Activities

The SFQG offers a wealth of activities that foster companionship, learning and fun for anyone in the Bay Area interested in quiltmaking and related arts.

Please visit our Calendar for a comprehensive view of all upcoming events – including details, dates and times, plus the links you’ll need to participate.

Meeting Activities

General Meetings are held on the third Tuesday of the month, except in November & December, when they happen on the second Tuesday. Below are some of the things you might see at those meetings.

Lectures

Guest speakers—from within the SFQG, around California, out of state and even overseas—are a high point of the guild’s monthly meetings. Learn more. You can find descriptions of past lectures in our Lecture Archive, which lists monthly lectures going back to mid-2018.

Sew & Tell

At every in person meeting, you have the opportunity to take the stage with your finished projects or WIPs and talk about your work … and enjoy the applause! We also encourage members to use the #SFQGVirtualShowandTell Instagram tag to share your work. Learn more.

Fabric Swap

Bring your fabric to the Swap Table at our monthly meetings and “shop” for something new at the break. You do not need to donate to be able to shop! Contact Christine Reiter to volunteer to help.

UFO Mystery Bag Challenge

Your mission, should you decide to accept it, is to create a completed quilted project with the contents of a UFO Mystery Bag curated from other member’s donated UFOs. Learn more.

Library

Our library boasts more than 1,000 books and videos. Click here to learn about our holdings and how to browse. Watch the Calendar for regular open library dates.

Block of the Month

Participating in Block of the Month is a way to learn new techniques, try new designs or patterns, play with fabrics and colors … and win blocks. Learn more.

 

Hospitality

The SFQG has a quirky way of supplying snacks at meetings: members are asked to bring treats to the meeting that happens during their birthday month. You are, of course, welcome to contribute when it’s not your birthday month, but this helps to ensure we have snacks and drinks every meeting.

If you have any questions or are interested in joining the Hospitality Team, please reach out to Charlotte Mosher, Mary Padbury, or Loretta Roddy.

Annual Auction

November’s meeting features a live auction and cash-and-carry tables. It’s a lively fundraiser, with great finds. Invite your friends … guests are free!

Make & Take

Our December meeting features craft tables where you can learn a clever technique or make a quick project … plus there’s a holiday party.

Mini-Workshops

Some months we host several mini-workshops for you to learn new skills or hone those you know. You can learn about and try your hand at the following techniques taught by our own members.

General Activities

If you are interested in participating in any of our general activities, take a look at the corresponding page. Several of the chairs for our general activities host tables at our monthly meetings where you can also ask questions.

Sewcials

The SFQG offers two kinds of Saturday social gatherings: Outreach Sewcials and Sewcial Workshops. At Outreach Sewcials, members gather to work on charitable projects. Sewcial Workshops feature stellar teachers both from within our own guild and beyond. Learn more here, or see our Calendar for upcoming dates.

Sewing Circles

Sewing Circles are groups of guild members who pursue shared interests by meeting regularly, sewing together, working on collaborative projects, and the like. Learn more.

Lincoln Park Quilters

Lincoln Park Quilters is a social extension of SFQG. They meet every Friday – “in person” on the odd Fridays and via Zoom on the even Fridays. Contact Jeanie Low with any questions.

Fabric Postcards

Use up scraps … have some fun … and help raise money for the guild by sewing fabric postcards. At just 4×6, they’re fast to make. Details and directions are here.

Quiltlets

At just 8½ inches square, Quiltlets are miniature works of art created by members and displayed at our quilt shows. Learn more.

Challenge Quilts

Challenge Quilts are small works that interested members make in response to a theme and are typically displayed at the guild’s quilt show. Learn more.

Round Robin

The SFQG’s Round Robin is an annual group quilt project that runs January through October of years we don’t have a show. Each participant contributes to six quilts over the course of the year and gets to keep a finished quilt at the end. Beginners welcome! For details, examples, and to join the fun click here.

Community Outreach

SFQG members regularly contribute quilts and pillowcases to local hospitals and other organizations through our Community Outreach program. For member convenience, we have a table at the monthly meeting and regularly scheduled Curbside Outreach – visit the calendar to see the specific dates.

Newsletter

The SFQG publishes a monthly newsletter, Quilters Cables, that members receive via email or in print. Back issues and info on how to contribute can be found here.

Quilt Show

Our biennial show features hundreds of quilts by members, special exhibits, featured artists, vendors and more. In the months leading up to the show, find information here. See find the ribbon winners from our last show here.

Outdoor Free Table

A treasure trove of fabrics, orphan blocks, patterns, and quilting supplies. Contributions always welcome! Outdoor free tables will be scheduled approximately once a quarter – members looking to host a free table should contact Val Lienkaemper to schedule it.

Social Media

Follow us on Instagram and Facebook to see fabulous quilts by SFQG members and find out about upcoming events. Learn more.

Opportunity Quilts

A great fundraiser, this collaborative quilt travels to other guilds and events until it is raffled off at our quilt show. See our latest Opportunity Quilt here.

Quilt Retreats

We regularly host QuiltAway & Open Studio retreats. QuiltAway feature classes, while all retreats offer open studio, charity projects, and time for guild members to get to know one another better. Learn more.

Past Activities

Below are several of the activities that members have hosted in the past. If you are interested in reviving one (and being the activity chair), please work with the board to help get it going.

Chunk of the Month

A mystery quilt activity hosted by Julia McLeod, if you followed the monthly installments from March to August you will have 44 components with which to make a complete 48″ quilt.

Secret Palls

Secret Pals are guild members who enjoy gift-giving as a way of getting to know other members. Kind of like Secret Santa, but year-round. Learn more.

Friendship Blocks

Making Friendship Blocks is a way to collaborate with other guild members on their quilts … and to get blocks for your projects, too. Participants have contributed more than 900 blocks for 57 quilts in the past decade. Learn more.

Lone Robin

Part progressive quilt, part mystery quilt, and a whole lot of fun! In 2021 & 2022, our Lone Robin Challenge presented six monthly prompts to participants starting in February. Click here for details.