Quilt Show:What MUST I buy???
 

I'm going to a quilt show next week.
what would you buy and why (what will you use it for).
Don't want to pass up a good deal or idea. thanks.

Really the only thing I know I will buy and look for at the big quilt shows are the pre cut 18" batting squares. That is the best bargain ever. I get the wool and silk squares. Those big pink bags everyone is carrying around? Full of batting squares.

I never know what I am going to buy until I get there. :) I never seem to have a problem finding stuff though.

Dina

what do you do with the 18" batting sqs. saw them a yr a go, thought they were samples.

I tend to buy things I have problems finding locally. whatever you can't find locally you can usually find at a quilt show

I almost always buy a package of the Clover .4mm thick blue and yellow glass head pins, just to keep a spare package on hand, because they can't be had locally, and they are the most awesome pins. Then I usually end up giving them to a fellow quilter, so need to buy them again at the next big show. I'll also buy specialty rulers and threads which also can't be had locally. I usually don't buy books because they're at full price at shows, and I can get them cheaper elsewhere. As hard as it is to do, hit the vendors before looking at the quilts. The quilts will still be there later, but the vendors may sell out of something you need.

I usually look for my machine makers and look at gadgets and buy bobbins for my machines or other feet etc.no local dealer in area so try to cover a wide range of what might go wrong.
i like to buy on the last day fabric in large amount for backing. Usually get. Discounts as stall holders don't want to take them back.
i have purchased a new sewing machine which had been the one people were trying at the show.lovely machine.

I went to International Quilt Festival in Chicago and didn't buy anything. I wanted to find the best way to mark the double wedding ring I am making for quilting. Watched a lot of demos. No new ideas worth spending the money on. I also looked at sewing tables. I plan to buy in the near future. It was good seeing them in person.
Think about your needs and wishes and dreams. Go compare, demo and ask questions. It is a great place to do that.
Have fun.

I like to buy longarm rulers, prices are usually the same as online but theres no shipping and it's easier to tell what size you really need.

I went to the Grand Rapids quilt show last August on the last day and for only the last 4 hours. Ended up getting a great deal on a roll of batting at the end of the day cause the dealer didn't want to haul it home. Bought one cone of superior thread. Did read that vendors are not allowed to discount items other than a show special. Hubby bought a vibrating pillow for his hurting back which did work. Was surprised at the number of none quilting vendors. Tried out the Sunshine midarm quilting machine. It is nice. Did discover that I like local quilt shows better.

I have only been to one quilt show so am not much help. All I bought was a couple of packages of batting on sale the last day. I looked for things that I had never seen before or couldn't get locally, but really didn't see much that appealed to me. I think I got tired after all the walking around looking at the quilts which was my main focus.

I've been wanting to make a food jar quilt. The last show I was at I collected a bunch of food fat quarters from different vendors. It was nice having so many choices in one spot. I had been trying to match a certain red for a quilt & was able to find the perfect match at a show too.

I always make a list of what I am shopping for or have been wanting when I go to a show. That helps keep me from what I call passion purchases (stuff I really don't want and never use). As I get older and more experienced it is more difficult to find anything new and/or anything I really want. I'm now busy trying to clear out my (new) sewing room of stuff I don't want and don't use. But the minute I get rid of a tool I find a use for it! Go figure!

I, too, am interested in what Onebyone uses those 18 inch batting squares for. I have seen them for years but have no idea why people buy them.

I like to keep an open mind, and plan to spend a little money on whatever strikes my fancy - I'm a sucker for a good demo, so will buy patterns, rulers or other gadgets. I've never bought fabric, but I don't really like looking at it in that environment, and from what I have seen, no bargain. In particular, if Deb Tucker is doing a demo, there is little chance that I will get out of there without buying something:)

Oh my goodness! I use the batting squares for all types of items. They are perfect for QAYG, cut into smaller squares for rag quilt batting, piece four pieces together for a long table runner or square wall hanging, making throw pillows quilted tops, perfect for practicing fmq, tote batting, the list goes on. The last baby quilts I made I used the batting tape to tape six blocks together for wool batting. The six squares cost about .25 each. Maybe went up in price since my last purchase. I buy all I can carry at one time.

Hi Lynnie. I always look for the unusual that I don't see at my local stores. Just have fun and take a camera for later inspiration!!

And if you see an item made up that you love and they sell the pattern, buy it. Don't think you can remember it for later :D

I usually buy supplies for my embroidery machine..bobbins, stabelizers, ect. Cheaper to buy larger quantities and not much choice where I live.

great answers. I go to a few a year, and never know what to buy. but I like the idea of getting things I can't buy at home. thanks everyone.

if a vendor has anything that quilting affects such as sore body parts then it's considered quilt related. Sore muscles=vibration!!

I always stock up on blades at the Martelli booth and make sure I visit Superior Threads and Aurafil booths. Anything else is out of a preset impulse purchase budget.

Our quilt guild always has a re-sale booth that is items the members sell quite reasonable. There is everything from machines to patterns. I love a good bargain and buy from them. I enjoy the coupons on the back of the program that has discounts for the local shops too.

If I have a quilt in mind that I need to buy for, I will stick to the needed yardage for that. Sometimes a vender from another state has very different yardage than what you can find locally. But, I confess, I have impulse buys in my bags when I get home as well.

