Yes, we are on an island off the west coast of BC. Our Guild always feels a little isolated but nothing compared to now with COVID 19. Self isolation at home started early March for our Guild as both our island and Guild has members who are in the vulnerable age group. Our Guild took isolation seriously once our health clinic issued a daily notice. We immediately cancelled our monthly meetings, our monthly QTYW (Quilt Til You Wilt) and our monthly Satellite groups.
This all felt very strange and isolating, especially for a core group of, quilters who love the interaction and support these meetings offer.
So, for our first cancelled QTYW we started off with emails to all to keep our members engaged. Show and share on email and a few FaceTime calls. Our group soon realized that we needed more than that. We all practiced up our Zoom skills and scheduled our next QTYW on Zoom. Sew at home during the day and then join in on Zoom in the afternoon to share with all what you are working on. Great chatter and sharing was had by all and even some fabric requests to finish projects took place.
Now into our 3rd month of self distancing and staying at home our group is moving on to subscribing to Zoom to allow for more time for our monthly meeting to take place, programs (revamped shorter ones for Zoom), QTYW, and Satellite group meetings. All of these consists of staying at home and sewing and then logging into Zoom with others in the group that day to share what you are working on etc.
With all our cancellations we did have to cancel our Mayne Island Outdoor Quilt Show scheduled for July 2020, that takes place only every 4 years and is our one major fund raiser. But the cancellation has given our group renewed energy for next year’s show and given all members more time to get ready for it. I hope we have the best Post-Covid 19 show ever for our Guild and have some very inspiring quilts completed during this time to share with all.