One of the best things a quilt guild can do is keep the art of quilting alive by teaching it to young quilters. I got to see this in action recently while teaching at the Dakota Prairie Quilters Guild in North Dakota. While chatting with their president, I learned about something brilliant their guild did to welcome young quilters. I just had to share it so other guilds can steal the idea too!
Here’s how it worked.
Members invited a new or younger quilter to come to a guild event. The guild also spread the word by hanging flyers at the local quilt shop and library. (Pro tip: you could do the same with a Facebook Event or a flyer at your local community college!)
The flyer promised something simple and welcoming: the guild would be sharing the basics of piecing, no experience necessary. Even better, would-be quilters didn’t need to own a machine. One would be waiting for them, along with a patient, one-on-one guide to get them started. 
Then on the big day, members hauled in their machines and set up shop. Each new quilter got paired with an experienced quilter, who shared her machine and her know-how. Everyone worked from kits stocked with pre-cut fabric for a simple block (or you could grab one of my quick win projects instead!). That way, every new quilter walked away with something finished, useful, and even giftable.
The result? A day full of new skills, new friendships, and new members for the guild.
