yel

A girlfriend usually meets me in paducha ....we lived next to each other in Fl . We go to the show and hit all the other places in town ...and make it a long weekend...this year she had to cancel ....so i decided to go it alone ....it was nice i could go at my pace ...stop as long or short as i wanted to ....i to think why do i need to go but the quilts at just so awesome ...new toys ...new products...old friends ....great times wonderful memories ......but if i had to give some one some advice i would just tell them to grab a bag, wear your most comfortable shoes, and just go to one once ..be sure to bring the camera ....i get to see a lot of quilts but the quality of the big shows is so over the top on many .....soak it in

carrieg

I meet a friend at the Shipshewana Quilt Festival - she comes from Illinois & I come from Michigan. I go for inspiration. But I have found there is a lot of fabric for sale that I don't see at any of my 4 or 5 LQS. I have also picked up a few things for my sewing room, not necessarily gadgets. I love to see the quilts that were quilted on DSMs and get motivated to improve my skills.

gotta-sew

Many of the quilt shows offer classes, many people go for the classes AND the quilt inspiration.

Shorebird

How very true Dunster......I frequently TRAVEL TO quilt shows alone - because once I arrive, I am surrounded by hundreds of friends (old and new just waiting to be met) and kindred spirits....I go for inspiration, to troll the vendor booths and see what is new - watch the demos, and just, in general, enjoy a day with many many others who share my passion.

quiltgodess

I have been to Paducah five time and I also go to local shows. The quilts are stunning. I get ideas for different color combinations. I usually go with my sister, my daughter and a friend. We usually separate and look at what interest each of us. There is a certain feeling in the air that makes me say, I am so glad to be here. Go to at least one and feel the glow.

Bubbie

For me it's a time to get away, from all the day to day things that come between my sewing and me. I have two friends that also quilt (one longer and one about the same amount of time as me), we use it as a time to take a girls weekend and make it a road trip. When we had kids at home (I was a widow and the other two divorced), we would load the kids into the SUV and off we would go. We found it uplifting to spend time with people who enjoyed the same things. We also (making it a road trip), could stop and find new quilt shops. We also found a general store across the state, that still sold fabric upstairs (it was great and we have stopped a number of times over the years).
You don't have to buy from all the vendors, but you might find some great deals along the way.
My daughter is an adult now with a daughter of her own. But one of the BEST deals I found in my travels, was a special bonding time with my daughter (we still talk about the quilting trips and the fun we had). My daughter is talking about wanting to take a "Quilting Road Trip", but this time taking my granddaughter along. Oh!! I forgot, my daughter still doesn't quilt or sew. But she loved the trips and the quilts, so now she wants us to do this with her daughter.
So you might find things that will WOW you long after the show!
Go and see what you can find. Have fun

Rubesgirl

I go to MidAtlantic with a girlfriend who makes beautiful quilts. We live nearby so we run into many quilters we know. We spend the day going through everything and enjoying the show, the vendors and the companionship. We have a wonderful time and help each other find fabrics, threads and ooh and ahh over the quilts on display. It's only once a year and it's a treat for myself.

captlynhall

The first time I went to Houston, I went alone, because I wanted to do everything on my own time schedule. The next year my cousin went with me and we had a great time. The third year I went alone again. Now that I have seen it several times, I think in the future it will be more fun to have someone to go with. It is inspirational, mind boggling, fun, and a wonderful learning experience. It is also a great opportunity to meet quilters from all over the world. I have very much enjoyed that.