Off the top of my head, I am thinking they were either afraid of you, or just a group of prudes.
The LQs closest to me would be thrilled to have you join the classes. They do special events a couple of times a year and some women drag their husbands. When you go in half of the time the wife will be there and half of the time the husband will be there, and quite often they will both be there. He helps and cuts fabric as much as she does. It is really neat to see, and he is so very friendly. Don't give up searching for help. I think it is wonderful that you are quilting, I have real brothers and step brothers and you won't catch one of them near a sewing machine. My late husband liked to watch, but wouldn't even attempt to do it himself. He was my biggest fan and even though he was color blind to some colors, he had a great sense of color.