I need ideas!! I was just elected VP of our quilt guild and we are brainstorming for our programs in the comming year. We have a Christmas in July-each member brings something -a book they no longer want or a tool they don't use or just buy something and then we play dirty Santa. We go on a fabric buying trip once a year, we have someone come and do a class once a year, members give demonstration at several of the meetings. I need some ideas of what some of you do in your guilds.

Sorry that I can't be of much help to you. This is my quilting guild and I love it here. :D :-) :) :P

i don't belong to our local guild. not because there's anything wrong with it. i just never remember the meetings. :roll:

i did remember to go to one meeting last year. they each bring one fat quarter to each meeting and get to exchange it for one from the pile that accumulates. a variation of that theme could be a square swap done like a cookie swap. each person brings as many random squares (standard size) as there are members to each meeting. make one pile for each member from all the squares brought in. everybody takes a pile home.

this is just my personal opinion. (worth a cup of coffee if you add a dollar to it.) i think guilds should look for ways to turn the members' talents and resources to good works. in addition to all the other activities, if each member brought one block to each meeting in one month, the group could put together a top (more than one if you have enough members). then, either somebody volunteers to do the tieing/quilting before the next meeting, or the next meeting includes a quilting bee to get it done. you'd have at least six quilts a year to donate to a local shelter, hospice, or hospital ward.

step 1 - somebody demonstrates a block or technique at the meeting
step 2 - each member makes one of that block, or the block of their choice using the technique demonstrated
step 3, etc - use the blocks to make the tops, etc

Hi This month our group is each bringing in five fat qtrs. We will put them in individual bags and those who brought them in will take a bag home. They are supposed to make something out of the Fabric for that person and can add other fabric as needed. At Christmas we will exchange our "gifts" we have made. Marge

One of the things we did a couple of years ago was pizza box quilts. Everyone put a yard of fabric in a pizza box. On the lid some people wrote down things they liked or collected, but most just put their name and phone number. Then each month you grabbed someone else's pizza box. During that month you were supposed to make a 12 1/2" block using their fabric and fabric from your stash. The only rule was size of the block and you had to use their fabric in the block. In December we got our boxes back. Some people would make more than one block and a couple held boxes too long and only made one block, so some boxes had more blocks than others. I got mine back with only 8 blocks, but they were amazing. I made one more block and put it together as a baby quilt for my nephew. It's one of my favorites to date.

Our Guild,once a year has whats called a "Round Robin" where usually the quilt shops in the area demonstrate a new tool or way to make something.we have 5 shops in our area,so we set up little areas each shop gets around 20 min and then we move in a clockwise motion to the next demo.and the people attending are broken up into small groups so that there is a group for every demo goin on.
we also have a quilt -a-thon where we take one day out of the year and set it aside to spend the whole day making quilts for charity,they are simple patterns,we have a groups cutting,sewing,ironing, sandwhiching(?),then another tying.all quilts aregiven to a charity or two.its fun,we usually have the local t.v station show up and film a little of whats going on and its a great way to meet the people in your guild that you might not normally talk toOf course we have close to 900 people in our guild,it is pretty big

Another idea, we have a block of the month,everyone who is interested can pick up a pattern,usually for the next months meeting,and make the selected block as many as you want.then at the meeting you turn them in to the person in charge of it,we write our name down for as many blocks as we turn iti.ie.6 blocks-name 6 times.each name is given a number and a corresponding number place in a bag.at the end of the meeting a number is pulled and that person wins all the blocks.if there is 20 or more blocks turned in then they might pick 2 names

Thanks everyone, these are great ideas. Some fun things for us to try. I cannot imagine a guild with 900 members. We have 20 and usually only average about 10 members a meeting.

If you go to this http://www.quiltguilds.com/texas.htm and then click on Guild Program Suggestions, there are 36 ideas to look at. Hope you find what your looking for and enough to keep ya busy!

Thanks Lisa, that was a great site and some neat ideas.

Looking for a instructions of a quilt pattern called Dresden Heart. Have any of seen or made this. would love to make it, I saw a photo of one but, know seems to have the pattern.

There are about 25 members of our guild who signed up for a "Bobbin Buddy". Each fills out a questionnaire about our favorites, birthday, hobbies. The president compiled a list of these items and passed it out to those participating. We pull a name from the hat the try to surprise our "Buddy" with little gifts to their liking. Gifts are fun to give and receive. Your Buddie is revealed at the end of the year.

Fun Fun Fun!!!

Suzanne

NEED TO PICK YOUR BRAIN ON NAME 2 THING YOUR BRAIN IS IN CHARGE OF?

I actually thought your brain was in charge of EVERYTHING in your body but maybe I'm wrong????? Can't be! :wink: :roll: Two things the brain is in charge of? I guess I'd say telling to empty body waste (pee and poo) and telling the body when it's too hot or too cold. Do I win? Pick me, pick me!!! :lol: