:? Hi Ya'll, I have a problem my quild meet doesn't like my quilts seems I'm to new a quilter or aren't like them or something.They only like traditional,and I like them BUT Don't have the time,who does?these days for such, I go for something quicker and easier. Should I stay or leave??? I'm New here as well. Bee

I don't belong to a guild because of that kind of treatment. I started to join and have been told we do it this way. So I stay home and I use the money I would have spent on a guild on fabric and I make quilts my way.

I have given my quilts and sold my quilts to other people and none of them said they did not like the quilt as a matter of fact they loved them.
So I guess I am not the person to advise you. Just had the statement to tell you. Juju

Hi Bee, Why don't you stay and just go the meetings for the show and tell and camaraderie? You can admire their quilts and still be an individualist with your own quilts. Goodness knows, my productivity is almost nil recently but I do love seeing other quilters work. There are so many good reasons to belong to a guild and you limit yourself a resource.

I'd go, some guilds are great . IN fact most are but like anything else they're are the exceptions. so leave you don't need them.

We have the best guild right here and it doesn't cost you a cent. Everyone here is very helpful and friendly.

Heck, I'd can those folks who don't appreciate and encourage something different. I'm one of those unique ones who doesn't need kudo's or support from other folks, as long as I'm happy with my own projects. Getting new information is nice, but not if you are not accepted or asked to conform to their styles. If you can't find another group that you like (or who like you), when use that money to 1) buy fabric, 2) buy new books that appeal to you, 3)then enter your projects in the county fair. Get a new bunch of friends - life is too short to be around others who don't uplift you. Sara

You forgot #4.) Send your guild fees to me. I am the greatest cheerleader in the world, for a price.

We will start with the Guild slogans...
"A Guild of One".
"Quilt all that you can quilt".
"A quilt sent to me is worth three in your mind".
"Join the Navy and make a quilt".
"The Proud, the Brave, the Quilted".
"The Quilt Force, the civilian branch of the military".
"Somewhere in the world it's Quilt O'Clock".
"We have secretly replaced your sewing machine with Tasters Choice. Can you notice the difference?".
"Is that a quilt you're making or are you just happy to see me?"

Well maybe not the last one.

tim in san jose

"There's Strong ... and then there's Quilt Strong"

P.S. put that guild on top of your lists of people to ignore and places to avoid.

Bee,

Please stay with the guild. Observe what others are doing/making. If someone uses a quilting technique you are interested in, check personally with this quilter. Each has a different skill and if approached one-on-one, will be flattered and willing to share her skill which in turn will start a new friendship. Guilds, regardless "the snobs", are a great resource.

Also, most guilds will have a guest teacher or guild teacher wherein you can take a workshop and will learn and learn and learn at a somewhat reasonable cost to you. Usually the cost per workshop is partially defrayed by the guild. Just go with an open mind, be a "sponge" and smile.

Good luck. Suzanne

A guild from what I understand can offer alot of savy advice and wisdom, as well as give history and valuable info. But it seems that alot are offering negative instructions, and criticism. Neither wanted nor warrented.I would'nt go back. I'm sure thats not what you payed for. I don't and have never belonged to a guild.But I don't handle criticism very well either. If it's given in a better way, then as if they where the quilt police, it's alot easier to handle and LEARN. Then to have your desire and imagination snuffed out. However I would look into stating your own. Why Not? Talk to a few of the PERSONS that you share with, and encourage and suggest an alternative to them, get their feel about it. After all there is the Red Hat cluds and societys, why not start something new and encouraging for new and older quilters. I'd join , for all the right reasons, learning, growing, inspiration, and most important encouragment. Just a thought.