I usually look for unusually good deals on fabric, kits & stuff. Sometimes I see a neat pattern that I've never seen before that I get. Once I got singer antique featherweight supplies at the Houston quilt festival. Then there are times that I watched a demo and purchased the item. I always went home with treasures!

I do this too, and don't forget to ask if you can take a picture of it, since you are buying the pattern.

Be sure to check out the Kai Scissors booth, they are awesome scissors and rotary cutters.

I do a lot of hand sewing, because I like to but I found this little gizmo that goes into the hole of the spool of thread. It is a magnet (mine are green), it was about $2 and holds your needle so you don't stick it into the arm of my chair. I just love it!!

Wear comfy shoes, and bring small snacks in your purse. You may be there a while! ;) I look for things I can't get locally, or needing for a project. I try to get things on sale too. Have fun!

I'm always looking for the killer deals. I'm hunting for those clearance racks and bins for the most part, and also checking out special bundles and deals put together for the show. I usually won't buy fabric unless it's at a pretty good discount and is at least a 1-yard cut, unless it's something really unique or special.

Last year I bought an Olfa chenille kit - came with the cutter, a case for the cutter, the brush, and some basic patterns; I paid $18 for it. That was a good deal!

I hunt for Aurifil thread at a discount, if I can find a color I don't have for $8 or less it's mine.

I'm also looking for the handmade stuff - always drooling over hand dyed fabrics (though usually too rich for my blood), looking for handmade jewelry, etc. One of my most expensive single purchases at a big quilt show was a silver bracelet made with vintage glass buttons, made by a lady from Texas. Not technically quilt related I suppose but I like it a lot.

I like watching demos and I looove playing with the long arm machines, even though I'm nowhere near being ready to buy one. I like to dream though! I like watching the robot-driven long arms too - I don't want one of those but I like watching them work.

Lynne, enjoy your visit!!!

I have to get fabric that I will not see again in person. If it is a shop from several states away, I want to see what they have. I like buying online, but seeing it in person is so much better. I also would want to look at patterns that call to me.

If I have time, I usually go through the event and make notes of items that interested me. Then I check my list to see what I really need. It helps curb impulse purchases. My best buy from a vendor show was numbered pins when they first came out.

Years ago, I bought a Brooklyn Revolver. I had a problem with it, and they are great, they gave me a new one, didn't ask for me to bring the old damaged one back, just gave me a new one. Great company!!!

When I go to the big quilt shows I buy very little. Mainly because they don't allow the rolling bags, therefore I must carry everything I buy. For the Houston and Dallas shows, I ride the guild's charter bus; so I'm there all day.
Most of the time I buy King Tut threads and tools that I can't find locally. If I see fabric that's unusual, then I'll buy some of it.
Sharon

I have only been to a few local quilt shows, and because of my arthritis, find I can only go if I take frequent rest periods. That said, I once attended 2 local quilt shows, searching for cat fabric, and I found the mother lode between the two shows, sometimes a fat quarter and sometimes more. I've used some of the larger pieces to make baby quilts, as linings for bags and tote bags, etc., etc. I had a blast, especially since the various vendors had such a great variety to choose from.

I have the Sunshine 16 and I love it!

I zero in on fat quarters that I cannot get around here. I adore fat quarters from very fancy, sparkly, metallic fabrics and I usually find a lot of them in Paducah every year. Also, I see quilts/tops made from patterns that are on display at the various vendors. Sometimes a pattern does not catch my eye, but if I see a quilt/top made from the pattern, then it is easier to visualize it. So, I buy (or not buy) a pattern from seeing it "done up". HTH

Because I live in the Houston area, I am lucky to be able to attend the Houston Quilt Show every year. I usually make a list throughout the year of things I see in magazines, online, etc., and small things that my LQS doesn't carry. I'd rather wait to find them at a show and forego the shipping.

I recommend that you take notes on the various booths if you see something that interests you -- booth number and name, item & price. That way, if you see it somewhere else, you can compare and get the better deal, or go back to that booth. Nothing is more frustrating than trying to locate a booth.

There are times I look for a particular pattern, then for the fabrics to make the pattern. I always go on the last day, because many of the vendors do discount their items. I got 7 kingsize batts one year for $100 plus tax ($15.35 each). And the last two years, I have gotten a Tutto (2013 - the small black, 2014 - the medium maroon) for more than 50% off.

I also buy the 18" batting samples, especially if there is a batting I want to try out. I will sandwich it and FMQ, straight line quilt and echo quilt and then cut them up for zipper bags, placemats and potholders.

Also, find out which teachers will be at your show (especially if it's a big one) and take some classes. I have been lucky to take classes in hand and machine applique from Karen Kay Buckley, embellishment from Susan Cleveland, and FMQ from Phillipa Naylor. I have taken classes in Zentangle, Hawaiian quilting, 3-D flowers and many more.

As someone said, wear comfortable shoes. Plan short breaks and stay hydrated. You will meet interesting people while you are catching your breath.

Someone actually sells precut squres of batting??? Who, where, when, tell me more please. Cutting batting for QAG squares is a tedious and agravating exsercise. I would love to find precut squares.

I've never seen a great deal at a quilt show. I guess I'm going to the wrong ones.

I'm hoping for a new ruler or kit. something different I haven't seen at JoAnns. wish me luck, it's this weekend.