My "bad" purchase was Creative Feet. They seemed to work well when demonstrated but it takes practice so I gave up. the other item I got was a special cutting system, found it was more trouble then just using my ruler the old way.

UGH - quilt kits - the last one I bought did not give directions for rotary cutting and all the increments were 5/8s, 7/8s - for like 500 triangles!!!! It was ridiculous so if I like a pattern I now reverse engineer it and give credit to the designer after I finish the piece.

The supreme slider, just doesn't work for me. A waste of money.

My most expensive mistake was buying a long arm table with a 9 in throat machine. Worthless. I cant afford a long arm machine so that big monster sits taking up my sewing room.
I also have several specialty rulers I will never use like the x box.

Magazines and books. I love to look at them, ponder, drink coffee and dream. Besides the Dear Jane book (at 42 blocks in threes now) and a halloween pattern (Any witch way) I have yet to make anything else. I have recently given my mother in law about 50 magazines that I have collected over the past 6 years. There are a few magazines (like the 100 block volumes) that I can't get rid of even though I haven't made a block out of the 5 volumes out there.

I know what you mean. I have a Juki with the Grace Pinnacle frame (100inches long) and it works great for quilts smaller than 80 inches ish. Anything larger and I can't change the bobbin or quilt the end of the quilt since the roll is so thick under the throat.

A large Steady Betty!!!! This is a board with a foam wrap and then a cover that is "sticky" to fabric--like an enhanced flannel. It certain holds items in place. The HUGE problem is the surface is so soft from the foam that the seam that you press doesn't lay down after pressing. I was pressing some HST and the top flap of the HST floated up in the air at least a few inches. Nothing presses flat at all.

I have been pressing on a board wrapped with a folded flat sheet (so about 8 layers of a high quality cotton bed sheet) and this gives me a very nice pressed seam. I bought the Steady Betty online from JoAnns and I think the return shipping is going to be so much I might not even return it.

I regret the pounce pad and stencils. Great to see it demoed on dark blue fabric, but how many quilts are made with dark, dark fabric. Big waste -can't see the pattern. I only subscribe to one magazine The American Quilter Society, just look on line for ideas. I would rather buy fabric than gadgets. My books purchase that I have used for several quilts are Material Obsession and Material Obsession 2. The authors rate the difficulty and I have thoroughly enjoyed using them for quilts for several years. Going to the PIQF on Friday for inspiration and will take lots of pictures with my iPhone as just as this board isprires me, this is a place that has the WOW and AWE factor.

I think the most important things to ask yourself is: do I have a need for this, will I really use, will it make my life easier?
If it is something that you have been looking for (remember this is a chance to see 100 or so quilt shops all at once) defintely go for it. As for those really cool things that they make look so easy, ask if you can try it! For instance before I would fork over the money for an altos cutting system I want to use it and for more than a cut or two. If you have a hard time let's say cutting half square triangles and they have something that makes it look easier than slicing bread - again try it, do keep in mind that it may take some practice before you get good at using any tool but you can't get a feel for I think I can do this or I don't think I will ever feel comfortable doing this.

I agree on the speciality rulers - unless it is something that you have been dying to do or that you know you will use a lot, take the vendor name/number/name of the ruler. The last thing that I have regetted buying was a set of specialty rulers ($150) that at the time just looked so cool and I am sure that they will work great if I ever use them, they are a little out of my comfort zone so I haven't gotten there yet. I could have saved my money and kept a note and then bought them when and if I ever get around to it.

The Quilt Cut 2 was the biggest waste of money for me. I ended up putting it under my cutting table until I sold it on ebay. It was just useless for me. And I had been wanting one for a whole year. And the Martelli Quick Binding System.