I met 3 people who were nice, 1 I got a phone number for, and 1 that was kind of cranky, they talked about a trunk show (don't know what that is) and I was so lost sitting there as they were talking about their projects, made me feel dumb, and I hate to feel dumb. There was only one person I knew, and she works the Taco Johns drive up where I get lunch sometimes. She is nice. Nobody knew me either. The only quilter I had met before was a man who has $30000 long arm in another town and he didn't remember me. I will go again, but it didn't seem really fun and I am hoping for fun.

I don't know anybody either. I try to learn something since I am self-taught and do this quilting thing alone. For me it is not social. I love their garage sales, the free table, some of the speakers. i sit and knit.....but I am not really outgoing.

I have thought of joining a guild, but havn't yet. I did meet a couple of members and they have been very encouraging, but I havn't taken the plunge. I would like to meet others with my interest and know that this is the best way. I don't know what I am afraid of. I guess I just need to be encouraged.
Sue

I enjoy both the guilds I belong to even though they are different in many ways. One has more traditional quilters as member and the other has more of the "artsy" or try the newest thing types. Both have members that are fun to know and have lots of creativity. They meet in the morning and evening of the same day to share the cost of out of town speakers and teachers but 4 or 5 times a year they each do their own thing. The evening group probably has more young people percentage wise because most of them work.

I have had bad experience with guilds. The one I went to there was so much arguing and disagreement at business meetings. They would have a really good guest speaker and spent so much time with other things that the speaker was left with a short amount of time. I didn't enjoy it at all. I know of others in my area and they seem better but they are in the daytime and I work. I might try again when I retire but things would have to be alot different. The only thing was they always had a charity project going and I thought that was a really good thing. I just don't like the other part of it.

I have the same problem when I join something, usually the business meetings are bickering because somebody doens't like somebody else. However this guild meeting wasn't like that at all. Everyone was very supportive of each other. I just don't know if I want to be a joiner.

My guild is great. We are small, only about 20 ladies. We really don't operate like a guild, more of a sewing club. We do fun projects, sew for charity and take road trips to events.

New people always welcome, so if you live in Michigan, look us up.

Jean

So don't wonder. Join. If you don't like it or it doesn't work out, don't go. No big deal. I think the possibilities of having a great experience and meeting people of similar interest outweighs the negatives. By joining you send the signal you like them and are interested.

Thank you for all the comments. I really appreciate it. I will go to the next meeting and if I like it, I will join.

I was part of a big quilt guild for many years and was in charge of programming for 6 of those years and I got way burned out. Much work ...so now I have small groups I'm still part of and I'm really considering joining a smaller guild.

The plus of a guild...the camaraderie, the learning experience, the involvement with your community of quilters, often for the greater good...such as charity. As program chair, I was in charge of obtaining talent for our meetings, so I got to meet some really talented quilters...the book writers, teachers, and some singers...Ricky Tims. I made some life (BFF) friends that I couldn't go a day without.

The negative...You may be tempted to become too involved and get burned out like I did.