Make sure someone brings scissors, thread and quilting pins as well as a rotary cutter. At our guild meeting, we always brought a covered dish of some kind and everyone had lunch together. It was great fellowship. If you bring in a few magazines or quilting pattern ideas it would help. Also, one thing I thought was helpful was when everyone brought in scraps and one person was in charge of keeping them. That way if someone needed a small piece of fabric, they cold look in the scrap or extra fabric box. Another thought for spreading the word about your group is if you make something to donate to nursing home, hospitals, animal shelters, etc. Nothing spreads the word like doing something nice to donate. Good luck

Your local quilt shop might be willing to spread the word.

Essential item to bring: chocolate! (M&Ms work well)

Not meaning to be negative, but from personal experience you may want to have people invite a friend who would be compatible with the group. I unfortunately was part of a group that ran into a problem with open invitation to anyone. The group folded. It started out so wonderfully and ended very badly.

You may want to change to sack lunch with an occasional potluck. Some people just never seem to want to take a turn in the kitchen. People can bring snacks if they wanted to. Years ago I occasionally attended a group who used a local deli to deliver sandwiches which had been ordered earlier in the morning. It helped their business and we could just sew without food prep etc. They also did wonderful lattes.

Sure hope this works out. Nothing is more fun that sewing and visiting with like minded friends. I would hate to see you having to spend the bulk of your time running the group instead of your sewing machine.

Each Quilter could donate a Quilted Tote Bag To the Library Raffle for a Drawing near Mother's Day... or the library could Sell the Totes...?? Our Library has several Quilted Wall hangings the the Quilt Group has Donated... They also Donated a Quilt to Raffle off just before Christmas....

I agree with the above. We tape lunch sized paper bags to the edges of work surfaces. Ask the library if they supply a broom or dust mop for cleaning up at the end. I like a magnet on a stick (mine is telescoping from jhittle.com) to assist with the pins that go astray.

My first thought seems to be what everyone else thought of, too -- extension cords! Better yet, bring surge suppressors so if an iron overwhelms the system, you won't blow out the entire library.

I would put a notice on Craigslist. You probably want to put an information phone number, not the time and location of the meeting, cause you want a good idea of how many people are going to show. Otherwise, you may get an unknowable number of people.

Good luck with your new group!!

distractions???!!! with 4 women who are getting together for 6 hours? LOL as far as getting others to play...posting a note at the library where you meet would be the ideal place. also, make it known that anyone can come in and leave at any time if that is the way you would want it. best wishes for a successful group!

Oh this sounds like such fun. I wonder how I would go about finding something like this in my neighborhood. I need to get out more and my FW would love showing off!

I joined our group from reading a little pamphlet at our local quilt shop. We rent the WI Hall.were lucky as we have a tub for things under the stage. We keep the irons, padded ironing cloths, extension cords there. We have a pot luck and use the kitchen. There's a fridge and stoves. The rent is $60 a day. 9-3pm. Lots of tables and space and we all pay a weekly fee. We meet twice a month. It's soooooo much fun.