Help!! I'm new and went to a quilt guild then showed my quilt I had put all my work into and they didn't like it BCause it wasn't Traditional and wasn't this or that. What do you think???

Hey, Bee! Welcome to the BEST forum on the web!!

And how extremely RUDE of those people!! Don't they know quilts come in many categories???

You just keep on making quilts you like, and if at all possible, look for another guild. If there isn't one close enough to you (though I have heard of ladies driving 3 hours one way, once a month to attend guild meetings!)you've got us here! We LOVE to ooh and aaah, over EVERYTHING we make, we love to give advice and offer shoulders to cry on, we giggle and help.

Is there a quilt shop close by? YOu may meet some people there who might like to form a small group that meets in someone's home - these are often called mini groups or bees.

Please DO NOT get discouraged because of the attitude of those women. They obviously don't get it! And some people are cliquy (sp?) - don't like newcomers. It's their loss, not yours.

I, for one, would LOVE to see a picture of your quilt. I prefer making traditional quilts (I'm old fashioned! ) but love to look at the various methods/quilts/patterns/techniques that others make. I'm always borrowing books from the library on different methods.

Please don't be a stranger now that you've found us! and feel free to join in on swaps/challenges/Trivia nights on Fridays at 6PM Central in the Chat room here. We have a blast - lots of laughing and some learning, too! I don't like to miss it - too much fun.

Take care, Bee. Chin up, now! You made something YOU like, and that's the MOST important thing of all.

Gerda

PS after saying I prefer and make traditional quilts, I AM making a Jan Mullen Stargazey Hearts quilt for a granddaughter.

Gotta run - daughter needs me. Hugs to you!

Gerda

Beeflasher, welcome to the forum, you have found the best guild in the world! The ladies here are always available to help when you have a question or problem, and it doesn't necessarily have to be about quilting! I see you have meet our librarain-in-residence! Gerda, or Miss Marian the librarian, as we sometimes call her, is a whiz at finding stuff on the internet- fabric, patterns, techniques.

As to the ladies at that guild. A friend of my mother's, who has now since passed, but was a highly regarded quilt teacher in northern Michigan, used to say, "Now, dear, there's no wrong eay or right way to do it. There's only your way and my way."

Take some classes or study some books, learn the different techniques. When you are aquainted with them, you can make an informed choice based on YOUR comfort zone. That's the relly great thing about quilting. There are never mistakes; only design possibilities and informed choices!

Hi and welcome, Bee, to BC - here you will get all the encouragement, help and fun that can be had

Sorry you had a bad experience with the quilt guild but don't let them discourage you. I attend a guild here in South Africa and our show and Tell is the highlight of the meeting. No-one is put down and everyone is given credit for their own interpretation and taste (we have all types of quilts shown from the traditional to the really way-out arty ones). DON'T let them put you off quilting or guilds - guilds can be fun and very inspirational.

Mary

Hi Bee!
Hey, don't let a few rude, ill-mannered people put you down! There's plenty of room in this world for all kinds of quilts. I'll admit, I lean toward the traditional too, but I'd NEVER put anyone down for making other types. Perhaps those ladies never looked at a quilting magazine and saw the variety of quilts that range from antique reproductions to ultra-modern!

My advice - find another guild - or if there's aren't any others in your area, investigate the possibility of starting your own group. That's what some of us did. We belonged to a large guild. It had become "unwieldy" - not enough room to work on projects, the evening hours didn't work well for some of us, etc. So we put out "feelers", found a few others interested in a morning group, one of the ladies arranged for us to use her church's large meeting room, and our new group began.

I haven't attended for some time now - dropped out when I started working, and haven't found the time to go back yet. We have a small group - about 10 or 12 people - 4 or 5 were long-time experienced quilters, a few were intermediates, and several were beginners. And we'd generally have a couple visitors each meeting - people interested in learning to quilt. We'd have a very short business meeting (usually discussion about quilt shows we'd been too, fabric sales, planning day trips, etc.) then move on to Show and Tell - which always brought applause, even for the beginners. Then we'd have a lesson - maybe paper-piecing one time, freezer-paper applique another - even had a lesson on different types of quilting frames and how to put a quilt in a frame. We sponsored a day-trip over to Holmes Co., Ohio once - rented a 15 passenger van, hired a driver and had a WONDERFUL time.

So Bee - just keep on quilting, and don't let others discourage you! I've been "put down" occasionally too for quilting. People will say things like: "YOU! A quilter!" - then they laugh. I think it's because I generally come across as more of an "outdoorsy type"! One gal made fun of me when I joined a guild - I think it was because she hasn't the vaguest notion about how to sew, and she was jealous!

Just don't get discouraged, Bee - post pictures here and we'll all encourage you, we'll praise your work and oooohhh and aaaahhh over your quilts! And like the others have said, we laugh together, cry together, share recipes, jokes, etc. BC is the BEST!!!

Hugs,
Nola

Hi Bee! Welcome! We would love to see a pic of your quilt. I bet it is gawjus!!!!!

Hi Bee.
Welcome!

I'm one of the members that reads the threads more than I reply, but this has gotten me riyaled (sp)up. How dare they criticize your quilt! Want to 'show' them? Enter yos ur quilt in a show or fair and when you win a ribbon take it back and show them they were wrong!

You have a bunch of wonderful members here that will only give you constructive criticism and only if you ask for it.

Quilting is supposed to be relaxing and creative and fun. And you are the only one that knows if your quilt met all these things. So keep going and we are all here for you if you run into a problem. And please post a picture.

Hi Bee:
I am so sorry to hear you had a bad experience at a quilt guild. Not all quilt guilds are created equal, but don't worry I am sure you will find people who appreciate difference. I moved to a new town and went looking for quilting buddies. I found one and we started a guild. Which now has over 130 members. That person I met was Joyce, she loves to applique and loves bright colours. I on the other hand like to piece quilts and love the earthy tones. Well Joyce and I learned from each other to appreciate differences. In fact some of Joyce rubbed off and I have noticed my colours in quilts changing and I have gotten a little brighter. Joyce in turn has made some lovely earthy tone quilts. We were so different even physically, she is dark, tall and I am fair and short. But we did become great quilt buddies and now we live far from each other I miss her.

Donna

Hello,
I've been looking for a quilt group to attend and it's not easy, so I understand how crushed you felt by this terrible behaviour. However, it's better to find out right off the bat, than to put your time and energy into what is destined to be a hard place.

Life is tough enough without hanging around people who do not make you smile. We have to work with people who might not make us smile, we have family members who frequently do not make us smile, why in God's name should we socialize with people who don't make us smile?!

Some groups are very cliq-ish as has been stated previously. Here at BC you will find encouragement, empowerment and loving advice...not to mention a few giggles. Please post your quilt...we would all love to see it!

When I started posting here it was out of shear despairation. I'm the only person here in Doncaster I know who quilts. (I know there are others...where are they?) But these lovely BC people have brightened my world.

Be Strong, you know your worth and you know what you do is of value. Follow your instincts with your quilting...you will be fine and we are here to enjoy you and your creativity.

Blessings,
KimUK