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My Bernina 640E --- I bought it as a demo....half price. Next is my Tutto rolling cart for the machine and embroidery attachment - also at half price at 4:40 PM on an Sun. Will try for serger bag this time.
I always ask the vendors on Sun afternoon for a discount or for demo's as they are reluctant to pack up...that is unless they are going on to another show. |
I purchased a needle threader made by the KAWAGUCHI COM. It has a hole for large needles and one for very thin needles, like for beading. My eyesight is go bad that it took me forever to thread a needle in the evening by lamp light. But this works great! Now I can do handsewing at night. Just love it and not very expensive. I think $10
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I agree that my rotary cutter and mat are my favorite purchases.
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Originally Posted by Diannia
(Post 5571497)
I forget what it's called but it a seam ripper that looks like a miniature hair clipper. I love that thing! I bought this too. Very useful. Use it all the time unfortunately LOL
Diannia |
Originally Posted by sewmary
(Post 5571390)
Two years ago my Pfaff Ambition sewing machine. Love it to death!
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My "Curve Master" foot
"Gradations" batiks - wonderful for sashing samplers of various colors A bundle of 1/2 yd. cuts of shirting fabrics And most of all, "Dear Jane," the book which got me started on many years of enjoyable sewing |
Originally Posted by lynnie
(Post 5571613)
Waaaaayy back when i think about 25 yrs ago my rotary cutter, ruler and mat.
most recently my brooklyn revolver ( a mat on a lazy susan). My favorite show purchase was the Martelli cutter and their blades. Took me forever to begin using it, but now I use it all the time. Much easier on my wrist and cuts well when I'm sitting down. The blade is sharper and longer lasting than any other I've used, including Gingher's. |
curve master foot
I also bought a curve master foot at a show, but never haven't been able to get it to work.
Wish I could because I love curved seams. If anyone knows a tutoral that will help me learn to use this foot or has any tips for me, I would greatly appreciate it. I did watch a live demonstration at the show. |
My best purchae was my "Big Board" to go on my ironing board which I got at the Valley Forge, PA quilt show back in the late 1990's.
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My first Pfaff. (7570)
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Originally Posted by Jan in VA
(Post 5571179)
In piggybacking off a previous thread about "worst purchase made at a show" it was suggested that we talk about what was the best purchase we've made at a quilt show.
I bought my Bernina 1031 in the early 1990s at the International Quilt Festival in Houston on a late Sunday afternoon for a really good price. I'd been looking at them for a couple of days but waited until the dealers were nearly ready to pack it all up and go home. They didn't want to cart and move anything they didn't have to, at that point, so the deals were there to be made. I love this machine! It's the 1990s version of the vintage Bernina 830 (which I also have) and is still going strong after nearly 20 years. My last service on it was in February with a nationally known Bernina repair man who teaches other Bernie service people all over the U.S. He was pleased with how well kept it was and said these were great machines. I look for hand-dyes and other specialty fabrics at shows. Also, balls of perle cotton other than what I can buy at JoAnns (their color/weight selection is limited) which I often use for big-stitch hand quilting. And I look for John James or Richard Hemming brand English embroidery needles which have a larger eye for these perle cottons for quilting. Jan in VA |
My Elna quilter's special and my chair for sewing that has extra padding! Love those two items!
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I also love the BoNash bonding powder and vinyl mat. I love when my husband goes with me because then the big bucks come out. I just have to start drooling and he says buy. So this year I bought a new Koala table and 2 years ago I got a Janome Horizon. I love the Janome and hope I have the same feelings for the table once it is delivered and I start using it.
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Every time I go to Houston, I find some treasure to buy that I had not seen before, but am really glad that I found and really makes the special trip for me!