Even if you don't interact well with some of the others in the guild, it might still be that the guild as a whole has something to offer. I quit going to one of the guilds in my area because the dynamics had changed so much that I wasn't comfortable anymore. That can happen, and it can also be that in time it will turn around and become a place where you fit right in. Guilds have transient members. :) At the very least, you can sometimes pick up valulable information and inspiration from speakers and lecturers that your program director hires to speak at a meeting. Or, just look, take in, learn, and then apply what good you've aquired to your own quilting, and leave the "sharing" out for awhile until you feel more confident with the women/men who attend the meetings. I've never once shown a quilt in "show-and-tell" at the first guild. Part of that is because I'm quite shy in public, and partly because I've never felt like my work was good enough compared to what I'd seen. Also, I'd heard discouraging remarks tossed around by others near me, and figured I didn't need to ever hear that about my own work. If they're doing it to someone else, they'll do it to me too. :) Now, at the smaller guild I've joined, I'm quite comfortable despite the fact that many of the quilters there are leaps and bounds ahead of me in expertise. But I seem to "click" with them, and feel more confident to share my stuff.

drop them, quilting is suppose to be fun, relaxing, something to do to get your mind off theese kind of people. and you want to pay for this kind of treatment. i say go the way of the man with the toe problems.

They sound a lot like what some people
have referred to as "the quilt police"...
:roll:

First of all, welcome all of you "newbies". We were all newbies once, even those stuck up snobs. The point about the guild having teachers from out of the area that the guild helps pay for is a very good one. There are some great opportunities there. Just go then if you want. Old memebers are hard to swing over, even at church. They don't like change. They are old. They will be gone sometime and then the guild will either be dead, too, of full of youngers that think differently.
Also, the Red Hat society here are a bunch of snobs, too, or what we used to call soshes. It runs through any organization where people are allowed to be like that. Not at this forum. I love us!! :D :D

:? :( :!: :?: Yea I agree with goddess, I like doing new things but don't know about this is this a cyber quilt guild sort a kinda ???BJ

From what I've read from several people here...they sound more like high school clicks than guilds. I'm wayyyy to old for high school...so I'll stay here with all you nice folks!!

Just saw your post. Welcome. My brother lives in central Texas and raises longhorns. Do you raise them?

Hi beeflasher,

I am new and have never posted before but your post made me upset.

Guilds should be nurturing, accepting of all ideas and friendly, nonjudgemental and encourage creativity.

I sent the whole chat to my friend who is the co-president of out Guild and this is her reply


hey tell that girl on your site that if she doesn't want to stay with the Guild she's in, she can participate in the Piecemakers. We'd be happy to have her! Long distance and all!

We have several long distance members and we are very friendly.

Connie

There is one quilt guild in my area, then there are a half dozen quilt stores which also have classes, If you want to learn something new join a class, if you want a group to quilt with stay with the guild long enough to meet people. There will be some good eggs

Our local guild is 25 a year plus dues and only meets everyother month, If you go as a guest 3 dollars.

try local churches, senior centers hang out at the lib near quilt books :D don't give up

Don't give up on the guild. As others have pointed out, they offer lots of instruction and years of quilting experience. Do, though, look around for a friend with whom you share common ideas. If you make just one good quilting friend, it's worth the effort. Plus, all the oldies but goldies there, might just learn a thing or two from you! (and in the meantime, stay online, the ladies and gentlemen here at this board are so supportive---I'm a newby, too, and they have always taken the time to answer my questions that I know have been asked a thousand times already)

I do have to share, though, that in addition to quilting I'm a doll collector and have collected for golly at least 30 years and belong to our local doll club. Like quilts, there are lots of doll types and lots of doll interests. But, unlike these guilds I keep hearing about, everyone in our club respects each other's interests whether it be flea market finds or expensive antique dolls. I think it makes the group truly unique and a wonderful place to be. I hope to find a quilt guild like that!

Hi, There has got to be more than 1 guild, shop around. If your new to quilting and can't find another guild try to stick it out awhile because it's a great place to pick up tips and learn new things. Good luck.

:( I once had a lady get very mad at me, because I told her I wasn't interested in joining her guild. I don't have time for that. I wouldn't go if it's not meeting your needs. There are lots of guilds out there, I bet you can find one that is more of what your looking for. Check out the library,can you tell my Mother is a Librarian. LOL. They always seem to know where everyone is meeting and what kind of group they are.

