May in Jersey

Just received the news that the Quilter's Hertiage Show in Lancaster PA for the past 22 years is no more. Boo Hoo, it was the one I liked the best probably because my friends and I would stay over for a few days for show, shopping and hanging out. See for yourself, http://www.qhconline.com/
May in Jersey

kluedesigns

thats a shame. i have noticed over the last few years fewer and fewer people are going to this particular show. i was really shocked this year how few people were there.

kluedesigns

i don't think people stopped going because of the economy because its being dwindling in popularity for about 5 years.

the owners might have felt the recent economic downturn was the straw that broke the camels back though.

in my opinion many "larger" quilt shows are going thru growing pains trying to find a happy medium between traditional and contemporary styles and works.

the paducah show suffered terribly when they gave the "best in show" to someone who did all the work by machine. it took them many years to come up with all the categories that, for now, seem to make everyone happy.

the lancaster show on the other hand has not moved with the times, it is still primarily a handquilters quilt show. they allow machine work to enter but if you want a ribbon don't hold your breath.

the problem with staying in this vain is slowly you will lose your client based because all the new people entering the art mainly work with machines.

but like i said this is just my view of the different types of shows.

kluedesigns

i think certain area's of the country favor a particular style.

i've noticed that more "urban" areas have more contemporary works and more "rural" area's have more traditional works.

the real question is what is the future of quilting? what are the new people entering the craft producing?

the youth of today aren't really interested in quilting - its viewed as an art form of their grandmothers and if we don't get them interested the shows and stores will closed down because the client base will die off.

Knot Sew

Our local show has ribbons for each catagory art q uilt machine quilting hand quilting color selection...it covers all aspects and you enter in the catagory you fit in :D

kluedesigns

all shows have the categories the issue is "best in show" at the very large shows where large amounts of money are won and careers are built once you win.

local guilds can do whatever they want and all they risk is a loss of a few members.

big shows have much more at stake - i'll never forget when the machine quilted piece won best in show for the first time - it was as if a person was actually hanging at the show instead of a quilt. women were actually yelling at the paducah staff right on the floor of the show.

not to long ago the 3 time winner of "best in show" at paducah was being beaten up on this forum over her work and the price of her quilts. she's the only person in the history of the show to have won best 3 times and she still doesn't have other quilters respect.

golfer

The Lancaster show is close to me so I will miss it. There is the Hershey Quilt show starting July 30. Then September 17, 18, 19, and 20 at the Greater Philadelphia Expo Center. This quilt show is being touted as an extravaganza. Mancuso management is running this show.

Golfer

kluedesigns

mancuso puts on really nice shows.

Lisanne

May, thanks for the link. I just blew two hours looking at the pictures of the quilts from the 2008 and 2009 shows. Just such awesome work!

From the blurb on their website, it sounds like they're retiring but would have passed it on to others or maybe continued if they'd had the financial backing. (Any takers?????)

Happily, the website had a link that might solve my problem that I posted in another thread, that I need all-cotton fabric in the yellow-orange color used on schoolbuses. Looks like this store has it! LOL, and it's even called Schoolbus!

Marcia

I have attended the Lancaster show 4 times and enjoyed it the first few times. I did notice though, that nothing ever changed there. Every year it was the exact same vendors in the exact same locations selling pretty much the exact same old thing as last year. I would not attend again even if I lived close by. Maybe others felt the same way too---they were just tired of the repetition.

I am sorry to see the show end though---I hope it is not a trend.