Quilting can be an extremely engaging and creative hobby. If you enjoy the craft of quilting, or if you are just looking to get into it, a quilt guild can be great place to start. There are lots of benefits to joining a quilt guild or at least connecting with a quilting community. When you have a hobby like quilting, it is all the more rewarding to work and share the art with others who carry that same passion. Learn further, as we discuss what a quilt guild is and if joining a quilting guild is for you!
What is a quilt guild?
Quilt guilds are packed with people who are “cut from the same cloth” sharing the same passion for fabric, sewing, color, and beauty. You’ll likely meet a wide array of quilters with various preferences for aesthetics and a spattering of skill levels among the group. Talk about a veritable patchwork quilt of personalities!
How often do quilt guilds meet?
Most quilt guilds hold meetings once a month. They are filled with Sew and Tells, demos of new tools, tips and tricks, and conversations about what’s new on the quilting horizon. It’s also a great place to learn about upcoming quilt shows and how to enter your quilts in shows as well as make great connections in the quilting community.
What do quilt guilds do?
Quilt Guilds do a lot! Every meeting is a little different as far as activities and events. Plus every quilt guild is unique to the members. Below is a list of just some of the activities you could expect to see at quilt guild meetings:
- Block-of-the-month challenges
- Teacher lectures
- Quilt shows
- Charity quilt drives
- Quilt-book library access
- Local quilt shop demos
- Mystery quilt-a-longs
- Member demonstrations
- Member show-and-tell
- Games, raffles, and parties
Finding Quilt Guilds
Quiltguilds.com offers guild information by state and includes meeting places, days, times, dues, and number of current members, all in one place. (For tips on starting your own quilt guild, start here at the quiltguilds.com website.)
Quiltinghub.com is a growing site that is maintained by the quilting community. In addition to listing guilds, Quilting Hub also includes searchable listings of shops, museums, events, and teachers.
The Modern Quilt Guild is made up of more than 100 guilds across the country and the world. Local guilds were developed so that online communities of modern quilters could start meeting in person.
Visit your local quilt shop: your LQS will have the skinny on any quilt-related meetups nearby.
Search your state: simply Google “(your state) quilt guild” or “(your state) quilt group” to see if you can find an organization close to you.
Looking for more of a virtual community? Start on Social Media. Look up Quilting Groups on Facebook or try connecting with quilters whose styles are similar to yours on Instagram. Your favorite pattern designer may also have a community group on Facebook that you can join, which is a great place to start too.
Benefits of joining a quilt guild?
There are lots of benefits to joining a quilt guild. The biggest? A like minded community that has the same passion about quilting. Plus you may possibly make life long friends from that community! Besides that here are 4 more benefits to joining a quilt guild:
- Education Opportunities – Not only will you learn from other members but there will be opportunities to attend classes and see guest lecturers on techniques.
- Inspiration – Every quilter has their own style and preference. What better way to be inspired than to see other makers’ creations!
- Feedback and Advice – Struggling to sew curves or with a new technique, a collective group of knowledge can give you feedback and tips on how to get better at techniques.
- Show off your latest quilted project – Finishing a project is a big deal and being able to share the finished project is part of the fun. Quilters work hard on their projects and we love to share our work with others.
Should You Join a Quilt Guild?
That is a decision that you have to make for you! There are lots of perks to joining a quilt guild, but most require a payment of dues, so if it isn’t in the budget you can start with a virtual community.
Want to give a quilt guild a try? Reach out to your local guild or guilds and see when their next meeting is. Most guilds will let you try a meeting to see if it is a good fit before requesting that you pay dues.
Hopefully this information has helped you better understand quilt guilds – what they do, how to find them and benefits of quilt guilds. If you have joined a quilt guild I’d love for you to share the name a nd location in the comments!
