Black Friday Sew-in #3

The question for this giveaway is:
Tell me about the guild or guilds to which you belong. Why do you belong? What do you like? What would you change?

If you do not belong to a guild or quilt group, why not?

Another Chance to Win:

Your prize for this giveaway is:

500 Art Quilts
500 Art Quilts

Mean Mom Stuff:

  1. Substantive comments only. “Sign me up” comments will not be entered.
  2. Comments on questions close tomorrow 11/30/2013 at 6pm PDT. I may not actually get to choose the winner until December 1, but no whining if you can’t leave a comment at 6:01pm on 11/30.
  3. The books will be sent from Lark. I will send them the names and addresses and they will send you the book.
  4. Everything else is coming from me and will be shipped the week of December 2.
  5. International entries are welcome!
  6. I will select winners using the Random number generator.
  7. Make sure your email address works. If I can’t contact you, I can’t send you your prize
  8. No whining, acting out, frowning or complaining. Whiners and complainers will be disqualified.
  9. I may compile the information from your answers and write a blog post. Of course, I will credit you appropriately.

If you are looking for the Creative Prompt, look here: https://artquiltmaker.com/blog/2013/11/creative-prompt-235-meal/

Author: Jaye

Quiltmaker who enjoys writing and frozen chocolate covered bananas.

36 thoughts on “Black Friday Sew-in #3”

    1. Let me know how it goes. I have had mixed success with guilds. I belong to three right now and really enjoy them, though I can’t always make the meetings.

  1. My “main squeeze” guild is wonderful. Smallish–we have something like probably 60 people on the rolls but about 40 show up regularly, and about 25-30 of us go to a lot of the retreats. I love it. We’re very loosey-goosey, rules-lite. We’ve never really elected our officers–once in awhile they ask, “Hey, anyone else want to do this?” We all say, “No, you’re doing great,” and we move on. Anyone who wants to lead something pretty much can. When someone has an idea, they stand up and ask, “Would anyone like to…” and if people do, that person organizes it. If no one does, we move on. We’re good at basically moving on. No drama. Love it. Lots of laughing and goofing around during meetings, and everyone’s show n’ tell is appreciated. I do technically belong to two other guilds but never make meetings. But I do my best not to miss meetings of my main guild!

    1. It sounds like your “main squeeze” is a really great group of people. I think you are lucky not to have drama and the ability to move on as a group. It sounds like you appreciate it, too.

  2. I’m a member of two guilds – the Atlanta Modern Quilt Guild (name soon to be changed) and the East Cobb Quilters Guild. AMQG has <50 members, and I consider it my "main" guild since I know everyone in it. The ECQG has over 300 members, and I go there mainly to show off stuff and get access to national teachers.

  3. I belong to a local guild of about 140 ladies. I was a member years ago, and returned to the guild in May. Twenty years ago, I was part of a large young(ish) group of members, we had young children and still were able to be active in the guild. We held offices and chaired committees. The older members from before are, well even older, as are we ‘youngsters’. There is no young group now. The meetings are marked with strident, almost desperate requests for volunteers. The obit emails come more than once a month.

    The guild needs new members, and I don’t know how to help. I rejoined to find a community, and am unsure if I will continue.

    I am volunteering on many committees, and hope that I can infuse some enthusiasm. This guild was once the most happily functions women’s group I belonged to, I am sorry to see it has not stood up to the test of time.

    Gosh, that sounds so sad when I see it written out, but it explains why I am so ambivalent about attending.

    1. It does sound sad, but I don’t think it is that uncommon for volunteer organizations. They get very excited about projects and the projects never have an end even though the spark has faded. I think that it is important for volunteer organizations to reevaluate what they are doing, get people to recommit to participating or scale down to the basics. Otherwise, people leave.

