Quilt Show in Hershey, PA

My friend and I went to the Quilt Show in Hershey, PA this morning. It was a very interesting show. We did the Merchant Mart and the Show Quilts, but not the classes or the talks.

The set up was very well done. We were able to get handicapped parking not too far from an elevator that took us right up to where the show was. Registration was easy. Because we would all be moving into and out of the show areas they put arm bands on us.

They had set up the Merchant Mart very well. The isles were mostly wide enough that you could move through them to get to the vendors. I never buy much and this time wasn't any different, but I always enjoy seeing what is there.

The Quilt exhibit was very well set up as well, and again, you could move around and actually see the quilts. That isn't always true. For example at the AQS show in Lancaster earlier this year, I never was able to get into the isle where the winning quilts were. In this case they weren't in a single spot, but were all over the exhibit, so there was no concentrated crowd in a single spot.

One problem I've noticed at both of these shows. Because both of them were big shows, with a national reputation, all of the quilts were over the top in some way. Not just the winners, but all of the entries. I kind of missed seeing the kinds of quilts non-professionals make. One of the quilts that didn't win, for example, was by a Craftsy.com teacher that I've taken two classes with. Quite an amazing quilt, and in many way over the top, but still not a winner.

Years ago, when I went to more local quilt shows, I enjoyed seeing what the local guild members had made that year. And if I actually manage to get to a show put on by a local guild, maybe I'll have that again.

They had set up tables for people to eat lunch outside of the Merchant Mart. They did have food for sale from a buffet, but the tables were available whether you bought food or not, and you could buy as little or as much as you wanted. I thought that was very well done. My friend and I had brought our lunches and it was nice talking to others who were sitting at the table while we are.

I had a very good time and I was very glad I went.