First Steps (#8 Join a Quilt Guild)

Quite often when I go to a quilt shop I am asked when making a purchase, "Do you belong to a Guild?  We give members 10% off".  Hmm... That's incentive. 

I meet every Tuesday with two friends (sometimes more) to sew... mostly our own quilting projects.  We each take turns hosting it in our home, while the others bring their sewing machines and projects.  Quilting is such a small part of what we do... we laugh, share our joys and sorrows, our struggles and triumphs, and most importantly, pray for one another.  Basically, we keep each other sane.  Somehow, we also manage to complete numerous sewing and quilting projects as well.

So I got to thinking, why not just give our group a name?  Make membership cards and pass ourselves off as a guild.  I did some research on the Internet, basically to see what a guild membership card looked like.  I found out that we are more like what some guilds call a kindred group.  What we do, isn't really what a guild does at all.  But what I did find out was that its not that expensive to join, isn't really that big of a commitment (I hope), and there is opportunity for your finished quilts to be exhibited in an annual show.  There are guest speakers, demos on techniques, show and tell times, a lending library...the list goes on.  Sounds good to me.  Sign me up. 

I did some research on 3 guilds, Simcoe County Quilter's Guild (which is best for me time wise, but I understand its so full that there's a waiting list),  Kempenfelt Quilter's Guild (which meets at the place, but in the evening) and Orillia Quilter's Guild (which I've heard is a lot of fun, but is much farther away).

Anyway, the Kempenfelt Quilter's Guild meets every third Thursday evening which would make it this Thursday night... actually tonight.  Their website hasn't been updated in a while and there is no specific schedule of meeting dates and topics listed.  So... I decided to walk over to the Knit and Quilt store and inquire there, just to be sure.  The ladies were very helpful and gave me a free guest pass to tonight's meeting (a savings of $5).  That's the first time I've gone to the store and left richer than when I entered (financially that is - I do feel richer when I've picked up a good bargain and some great advice).

Looking forward to tonight's meeting.  Also to the Simcoe County Quilt and Rug Fair on Friday.  Someday I hope to display one of my own creations in this wonderful show.  It has been a dream of mine for about 20 years.  But now I feel that I'm at a place where I can take action.  But that is goal # 11.  Here's to  First Steps....