How do I go about starting a quilting club with my mother, five sisters, three sister-laws and several nieces? Are there guidelines? Where will I find step by step instructions?

Jewel

Jewel,

You can start a quilting club right now! There have been groups for centuries that had as their only 'rules' the desire to make quilts together. In fact, my grandma belonged to a group of rural farmwives in Sparta, Michigan that got together monthly to do just that. They would quilt all day, then head home to feed the chickens and the kids right after school let out. It is always nice to affiliate with an existing guild, of course. 

In my state, Colorado, the Colorado Quilting Council has monthly meetings, as well as retreats and regular festivals. The state guild has literally thousands of members...but it includes dozens of informa sub-groups, often called "chapters," which meet on their own schedules, as well as more formal guilds. These are all arranged by the guild members themselves, though they often publicize their doings in the state newsletter and sponsor separate fundraisers. (The state guild also has fundraisers, usually in the form of a yearly raffle-won quilt.)

 If you're not sure if or where your state has its own guild, check QuiltGuilds.com. You will find more information on establishing a guild there.  If you do want to affiliate with a larger group, you can do it loosely, of course. I would recommend that everyone in your group join as individuals -- that way, you can collectively keep up with what's happening in your state. Unfortunately, you will not be able to make donations to your group and/or the state guild, and reap tax benefits, unless the receiving group is a nonprofit, and has filed the necessary application. You can make donations, of course -- you just can't write them off your taxes.

Cindy