Rug Braiders International
formerly known as the Valley Forge Rug Braiding Guild
Frequently Asked Questions
More About Us
How did the Rug Braiders International get started?
In 2007, Nancy Young and Loretta Zvarick hosted a one-day braid gathering at the Grange in Trappe, Pennsylvania. That day, several braiders from the Lancaster and Lehigh areas of Pennsylvania decided to form a guild. Naki Godfrey was an administrator at the Arbour Square retirement community in Harleysville, and she volunteered to give us a free site to meet.
When did the Rug Braiders International get its non-profit status?
In the summer of 2020.
Where does the guild meet now?
All of our monthly meetings and special events and classes and braid help sessions are online. A core group of original Guild members in southeastern Pennsylvania get together every month or so in Coatesville, PA -- for more info contact Dottie Pepe:
The Guild was originally called Valley Forge Rug Braiding Guild. Why did the guild change its name in 2025?
The original name sounded too tied to a physical location, and it confused people into thinking we were a guild that met physically in southeastern Pennsylvania. The new name makes our status as an international group clear -- our meetings and events are online, and attended by members in the US, Canada, Norway, Denmark, and New Zealand.