Improving Local Guild Quilt Shows

[Pam D.]

When you go to a local guild quilt show, what do you want to see?

Quilting Demostrations?

Antique quilts?

Only new quilts ( made with the last couple of years)

large projects

small wall project

Sewn items

Wearable art / totes / purses etc

Quilts in Progress ...


Anything else you have seen or would like to see, that I have not mentioned ?????

[Beth A.]

One of the very first quilt shows I went to had a small quilt frame set up and an experienced quilter working on a whole cloth quilt. Everyone was invited to pull up a chair and learn how to quilt. I had great fun and it really started me going on hand quilting. I'm sure the quilter threw away the sample in the frame with all those newbie stitches in it, but it was a wonderful introduction to someone just getting started in the craft.

I highly recomend this!

BethMI

[Eileen K.]

Anna,
My guild show has everything you've mentioned. We also have speakers, a boutique, appraisals and awesome vendors.
eileenkny

[Hannelore N.]

I want plenty of places where I can sit down and take a break/rest.

[Hannelore N.]

Well our venue is small but there are always chairs and rest areas for viewers... Our quilt show use to be part of a greater harvest festival in the town but the chamber of commerce (C of C ) had said they were not going to have the festival and parade this year... so we trucked on without them just planning our show without their help and inputs.

I found out today they the C of C change their minds and are going to have some activities on the same day. One of the other business is having a classic car showing, another business an art fair and the Lions club / boy scouts will have some sort of food venue. There are rumors they are going to do a harvest parade of tractors, kiddies and other exhibitions but it is still rumors.

Our group is having an ongoing discussion about what we are going to do at the quilt show. We want to make it better than in the past and we are a small group of only 12 ladies. We each have about 2-3 finished large project quilts plus various smaller projects. We usually have other quilters that have taken classes at the local quilt shop bring in some of their finished projects. Then we have access to a large number of never exhibited antique quilts from El's collection. We usually have over 100 quilts and various projects.

I have been doing all the online posting and advertising, I also sent out invitations to all the guilds in a 50 mile radius of the town. El does the paid advertising in local papers and radio stations, other quilt shops. We do not have quilt vendors from out of town cause El has the quilt shop open with great sales. We sometimes have craft booths on the front lawn but only local crafters who want to earn a few extra bucks... nothing too fancy as we do not have the large number of people come through that the large shows have. The whole purpose of this festival is to promote community involvement and get allow local people to have a chance to sell some of their products. It is basically very small town. Two years ago we had a really good turn out for the festival of about 800 people through town, last year we had less than 500.

Anyways I am getting off tract. I am going to show how to make 3-D flying geese since I started a quilt using the block Rickey T. demonstrated on the show... everyone is enchanted with those blocks. I have figured out how to make the blocks in different sizes so I am handing out a small instruction flyer on how to do the block. Another lady is showing how to hand applique, a third how to hand quilt. We plan to be stationed about the quilt show doing our demos. I will probably do the demonstration every half hour or so; I do not plan to do it non stop.

One problem this year is the CHALLENGE quilts project. No one is planning to do it. We have only sold 5 of the kits. Everyone I have talked to HATES the fabric chosen, and are tired of making "a project with no real use. " ( size restriction is 20 by 20 maximum) Apparently the other ladies all "decided" (independently) to go on strike and not do it. I should not say too much as I do not plan to do the challenge but then again I never do, I am too busy finishing my latest quilt project to have it done in time for the show. I am the only member of the group that works full time. I just found out about this situation at the last meeting when I got a chance to talk to several of the ladies. In the past we always had 15-20 entries and it was a fun part of the show to figure out who won the prizes. ( $40, $30, $20 gift certificates from the sponsoring quilt shop.)

The biggest problem we are having this year is that we made a raffle quilt but have not been granted a license from the state to hold the raffle. I submitted the first application for the license last spring and some how it got lost. I found out in June we had been rejected. ( We are not a formal guild so did not qualify due to some rule.) So we went to the local Hospice we were raising the money for and had them submit for the license under their tax exempt status. We got turned down again because of some problem with the paper work. We have since resubmitted the application and are waiting for permission from the state. We have a beautiful quilt to raffle and no way to raffle it LEGALLY.

I THINK I AM GOING TO GET DRUNK NOW... every time I think about this quilt show I get a headache. I do not know why I worry so much about it ahead of time... it always turns out beautiful and is a lot of fun.... I think I went through this last year too. El says to stop worrying it will all work out but I worry about it every time....

[Lorna B.]

I was at the San Diego Quilt Show one year and decided to participate in a fabric challenge that one of the fabric vendors was offering. I don't know what possessed me. I had never done one before. Plus the fabric was orange! What the heck was I going to do with this, I don't even like orange. I was at a LQS trying to get inspired and looking for fabrics that went with this orange and lamenting about the color to the salesperson that was helpig me. She simply told me "that is why they call it a challenge." I thought....oh yeah, I guess so.