  4. I’m not currently a guild member even though I have several available. This is mostly due to the day or time of the meetings not being convenient and my own forgetfulness. One guild does meet at a time that is perfect for me. Unfortunately, when I visited that guild the members were not at all friendly or welcoming. No one even spoke to me for quite a while. It was such a contrast to my first guild where the contact person sat with me the first meeting and went out of her way to make sure I knew about and was able to attend their next sew day. I’ll give it another try, maybe next month. I’d love to have some real life quilt friends.

    1. I found some problems with friendliness when I went to a guild that is very close to my house. I have been several times and they seem very clique-ish and are also constantly working on something that demands lots of volunteers.

  5. I do not am quite sad about it. The one guild in my area meets once a month at night a fairly good drive away and I have trouble driving at night . Plus I work early in the morning. I know I should be able to make it work and some of it is laziness on my part. I do miss and need friends that like the same things I do. But alas – it is what it is.
    I think that’s why I enjoy the twilter community so much – it’s the only contact I have with like minded fabric addicts such as myself 🙂

    1. I wonder if there is a possibility of a carpool from your area? Perhaps there are others in the local area that can meet at others houses? I like Twitter for the same reason.

  6. SCVQA is my guild. It’s the first guild that I gave belonged to and I think it’s great. The quilters are friendly, helpful, and informative. It’s well organized. There are classes and guest artist, as well as small group meetings throughout the month. Each meeting has fabric and books for sale. Plus there are other fun activities and community outreach opportunities. I will always stay a member.

    1. They really put on a nice show as well. I would go if it met closer. I have been to the Peninsula guild a few times and found it hard to break in.

  7. I belong to an online guild that I have belonged to for over 20 years. I can always make the meetings but it wish it was a touch more active.

  8. I belong to the Bay Area Modern Quilt Guild, and consider myself an active member. It was the first quilt guild I’ve ever joined, even though I’d been quilting for a few years before moving here. Pretty sure the reason I joined was to meet other quilters and hopefully make friends. (Done, and Done! lol)

    Likes: the other members,;being inspired by other members’ work; this year we did small groups, and it was kind of nice getting to know a few members at a time; I’m participating in an intermediate/advanced round robin project which is *amazing*; and I’m looking forward to more national speakers/workshops in the future.

    I also belong to the SCVQG, the local Art Quilters Guild, and the South Bay Area MQG (sadly, I’m not terribly active in any of those, sorry!)

    Being very active in one means sacrificing the others. I have enjoyed the meetings I’ve attended at the other guilds, just haven’t been able to get to them as regularly as the BAM meetings.

    1. We all have lives outside of quiltmaking (shock, horror, I know) and have to make choices. As things change, the other guilds will be there for you. I am glad we met. 😉

  9. I do not belong to a guild. The reason why not is I’ve been to a guild meeting sort of a try out and was totally disappointed. My imagination of a guild was people get together to sew so I took my grandmother’s flower garden with me to work on. I was the oddball in the room as no-one else brought anything wih them. They weren’t even talking aboutg, bout stuff that was totally boring to me. At the end of the 3 hr meeting they had show and tell for about 10 minites. To me it isn’t worth my time to be bored when driving back and forth takes an houotally do something useful in the comfort of my home. This doesn’t mean I’m not longing to belong to a group because I do. But to more like a bee where people get together to work on projects and chay. Okay, this stupid phone doesn’t let me correct the 2 typos, so minite=minutes, chay=chat.

  10. I don’t belong to a guild yet. It’s something I’m planning to look into in the coming year because I’d really like to connect with local quilters. I haven’t yet mainly because I tend to be very shy with new people, so it takes me a while to work myself around to doing a thing like going to a group meeting where I don’t know anyone for the first time. But I know once I go and break the ice, I’ll most likely wonder why it took me so long! There are I think at least groups that meet close enough for me to have an easy drive to (including one that meets at my LQS less than 3 miles away) which amazed me when I started searching.

