upcoming quilt shows

[seakitten]

It's about time to start thinking about a show to attend next year. A question for those who do this a lot: which is better, MQS or MQX? I am still sort of a newbie and would like to take some hands-on classes if possible. I went to Innovations last year, loved it, but they only do lecture classes.

MQX would be more convenient for me, just because of the timing, but I probably could do either one. Not both. Or, is there anything else you'd do instead? I am open to all suggestions and am looking forward to meeting some of this group in person, wherever I go. Thanks in advance for your input.

[JLM]

MQX is further away from you, so it would mean more time in the air, but there is free transportation from the nearby airport to the convention hotel. There are restaurants within walking distance. Weather can be variable.

MQS is very far away from the airport, so you would need to rent a car or take transportation $$$ to get to the convention site. There are some restaurants and other hotels in walking distance as well as food at the convention hotel. This is later in the year, so I don't think weather is a problem. Both conferences have lots of teachers, vendors and fabulous quilt shows. You can't go wrong with either event.

Janet Mohler

Colorado Springs

[ramona-quilter]

I had a couple of hands-on classes at MQS this year. I think hands-on is what you are referring to. I took Claudia Pfeil's Extreme Backgrounds and Jodi Robinson's Less Stress Feathers and enjoyed both despite machines problems in both classes. This type of class size is smaller, you can only put so many people on a machine, even one with 2 machine heads; the instructor has to race around to help students and the class length is usually longer; all that plus mahcine time explains why hands-on classes are more expensive.

When I attended my first 2 shows, Innovations and MQS 2007, my class selections were somewhat hap-hazard. I ended up walking out on 2 classes. I know that is tacky and rude. The 2 classes were not what I expected.

This year, I carefully scrutinized the show class descriptions and every one of my classes was a winner. I think that I prefer the lecture/demo because sometimes all I need is the author to explain in her own words or to demo the technique so I can see it. Plus lecture demo classes are shorter so you can cram more into a day and they are cheaper; take as many as you can. It also gives you a chance to buy the book/dvd and get some hand-outs and you can write notes on those hand-outs.

Some shows don't offer a lot of longarm classes. Figure out what your schedule and checkbook will allow and look thru the web-sites/catalogs. For me, classes are how I get to be a better quilter.

[seakitten]

Thanks for the tips. The class schedules for these shos aren't out yet, but I would like tho start planning now.

By the way, I went to the Long Beach show last month. I met a very nice young quilter there, I cannot remember her name now, from the San Diego area, who was raving (in a good way) about a gal named Linda in Ramona who had recently done a quilt for her. Good going!

[SharonG]

I've gone to MQS in Kansas City the last two years, taken just the lecture classes, but in many of them you draw along with the instructors on drawing pads you've brought with you or ones that are included in the class fee. One of the instructors recommended taking the lecture classes instead of the hands on for the very reason Linda mentioned--sharing a machine you aren't used to, with instructor's time being spent helping students on that machine. For the second year I really hesitated wondering if there was that much more to learn the second year in a row. There was! Before that Duluth, MN had a large similar type of setup, so it was actually the third show I'd attended but plan to attend the MQS in Kansas City every single year. Sometimes what a person learns depends on where you are in your long arm journey, and other times it's probably hearing the same advise the second or third time when it actually enters your brain. I took protein bars and a bottle of water for lunch so I could cram in as many classes as possible, but save time to go through the show and the vendors and do expect to buy, buy, buy. The one on the east coast is probably similar, don't know, just know that I loved the one in Kansas City.

Sharon G

[ramona-quilter]

Thanks you, Catherine. Compliments, even second-hand ones, are always appreciated.

I do have a few young customers. It's fun to see enthusiasm for quilting no matter what face it wears. When I first began my journey in quilting, somebody told me that the average quilter in the US is a 55 year old white woman. Hmmm. I wonder what the stats would be today.