Merriam-Webster defines a guild as an association of people with similar interests or pursuits. That sounds about right for us here at Jersey Shore Modern Quilt Guild. When our guild was just forming twelve years ago, I was approached by the founder and she asked me to come join. My knee jerk reaction was to think my work is not good enough to be part of a quilt guild. Then I got to thinking that although I’d been sewing since my early teens, I never actually had any friends who shared my interest in it, wouldn’t that be nice? There’s no requirement of skill level to be in a guild, it has been one of the smartest decisions I’ve ever made!

Our guild has grown exponentially post covid, from 12 to currently 45 members and ever growing. There’s a reason for that, there’s actually a few reasons for that, the newfound interest in sewing and quilting after lockdown, the hands down best little sewing studio/quilt shop in Jersey aka Old Spool Sewing Studio, where we gather for our meetings thanks to Julia and Patrick, the owners and most importantly the reputation the Jersey Shore MQG has for its welcoming, judgement free spirit. We truly welcome and embrace everyone, regardless of skill level or craft and we are each other’s biggest cheerleaders.

So back to the retreat! We spent last weekend up in Warren County at a camp from Friday evening to Sunday afternoon and it was wonderful! Not everyone could join but we had a fairly large group and a few people who aren’t members of the guild joined us for the chance to have an uninterrupted weekend of sewing. Sewing, snacking, talking, laughing, games, and even some hiking.

We even had some show and tell for finished projects and the cheering was loud!

The actual retreat views were phenomenal and the weather was gorgeous.

There’s something magical about spending time with these women over the years, friendships are formed and it goes way beyond the sewing chatter. We support each other in the seasons of life, weddings, babies, and times of sorrow. It’s just a fantastic group and I know I’m not alone when I say I am so grateful to be a part of it and to call these women, and Patrick, friends. When I was packing for the trip, what seemed liked the contents of my home, I wondered is this really worth all of the effort. Yes, it is and I’d do it again right now and can’t wait for next time!!