  11. I belong to the Wenonah quilters and I like to talk Quilty with like people. I also like when we have guest who talk about how they quilt. I would have a committee to make each meeting more interesting to all of the members. And more fabric exchanges.

  12. I do belong to guild, however, I am not able to make the workdays or the monthly meetings since the group meets during the day. What I do take advantage of though is the fabulous library that the guild has. The books can be signed out for several months at a time.

  13. I don’t belong to a guild. I’ve thought about joining, but I’m not sure I’m ready yet. I’m pretty busy anyway, and I’m not sure about adding another thing to do. I would like to have a group of people to quilt with, though.

  14. I don’t currently belong to a guild (and never have) I have only lived in my area for a few years and am a little shy when it comes to meeting new people. I am intimidated by the thought of a guild, especially given some of the horror stories that I have heard. I feel much more comfortable hiding in my house doing my thing,,,but have started to wonder lately if it is time to branch out…

  15. I belong to the Johnston County Quilters, which is sponsored by the County Extension Homemakers. I go to the night meetings (since I work days), which has a small attendance. We do show and tell, learn a new technique, and talk about quilting. We have a small quilt show once a year in the fall. We’ve been making lap quilts for the meals-on-wheels participants & we’re looking for a project with kids. Thanks.

  16. I belong to a small traditional guild in the mountain community where we have a vacation home. I joined for 2 reasons – 1) to get to know more ladies in the community, and 2) because the guild at “home” is large and at some point I got the feeling it was stuffy and unfriendly. The ladies in the mountains are very nice and welcoming.

    I would love to have a little group of stay at home mommies near me to get together with on a regular basis and sew with, but everyone seems too busy or they don’t sew!

  17. I belong to a guild of about 150 members. I have made lots of great friends who understand why we like fabric and quilting and know that it is OK to have a stash and not to finish a project every week. They provide inspiration and support. We enjoy and learn from each other and from the programs presented.

  18. In 1999 I visited my local guild. DS had just moved out, and I was empty nesting again. Yes, one can do that twice. The guild is large, 225 or so strong. What drew me in were Show and Share, friendly people, the whole comment interest business. I like those aspects, speakers and the lovely inexpensive workshops. What I don’t like: not as interesting speakers or workshops. The powers that be work very hard, but don’t seem to want input without full on participation, for example board office or committee chairmanship.

    1. too bad they don’t want to do a Survey Monkey to the general membership. They might get someone to sign up to help if they asked for input. I have to agree that a big attraction is the reduced workshop prices and diversity of topics. I love Show and Tell (what we call your Show and Share) at both of my guilds. It is the best part.

  19. I do not belong to a quilt guild. The one closest to me meets during the day, when I am at work.
    I have a small group of sewing friends that meet informally, and this, along with online interaction and classes, is enough for me.

    1. I am glad your current situation works for you. I think we change in our needs as time goes on and it will be interesting to see if you join a guild sometime in the future.

  20. Currently I don’t belong to a guild because of my environmental/chemical allergies. I do attend sewing club once a month as its a small group in a large room on a Saturday morning and I have the rest of the day to crash if I need to. It is not just quilting related but lots of ideas. no fuss, just a group that meets for fun. We also have a mini retreat in the afternoon where we take turns showing each other different projects.

  21. I don’t belong to a guild anymore. I got tired of the long drive only to have to deal with silly political games. I wasn’t having fun anymore, so I stopped going. I do belong to a bee, though, and have a great time at our monthly meetings. There are about a dozen of us that have been together for about 15 years and have retreats twice a year. The only thing I would change about this group is the location. I’m the only one that lives in my part of town, though, so I end up driving more than anyone else. Oh well, it’s worth it to spend quilting time with my friends!

    1. I belong to two guilds that I really enjoy. Both are far from me, though. The people at the guild that is closer to me always come across as clique-y. I suppose, if I went more often (sometimes visit as a guest), I would get to know people and it would seem less clique-y.

Comments are closed.