Creative Festival (Toronto) who's going, who's been to past shows?
 

Hi All,

I haven't attended this event before, and the plan is to be up and out early on Friday so I can get there in reasonable time...crossing my fingers the 401 is behaving!

Of course I am most interested in the shopping opportunities...are there good deals to be had on fabric, notions and the like? I expect the machines to be on "show special" but have no idea what to expect for the rest of the stuff I have to have :-)

I noticed Moda fat quarters is one of the exhibitors - is that a booth of just fat quarters for sale????

anyone wish to share their experiences from past shows?

J

Keep in mind that it's not all about quilting!

I found that there's LOTS of people, so it can be quite crowded.
Take a huge bag with you to fill and save the need to take out to your car.
There were freebies ... and usually those booths were even more crowded, which kind of killed my interest!

I know Len's is going to be there ... none of the new arrivals in Guelph have been put out for customers. If you've been into your Woodstock Len's you might have seen those already as it was not held back in the other locations. And too, other fabrics from the floor. No idea on the price comparisons but in true Len's style, I'm sure there will be deals.

I haven't followed any of the buzz about it this year, as I'm not expecting to be going.

I've been to a couple of their shows over the years but lack a person to share the experience with. I find it is not nearly as much fun (altho usually less costly) to go to these shows by myself. Yes, there are deals to be had but beware the 'Gotta have it now' bug. The last time I attended, Lens' prices were pretty good but the fabric was very mixed up. Hamel's has also been at the show (don't know if they are at this one) and their prices were excellent.

One of the absolute best things I ever picked up was a package of super fine straight pins from 'A Great Notion'. Too bad I can't say the same about the quilt kit I ordered from them--got shorted on the fabric and never a word back from my emails.

The last time I went, there was an awful lot of scrapbooking stuff.

Hope you have a lot of fun. Are you attending any of the classes?

Thanks ladies! The only thing on my 'want" list is a curvemaster foot for my Juki, hoping someone is there selling those...and fabric, of course...but the price has to be good. I'm not too interested in the classes they have listed but I will probably try to get a few make and take's.

I have been many times practically since it's inception. Granted, back in the day, it was much larger & only held in October. Times change a lot of things in this world! There is indeed a lot of scrapbooking vendors & much less in the lines of needlework like cross stitching. My friend & I will be attending on Saturday. She is an avid shopper of many things (though she doesn't quilt!) & thoroughly enjoys the Creative Festival. I myself enjoy walking around & have certainly found some good fabric deals. But like anything, you need to know your prices! And sometimes you find that something that is "different". It's a great place to test drive sewing machines, quilting machines, etc. Those are indeed fun times! If you may never own a mid or long arm, you can at least try a few! The one held in October is larger than the April festival but in April parking is much easier & free. This October is the 25th anniversary & I imagine it will be so much more busier than usual. My friend has already said she wants to go but it's a few days before we leave for Lancaster, PA, & really, I can't shop that much!
Oh, also, I do find great deals on gadgets, notions, & the like.
Like a lot of this type of venue, food is costly (& wouldn't you rather spend the $$ on fabric, LOL!) so we usually have snacks & fruit in our bag. And I agree, have a couple of bags on hand that are easy to carry all your "stuff" in!
Maureen

Thanks for telling me your experiences Maureen! Good to hear you can get some deals on notions etc and fabric too!

I am sure my Hubby will be checking out the long arms while i shop for other things - he thinks we need one of those :-)

...and I am gluten free now so I have to bring food with me...but I have done so since I got food poisoning from a food vendor at one of the 'One of a Kind" shows many years ago...makes me green even looking at the food booths(sigh)

Have fun on Saturday!
J

i have gone to that show. I acutally normally go to it every year. it's not all quilting but it is very interesting still. I'm not going this time because it's too far away to go this close to my due date.... dr said no go for me this year.

I find that there are a lot of booths devoted to other things. The spring show is much smaller than the fall one but it is a good spot to pick up notions expecially needles and thread. The fabric is often crowded and hard to get at and it's probably easier to shop right at Len's store. The unsold fabric from the show ends up back in Guelph. The show is a great place to see all the new machines, try them out and talk to the dealers. Enjoy.