Is it all of them or just a "few", you know the "chosen few" who think they know it all? Don't let a "few" make that decision for you. I think a guild is great, especially for new comers and the younger generation. I think that it's great to have the older crowd mixed in with the young so that they "can" introduce you to the "traditional" quilts. However....it is the younger group who should have the priviledge of introducing the newer, modern type quilts and styles. I, myself, I love traditional but I do mix in modern methods and quicker methods to achieve my goal. Even though I'm not the kind of person who would make a new wave type modern quilt, I love to get to see them, I can still enjoy them visually and even learn from them. I love the individuality of a quilting group! If we all made the same quilts, with the same material, same patterns and same techniques, well....I guess I'd have to go fishing instead!

:x I vote for Can em don't go back Bee, you can do better here, and there's books and magazines, quilting videos, TV On and on. Who needs Bad ReP??? :wink: :!: :!: :D

I love my guild, but there are snobs everywhere in this world. Is it just one or two that way or most of the guild.
If just a few, it would be worth staying. If most of them to the point of discomfort, I would leave. Get with other quilter's who are less snobby.

:? Well I too have seen the problems of a G and I don't have one as we're way out too far to drive to one anyways!!!

:( If it makes ya cry or want to it's not really worth it. :?

I am so blessed. Nearly everyone in my guild is very douwn-to-earth, and willing to help others out. We all do different forms of quilting, but we don't put each other down. They are so encourageing, and quite of few of these ladies are very well to do. I have a much better appreciation for my group now, after reading some of the replies.
We have a lot of fun, and I hate to miss a single meeting. I have been in it for 2 years now, and I do the newsletter now. Wish everyone could have one as super as this one.
Beaufort, SC

Loretta, maybe it's time to start a guild of your own. Through the ladies of your church.......through some of the quilt shops......even if only meet once a month, you could take turns meeting in homes. Surely you aren't the only one in your area that quilts. Take an ad in the newspaper, looking for quilters.

Hugs,
Sharon

:? :wink: :roll: Oh My I'd say the time is over-due Or About time. Maybe You could try a country guild of make it yourself and find ladies around where you live to come ,In the Old Days they were called Quilting Bee's. Simple?? Maybe good for NOW!!!!

Wher in Texas do u livE? I am in San antonio and just belong to my church group quilting friends. We just meet and have fun. I have heard that they can be clickish and rude sometimes. Give it 1 more try if not leave and try to form a bee of your own Bebe

Write back!!!!

Maybe someone should tell them the high school called and they want their robes back... ;)

We don't have a guild locally, there are a few select ladies who get together in groups and have quilting evenings and quilting retreats on weekends. I've never gone to any simply because I don't/ won't buy into that click scene....guess that makes me a solitary quilter... lol :)

:roll: This seems to be a Huge Problem with guilds. My problem with it is I was given begin blocks only Now I find out they were Not and I was doing Intermediate quilt blocks all along, so now I have skipped and pulled my hair out and done these things to find myself looking at patterns that I began on marked Intermediate so Now I mean if I wasn't so inventful myself and was able to figure it out, they even had the wrong measurements for the pieces to be a end up block size then I hear someone say they cut them big in the first place, Maybe you just have to out Fox the Fox or the quilt guild!!!!

Thought I'd put in a few cents worth, my guild has been a source of sorry and pain at one point I was ready to jump in a Lake and I can't swim over some quilt Guru being critical and rude over my quilt. Luckily I had a talk with a few friends and family and they told me just to keep making My quilts the way I want to and no matter to what they think, after a while I did realize this was best though I have tried and done other styles now. I say Noone should make a body feel bad about their quilt Period. Quilting is for enjoyment. Ok? Anyone else???

I would go. Something will spark some inspiration in you that you will want to try. See their show and tell and get advise from seasoned quilters. If you don't go, you will miss out on a lot of great ideas! Go with the flow, I would think their criticism would be very helpful if you take it as constructive. If it is too much to take, then don't share your stuff until you are ready to share. Be proud that your work and know that we all can improve.