I have started a quilting group at my work place, no money involved. There was about 15 of us, we meet after work once a month to sew and just to get some questions answered and just get inspired.Some came with a sewing machine brand new in the box and never sewed before and now has just gone wild, and as so many others have been continue to sew, but now the problem is no one is coming out. They are quilting, sewing on their own, which is great and we do have a show and tell, they bring in their projects for us to awe over when they finish their projects but, my group has seemed to fizzle. Does anyone
have any suggestions, how to get that excitement back into our group to actually come together? It is held at our school, and we just meet from 4:00 - 7:00, we started out meeting twice a month, this year it is once a month was with a pot luck, then now just appetizers, and last couple times, it was only me. Any suggestions? I know everyone is busy, I even changed days from Mondays to Wednesday thinking that would have helped.
Starting Jan, I think I have maybe two people coming. Please help!

in my guild we each take turns 'teaching' a project at a meeting - table runners, bags from placemats, pot holders, tree shaped napkins, ornaments, casserole carriers, color wheels... whatever the 'instructor' wants to share with group.

we also work on group quilts in meetings that are donated to fire victims, newborns in need, domestic violence home, nursing homes

every year we also do an ongoing secret project (i.e. round robin, row robin, brown bag) so each month we have something to complete independently ~ final projects unveiled in June.

hope this helps

We had a Featherweight Club. We all brought our Featherweights and we all made the same sampler quilt. We had oodles of fun and all learned to do different blocks. Then we also had "Drag and Brag" or "Show and Tell" as some call it...We stayed 2 to 2 1/2 half hours. That seemed to be a long enough time to work on one block. I like the idea of everyone taking turns on a demo.

Oh, featherweight Beth, I love the idea of an FW gathering. They ARE social, aren't they? They attract one another. I haven't made anything on mine yet.

the one quilting group i belong to has been getting together for almost 10 years!!! Some of the members attend the church that it's held at. There are some of us (like me) that come just to quilt and enjoy one another.

We found a bunch of cross stitch quilt tops that were shoved in a closet and forgotten, so we have had a line of projects to keep us busy.

I think the one thing that has made it successful:

We don't have to bring anything except our favorite thimble and needle. We have 3 frames set up and there always seems to be something going. One of the women doesn't like to quilt, but she does cross stitch. The room we've taken over is "ours"

There's no cost involved - we just show up. We generally enjoy one another's company.

I do belong to another group that meets during the evening, and that one is harder for me to go to, but it is less women, and I personally don't care for the current quilts they are working on. They also do a lot of stitch in the ditch and i hate that kind of hand quilting.

A lot of us hate to do hand quilting. Or our hands do not permit us to do it. But we love quilting even if it is SID!!!

Perhaps start a project that everyone takes part in. A quilt to be auctioned off for a favorite charity and everyone helps with the blocks or baby quilts for a nearby hospital. I also think that some special classes is a great idea.

A Featherweight club?????? Ohhhhhh that sounds fantastic!!! :D:D:D

Maybe have everyone bring a sewing themed "white elephant" gift one time, a FQ or two another? other items each time? Play some kind of a quick game for the prizes, or do a blind swap? draw names for first pick? :D:D:D

I would say do a service project (i.e. pillowcases), where everyone can do them at home, but you all come together to do some too.

Hi
I run a quilt group in England. We have been going for 5 years and I worry that I can hold the interest of the ladies - but I seem to as they keep turning up :)
We meet once as month and have an agreed programme. We all agree the programme and I have done this in several different ways. One is I sent round a sheet of paper and asked them to list what they would like to do - and they could not say 'anything'! I made sure the next years programme included as much of what they had said as possible. I try to always do things that others have suggested - even if its not to my taste. We use members to teach others and I have started to pass round a collection bag so everyone can make a donation that is given to the evenings teacher as a show of gratitude.

Have you tried contacting all the ladies that used to come and see what they would like from a quilt group. Its a great shame that no ones comes anymore - but don't lose heart keep trying. Word of mouth is the best advertisement.

We did do a project, the first year we made a quilt for our Principal
since everyone loves her, then this year we made a "I Spy Quilt" for
our Home and School, because us being a new school, they managed to do a lot of funraisers, and got us things, like basketball
nets, nature walk, and so many playground equipment. So, we
(I) ended up finishing it mostly, people just were too busy to help.
We raffled it off, and made $600. The person who received it was
one of the Home & School members, she loves it. But it just seems
like I can't get them motivated. Next year I suggested "Making a quilt for the man in your life". I haven't even gotten a response...
I thought that was a good idea.

I know when I was working full time with a family it was really hard not to head home right after work. We decided to meet the last Tues of the month in the evening from 6:30 - 8:30 at our LQS (this is a handiwork group...no sewing machines...real nice relaxing social group. We pay a small fee to our LQS for the use of the lights, etc and if we need anything we can buy it right there. The working mothers really appreciate it.

good luck

I am one of those lazy people who just doesn't want to take the time and trouble to pack up my machine and all my stuff to go quilt. Have done it before, always forget something. I do love to see what others are working on, though. So I do "drop in" when I know they are meeting.

if interest has faded and it is only you and no one else appears interested, then perhaps it is time to close down. This happened to me and I realized I no longer wanted to struggle and plan when no one else was interested and it was too much effort when only one showed up.
Refocus and organized so there is less stress on you. My group wnet from 12-15 down to one occasionally. When I sent out notice that I was discontinuing, no one begged to keep it going. One wrote me and said it was unfortunate but didn't say he would start attending.

if interest has faded and it is only you and no one else appears interested, then perhaps it is time to close down. This happened to me and I realized I no longer wanted to struggle and plan when no one else was interested and it was too much effort when only one showed up.
Refocus and organized so there is less stress on you. My group wnet from 12-15 down to one occasionally. When I sent out notice that I was discontinuing, no one begged to keep it going. One wrote me and said it was unfortunate but didn't say he would start attending.

I agree it's not worth the effort when there is insufficient interest. Where I am, this type of group meeting seems to be done by LQS only. They typically require sign-up and a fee paid up-front for the get-together sessions.

One thing I found with these types of get-togethers, even when done in the LQS, is that the chairs and tables are really not appropriate for sewing machine work. My back cannot take metal folding chairs with standard tables.

Some of the intimate groups that last a long time seem to originate as offshoots of a quilting guild. Typically the members meet in each other's homes, taking turns every month. It helps if people live near each other and if the weather is halfway decent.