melodyr

Hancock's has their bolt end tables that are a couple of dollars off the regular price too...I always find great stuff there...they also discount the 108" bolt ends deeply...and there is usually a couple of yards in each cut.

melodyr

You can also buy things like a specialty table made to fit your Featherweight, batting made from silk, bamboo or corn. There's a special scissor man who sells wonderful products and will sharpen scissors you bring in. Pro Chem brings their great dyes and techniques for putting color on fabric (I spend a ton with these folks) You can buy replacement bobbins for older machines and all sorts of tools. Many demonstrations urge you to step in and try before you buy. Like the computer programs such as AccuQuilt but afraid to take the plunge? They'll sit with you and show you how it works.

Sandygirl

I went to this show yesterday. It was very nice and had plenty of vendors! It is expensive for a shop to set up a booth at a show PLUS pay extra for employees to work in the shop and, perhaps in the booth.

I see shops closing lately too. The owners want to retire, they are burned out, the landlord jacks up the rental fee when the lease is up, caretaking of elderly parents has become rampant, they want to be "grandma" to thise precious grands, etc. Did anyone interpret any of these reason imply "business is bad?". I did not. Life goes on....

sandy

orangeroom

I've never to any major quilt shows, but have enjoyed the local ones...I go to spend time with quilty friends, appreciate quilts, get some ideas, maybe enjoy a lecture and the time away from home. I've always enjoyed my day trips! It's a bonus if I find fabric or other quilty related stuff I really don't need! I've yet to come home empty handed! I hope to go to Lancaster within the next few years!

LynnBBQ

Thank you for so much information, Melodyr! Wow - I'm sure I will be overwhelmed, and over budget :-)

puma

I counted 90 vendors total in Lancaster of which 60 were fabric, rulers etc. balance were machines and long arm. we also went to Lancaster this year and was very disappointed. so much so that we will not go back next year. were done! use to be 3 floors. not its 1. I don't really go to see the quilts. I go for the vendors, the demos and whats new. cant say I go for the fabric either. I have so much I can start my own sale seriously. we went to goods up by shady maple and got fabric for under $3. now usually their fabric is good enough for charity quilts. but the fabric offered for $2.79 was great. and I'd put it up against a $10 fabric anytime. I wrote to aqs about my disappointment in the show. have yet to hear a reply. now when we are interested in a show, I count the vendors and see how many of them are long arm and machines vs vendors. we were also very disappointed in somerset this year. I find that you see the same quilts. some have never been washed and you can tell. I wish the shows well as I enjoy them and would hate for there not to be any shows for us to go to and enjoy. as I posted prior maybe there are just too many of them. after all, do we really need 2 in Paducah?

feline fanatic

2 shows in paducah came at a cost. They shut down Syracuse NY and Phoenix AZ. As AQS HQ is in Paducah this was a huge cost savings to them. I feel it was a net loss to attendees, especially ones who live in these areas and can't travel to Paducah. So for two years I was able to attend a major AQS quilt show in my area. Now I can't.

cashs_mom

That's true, Janie. I just noticed your in Houston, too! High five for Houston ^!

Quilts Inc. puts on a Chicago show as well as Houston Quilt Festival. Cari seems to be a wizard at putting on a good show. She has lots of vendor rules but it seems to pay off.

triplerosa

Very disappointed in the Lancaster Pa quilt show, been going every year for the last 10 years. Next year will go to
Lancaster but not the show. It is very inconvenient to go into the city of Lancaster, the parking, not enough vendors.
I plan on going to Lancaster next year and do the fabric stores and the vendors at the continental . I will not do the quilt show until they change

cashs_mom

I hate going to downtown Houston to the Quilt Festival. The parking is awful and very expensive. Traffic is awful, there's always construction, but when I get there and see all the quilts and the vendors, it's worth every bit of the effort. For me, going to the Quilt Festival is magic.