Bev, have you thought about your local friends or acquaintances? That is kinda how I really got into quilting. my DH step-grandmother is an avid quilter and when I first met her she gave me the bug. Which I think kinda made my MIL a little bit upset, especially since she offered to make me a quilt for my wedding and didn't do that for my SIL's wedding. But that is a whole different thread. Maybe if you make a few small lap quilts and give them to some people who you know well that like crafty things. That is always a good way to spread the bug. Especially if you make really nice ones.

There are some other UK quilters here. I think, as an American quilter, I grew up loving quilts, before they were being mass produced, so having a quilt was special thing. Quilts are involved in our country's myth and history. Climate may play into it, too.

Quilting was invented in England Well not really but there has always appeared to be lots of quilting activity there. Check this site http://www.quiltguilds.com/united-kingdom.htm Many teachers from the US go there to teach. And there is an exhibit at the Victoria and Albert Museum that there has been a lot of discussion about. We have longarm quilters coming here from the UK. So search the internet and you will find other quilters.

Welcome to you! Glad you found some people at least on the internet that share the same intrests!

Oh my! Growing up with my roots in the hills of eastern Kentucky (even tho I lived in Michigan) I can't imagine NOT having a quilt on my bed. Both my grandmother's and my great grandmother made quilts until they couldn't any longer.
I must ask....what do you use to cover up with at night?
Carol B

Hi Bev in the UK. Nice to know you. It is strange how we can survive so much on our own. I love this quilting board. When my husband was forced by bad health this past summer, we lost a lot of friends. He is a minister and now I see that some were just along for the ride...to know things..Luckily I was not a person that talked about very personal things to the people I thought were my friends. But it is hard, but I have done more quilting work since joining this board then I had in the past 10 years. I am so glad that you have this also. You know with things changing and such sad things going on in our world, at least we have someome to talk to that we don't have to worry about turning against us. We will learn and enjoy our time visiting with others on here.

you are not alone, you have all of us.

Hi...You might find this blog interesting if you're a machine quilter. She's an American that's lived in the UK for many years. She and her husband have a quilting business and she teaches machine quilting. Hope you can find some fairly local quilting friends too.

http://machinequilter.blogspot.com/

I'm sorry you feel isolated Bev, I am a UK exile living in Ireland. There are likely to be fewer quilt classes because of the general demise of adult education services (I used to teach evening classes in Norfolk). But if you managed a day trip to the Festival of Quilts in Birmingham in August, you might have a different outlook - it would come across as huge. I went two years ago, missed last year, but I'm going again this year. It took me two days to see most of it last time - at least, to do it justice. More than 1200 quilts, and suppliers galore. In addition there are two monthly magazines produced in the UK, Popular Patchwork, and Patchwork & Quilting, and a Quilt Guild.

All is not lost, how about putting a small personal ad. in your local paper? That's how I found my quilting chums here, and we have had a small (but perfectly formed, LOL) group that meet twice a month for nearly 10 years now.

You are the one that put that beautiful pinwheel quilt on yesterday. I can see you love to quilt and no wonder you want to share your talents with others. That quilt is fantastic. I know how you feel. I worked in LA for the last 30 years with a lot of women and never found a one who liked to even sew at all. They always told me it was a waste of my time and money to sew and to have a sewing machine that could do any more than sew a straight line back and forth. I have sewn since I was very young, so they didn't change my feelings in the least. I have been lucky the past 2 years to have found a quilt shop close to learn quilting and meet a ton of women who are as addicted to quilting as I am. It is so nice to share with them and with the people on this forum. Glad you found this. I am sure everyone is looking forward to seeing more of your quilts posted here.