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