A quilting bee is a group of people who get together to sew and quilt and to share parts of their lives. Often, a bee is thought of as a group of women gathered around a large quilting frame, all of them helping work on the quilting of a single quilt. While quilting bees like this still exist, the modern notion of a bee is much broader and is often used to describe a group of people who get together on a regular basis, whether there is a quilt in a frame or not. In these modern bees, quilters may work together on projects for each other or for groups in the community, or members may simply get together to socialize as they each work on their own projects. Quilting bees provide their members the opportunity to talk about their ideas and their quilts with other quilters. They also benefit broader communities since many bees regularly take on projects to benefit either a larger quilting guild or a chosen community group, such as a hospital or a nursing home.

The Austin Area Quilt Guild sponsors many quilting bees to which its members can belong. There are bees that meet at night as well as bees that meet during the day. There are bees that meet all over town and in surrounding areas. Some bees are highly organized, where there is always some kind of group effort going on, and there are very "hang-loose" bees whose members simply enjoy getting together to sew, talk (and maybe eat!). Some bees meet in public places, such as libraries, while others meet in members' homes. Bees that meet in public places are always open to new members. Bees that meet in member's homes may have a limited membership simply because of space.

Any AAQG Member is invited to join one or more open Bees. In order to be a Guild-affiliated Bee, all members of the Bee must also keep their membership in AAQG active.

If you are interested in joining a bee, and you are not a Guild member, come to a monthly Guild meeting and join the Guild or mail in the New Membership Form. If you may want to find out more about the open bees so you can choose one (or two or three) that best match your interests, help is available. To join a bee, start a new bee or to get more information about bees, call the Bee Coordinator whose phone number is listed on the back page of the Quilting Quips or in the AAQG yearbook or you may click here to send an email to the Bee Coordinator.

Following is a list of quilting bees sponsored by AAQG. Please click here to email corrections to the web manager.

There is a place in the bee for you! Join today!

So sorry, the bee membership is maxed out at this time.

Day and Night Bees:

'Back in the Day' (BID) (Day and Night) (open)           1st & 3rd Thurs , 10am- 2 pm; 2nd Thurs, 7-9 pm           Members homes           Bee Keeper: Jean Folkes           For more information:                Email: AAQG Bee Coordinator

'Material Girls' (MG) (Day and Night) (full)           2nd Wed, 6:30 – 8:30 pm and 3rd Sat AFTER the Guild Mtg 2:30 – 6:00 pm           Members' homes           Bee Keeper: Lorraine Cooper           For more information:                Email: AAQG Bee Coordinator

Day Bees:

'A Different Point of View (art bee)' (DPV) (Day) (open)           2nd & 4th Wednesday, 10-4           Members' homes           Bee Keeper: Betty Davis           For more information:                Email: AAQG Bee Coordinator

'Art Quilters' (AQ) (Day) (full)           2nd & 4th Fridays, 9:30 am           Homes of members           Bee Keeper: Kathy York           For more information:                Email: AAQG Bee Coordinator

'Bee Babes' (BBs) (Day) (full)           Mondays 9am-3pm           Members' homes           Bee Keeper: Julie Ann Moon           For more information:                Email: AAQG Bee Coordinator

'Bits and Pieces Bee' (BPB) (Day) (full)           2nd & 4th Tuesdays, 9:30 – 12 noon           Homes of members           Bee Keeper: June Spencer           For more information:                Email: AAQG Bee Coordinator

'Bluebonnet Belles Bee' (BBB) (Day) (open)           Every 2nd Tuesday, 9:30-2 pm           First National Bank Community Room, Elgin           Bee Keeper: Dorothy Matheson           For more information:                Email: AAQG Bee Coordinator

'Cedar Park Fabric Choppers' (CPFC) (Day) (open)           Mondays, 10 am – 12 pm           Cedar Park United Methodist Church           Bee Keeper: Audrey Winter           For more information:                Email: AAQG Bee Coordinator

'Crazy Stitchers' (CS) (Day) (full)           1st & 3rd Fridays, 10 am- 3 pm           Hyde Park United Methodist Church           Bee Keeper: Josie Carraher           For more information:                Email: AAQG Bee Coordinator

'Doo Bees' (DB) (Day) (open)           2nd & 4th Thursdays, 11:30-2:30           North Austin           Northwest Baptist Church at 6301 Woodrow           Bee Keeper: Barbara White           For more information:                Email: AAQG Bee Coordinator

'Dutch Dolls' (DD) (Day) (full)           Tuesdays, 12:30 – 3:30 pm           Little Walnut Creek Library           Bee Keeper: Ellicia Bellamy           For more information:                Email: AAQG Bee Coordinator

'Easy Piecers' (EP) (Day) (full)           Thursdays, 12 noon- 3 pm           Yarborough Library           Bee Keeper: Karen White           For more information:                Email: AAQG Bee Coordinator

'Honey Beezzz' (HB) (Day) (open)           1st & 3rd Thursdays, 9:00 am – 2 pm           South Austin           South Austin Senior Activity Center           Bee Keeper: Amelia Greene           50+ bee           For more information:                Email: AAQG Bee Coordinator

'Knots Landing' (KL) (Day) (open)           Mondays, 3-6 pm           Round Rock           Members homes           Bee Keeper: Chris & Rex McCaskill           For more information:                Email: AAQG Bee Coordinator

