AliKat

It is hard to believe that was a truly faith based quilting group! I belong to one and invite others to join as it is friendly with one small clique that can be partially ignored and prayed for to learn to work well with others. I do warn new attendees though that there is 'a whole lot of praying.' Sometimes we spend more time in prayer, or so it seems.

By the way there are a few non-christians I have invited but I encourage them not to tell and just enjoy the quilting part. It works. Please don't let my secret out. [maybe the group might feel they need to convert them.]

As for meetings ... I just don't carry my machine anymore but do something else. I got the new Pfaff Passport for traveling and love it ... just don't want to carry it out for this. I am building up my yo-yo supply though.

Susann

"Although we live in an upscale suburb, the woman on the phone who invited us sounded nice. ........I'm wondering 3 things; is there a local (non-religious, non-snobby) quilt guild."

I'm carefully thinking how to word this since I'm pretty new here and it's so easy to misunderstand. These two sentences jumped out at me in your question. I'm so sorry that that was your feeling with the group but please don't think that being upscale means that the members won't be nice. Or that it being a religious group means you won't be welcomed or that they will try to convert you if it's something you're not interested in. One of the best groups I was ever in (it's wasn't a quilting group) was a Catholic based group in a very affluent area. I am not Catholic (we were only 1 of two families that weren't) or affluent but I learned so much from everyone there and they were very welcoming. I still keep in contact with several of the families. Keep contacting and trying out groups-you'll find your fit and it might surprise you where you end up! At least that was my experience.

peaceandjoy

Good golly, that's awful.

I'm a member of Keuka Quilters, which meets in Penn Yan - probably 45 minutes from you... We meet the 1st Monday of every month in the dining room of the Baptist Church @ 7PM. Except for next month; in December we meet @ 6:30 @ St Mark's Terrace for a dish to pass dinner and show and tell w/ the residents (it's a senior living center).

There is also a group in Farmington (I'm not terribly familiar with them, Hearts and Hands, maybe?). Also a small group in Williamson, they recently had a show, which they do every other year.

I say keep looking - not all guilds are like the one you visited! I don't know what those that are think... Don't they realize that eventually, that kind of behavior will make them peter out??

peaceandjoy

BTW - LQS might be able to help? Not a huge fan of the one in East Rochester (more than once when I've been there, the staff was chatting about other customers). Ivy Thimble does a large retreat @ The Woodcliff every year, a friend and I have gone for years. It's a great way to meet other people.

Prism99

tessagin, It was the guild's loss!

I am amazed that a group that identifies itself one way can act in exactly the opposite way. Isn't that what hypocrisy is all about?

Peckish

This is EXACTLY how I would have handled it, also.

orangeroom

I suppose we were shocked. Only one woman said anything to us, and that was on the way out. Not at all the sort of group we wanted to be associated with. So, at the time, we just left. The nice woman I spoke with on the phone did call me shortly after to see how our visit went. I told her.

At any rate, I love quilting so much, I'd really like to give it a second try. I'll ask at a few of the LQS. I know I may encounter snarky-ness... Let's be realistic, I can be snarky from time to time. However, I try to treat others as I'd like to be treated.

tropit

Hugs to you my dear. You can come and quilt with me anytime! I don't belong to a quilt group either.

nativetexan

Even just a quilt group of ladies can be snooty. doesn't have to actually be a guild. I stopped putting up with this way back in school.

just janet

I sure wish you lived in my area. I belong to a small Guild of only 12 or 15 members. We welcome new visitors with open arms. We meet twice a month. The first meeting is our business meeting and includes show & tell, the second is our Charity Meeting where we all work together on charity quilts. We go on shop hops together and have a small "show" at our local library each spring. I hope you find another group in your area. Quilting is so much more fun when it's shared with others. As an example, look at how we all share on this Quilting Board.