Joanie Owen

I enjoy my 2 quilt guilds. The smaller one is very friendly and I was welcomed warmly the first day I attended. We have a retreat each January and some of the members teach a new technique or idea at no cost. The 2nd guild is much bigger and yes, clicky but still very friendly and you can learn a lot. We always share free-be's on the back table and they also have a nice retreat each Oct. at a nice spot. We also have a quilt show every 2 year which is well attended.

patski

I belong to 2 guilds, 1 I go to and the other I just couldn't stand, too many cliques, too much critical talk all around. I did try to get involved but was rebuffed so I moved on. The guild I go to is friendly supportive and so much fun.

Try it out, if its not fun just don't go

CorgiNole

I belong to two local guilds and enjoy both of them. I'm a fairly new member, so I find that jumping in to volunteer (when I can) has been an effective way to get to know people. I'm pretty shy also, so have a hard time starting conversations.

Cheers, K

valsma

I'm going to be attending my first quilt guild meeting this evening. I'm praying for a good experience. I figure it can't hurt to check it out and I did have a lovely conversation at the fair with a memeber and she seemed very nice. I know for me it will be a while before i'm brave enough to show my work, but that will be because, I can be my own worst critic and don't like opening myself up to someone elses critique.
As for cliques, you are going to find them in any club and i'm sure a guild is no different. Some people just mesh well with some but not with others. I just think the rudness should be put aside when in the group setting.

peaceandjoy

I didn't see this thread until I saw the second one, so came to see what the issues were.

I LOVE the guild I'm in; it's one of the only reasons I want summer to end. We are off the months of July and August.

Let me preface my story with by saying that I am becoming a recluse - I actually like being alone and am not generally a "joiner."

An accuaintance and I joined at the same time, which undoubtedly made those first few contacts easier. That said, we live outside of the community the guild is in, so are not familiar with a lot of things that are discussed. Each month, one of the topics is who the guild should send cards to, for illness, loss, congrats., etc., We almost never know the people they are talking about.

When we joined, the guild had a limit of 50 members, and we were going to break that ceiling. So there was discussion of expanding the membership, and (obviously) it was decided that there was no reason not to allow it. This is a fairly small community in a rural area (near where the Amish accident happened a few weeks ago, if you heard about it on the national news).

While I might think of "cliques" that exist, I think it's more a case of people knowing each other for many years and working with and on projects together over that time. I think that it's only natural that they would be closer to one another.

There are a couple of older women who are a little snippy, but I don't believe it's anything against us, I honestly think that is how they approach everyone and everything.

We have good meetings, great show and tell (where comments are always kind, but not artifically forced), do an opportunity quilt (more commonly known as a raffle quilt) that is planned and constructed the first year tickets sold and drawing the next, "helps" (where if anyone is stuck on a project they can discuss it and look for help), bastings if needed on alternate weeks, a program committee that has brought in some of the LQS and other folks who have a specific talent, and 2x a year we do a dish-to-pass at the local senior center. Love that, seniors are invited to eat with us and enjoy the show and tell portion.

We've done a couple of bus trip shop hops, nothing huge, but got to see some shops that are a little further than I'd normally drive. One of them has become a favorite shop for me.

Once a month we have a sew-in day, anyone who wants to come brings whatever they want to work on and a dish or snack to share.

The majority of the women are friendly and welcoming, those that aren't I steer clear of. I've made friends and the accquaintance with whom I joined is now a good friend.

It's been a great experience for me, and I hope that more people will try one - or more - with an open mind. I'm sorry this has gotten long, guess I'm just so excited to have a great experiene to share.

digitalartquilts

I've taught at a number of quilt guilds and I've seen both sides. Start your own guild for newbies if you feel like you can't find one.

Julia

ube quilting

Go! And listen hard!

Twice a month seems alot. Most guilds meet once a month so you'll be getting twice the amount of quilting nervana!
peace

bj

The guild I belong to is very nice. Except I forget to go! I get busy with supper, etc and look up and I'm too late.

jaciqltznok

they are like FAMILIES...some are nice, sociable, active groups, that are fun to visit with, then again some are staunch, picky, do-nothing groups, and some are great to visit, but you don't want to live with them...

loves_2_quilt

Don't think there are any where I live, I would have to drive an hour each way.