I have five friends, I'm the sixth, who meet once a month at someone's house. We bring hand projects and we gossip and settle all the world's political affairs - heaven help us if one of us is ever appointed to high office - and we love to see what the others have made in that month.

Sometimes we'll get a voice over the phone that yells "Road trip!" and we arrange to meet up. One drives us all to some LQS farther than we'd normally go. We shop and have a nice lunch out. Needless to say none of us really needs any more fabric. But, they are a fun group and I'd miss them if we ever broke up.

It sounds like a lot of fun to meet with your Quilty friends.
Great idea & way to share the new fabrics.

I joined the local Guild which is large, and I go to most all the meetings and try to participate in the events. I go to as many workshops as I am able to. The problem is that I still work (ugh!) and it is hard to do anything extra.
I do sew for their charitable causes and some of them actually know my name, of course my name badge helps...but no "friendships" have developed. Those I have something more in common are also still working :)
I have friends here - does that count????

Yes it counts, Marsha!!!

I'm very lucky to have two local quilting friends, plus one of my oldest friends who isn't local but quilts too. It's good when your closest, best friends understand your obsession!!!

Kate

Of course friends here count! That's why I like this forum, it's a lot like my local group of friends. Everyone is friendly and encouraging and we get along so well.
I just retired the first of November so I can relate to the time limitations of work. I have been known to take a vacation day to go on a "Road Trip".
We have a group of 10 that meets weekly, sometimes to work on a project or to just visit and show what we have been quilting.
Linda OH

There are 6 of us who meet every Wed. at one gal's house.....she has a very large studio that can accomodate all of us and our sewing machines. We call ourselves "The WOW"...Women of Wednesday and usually work on individual projects but occasionally work on outreach quilts and cutting of kits for charity quilts for our guild. We take roadtrips as well usually to NY state (we are in Ontario about an hour from the border at Niagara Falls) to shop or on a shop hop organized by quilt shops in the area. It is wonderful to have a great bunch of ladies to call my friends.

I'm one of eight in a small group out of my guild. We used to get together at one friend's house the off weeks from guild until her husband had a stroke a year ago October... We haven't gotten back into the schedule yet.

We do go out to dinner most nights after our guild meeting ends. I most desperately need to see them this Monday...I haven't seen them for about 8 weeks. First it was my time in the hospital when I missed the last meeting before Christmas. Then last meeting was cancelled due to weather. I really, really miss the 'adult' time (even though I usually have baby with me anyway) when I don't get it.

We all tend to share FQs for all the others when we travel/vacation. We have a huge collection and no idea what to do with them! Most are novelties that relate to whereever we traveled. I've suggested a cathedral window quilt, but don't really want to hand stitch even my own! So we'll see.

My mom has her Sewing Club group that has met together once a month since they were newlyweds. The sewing part dropped by the wayside a couple decades ago, but they still faithfully meet. I would love to have a group like that. It is hard with working, but even if I did not work, I do not have friends here in NY that quilt. My best sewing buddy is back in CO and I miss her. I often wonder if someday I'll have a group of friends close by who also like to sew. That would be fun.
Karlene

I have a group of friends who meet each Wed in an old School that had closed. The local Council took it over and lets it out to community groups to hire. It has all the long tables we need, chairs, heating and cooling and fully equipped kitchen, so we only need to take our sewing machines and projects we're working on. We take our lunch and stay all day. There are about 15 of us and we call ourselves "The Quilt Whisperers". Most of the time we work on our own projects, offering help, advice,where and when needed. A group is great to have around when you come to pinning your quilt! Over the last 2 years we worked on making quilts for our hospital and my Birthday Block Quilts from those years went to the hospital.

Kristene (in Orange, Australia)

Oh, I WISH I had some quilting friends- I would love that. I also wish I had friends or relatives that were into sewing, as I could really benefit from some help. Anyway, both of my grandmothers quilted, but they lived far away and died when I was young. You ladies who have a group of quilters to hang out with are so lucky!

There are a few quilters I'm acquainted with close to town but none I get together with. It sounds like it would be a great thing to do, though I can't carry my machine anymore.....there's still applique and redwork. I might have to check out the LQS as I think they have one day a week where you can just show up to quilt and socialize.

You girls are fortunate to have a group of long-time friends to get together with.

SharonG/FL

I do have a group of really close women friends but no quilters among them. Even though I am president of my guild, I still feel like an outsider. Unfortunate but that's the way it is.