Benefits of Joining a Quilt Guild

Have you ever considered joining a Quilt Guild? Do you get inspired seeing beautiful quilts? Then a Quilt Guild might be just the place for you.

Friends and Shopping Buddies

Quilting in it's earliest tradition was a group experience, but over the years it has turned into a more solitary endeavor as our homes and families have spread out more and more. Joining a Quilt Guild can help to bring that fun community feel to your hobby and it will also help you find some like-minded people that can be fun to socialize with during shopping trips, retreats and other quilt-related endeavors.

Sharing Your Knowledge and Learning From Others

Have you been a quilter for many years and already made most of the mistakes? Or are you new to quilting and know you have a lot to learn? A Quilt Guild can be a great place for sharing and learning for all skill levels. If you are fortunate enough to join a group that is comprised of many different skill levels and ages, you really have found an ideal group. The new quilters bring an enthusiasm for learning to the group and remind the more "seasoned" quilters of how much fun the hobby truly is, and the more "seasoned" members bring knowledge that can be invaluable to the new members.

New Ideas, New Teachers, and New Tools

Quilt Guilds frequently invite teachers to present new techniques and show some of the latest tools. This can provide you the opportunity to see and touch some of the latest and greatest tools and view quilts in person that you normally would not see without attending a quilt show.

Color Help

Have you ever had difficulty coming up with a color combination for a quilt that you would like to make? Attending Guild meetings will expose you to more quilts and you can gain inspiration for new color combinations by taking pictures of quilts that you love during the Guild meetings. You can also bring some fabric with you and ask your quilting friends for suggestions of what they would add or subtract from the fabric selections you have made to create a stunning quilt.

Discounts

Yep, we all like a deal and many quilt shops will offer a Guild Discount. This can provide you with a little more spending money for some fun new notions or maybe that extra fat quarter you were considering. Remember when you go to new shops to ask if they offer a Guild discount.

Classes and Workshops at Reduced Prices

Guilds are a great resource for learning and with your membership often comes the ability to take classes and workshops for a smaller fee than you would traditionally pay if you attended the same class during a quilt show. Be sure to take as many classes as you can because you learn something new with each teacher and technique you try. Sometimes what you learn is that there are some really interesting people in your Guild that you had not had time to visit with that become good friends. Other times you learn how to better utilize the tools you have, or learn about tools that will make your quilting more fun. In any case, the time you spend with quilting friends is a great time to laugh, have fun, and enjoy just being together.

Free Table and Quilters Garage Sales

Another benefit to joining a Guild is the fabulous "Free Table" that many Guilds have. This can be a great place to pick up small items that another quilter no longer needs, or some fabric scraps that you can use to try out a new pattern, technique, or block. It is also a great place to donate items that you have decided you do not wish to finish, or that you purchased too much of, or bought twice – we have all done that!

Charity Projects

We have talked about all of the benefits of the Guild for ourselves, but our time spent with our Guild can also help others. Many Guilds have special service projects that they do to help out in the community. A few that are popular are Quilts of Valor for service members, making quilts for nursing homes, hospitals, or hospice units, making pillowcases for children that are in the hospital, and the list goes on an on. Our quilting hobby can be a blessing to lots of people, and when you join a Guild, you can work on projects together that can really benefit the community as well as being a great opportunity to meet and stitch with fellow quilters.

So, now that you have a list of good reasons to join a Guild, head to the search feature on QuiltingHub.com to find a list of Guilds in your area. Happy Stitching!