I didn't particularly like the fabric this year that our guild picked out. (Honest I am really not that picky.) My personal challenge was to minimize their fabrics and make something that I did like.

Our quild also had a scrap a raffle for similar reasons. oh well.

I like lots of quilts on display at shows. Good lighting to see them. A glove or something so that I can look at the back if I want. And all the other things you talked about. I love just going and getting inspired.

[Lorna B.]

I am kind of looking forward to EL's antique quilt display. She is a local lady who has lived in the area for about 40 years. She use to be an antique dealer. She bought up family quilts and quilt tops sold at garage sales, rummage sales etc. She has hundreds of them many of them never displayed before but in supposedly great condition. I did not belong to the group the time she gave a trunk show of her collection.

Whenever possible she recorded the history of the quilt top, and where / who, she bought it from... Her collection is suppose to be in the 100s of quilts and quilt tops. I think she is planning to donate them to the state quilt museum " When I am done fondling them." The ages of the quilts range from 1830 to 1950s. We live in a rural area of MID MI and the farm ladies always made beautiful quilts regardless of if it was fashionable or not. So she has a great collection. I think she is planning to put one of each pattern she has unless there is something historically interesting about the quilt tops.

[Lorna B.]

Wow! What an awesome collection that will be to see. Wish I was closer.

[Judith T.]

Lorna, as I seem to recall, on one of the shows, Ricky and Alex were given a challenge fabric and Ricky pulled out bold colors from the fabric and made his design minimizing the challenge fabric. I don't remember which show it was. Maybe someone else can help. Judy in AZ

[Annette R.]

the show was Road Show II. I just watched it again last night and still love it. Both the road shows were terrific. I watched the first one last night to refresh my memory on the strip quilt that Bunny Rose was doing with the accu cut appliques. And then I thought what the heck finish out the trip. I am an RV er so loved every second of it Sure hope they do more of that type of thing. It was great to see the different shops and historical things and meet the people. LOVED IT LOVED IT. Ann

[Judith T.]

Thanks, Ann. I knew someone would come through. Judy in AZ

[Judith T.]

More QUESTIONS




How far will you drive to see a local quilt show?

Do you go by yourself or with friends?

How many quilts would you expect to see at minimum?

What did you like about the last local QS you went to?

Last QS that disappointed you, what did you not like about it?

[Hannelore N.]

More QUESTIONS




How far will you drive to see a local quilt show?

Do you go by yourself or with friends?

How many quilts would you expect to see at minimum?

What did you like about the last local QS you went to?

Last QS that disappointed you, what did you not like about it?

I'll drive up to four hours each way for a nice quilt show. I like driving (and I like quilts).

Sometimes I go by myself, sometimes I take a non-quilting friend who loves to look at anything made from fabric, and sometimes I meet friends at shows.

Minimum nuber of quilts I expect to see: If it's a guild or group show I'd expect 30+ quilts. If it's a show of a single person, then I expect a good range and quality rather than quantity.

Last relatively local show I went to was fascinating because of the amazing variety, from really complicated show stoppers to the first attempts of beginners. I was delighted that it was possible to get a drink and something to eat, and that there were some interesting goodies for sale. I also appreciated that the displays were not crowded, so it was easy to look at every piece close up AND from a little distance by stepping back. Oh yes, and the lighting was excellent.

A couple of years ago I drove over three hours to see a show. It was 'hyped' in the press and so expectations were pretty high. The quilts were hung in dark and dingy rooms. There was no toilet (after over three hours in the car ......), and the only person in charge was grumpy or hat PMS on that day.

[Judy M.]

Ladyrags, I think the raffle quilt problem you're having is due to your group not having their own non-profit status with the state. Also, all the quilt guilds I have ever been envolved with use the term "opportunity quilt" instead of the word "raffle". If you used another non-profit group's number to sell tickets for a quilt, you would have to use the proceeds for that non-profit's benefit, not your quilting group's benefit. Hope this helps.

[Judy M.]

Ladyrags, I think the raffle quilt problem you're having is due to your group not having their own non-profit status with the state. Also, all the quilt guilds I have ever been envolved with use the term "opportunity quilt" instead of the word "raffle". If you used another non-profit group's number to sell tickets for a quilt, you would have to use the proceeds for that non-profit's benefit, not your quilting group's benefit. Hope this helps.

You got it in a nutshell.... We use the other groups number to raise money for their organization. We always pick groups that has benefited our local community or a member of our group. i.e. Alzheimer Research or local food banks, or local hospice.

We wanted to be able to sell tickets in advance of the quilt show. In the past we only sold on the day of the event and did not raise a lot of money for the charity.

We would just like to raise enough money to be worth the effort and the cost we put into the quilt ( We have to have it quilted by an outsider and we have to pay for printing of the tickets.) I think this being the first time we our getting a charitable raffle license it has been hard. Next time it should be much easier. ... I hope.