'Ladies the Lake' (LL) (Day) (open)           2nd & 4th Wednesdays, 10:30 am – 2 pm           Various locations around Lakeway           Bee Keeper: Judy Hazen           Must be member of LAC (Lakeway Activity Center)           For more information:                Email: AAQG Bee Coordinator

'Match-A-Patch' (MP) (Day) (full)           Thursdays, 10 am – noon           Woodlawn Baptist Church, 4600 Manchaca           Bee Keeper: Lois Akins           For more information:                Email: AAQG Bee Coordinator

'May Bees' (MB) (Day) (open)           Thursdays, 11 am – 2 pm           Central Austin           Homes of members           Bee Keeper: Kathleen Pearson           For more information:                Email: AAQG Bee Coordinator

'Patchwork Pals' (PP) (Day) (full)           1st & 3rd Thursdays, 10 am-2 pm           Meet in members homes           Bee Keeper: Karen Monaghan           For more information:                Email: AAQG Bee Coordinator

'Piecemakers' (PM) (Day) (full)           Mondays, 10:30 am – 2:30 pm           Millwood Library, 12500 Amherst Dr.           Bee Keeper: Tillie Ward           For more information:                Email: AAQG Bee Coordinator

'Pin Pals' (PIN) (Day) (open)           Fridays, 10 am – 2 pm           South Austin           St. Paul’s Catholic Church (280-4460)           Bee Keeper: Debbie Janelle           For more information:                Email: AAQG Bee Coordinator

'Quilted Hearts' (QH) (Day) (full)           2nd & 4th Thursdays, 10:30 am - 2:30 pm           Homes of members           Bee Keeper: June West           For more information:                Email: AAQG Bee Coordinator

'Simply Quilters' (SQ) (Day) (open)           Thursdays 10 am - 2 pm           South Austin           Pleasant Hill Library           Bee Keeper: Anita Mester           For more information:                Email: AAQG Bee Coordinator

'Speedy Bees' (SB) (Day) (open)           2nd & 4th Fridays, 10:00 am – 3:00 pm           Central Austin           Hyde Park United Methodist Church           Bee Keeper: Mary Murdock           For more information:                Email: AAQG Bee Coordinator

'Victorian Ladies' (VL) (Day) (full)           3rd Tuesdays, 10 am – 2 pm           Homes of members           Bee Keeper: Shirley Cox           For more information:                Email: AAQG Bee Coordinator

Night Bees:

'Angels in Stitches' (AIS) (Night) (open)           3rd Tuesdays, 7 – 9 pm           Central Austin           Homes of members           Bee Keeper: Margaret Gaither           For more information:                Email: AAQG Bee Coordinator

'Bee Buddies' (BB) (Night) (full)           3rd Tuesday, 6:30-9:30 PM           Homes of members           Bee Keeper: Mary Beard           For more information:                Email: AAQG Bee Coordinator

'Hill Country Quilters' (HCQ) (Night) (full)           3rd Monday, 7-9 pm           Bee Keeper: Cheryl Degan           For more information:                Email: AAQG Bee Coordinator

'Loblolly Pine Needles' (LPN) (Night) (open)           4th Tuesday, 6:30 pm - 8:30 pm           Aqua Water Meeting Room, old Bastrop Hwy, Behind HEB           Bee Keeper: Shawn Welborn-Parker           For more information:                Email: AAQG Bee Coordinator

'Night Bloomers' (NB) (Night) (full)           3rd Monday, 7 – 9 pm           Homes of members           Bee Keeper: Norma Beardsley           For more information:                Email: AAQG Bee Coordinator

'Nite Owls' (NO) (Night) (full)           Wednesdays, 7 – 9 pm           North Austin           Northwest Hills United Methodist Church           Bee Keeper: Monica Nauert           For more information:                Email: AAQG Bee Coordinator

'Quarterly Exchangers' (QE) (Night) (open)           3rd Tuesday Feb., May, Aug., Nov., 7:00 pm           Central Austin           Hyde Park United Methodist Church           Bee Keeper: Julia Wenzel           For more information:                Email: AAQG Bee Coordinator

'Quiltaholics' (Q) (Night) (full)           1st & 3rd Thursday, 7:30 pm           Homes of members           Bee Keeper: Lois Moran           For more information:                Email: AAQG Bee Coordinator

'Quilting Divas' (QD) (Night) (full)           Mondays, 6:30 – 8:30 pm (except Guild night)           Hearthstone Nursing Home, next to RR Hospital           Bee Keeper: Louise Bloom           For more information:                Email: AAQG Bee Coordinator

'Scrappily Ever After' (SEA) (Night) (open)           Wednesdays 6:30 – 9:00 pm           Merrill Gardens, 2 blks off 620 between RR & 183           Bee Keeper: Sharon Weaver           For more information:                Email: AAQG Bee Coordinator

'Sew Be Its' (SBI) (Night) (open)           4th Friday 7-9:30 as well as 2nd Thursday 7:30-8:30           South Austin           Hampton Oak Hill Library           Bee Keeper: Lana Rodriguez           For more information:                Email: AAQG Bee Coordinator

'Wildflower Bee' (WFB) (Night) (full)           1st & 3rd Thursdays 7:00 pm – 9:00 pm           Homes of members           Bee Keeper: Kathy Hauge           For more information:                Email: AAQG Bee Coordinator