Tying quilts

Yesterday after church Steve overheard a couple of ladies talking about their quilting group and made certain to tell them that I do some quilting, so I was invited to join them this morning. They meet every Monday between 9 and 9:30am and told me that I was more than welcome to bring Madison. Since they meet at the church, and the nursery room is right off of the room that they use for tying the quilts, it worked out quite well. I was, by far, the youngest person there, but they are a very welcoming group.
They don't use quilting frames, which set me back momentarily. They lay the back, batting and top out on the floor, pinning every other square or so in place, and then lay the entire thing across a table to tie, moving it across the table as needed. It worked out pretty well, even though I felt a little awkward at first. I stayed for about 2 1/2 hours, in which time all of us there managed to tie 8 quilts. Man, are my fingers going to hurt tomorrow! One of the ladies takes all of them home to do the finishing on them and then brings them back to the church to be distributed as needed. They have a room about the size of a large walk-in closet that has all of their fabric, backs, tops, and finished quilts. Madison had a great time running all around, playing with the yarn, playing with the toys, finding scissors.... And the ladies there just loved watching her. Madison even found a teddy bear in the nursery that was in need of repairs so one of the ladies sat down and fixed the hole up for her real quick while Madison watched. Towards the end, they brought out muffins and a spice cake of some sort so that everyone could sit and visit for a little bit before they went their separate ways.
It wasn't exactly my age group, but it was comfortably like quilting (or tying) with Grandma. Most of them were quite surprised that I knew what I was doing and asked when I had started quilting. I have to say that I don't remember the first time that I ever helped with a quilt, but I feel like they were just part of what I learned to do as I grew up. It was a really nice way to spend the morning. They told me about a $5 quilt club in Dallas (based out of Grandma's Quilt Shop, I think) where you pay $5 the first time that you come and, as long as you come every month you don't pay the $5 again. In return, you get a women's lesson of some sort based on the theme for the year (the one this year is something to the effect of well-behaved ladies don't make history, or something like that) and a kit consisting of a pattern and fabric for making that month's quilt square. The left-over kits are donated to the church, and there was a box full of them there. I brought home nine matching kits with the intention of turning them into the square indicated by the pattern, put it together into a top, and take it back for everyone else to help tie. It's actually not a difficult pattern so we'll see how quickly I can get it pieced and ready for everyone else to help tie it :)
I know Steve was pleased to hear that I wanted to go to this today because he thinks I don't get out nearly enough. It makes him feel better to see me getting out a little bit :) I don't know that he's completely right, but I certainly enjoyed my morning visiting with those ladies. And it's stuff like that that will help me get to know people better. Yesterday I was even invited to join the choir, but they hold practice on Wednesday evenings, which is when we have cub scouts, so I can't do that.
Anyway, if felt really good to spend my morning out with other women this morning and I enjoyed the feeling of accomplishment that followed me all the way home.