twinkie

I would definitely meet in a public place for the first time. You could meet in a park or a restaurant or even in the craft shop if there is room. After talking about forming the group, if there is interest, I would find out what day or evening would be best for those in your group. I would then invite them to your home if you feel comfortable with them. The first meeting I would try to get each person to tell a little about themselves and their quilting experience . If there seems to be interest and a group is formed, you might put a notice and the bulletin board of the craft shop you mentioned.You might check on the internet and see if there are ideas for setting up a quilting group. If you do find interest, I would ask the "quilter" with the most experience if they would like to share an easy technique or quilt idea. You might also ask each one to bring a small amount of fabric or an item used with making quilts. These could be placed in a small bag and each "new member" would swap these bags with another member. Each person could also bring their favorite snack item. Just a few ideas. Also, many sewing machines are portable and each one could bring their own if you intend on working on a project.