Wanted: Organization Tips for Guild Show & Tell
 

Hi!
It's been awhile since I posted, but I've been reading...
How does your Guild organize their Show & Tell segments? We usually have about 25 quilts to show, and I need tips on forms, keeping the quilts in order, advising photographer which quilt belongs to whom, etc. Any thoughts would be appreciated.
I'm not saying we aren't able to have a good Show & Tell, but I'm always on the lookout for a better way.
Thanks.

We have a list that everyone that has a show and tell signs at the greeter's table. At the end of the meeting, the President calls the first name on the list and that person stand ups and shows their item or items. We have two helpers that holds the quilt up if needed as the maker talks about it. We use to hang all the show and tells but that got to be too much work to set up and a nuisance before the meeting.

we hang our quilts, before the meeting everyone takes pix and asks about them, then at the end of our meeting we take turns talking about our quilts, it is fun for all and we all learn new techniques

When I was in the really big guild they had numbered forms you picked on your way in. Before show and tell you'd fill out your name, the quilt name, who made it etc. Then when show and tell time came everybody would line up according to the number on the form and after you showed your quilt you'd go over to the photographer and hand them the form and get the photo of the quilt taken.

After our meeting part is over, we just line up to go up front to show our show and tells. Usually goes pretty fast.

I belong to 3 guilds - one very small, one very large, and one somewhere in the middle. In the very large guild we just line up when it's time for show and tell, show the quilt and say something about it. No pictures are taken. In the very small one we go around the room asking if there is any show and tell and if we have something we take it up front and show it. One of the ladies has recently started taking pictures for the web site, but they're nothing formal. I'm not sure exactly how show and tell is handled in the medium sized guild since I just joined last month, but I didn't notice anything formal. I don't really see the need for anything "organized" regarding show and tell. Just do what comes naturally. I wish that in the really big guild we had more time to see all the quilts up close, but there are just too many people for that.

I belong to a big guild. We used to take signups before the meeting but folks would forget. Instead we just line up and sign up. Then have someone hold the quilt as we give a short blurb about the quilt - who it is for, what inspired us to make it. Then we walk over to the other side of the room and get our photo taken with our quilt. The photo gets posted without identification on our website so we can take a copy if we forgot to take a photo at home of our work.

At the end of show and tell, everyone who did sign up has their name drawn for 1 chance at a gift certificate/door prize from one of our affiliate member stores (value between $5 and $30 dollars).

We can go through about 30 - 40 members with show and tell of multiple quilts per member in about 30 minutes. The process works pretty well and gives us enough detail info so we can go online and search that month's meeting show and tell photos to look at the quilt enlarged on our computer screen to see some of the overall detail of the quilt (but nothing close up). Many members do stick around after the meeting and are happy to show off the finer detail in their quilts up close if you ask them to do so.

Thanks for all your suggestions. I am in a large guild, so time is precious. We do take pictures which are posted in our newsletter.

sometimes it goes on forever, depends on how much they talk....I don't think there is an easy way to do it.

We are a group of about 12 - 15 and we usually start at one end of the room and go down the line. It is a fun time of oohs and ahs , getting acknowledgement for hard work, advice if asked for and lots of healthy banter and discussion. After show and tell we have a tea break and then the work starts in earnest. During tea and during the work session quilts can be admired in terms of finer details of piecing, applique and quilting and we can exchange ideas with the maker.

We line up, so that there is no waiting for each person to get out of her chair and go forward. The quilter talks while holding up small quilts (picture is taken then) or someone else holds up the big ones while she talks. It goes fairly quickly and is one of my favorite parts of the meeting. I wish we had more time afterward to see everything close up and ask more questions.

Guild is about 75 members.

Dayle

Just a note here. If you have an open website you may want to give members notice that their pictures and names will be posted. One of my friends does NOT want her picture or name posted.

ali

Thanks, all, for your comments. They were helpful!

most of the quilts in show & tell are probably made from commercial patterns- why would any one 'freak out' ?
you purchase patterns to make the quilt- that is the purpose of buying the pattern in the first place- it is 'copy-right' infringement if you copy the pattern & try to sell it---or do not give credit to the designer when trying to sell an item you made that specifically says 'for personal use only' but you can show off your work all you want.

That's what we do also. Our Webmistress takes a photo of the quilt and the maker and then posts all the photos on the guild website.