of it what you are will to put into it. Get involved and you will love it, at least I do! Good luck!

I don't belong to a guild but I do belong to a group that gets together monthly to work on UFOs. I really like this group because it is low key and no president or officers. Just a group of friends that like to quilt. Everyone there is willing to share patterns, talents and anything that is needed at the time. It is always fun to see the new projects everyone is working on.

I'm still not sure if this guild is for me, but I've only been twice so far. It is large

What I really wish is for a friend close by that I could get together with for sewing time. It seems most of my friends aren't sewers let alone quilters.

I've been invited to try another guild in the next town and I think I'll do just that before I make any decisions.

But a sewing friend would be my first choice.

I am with Murphy on quite times for quilting. We have two quilting groups in my town. Unless I took my sewing machine, there would be very little to do. I could take my quilt top, batting and backing which could be put together and basted there, or put the binding on a quilt. Think I will just stay home.

I think that it really depends on what you are looking for. I belong to a group that is very informal. We meet and sew once a week at a LQS. It is open to anyone that wants to come and sew and we always welcome any newcomers. The shop is very gracious to let us use their classroom for a open sew day. I would imagine that this is thier best sales day of the week since they know how weak we are when the new items arrive and we always seem to need something. LOL. We come when we can and all work on whatever we want to wether it be quilting, embroidery or other sewing project. We show and tell, help and support one another in any way we can. We will take a class at the shop when we want to learn a special tecnique or project. Or if we have a group of at least 3 the shop will make a class when they have open time. The LQS also has many special days when they have speakers, seminars and trunk shows. I guess you could say my LQS is my guild in some ways. I have the choice to join in for any of these or not. This works best for me.

I'm a solitary stitcher, never had much interest in joining a guild group.

Very interesting discussion! I am in a guild, the second one I've been in. The one I was in before I moved had more going on. I have experienced the cliques and the DIVAS who drive me nuts. I try to be the person reaching out to others, not as much as I should, but more than I used to be, because I've been on the other side of the fence too. I do enjoy the speakers and the philanthropy projects. Being in the small groups, sit-and-sew at local quilt shops, too,and meeting other quilters are what I like best about the guild concept.

I have belonged to several guilds over the years. They are kind of like jobs; some you love so much you can't wait to get there & others make you feel kinda nauseous! (grin). I did find that by volunteering to serve on committees or be on the ex board helped me get to know members of the guild that I wouldn't have ordinarily gotten to know that well otherwise. That makes being a member much more enjoyable. This is my 1st yr belonging to a small guild near me & I volunteered to be in charge of door prizes. That is a fun position to have & has allowed me to intermingle with the other members while asking if anyone is interested in buying tickets. If you are not a very outgoing person, but feel comfortable in small groups, try to get on a nominating committee or something similar. Those committes usually only meet a couple of times, but are a good way to get to know some of the other members.

Was just at a retreat this weekend with a guild who lets me join them, but I don't belong to them, as they are not close to me, but have a GOOD friend who goes and it's near my house here. Anyways, no thank you!!!!!~
I'm a solitary quilter. Don't need to be told what to do, how to do it and then critiqued. Nope. Seems like high school to me with all the cliques.
I don't need to sit around and "talk". I want to SEW!~ Don't need meetings. If I wanted to go to meetings, I'd join weight watchers, which I need to do .

I just retired this year and had always wanted to be in a guild. I found one and have gone to the weekly evening "sit and sew" where everyone brings a hand project (quilting, knitting, embroidery etc) they are working on. The conversations and fellowship is very enjoyable to me.
The guild meets once a month on a Saturday. They also have a week-end long "quilt camp" three times a year. The members can stay overnight or just go during the day.
Everyone is to wear their PJ's ...LOL..
The fall camp is next week-end and I am signed up to go...Looking forward to it..
The members have been very kind and made me feel welcome:)

I don't belong to a big guild but I have two small groups that I go to. We meet in each others homes, have a salad lunch or soup. Usually we have some sort of a quilt challenge going on, and one of the groups go tot he beach for 4 days. We have been doing this for about 20+ years. We have made blocks for each other so we all have quilts made that we can snuggle under. I don't enjoy big guilds because they are too impersonal. Jan

I went to two guild meetings. Because I'm still in my 20's, I was told that I "wasn't a real quilter" and "you have got to be kidding, *that* is not a quilt" and the *that* they were referring to was a donation quilt to the AAQI.

I never went back.

To be honest, I've never felt more shunned or as belittled as I did at those 2 meetings. I went to the second one because I thought the first might have been a fluke, but the second meeting I was greeted with, "Oh, you're back. It costs $25 to stay as a non member."

Worst $25 I ever spent.

The QB is my quilt guild, and I love it here.

I don't like being tied down. Had enough of that raising kids. I like to do my own thing in my own time.

I belong to the guild andf also we have bee groups which allows us to do more things and get to know people much netter and find other groups not affiliateed with the guild

I belong to the guild andf also we have bee groups which allows us to do more things and get to know people much netter and find other groups not affiliateed with the guild