Just an interesting talking point…
Our large-ish quilt group has decided to stop arranging coach/bus trips to the major quilt shows. We discussed why many didn’t want to go and/or have stopped going to quilt shows altogether.
- Cost of entry ticket plus coach ticket too expensive. Cheaper to go alone or carpool; timings (too long on a bus; can’t attend any workshops, stay too long, leave too early)
- Shows are too crowded
- Not enough places to sit down and overpriced refreshments
- Can’t see the quilts through the stalls and crowds
- Long queues to pay for items
- Too many computerised/digital/longarm “Show” and “Art” quilts done by professionals or those with huge budgets (This is another discussion altogether!)
But the overall reason, which astonished me, was… there is nothing I need to buy. It was also added, that after taking into account transport costs, entry ticket etc., it was cheaper to buy things on the internet.
I will be going to the Festival of Quilts in Birmingham this year and parking, entry and fuel for a 200 mile round trip is going to be over £50. So, going to a major quilt show is expensive.
There are a couple of shows I no longer go to… too many vendors, too few quilts. I rarely buy anything because scrappy and re-purposed fabric is my thing; however, I had to agree with others that too many stalls were selling the same thing, especially notions and fabric lines.
There was a survey done recently (Google 2017 Quilter’s Survey) and I do hope the outcome is made available. Perhaps those of us who belong to Quilt Groups and Guilds should contact the shows and give feedback to the organisers.
HettyB