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Okay I found 2 great things at the International in Cinci last year. One is a large paper clip thing that has a hole that holds my drink and I clip on the desk I am sewing on. If my drink spills my machine and material are ok. Second is a large over sized tweezers looking thing with glass cleaning fabric on the in sides. I place my glasses inside squeeze together and it cleans both sides on my eye glass at the same time. I find these both good additions to my sewing room. I plan to buy several of these as gifts next year.
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My Euro Steam Evolution iron. Show price was $200. I love that iron. I could not have made my "Memorial to a Bridesmaid Dress" series without that iron. That fabric was a fake satin poly and you couldn't turn a regular iron up high enough to steam because it would melt the fabric and if you turned it down to the poly setting it wasn't hot enough to get a decent crease on you seams. The Euro iron puts out tons of steam but the sole plate isn't hot enough to burn anything. Awesome iron.
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My best purchase at a show was my chair. I bought my Ergonomic Advantage sewing chair at PIQF. The vendor gave me a great deal on the sample which had some upgrades on it, because she didn't want to take it back with her. I just had to wait until the end of the show to pick it up.
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Originally Posted by Scissor Queen
(Post 5574167)
My Euro Steam Evolution iron.
I really love my Martelli table and ergo.rotary cutters too. |
Originally Posted by Diannia
(Post 5571497)
I forget what it's called but it a seam ripper that looks like a miniature hair clipper. I love that thing!
Diannia |
The entrance ticket! :D: And apart from that, my Gracie Queen and Husquvarna MegaQuilter.
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Two things, a leather thimble with a dimpled coin for controling the needle end. A locally made basket that holds the quilting thread spool on a dowel between the handle ends. It is easy to change the spools and the basket holds all the things i need for hand stitching. It is even nice enough to leave on the side table. The baskets are offered in a number of sizes. I bought the smallest size, love it! The artist is in SW NC.
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I purchased all my sewing furniture...quilting station, cutting table with 2 four-drawer chests, ironing bigboard with 2 smaller four-drawer chests from Traci's Tables located in Wisconsin. He threw in a huge cutting mat free. His preteen daughter wrote up my order. Her father paid her a fatt quarter of her choice at the show for every item she sold. What a cutie she was! I had already done my homework and had planned to make this purchase when I went to the show. It was my retirement gift to myself.
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I discovered Superior Threads... love their metalic and King Tut varigated threads.
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Any PPing patterns...there seem to be such a nice selection from the vendors at shows..
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I love my Curve Master foot too!
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I did the same thing as Jan in Va, I waited until the last day of a show in Mt. Dora, Fl and got a great deal on a Babylock Symphony machine. I think it was a great buy as I'd been checking prices for many weeks before this show and the man brought it to my house, set it up and gave me a quick lesson. Now I need more. But I also buy things I don't really need at these quilt shows too.
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I love to make OBW and the worst thing about them is having to open up the seams. I purchased the strip stick and it takes care of that wonderfully. I have two a short and a long one. The long one is not as useful as the short one. I look for unusual batiks also. But, I am not one to buy much at these things because the prices are usually not that good. I say this as I count my money because Mineola, TX is having a quilt show this weekend and I want to buy something. LOL
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My first serger back in the 80's. Still have it because I know no one would want it as it was when sergers first came on the market for home sewers. I had a love hate relationship with it. Kept it threaded always in white because it was so hard to thread. When I got second serger I kept it threaded in black. The new self threading sergers look inticing, but not sure I want ot invest yet because I never really serge anything any more.
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I like to try the new items. I love my Accuquilt Go, Alto Quilt Cut 2, and Sew EZ table. Those are the bigger tools I would buy again. The specificity rulers, notions and gadgets are items I buy while browsing the vendors, not much thought goes into if I need them or not.
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A seam ripper made by Wahl, the hair cutter folks. It zips through a line of stitches just as slick as a whistle. All you have to do is keep it oiled, no the oil doesn't get on the fabric.
