Minda

I really enjoy belonging to a guild. I think you should give it a try and see how you like it. It's fun to be with other people who also have an interest in quilting. It's also a good place to learn no things.

sew4fun

I belong to a local guild and most of our members don't care about having perfect quilts. They just enjoy having new folks join. We have a short business meeting, show & tell, and a program. Not usually refreshments unless it is a special program. I am helping quilt a raffle quilt for our 2010 quilt show and was one of about 12-14 that is working on it and feel privileged to have been asked. I am not a good hand quilter but they asked me to help.

It is worth it just to go and see show and tell and be inspired in some way for that next project.

zyxquilts

I've belonged to the same guild since 1996!
I don't think I've ever heard any of our members go into quiltzilla mode, or if they do, they're not at the meeting! lol
Like others have said, we have a short business meeting, with show & tell (one of my favorite parts!), door prizes, block of the month, etc., then a short break for all the goodies the members who have a b'day that month have brought, then a program with a speaker usually. We also have a good sized lending library & always quilt mags & books for sale as well. Often, on the Saturday following the meeting, our speakers will also do a workshop (for a fee, usually only about $25). We also have members who do workshops for us as well & those sometimes only cost us $5 !! What a bargain! This month we are having a potluck - and boy are our members great cooks! And in December we have a catered dinner (the guild pays part & we pay part) and a party - many members donate items - small quilts, fabric, tops, ornaments - one member paints beautiful gourd birdhouses & always gives several! - and we buy tickets to put into cans with the # of the items we would like to win. We eat & share & laugh & have a great time!!
We have a quilt show every other year also - our next one is the first weekend of May 2010 - Come on out for it!! :D
So, I vote YES!!! Join the guild!

azdesertrat

I belong,but not as active as I would like to be.the meetings conflict with my work/sleep hours
I really enjoyed it when I was able to attend

ginnie6

well it sounds like it might be a good thing then! There's actually 2 near me since I'm right near 2 cities. I think I'll join what I assume will be the smaller one. I did meet one lady from the other one...she was really nice and gave me some books on quilting but I have to admit being new to this and seeing her setup was just mind boggling and intimidating! I know one meets the 16th of this month and I have it on the calendar.

pamela

I am.
But for that last few months I've been MIA.
Went on vacation then we moved.

Eddie

I'm actually going to join my first guild this coming Monday night! :) It's the state-wide guild for Arkansas that meets in N. Little Rock, where I work. The local guild of the county where I live currently has a prohibition against men being members, but I'm hoping that will change. I spoke with a member of the guild last week and she was shocked at that information and said that she planned to ask about it. So maybe things will change on the local level here. But if not, I will have the state-wide guild that I'm going to join, so I'm happy about that! :D

eparys

I joined my first last March. It is large but only 30-40 members are active and come to the meetings.

There are some members that bring masterpieces every month to "show" but there are just as many that bring their quilts that are not perfect. The ladies are great and the guild has a "library" to borrow from, a quilt show every other year and donation quilts (this year they did Quilts of Valor).

You should go - and check it out. See if the ladies are friendly and inviting!!

mrs. fitz

After several years of "The Cousins Quilt Guild" -- my cousin Janet and me -- we found a small local guild, joined, and we really enjoy it. Only about 12 of us and only 2 besides us who enjoy "quilting adventures" but at almost every meeting someone has a new technique to "teach", we always have good show and tell. No refreshments, no guest speakers. We try to find new members but quilting isn't that big in this area. Twice a year we go out to dinner and in the fall we go as a group to "Quilter's Day Out", a wonderful day of nothing but quilts held by a very large guild in the Poconos (Pennsylvania). We have a charity meeting once a month and have donated numerous quilts to local nursing homes.

Two years ago I discovered Empire Quilts in New York City and can still remember walking into that room with over 100 quilters assembled and feeling I had come home. I think there are well over 200 members, every meeting has something new and exsciting (and a vendor!), excellent speakers, lots going on. The guild takes summer hiatus and I can't wait for September to get back. It's also two blocks from NY's only quilt shop The City Quilter and yes once in a while members spend their lunch hour there instead of having lunch LOL.

Each of the two guilds gives me something different and I'm very fortunate to have both. I'd highly recommend giving a guild a try.

LindaR

I'm in 2, one day one night....love them both...we just had Ami Simms come last week...love her