Quilt Show
 

Sis and I went to a Quilt Show today and always enjoy looking at all the quilts. It's not a huge show but great none the less. The one thing that bugs me is we were looking forward to spending some money with the vendors. I would say there were 20-25 vendors and only 3 booths were selling items for quilting. All the other booths were selling items already made like aprons, jewelry, crochet items and pictures. I took $300.00 with me hoping to purchase things I can't get locally. I don't want to buy pre-made items. I want to make them myself. Am I being too negative? I spent a whole $24.00 on a 1/2 yard bundle.

That's really surprising. Quilt shows I've been to locally always have lots of fabric and patterns and notions for sale. I love seeing new things for sale and it's how I learned about the Sweet 16 machine about three years ago. Tried it out at three different shows before I finally bought mine from a dealer right in my own home town. At Vermont Quilt Festival in the summer there were whole booths dedicated to specialty threads and all kinds of fun things. It might depend on who is putting on the show and how hard they work to bring in good quilting vendors. I'd have been disappointed too. You are being realistic, not negative. At least that's my opinion.

I too am surprised they would have so many booths selling completed items when quilters make their own... granted there are times when something already made catches our eye , but fabric, patterns and other stuff to produce our art/craft is what we find irresistable.

No, I do not think you are being too negative. I have always thought that quilt shows should be just about quilts. If they want to sell ME something, it should be fabric, or at least fabric related.

I think I'd be let down too if I went to a show about making things (not just quilts) and everything for sale was pre-made. I would want to see vendors for supplies too.
Rodney

When I go to a quilt show, I too want to see the new products related to quilting and have the opportunity to purchase fabric and quilting tools that are not available to me on at my local quilt store. If I want to see craft items, I will go to a craft show.

Many times it is difficult to find vendors for a small quilt show. If a guild is putting the show on they want as many vendors as possible to help defray the costs of the space utilized for the show. I like seeing many different items at a quilt show. Course in my opinion the Houston quilt show is the grand daddy of them all -- they have so many different vendors! In our area the local quilt shops don't vend at the quilt show they would rather keep their shops open and well staffed.

Always check the website of the show you are going to. Especially if it's a long drive. Going to the big shows is worth it!