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I have learned to avoid the fabrics at shows. I haven't been to lots of shows but the fabrics where I have been seem pricey. I can find what I need either while traveling (nonquilt related), online for less, or locally where it helps our economy close to home. Thread is the total opposite and I have found some great deals at shows. Also thread is lighter to lug around as I move through the shows. As for tools, I find that I almost never use those I've bought which I supposedly couldn't live without!
What I do is look at the quilts, quickly scan the booths and hit the local area stores that usually have enticing deals while the shows are going on! DH serves as my driver so we can move efficiently. He's such an enabler, I am better off with him in the car, LOL! |
My best and most favorite purchase at a show was just recently. I sat down to play with a HD Sweet Sixteen. I had been looking at them on and off for a while thinking it was really not in my future. As I was finishing a trial run on this great machine, I saw my husband hand the guy a credit card and tell the guy ring it up. I was astonished as I had not really mentioned my interest in this machine. My guy just knows me well I guess as he said he could see that I was really enthralled with it. We ended up getting the demo model for a reduced price and picked it up the next day. I have been practicing and practicing my quilting on this little gem.
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Originally Posted by lynnie
(Post 5571613)
most recently my brooklyn revolver ( a mat on a lazy susan).
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Best purchases: Wonder clips...love those little things! Martelli 60mm Rotary Cutter, longarm thread, machine embroidery thread, one or two good deals on machine embroidery stabilizer and scissors; and fabric prints that I can't find locally.
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I have a couple of good purchases at a show. One year it was fabric, fabric and more fabric. The next year, it was my LA. got a lot of extra items for it free. AND last year, it was my sewing machine Janome Horizon and I got the sewing table free and only a $50.00 shipping charge from Houston to Nevada. The show closed on Sunday and Wednesday, I had my new sewing machine and table. Great deals!
I always come back with great fabric. When I am looking for specific fabric with a specific type of color and want coordinating colors to match, if I can't find it at the booth I found the original fabric, there are lots of other booths for me to look! |
My Bernina 530-2 - at the Minnesota State Fair - in 1962.
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I attended a workshop on string quilting and they sold Sheer Delight, I got 10 yards for $23 and they told me I could use it as a stabilazer on my embroidery machine.
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I didn't get this at a quilt show, but it is my favorite ruler. Called the 24" ruler with adjustable locking fabric guide. Just love it, love it. Only sad thing is I picked it up one day by one day by the end and it snapped off. Still works though as the screw that holds the adjustable part held. Will see if I can't tape it back together one day. can be found at www.quiltersrule.com the most expensive ruler I have bought, but has really been worth it to me.
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Originally Posted by topstitch
(Post 5572440)
The worse thing I ever bought was my Tin Lizzie Long Arm quilter. The best thing is the Nolting Long Arm that I replaced it with after only 2 and one half years.
Originally Posted by needles3thread
(Post 5573188)
I also bought a curve master foot at a show, but never haven't been able to get it to work.
Wish I could because I love curved seams. If anyone knows a tutoral that will help me learn to use this foot or has any tips for me, I would greatly appreciate it. I did watch a live demonstration at the show. http://m.youtube.com/#/watch?v=iso3C...%3Diso3C-G0Q_8 My best purchase at a quilt show is my Bernina ergonomic chair. It is bright red---my favorite color---It fits right in with my red, white and blue color scheme in my sewing studio. It is the most comfortable chair I have ever used for sewing. Everything is adjustable. I love it---when my cat lets me sit in it---He loves it too. lol |
Originally Posted by anicra
(Post 5575771)
My best and most favorite purchase at a show was just recently. I sat down to play with a HD Sweet Sixteen. I had been looking at them on and off for a while thinking it was really not in my future. As I was finishing a trial run on this great machine, I saw my husband hand the guy a credit card and tell the guy ring it up. I was astonished as I had not really mentioned my interest in this machine. My guy just knows me well I guess as he said he could see that I was really enthralled with it. We ended up getting the demo model for a reduced price and picked it up the next day. I have been practicing and practicing my quilting on this little gem.
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