Jackie Spencer

I would buy Fabric, but with a project in mind. If you have a pattern you have been wanting to make, write down what you would need for it, or look for a pattern there, and then get what you need. Then you can make something to remember your trip to the sew expo.

Val in IN

I would spend it on something that I would never spend "regular" money for. It is, after all, your birthday gift. And Happy Birthday!

GrannieAnnie

I don't take good care of my scissors. I'd like to buy a really expensive pair and then treat them royaly!

grammy Dwynn

KAI scissors, love mine! $$ They always have a booth at Expo. Fabric ~ no, you can get that a LQS and usually not much in Expo 'specials'.

IMHO I would look for 'gadgets' that my LQS might not carry (that interest me/you) ~ rulers, Martinelli ergonomic rotor cutter. Or patterns that catch your eye, but have not seen before. Marti Mitchell, Eleanor Burns, Kay Woods all have booths, and a few more that I cannot remember, so if you interested in their rulers/books/patterns, buy now and no postage expense.

Now I have been known to spend more than $100 at Expo

AliKat

No need to decide now.

However, you may want to take a written inventory or what rulers and gadgets you already have ... to take with you so you don't buy what you already have. A friend gets lots of duplicates and triplicates because she doesn't know what she has. Which is fine by me as I get some of her extras free.

My best purchase was the Martelli mat. The expos are about the only place to buy them. Mine has outlasted many of the other mats I have had and it seems my blades keep sharper longer.

The Martelli rotary cutter and most other items are easily available at LQS's, Joann's and the 'net.

Otherwise what I would really want is some of that gorgeous batik fabric ... if I had the $$$ and space for it I'd buy lots of that. Unfortunately, not an option right now. Darn.

ali

Buckeye Rose

I would choose a pattern that I really want to make, and then start collecting the fabrics.....buying fabrics without a pattern in mind can result in them sitting for months without being used.....then I would get batting and threads

Sew N Tune

Did you say FABRIC??? LOL

justflyingin

Fabric, without a doubt.

JustAbitCrazy

I second the Martelli ergonomic rotary cutter. Also, this is a small item, but usually not available in the LQS, so I recommend buying the Clover yellow and blue glass head pins which are the 0.4 size (thinner than the 0.5 size which is commonly available). I use nothing else for pinning when piecing. Because the shaft is so thin (you can bend them if you're aggressive when pinning) there is no distortion of the fabric, thus you get better matching of points. Happy Birthday, and have fun spending your birthday money!

Scissor Queen

When I go to Sew Expo or Quilt Expo I always look for the unusual things I'm not likely to find in my local quilt stores. Most of the vendors will have their latest and greatest tools, gadgets and patterns out. I would go thru all of the vendor booths without spending any money first and keep track of the booth numbers with things you might want to go back to and then pick the "can't live withouts" to go back for.