Which MQS or Houston?

[matildanme]

Sounds like you all had a grand time at MQS!

Jen and I are pondering on saving our pennies and getting on a flight to the US in 2010 for some hands-on lessons and other longarm/quilting goodies. So heres the question....

considering that we are from Australia and have never been to the States before which would you recomend we attend

Houston or MQS? And why?

Thanks in advance

Satu

[Boni]

I've never been to Houston. Too big for me.

MQS was manageable. It has well-known national and international teachers and lots of classes to choose from.

If you are used to big cities and want LOTS of vendors, then Houston would be the time of your life, so I've been told.

Wait for everyone else to give their opinion. I'm small town America and that's my story.

I wish you could link up with some local people for a home stay no matter where you go. It's so much fun to "live" in America rather than a hotel.

[quiltmonkey]

Satu, MQS is mainly focused on Machine quilting, longarm tools and supplies. Houston encompasses all types of quilting from A to Z... this includes DSM, hand quilting, and more artsy creative techniques. I know they sell longarms there, but I don't believe they have longarm classes at Houston.

If you want to focus on machine quilting and learning specifics on longarm, then go to MQS. MQS is machine quilting only and has longarm training. MQS is all longarm. You are swimming in a sea filled with only longarm quilters.

If you want to see the wide spectrum that covers a little bit of everything "quilty" then go to Houston. If I recall correctly, Houston does not have longarm machine quilting classes. The classes in Houston are all on DSM or hand piecing. Here you are swimming in a sea of all types of quilters.

[fabric007]

When I had the quilt shop, I went to Houston because you can buy fabric wholesale, quilt lpatterns etc. I think they do open it up at the end for anyone to come in..I would think if you were interested in long arm quilting you would want to go to MSQ..

[mskazooli]

Having gone to Houston (I used to live there) for more years than I care to count, I do know that it is a quilt show for everyone. They do have longarm classes (I took several last year) but I believe MQS has way more focus on machine quilting. This year Houston is two weeks earlier so I won't be able to go, but I am interested in going to MQS next year. Here's hoping!

[Daisy2018]

Have been to Houston many times. They do have quite a lot, more all the time, on long arming, but the show is really diverse. I enjoy the crossover ideas that happen, saw a wool quilt that had been long armed, really neat, and I would never have thought of it...It is a huge show, quite exhausting if you don't plan well, and it is a BIG venue. This year there is a problem with dates( not the show's fault) and it overlaps the Pacific show if think. I'm wondering about the teacher and vendor situation, hope both shows do well with extra stress. There are a lot of Aussies at the show, have talked with many, gotten terrific fabric, perhaps you could ask some of them their thoughts? Share expenses???

[Sams Mom]

I too have been to both and if this is a once in a life time trip, I'd choose Houston! The scale is logarithymically larger, both in terms of quilts and vendors.

Donna

[Hollyrw]

Satu, be sure you don't confuse Quilt Market in Houston with the International Quilt Festival also in Houston. Fabric007 was talking about Market. Everyone else is talking about IQF. At least I think they are. Anyway, Market is at the same time as MQS and IQF is in the fall I believe.

[yankiequilter]

I think Quilt Market in Houston is only for people in business. I've been to the Houston Quilt Festival and it is huge! I think a person needs at least 3 days just to view the quilts and visit vendors, plus any additional time for classes. MQS is a smaller show and I know we're all different, but I viewed the quilts and visited vendors in one day. I had been to the Paducah quilt show a couple of weeks earlier so I didn't have need to spend time at some of the vendors at MQS. Either show would be a wonderful trip and it would depend on what interests you have which you choose.

[Sparkle]

I went to Houston for 3 days in 2007. Loved it! I deliberately did not take any classes. I went to see the quilts---and of course the vendors. It was such fun! I spent 3 glorious days tramping up and down the asiles marveling at the quilts. Seeing what was new.

I went to Innovations at Tacoma in 2007 as well. I had the best time there I think. Small quilt show. Lots of classes, and the down town area of Tacoma is walkable and fun. Especially the resturants and the Chihuly Glass Museum and bridge. Their light rail system is pretty neat too.

I don't plan to go back to the Houston quilt show. I did it because as a quilter I felt like it's something all quilters should experience if they can at least once in their lifetime.

However, I do plan to attend Innovations again. Not this year, but next for sure, and I would love to do MQS sometime and the Salt Lake City show too.

I loved the class experiences at Innovations and the convention center is really nice there. I got to meet many of the quilters here on the forum. What a welcoming group of quilters live in the northwest! Great instructors too. I did overbook myself with classes, but it was great and hard to not take every class you can squeeze in!

[Blue Wren]

Ok...started saving my $$$$ for next May! Satu....can you hear me??

I think we will OD on classes, fabric, thread & food so we could bring minimal clothes & throw them away as we wear them

so we have more room in our suitcases.

Getting from the airport to the hotel might be a problem for us, as hiring a car could be tricky. I am just learning to

drive Lenni so the thought of driving on the wrong side of the road in another country might be a bit too scary.

Hopefully...we will be looking for volunteers to catch a lift with as they pass through the airport :cool:

[Kay Anderson]

Having lived in the Houston area and in Kansas I would choose MQS hands down.

