wow, I just found this post and a friend of mine is thinking about joining a quilt guild and asked me if I would like to go along. I'm thinking twice now! It never occurred to me that it could turn out to be a stressful experience I like the idea of a guild that meets in a quilt shop that someone mentioned on an earlier page! That's a win-win.... just being in the fabric store always brightens the worst of days for me! I have never met anything but kinda nd caring people there too! I see this topic has been beat to death here, but I thank you for the heads up on what might go on at a guild meeting!

Zappy, I hope you won't let the comments here keep you from going. I
joined my guild 5 years or so ago, so am still one of the newer members. I've had lots of fun, made new friends, took classes and been to shops I wouldn't have gone to.

I stand by my earlier comment that people don't generally say anything if they have a positive experience. If we get great customer service, we might appreciate it, but
do we go to the manager to mention it? Most likely, no. But if we get bad service, it's a different
story.

I hope you'll go!

I agree with that! After all, saying how great something is doesn't get nearly as much attention as bashing something. ;)

I agree with the others. Don't let other people's bad experiences and negative comments stop YOU from trying out your guild.

I have posted my positive experience many times here on the board, although not in this particular thread.

I do not belong to a guild, I don't think it's the right fit for me. But I do have a quilting group that I enjoy very much. We do not have a charter, or keep minutes, or have "members", or keep a treasury. We do not have a president, leader or person in charge. We get together once a month, rotating turns at our homes. We have a potluck lunch. We bring show-n-tell. We chitchat. We discuss issues we're having with our machines, or a certain project, or our in-laws. :D We have all-day "sew day" a couple of times a year - we use a community room at our local PUD, bring our machines, projects, and snacks, and ignore our cell phones. We have retreats a couple of times a year. We take turns organizing the retreats and other activities we are involved in. We work on charity projects if we want. Participation is not mandatory and nobody keeps track. I love my little unorganized group. We all get along, we appreciate each other and our particular talents. We are a bunch of grown, non-bitchy women who simply love to quilt, and no one feels the need to put down others or be the boss.

I want to make it clear for anyone reading this post that I merely meant to inquire if there was a local, accepting guild in my area. If there wasn't, if anyone knew how hard it was to start my own.

Now I think I understand why so many mom's, of Girl Scouts who joined my Girl Scout troop over the last 14 years, were so surprised that our troop was so 'accepting' of all new girls!!! In all honesty, I thought it was our duty to be accepting, not just in our troop, but in every aspect of life. Glad I taught that to so many girls over the years.

I truly hope to find a guild, or should I say group, to bond with over our mutual interest of quilting. I am lucky though. I do have a friend, co-workers and this board that is full of (mostly) supportive people who all share my love of all things quilty! Thanks so much for all of you who are positive influences. Maybe I should have posted my original thread under 'personal diaries.' Most people don't bash the diary section.

It seems that many quilt "guilds" are for professional quilters only. Our church has a quilt "club" and we invite people from all over town. We work (play) for 2 hours - have a potluck lunch - and sew for 2 more hours. Even some of the husbands come to watch what we're doing (and eat lunch, of course) and they sure come in handy when we need to load up our machines, etc. We certainly don't try to "convert" anyone and our members are from 60 to 89.

I am so sorry for all of you who have had a bad guild experience. If you're in my corner of Georgia, I invite you to come to my friendly guild! Unfortunately, there are "snobs" in quilting, just as in any group.

I have a friend who went through the same thing when she moved to a town 30 miles down the road. She just started her own group (which I now belong to also) No dues no officers, they just get together and have a good time! Great group of gals. You don't have to be a "Guild" just get together and sew or what ever! Christians like that could turn a person agnostic! LOL! Susan

Don't let this thread deter you. I just reread all the messages and it is only 8 people who have posted specific negative experiences and there are 108 messages in this thread

whether a group is meeting more or less formally may vary. The guilds I have belonged to have officers and minutes and maintain a non profit status. Every meeting is a program (lecture) and there are several workshops a year. Many quilt teachers want to give a lecture and a workshop to make their travel worthwhile. My guild makes a raffle quilt every year and half the money goes to charity and half the money goes to fund speakers. We put on a quilt show every other year. It is well worth my $25 per year.

Regardless of what some "national organization" said, anyone can form a guild. Some guilds or other groups meet to sit and sew either their own projects or sew donation quilts.

Formal or informal it's up to the men and women who meet together. My guild started a machine quilting bee last year and has a block swap bee and anyone can attend these. Anyone can speak up or post an announcement in the newsletter and say something "I am available to get together at these times and I would like to make quilts of valor, or baby quilts please join me"

There are numerous small bees in my guild and they vary on where they meet and what they do at meetings. Some meet in the morning and some in the evening etc. Some are open to new members and some feel they don't want new members - maybe that is because meeting in someone's home etc they decided they didn't have room for more. Maybe some groups think they are superior and don't want new members or maybe outsiders just think so. some of the bees in my guild have been together for 20 years.

I know that I went to retreat last year without my friends and the two groups of ladies next to me were as friendly as could be. The organizer of the retreat apologized to me several times because she changed my room assignment twice the morning the retreat started. One of the changes was because two of the attendees were sisters and wanted to room together. I've forgotten the other reason. I ended up getting a roommate that was 20 years younger and very fun. I accomplished a lot at the retreat. Of course when my friend had to cancel and I was forced to go alone I could have worried, fretted, and stayed home.

I just don't understand the negativity in this thread especially from people who "think" they might have a bad experience. We are adults, we aren't in high school. Do you avoid eating out if you have to go alone? Do you ever go to a movie alone or travel alone? It is not the end of the world. Would you not go to a quilt show if you didn't have friends with you? Most people are involved with their own interests and how many people truly have an interest in terrorizing you? Why expect that other quilters will be mean?