If there are any sewing/quilting classes in your area, sign up. froggyintexas

The guild I belong too also has its cliques, however my experience has been that the individuals are friendly and willing to share once they see you are dedicated and are not just out to see what the guild can do for you. You have to show yourself friendly, meaning wear a smile and make eye contact. Our speakers, many nationally known, have motivated me to do more. I really though wanted some place to serve and our community outreaches through service projects was my main motivation to join.

My LQS has open sewing one day a week where anyone can come in with their machines and projects and do their own thing. I suggested it and it has worked out wonderful for the shop as most of us usually pick up something we just can't live without or we see someone elses project and want to do it too so she makes out really good. The great advantage to me was working with some new friends I made and we are now doing some group projects, with different levels of talents the newbys are getting help and the advanced quilters are enjoying sharing their talents so it is a win/win situation. Most of us but not all are in the local "guild"/club so we already knew each other but only as much as the formal meetings allowed. Now we go on shop hops together where me make up our own hops. Talk to your local shop owner and see if she would be willing to let a group start meeting there to sew during the day while she is open.....good P.R. and advertizing for her.

i am looking for the same thing, but we are to far apart.
donnak in south carolina

I belong to 2 quilt groups and one CareCap group for Cancer, each meet once a month. One quilt group has the do it for yourself sew with a show and tell and a volunteer for refreshments. The other is about 40+ women with a quilt agenda in the morning, bring your own lunch and afterwards free sewing eith for yourself or whatever volunteer quilt sewing is scheduled. This group is pure pleasure as a learning experience, a sewing pal experience, whatever. If there is any discord I have not heard any. All three groups I have been in several years and enjoy. I forgot about their retreats. Love to go and sew and sew. Maybe you should try to find another group meeting in your area through the internet. Done that too. Enjoyed.

I just found out that a few quilters in my area meet at the local school on Sundays and quilt all day. The guild here was too large and no one was doing anything, so I am going to give this a try. It's a bring-your-project-snacks-questions and everyone helps everyone else. Hope it is a great as it sounds!

before I moved to where we are now, My friend and I started getting together every Tues evening and quilting, then my sister joined us, then a couple of cousins and one sister in law, ended up 7 all together, called ourselves the Seven Sisters, didn't always quilt, sometimes went to movies or out to dinner, went to Paducah as a group. That was in '91 and they are still getting together, I live too far away to go now, but plan on rejoining them if and when we move back. We always called Tues evening "Stitch N Bitch" night. I miss them

I started quilting at our local Senior Center We are the Material Girls of Pooler GA. Now several of us meet at a members house once a month.

We have a local quilting tutor who has a class room on her property, we meet there once a week, we each put in $5 to cover power, coffee and tea. we also have a lotto syndicate which costs us each $1 per week (we live in hope of the big win and a BIG shopping spree) we have so much fun and help each other

Dale
New Zealand

CorgiNole, Are you in Chapel Hill, NC or Chapel Hill ,TN ?