At the Naples Quilt show they have a boutique and that is where I go first. Always something interesting with either a new idea someone has donated to sell for the group or something quilt related that someone no longer wants. AND they give their scraps and other fabrics to sell they no longer want/need. I have found many children's fabrics for care quilts that I can use. Then I look at quilts and then the vendors before I leave so if I choose to buy something not long to carry it. Oh yes, I take my earlier treasures from the boutique directly to my car.

We shop between classes, then view the quilts, then we go back to the vendors and buy. Do not have to carry anything that way except to the hotel room.

Quilts first, then vendors for the same reason, I don't want to carry stuff around all day. Houston was a different story because they have more vendors than quilts, LOL!! So you had to carry and there was no way to buzz through and go back, there are just too many to do in even the three days I was there one year. Take an empty backpack if you think you will shop a lot. Wheeled carts aren't allowed at most shows now.

Register for for door prizes ! Then systematic from one side of the show up and down the aisles to the other. Yesterday at the Dallas show it started with rows of vendors and then rows of quilts and then vendors again. Seemed like a good layout. Just when you are getting overwhelmed with shopping you get to see the quilts and workmanship in the quilts.

Quilts first, always! Don't want to carry a lot of stuff to juggle if I want to take some pictures.....then I shop, and shop. and shop......

I always stop at the first booth inside the door and buy patterns. Then I start wandering to look at the quilts. The beauty created makes me buy more patterns. I will have to live to be 150 years to finish all the projects I have purchased patterns for and I love each and every one of them.

Well, I don't hate to admit it -- I usually ONLY go to a quilt show to shop! My nearest quilt shop is almost an hour away, so I don't get to shop very often. So when I go to a quilt show and there are so many vendors, I'm in heaven. I take a lot of time shopping and browsing, and by the time I'm through I'm tired and ready to go home. I may glance at a few quilts, but that is not where my interest is.

Since I've only been to our town's little guild show, I head for the book room. They sell books and magazines for very low prices. Then I look at the quilts. I came really close to going to the Dallas show last year.

View the quilts
 

I always view the quilts first. I take my digital camera and take pictures. I take my time and soak up all the talent and beauty.

I live by(45 mins.) a big retail/wholesale fabric store (Marshall's) and while they have lots of fabric and often top name brands you cannot depend on them to have what you are looking for. You need to buy over a period of months(sometimes a year)to get everything you are looking for for a particular quilt. But they are very cheap, most fabric is $2.99 a yard, lots is $1.99 and the rest is $3.99 to $4.99 a yard. For an actual quilt shop I have to go about 100 miles which we do on the first Friday of the month because she has fat quarters for half price.

You can ALWAYS find fabric SOMEWHERE, but you sure cannot find the quality of quilts that I see at Paducah anywhere else. It is the ONLY reason I go. I am always amazed and awed!

It depends on the size of the show and where it is. If I have my car there, I usually do the vendors first as I can stash stuff in my trunk. I like to do a circuit of the vendors and then take in the quilts.

At the Houston show I will do a circuit of the vendors and then do the quilts. Then , because both sections are so large, I alternate - 5-6 rows of vendors, then quilts. I find changing the focus helps me to think better, both about the quilts and about possible purchases.

Once I get my chin off the floor from gazing at the beautiful quilts, I talk to the vendors and shop.

while at the lancaster show, i rent the scooter. this past week when i went to n.j. show i went to the vendors first, stopped sat at the demo's which i always enjoy, walked and sat some more. i really didnt see alot of the quilts. but did see whatever was up the aisles i was going up. i'm just glad they have chairs set up all over.

I like to look at the quilts first, then if something has inspired me, I can shop, shop, shop till I get all the fabrics I want for a project - or stash

Quilts first, then vendors.

I always go to the vendors first. (No quilt shop near where I live) I find the displays at the vendors more inspiring than looking at the quilts - although I do look at the quilts when I'm finished shopping.

I look at the quilts first so I don't have to carry my purchases as long.

I "had" my mind set on going to the next show in Houston but from the sound of it I wouldn't be able to take it all in. I have a very bad back so I don't think I'd make it very far, can't stand or sit for more than 30 min at a time. :(

I also look at the quilts first so that I don't have to carry my purchases. I was at a show in Lebanon OH yesterday, and skipped one room because the lighting was horrible!!! Very dim and hard to see things. Guess that means I've reached "that age" LOL!!!

Looking forward to the show in Cincinnati in April. Been once and I was there the entire day! Thankfully that one is large enough so there is plenty of space to move around. I do like looking at the quilts, although you can't get up and close w/ them. For that, local shows are better.