If you need a home to stay in please contact me by e-mail. I live in Olathe, KS, just 13 miles from the Overland Park Convention center, and I'm about 45 miin. from KCI airport.

I have a guest room with a private bath. My home is 2 story so there are lots of stairs. No pets, no smokers.

[smorris]

Hi Satu and Jenny

I think MQS is the place to go for longarm quilting classes and supplies but Houston has the largest range of "everything quilting". I always have a panic attack at Houston -" how can I possibly get to see every booth in 4 days AND look at every quilt".

Whichever one you decide to visit you will think its money well spent.

Have a ball and I wish you a very high currency exchange rate

Sue in Australia

[ThreadWaggle]

I took longarm classes at Houston last fall. I just got something in the mail the other day saying that they are increasing then number of longarm classes this fall.

Houston is HUGE. If you are only interested in the longarm side of quilting I would suggest MQS or MQX. If you are a piecer as well, I would go to Houston because you can do both. It is a trade off. At MQS/MQX you get a larger choice of longarm class and teachers. At Houston you get more broader choice in all types of quilting classes and teachers, but you won't get as many choices in longarm classes.

[Guest Linda S]

I agree with the others. If you want a longarm-based show, go to MQS. Houston has something (and a LOT of it) for everyone. I've only been to Houston once, but I went for Market and Festival and was there for nine days total. I loved it, but I really couldn't wait to get home. I'm hoping to do MQS in 2011. I don't see it in the cards for next year.

Linda

[rcck00]

Sparkle, I think we were tramping up and down the aisles at the same time!! I got to go in 2007, as well, and WOW, what an experience!

It was an awesome time.

[kennan100]

Hi! I've lived in the Houston area since 1978. I've been going to IQF since the early 80's and would not miss it! Everything quilty for sure, LOTS of classes of all kinds. Longarm classes, too. Most of the quilts in the show are machine quilted although there are some that are handquilted, too, but fewer of those in recent years. I love the quilts, new ideas, designs and methods every year! Market is the first week, Wednesday thru Tuesday, and you have to be in business to go to that. The second week, Wednesday thru Sunday is the showand anyone can get into that. Classes start sometimes at 7:30am and go on all day. Lots of hotels and most of them have shuttles to and from the convention Center. Class catalogs will be out very soon. Google Quilts, Inc. And order a catalog for this years show and it will give you an idea of classes. Plenty of Longarm demo/lectues and handson classes to keep you busy!

[kerryjoho]

Hi!

I will be going to Houston this year. My daughter moved there so I can stay for "free" and it's a good excuse for a visit. I went to the "vendors only" quilt market last year. I sew projects for one of the fabric companies and they "got me in" as a vendor. I went mostly to see the projects that I had sewn for the company ... how they were used to decorate the booths. It was awe inspiring. Never been to anything like that before. However, being a shopper at heart...it was awful not being able to buy anything since I didn't have a resale license for a business.

This year, I am going to Houston again...this time having just bought an APQS Millie...I am now a "business" and looking forward to going. I still do the fabric company projects, but this time I am interested in doing the Schoolhouse and Shopper's Spree events that are on Friday, Oct 9. The quilt market then runs Oct 10 through Oct 12. The Quilt Festival quilt show is the following weekend, starting on Thurs Oct 15 through Oct 18. Classes for the public begin on Monday, Oct 12 and run through the quilt show. There are many long arm and regular quilting/sewing classes.

I had originally thought I would take a couple of 3-hour long arm classes each day for three days. It was really adding up to be quite pricey. Then my friend, Linda Craig, told me about the Ohio Quilting with Machines thing. This starts on the Thurs after the Houston quilt show ends...starting on Oct 22, through Sat Oct 24. What I discovered is that many of the teachers who will be at Houston, are then moving on to Ohio. The classes in Houston average about $110 for the 3-hour long arm classes, but in Ohio, they are $35 for 2 hours.

So, I've decided to take a side trip to Ohio and fly there for the classes....I can take more classes covering more subjects for cheaper in Ohio. Also I get to see Linda again, which I'm really looking forward to. So, now I think I will just go to the Houston Quilt Festival...just to see the vendors and the quilts. I live in Southern Calif, and we just got finished with the Long Beach show in July, which is put on by the same folks who do Houston. You can find out about the Houston show and the spring quilt shows and Long Beach at quilts.com. Kerry

[Mrs.A]

I just took a look at the Houston class catalogue for October. Longarm Quilting faculty includes Linda V. Taylor, Irena Bluhm, Pam Clarke, Todd Fletcher, Cathy Franks, Nancy Goldsworthy, Renae Haddadin, Karen McTavish, Cheri Meineke-Johnson, Sue Pattern, Gina Perkes, Rick Taylor and Jamie Wallen.

There are demos and hands on classes including beginning to advanced freehand quilting of various kinds, autosketch and computerized quilting, specialty threads, thread art & thread painting, Victorian quilting, embelishing with Swarovski Crystals, feathers, wholecloth, circles & rays as well as a longarm business class or two. You can get a catalogue from IQA but hurry, the classes were announced a month or more ago and might be filling up already.

Hope this inspires you to visit Houston. Nancy in Tucson