JSNOMORE

Ijust got back from a four day trip to Lancaster AQS. I'm not sure why anyone would be disappointed. The show was fabulous. The vendors where wonderful. Saw quite a few new vendors with new products and not the same old stuff. I have never shopped for yardage at a show as most of the time its way too expensive. I alo work for a shop and I can tell you it isn't very economical to lug yardage to shows which is why you usually see just precuts. My Mom and I stay at the Marriott where it is held and the staff is just wonderful. They can't do enough for you. We googled our directions and had absolutely no problem getting there. I also took classes while I was there and learned so much. I have already booked my room for next year. As far as the show at the continental WAY to crowded in the booths. They were sooo small you couldn't even turn around. won't go back there.Also can't figure out why noone could find the winners circle it was right in the middle

doodledo

Never went to the Lancaster show. Would love to.
Ragamuffin, I am heading to the Maple Festival on the 1st.

quilt3311

I think any show is in the eyes of the beholder. When I go to one of the large shows I am in awe of all the beautiful quilts that are hung.
The vendors are usually pretty good, but that is not the main reason I go to the shows. I want to see the quilts and can spend days just looking at the quilts. Always buy the DVD (when available) to go back and remember what the quilts look like.
As for vendors, I have a friend who vends at the big shows. All the work bringing things and setting up a booth, then being on ones feet for days with little or no chance to rest just amazes me. Unless a person has actually vended at a large show, we do not have a clue how exhausting it is. I've watched her booth for a bit while she gets something to eat or just takes a small break. I know I couldn't do it for days.
I don't think anyone can imagine the thrill of coming into the show and seeing that your quilt has moved to the "winners area". Its happened once for me and the feeling is just unbelievable. There is usually a designated area where the winners are hung, usually somewhere in the middle of the show area.

elliot

I went to lancaster show yesterday, it was my first time. I also came away feeling disappointed. I won't go again. None of the vendors impressed me.

Steady Stiching

The AQS Knoxville show will instead be held in Grand Rapids Michigan this August. I'm looking forward to it. Grand Rapids is a lovley city.
http://aqsgrandrapids.com/

Pds

My friend comes from Florida every year and we go to Paducah AQS (I live outside of Nashville). I always enjoy the show even last year when it was affected by the horrible flood in Paducah. There is always lots of transportation (via buses) to all the areas where quilts and vendors are. I think the buses run every 10 minutes or so. I never went to Knoxville since everyone who went was disappointed. It is my hope that the show will come back to Nashville. We are building a new convention center with a hotel attached so it would be a great place!!! They stopped coming to Opryland in Nashville since I heard there was a disagreement with the hotel (just gossip), but at any rate, actually, that show (the Nashville one) was as large or larger than Paducah since there is so much more to do here than in Paducah so families came. At any rate my friend and I are gearing up for Paducah and anticipate a great time as always.

aggie

I was disappointed as well. I think there should be show specials. Very few discounts. And we went to Burkholders where I overheard that if you came with the bus you received a discount. I was annoyed. My husband and traveled from Long Island by car. We really made an effort to find the place only to pay full price. The upside of the show was the B&B were we stayed. It was wonderful.

winia

This was my first time at the Lancaster show also. It was Friday afternoon before the start of a class that I was told there was another show downtown. I thought the show at the Host was the show. I was very disappointed in that, thinking it was the show. However, from comments I have read on this blog, I didn't miss anything, especially the entrance fee and the parking fee. A beautiful quilt is a beautiful quilt is a beautiful quilt. A talented quilter is a talented quilter is a talented quilter. It doesn't really matter whether it's an AQS show or your local quilt guild. I belong to a quilt guild where the quilts at their recent show were stunning. Absolutely stunning.

I did go to a class at the Host given by Stephanie Farrell on Beautiful Bindings. She was wonderful. She went over
everything she does in sewing a binding. I learned a great deal, and I even came home with a sample of joining the binding ends when you're finished with a quilt, which is always a problem for me. It is pinned. So, I'll have an actual example of what I need to do as I do it.

I love going to the various vendors more than I do the quilt shows themselves. I do, however, agree that the World War II quilts were wonderful. It is such a nice feeling to know that people are saving and treasuring these quilts.

The vendors, I thought, at the Continental Inn were great. There were two Amish women who were at one of the booths looking at items. I figured if it's good enough for the locals, it's good enough for me. I think they were Amish. I can't remember the color of their hats. I wanted to see the Old Country Store. I heard from people you will be disappointed. I didn't care. I wanted to see it. I did see it and I loved it. I also loved the checkout procedure. One cuts, one makes out the ticket, and then you pay at the front of the store. Great system. The line went quickly.
I went to Zook's. Could barely move it was so crowded. Their cutting table had six women cutting, six women making up the tickets, and two people at checkout. It was so crowded I was mumbling to myself when I left the store.

So many fabric stores, so little time, and not enough allocated in the budget. I did purchase a cutting gizmo, a new cutting board, some fabric (had to buy some from the Old Country Store), two Purple Thangs (for the double wedding ring bed runner I'm making. It was recommended in the pattern), had a couple of good Amish meals, and probably wwill go again, now that I know where to go and what to see.

I do know if I want to see the shows I need to do them first thing in the morning and then go shopping. The shows close at six, but the fabric stores were open until eight on Wednesday and Thursday and way later than that on Friday.
I could have gone to the AQS show on Saturday before I came home, but I had brought my cat with me and I didn't want to leave him in the car while I went to see the show. Maybe next year.

bobquilt3

I went Thursday with 2 friends. They were into looking at quilts and we never got to the venders. The quilts were quite amazing. It was funny, the popular color this year seemed to be orange. My friend does NOT like it and it got to be a joke. . . oh boy, there's another one. We grabbed a container of soup at the show and liked it. Yup, it was orange. (Sweet potato and I'm sure some didn't care for it)
I came away wishing I'd had more time to check out the venders but loved the quilts. I wasn't aware of the SPQ at the Host or I would have checked that out the next day. Sorry I missed it.

lpsewing

The BIG quilt show in Lancaster was DOWNTOWn @ the convention center,you had to drive there.
I think there was alot of confusion about this,since there were two "shows" going on @ the same time in Lancaster.

I agree w/the total confusion @ the Host Hotel,no signs where to enter ect.,although when I went back Saturday there were "paper" signs kinda posted outside but a much better way of providing information is needed !!!!

I was looking for a sewing machine,the downtown quilt show was fantastic for anyone interested in checking out machines.Sadly I did not have more time to see the quilts on display other then a quick walk around,I had planned to go back Saturday but decided to go back to the HOST quilt show,only $3.00 the other quilt show was $11.00 (WHY so expensive) that fee to me is too much especially since I wanted to "buy" !