You are invited to join us for a Meeting
We warmly welcome new members and are thrilled you are interested in joining our guild.
We meet on the first and third Thursday evenings of each month at St. Mark’s Methodist Church, which is located at 1839 NE 8th Ave, Ocala, FL. Although our meetings begin at 7 p.m., the doors open by 6 so we can have some social time. When you arrive for a meeting, please sign in at the Secretary’s desk (located at the front of the meeting room). Name tags are available and free for visitors. At every meeting we have a Freebie table (see description below), a table that holds Show ‘n Tell items (for a close-up view, please do not remove items from the table), and our pillowcase collection bin.
Our business meeting is held on the first Thursday of each month and may not be the most entertaining. Our second meeting of the month has some type of scheduled program.
We request that visitors join after attending two meetings.
Membership Benefits
NATIONAL SPEAKER/CLASSES
Once a year we host a nationally recognized quilt teacher with a lecture and a class, where he/she teach his/her technique. We also have monthly demonstrations conducted by guild members or local quilt teachers, detailing new techniques and tricks… or re-imagining old ones!
WORKSHOPS
Once a year we host a nationally recognized quilt teacher to hold a lecture. On the following day, he/she conducts a class teaching their technique.
NEWSLETTER
With your membership, you will receive our newsletter which we publish every other month, detailing current events within the guild.
SHOW & TELL
During our meetings, we have show & tell; it’s an opportunity to see other member’s works, get inspired and show off your talents.
RETREATS
Imagine days of sewing with your friends! You don’t have to cook since meals are included. The sewing room is available all day for as long as you want to stay up into the evening and sew. You can book a private room or share with a friend. *Retreats are not functions officially sponsored by the guild. Rather, the persons organizing them offer priority registration to guild members before opening attendance to the general public.
FREEBIE TABLE
We always have a table set up so that members can set out items they no longer want. Sometimes it is fabric, tools, quilting books or patterns. In return, you could pick up anything you needed.
ACTIVITIES
…include: monthly fat quarter drawings, Block of the Month, Challenge Quilt and Tea, Christmas in July, Derby Hat day, Summer Stash Sale, UFO Challenge and a Christmas party.
SPECIAL INTEREST GROUPS
We offer these in the areas of Art quilts, Machine Embroidery, Miniature quilts, and Wool Applique, where exploration of various techniques is encouraged and friendship is enjoyed.
Membership Expectations
In exchange for the advantages of a CRQ membership, we have certain expectations of our members of which you should be aware prior to agreeing to join. CRQ welcomes all who love the art of quilting, at any stage of expertise and of any style. We take delight in learning new things and in spending time in the creative process with other likeminded people who love what we love. We look forward to meeting you and can’t wait to quilt with you!
DONATION OPPORTUNITIES
CRQ is a non-profit organization and to maintain that status, we make items for donation as an act of serving the community. Ongoing community service projects include pet beds, pillowcases, friendship quilts, placemats, and Quilts of Valor. You are not expected to make an entire quilt for friendship quilts or Quilts of Valor, but rather be a part of the process. Our Community Service Chairperson has plenty of donated fabric to make the tops. When the top is completed, we have several members who are long arm quilters who donate their time to quilt them for us. When they have completed the quilting portion, it is then passed on to someone else to bind the quilt.
THE “BIG SHOW” (Biennial Quilt Show)
One of the most important expectations from our members is to support our quilt show. The success of our show depends on members’ participation. Everyone is expected to assist in one way or another, whether it be curating as a docent on the show floor, assisting visitors with the drawing baskets, or tending the store, there are many opportunities to be involved. We also have The Boutique where we sell members’ donated handmade items. Throughout the year, leading up to the show, we are each expected to sell at least $30.00 in raffle tickets for our Opportunity Quilt.
Join us!
Two documents are required for joining: the application form and the membership information form. Please download, read, print, fill in and sign. Bring the documents, along with the membership fee, to the secretary’s table at a meeting.
CRQ Membership Application FormCRQ Membership Information Form