The Quilting Community
One of the best ways to grow your passion for quilting is to get involved with other quilters. Being around others who share your love for the art can trigger creativity, learning, and growth. My hometown has a thriving quilting community and I have so much admiration for all the women (and men!) that make it up.
The first quilt retreat I attended was some sort of secret sisterhood. The whispers all said that someone had to die for you to be invited to attend. To this day I wonder if someone actually did die for me to get a spot. In a hobby dominated by old ladies - it wasn’t out of the question. The weekend was wonderful. Full of pajamas, costume contests (I live for costume contests), great snacks, and a whole lot of quilting.
Getting to know these women was incredible. Growing up you tend to categorize adults into nice and not nice. Re-meeting these women as a peer with a shared love for quilting, I had the chance to make them into friends.
And when you get to sit for five straight days from 6 AM to midnight (haha who am I kidding, I go to bed at nine) just sewing next to someone -you can’t help but become friends. Secrets, snacks, and sewing tips are the top things shared Quilt Camp.
I make a point to attend 1 to 2 retreats a year. I love disconnecting from life and surrounding myself with people who share my passion. And I love to quilt with zero distractions. Other than the snack table - snacks are very distracting to me. These women who sit next to me with their machines whirring are indispensable to me.
Having a quilting community is a must. I encourage you to step out and find others who share your craft.
Here are some other ways to immerse yourself in the Quilting Community.
Join a Guild
Guilds are official groups with memberships and by-laws that meet on a regular basis to discuss quilting. The topics tend to change every meeting so you can learn a wide variety of subjects. Guilds often host Quilt Shows in which Guild members and non-Guild members can put in quilts. Every Guild looks different but is always a great way to meet other quilters in your area.
Take Classes
Look up your local quilt store and check out the classes they may be offering. Aside from the obvious benefit of learning a new skill, you will find other quilters who are interested in the same style of quilting as you.
Put Together a Fabric Swap
Every quilter (whether she will admit or not) has fabric in their stash that they are not too fond of. Maybe they used it in a quilt years ago and have no intention of using it again. Perhaps the fabric was an inheritance from a Great Aunt and just not their taste. That quilter may not like the fabric but guarantee there is someone else who does. At a Fabric Swap everyone brings the fabric they do not want from their stash to trade for different fabric. Exploit the taste of others by trading your non-desirable fabric for something out of someone else's stash! Set rules for the Swap so everyone feels like the trades were fair.
Quilt Shows
Show that quilt off! Entering your quilt in a show is a great way to meet other quilters in your area. Shows can also be a great learning experience. Judges can provide feed-back and methods that will improve your quilting for the next show.
Block-of-the-Month
Nothing like commiserating with someone who is making the same block as you. You can usually find Block-of-the-Month challenges through your local quilt store but there are plenty to be found online as well.
Social Media
Instagram, Facebook, and Pinterest are great avenues of finding people who share your passions. I follow many quilt stores, quilt bloggers, and fabric designers to get inspiration and new ideas. Communicate with these folks! They love feedback and questions! Remember to keep your comments positive, though. We are in this to support each other! Some of my favorite to follow on Instagram include:
@tulapink @quilted.connections @freespiritfabrics @freebirdquiltingdesigns @southernfabric
The quilting craft has a long history of community. Women have been quilting in groups for generations - sitting around a living room working on the same quilt while gossiping about the neighbors. Who are we to go against tradition?
