I just returned from spending the week at the Road 2 California quilt show in Ontario, California. This is the third large quilt show I've gone to in the last two years. This is a fairly large quilt show on the west coast. Monetary awards are given for the best quilts in specific categories and many classes are offered for both long-armers, art quilters and regular quilters.
There are many large quilt shows available across the country for quilters to go to. Some have hands-on classes, most have lectures. Local quilt guilds also have quilt shows that don't have classes available but great quilts to go look at and be inspired by.
More information below the squiggle.
Having taken both hands-on long-arm classes that usually cost over $100 each and going to lectures that cost around $35.00, I'd recommend that first-timers go to the lectures before taking any hands-on classes. That way you can check out the different instructors and find the ones you'd like to take further instruction from.
One of the hands-on classes that I signed up for, I was hoping to learn some different feather quilting techniques. When the instructor started showing us what he was going to be teaching, the quilt I had on the frame at home had exactly what he was teaching. I already had been using his "technique" for over a year. I paid $125.00 for nothing new but couldn't tell that from the class description. On the other hand, the two hour lecture I went to on Saturday, Dawn Cavanaugh's Funky Feather Fun, cost $35.00. I learned how to make about 30 different types of feathers and have a great handout to remind me how to do them.
I also took a paper piecing class by Carol Doak. An absolutely delightful day spent paper piecing and now I feel much more confident in making "perfect points." Carol isn't going to be teaching any other classes in the U.S. this year, but if you want to learn how to paper piece and can take a class of hers in the future - DO IT! She's great fun.
I took a machine maintenance class for my specific long-arm machine. Most of the large quilt shows have this type of class for machine owners. Plus, a class on my computer system where I learned a couple of different things that I hadn't tried before.
At any quilt show, seeing all the quilts hanging on display is breath taking. Anyone who quilts knows how much time, patience, and heart goes into each and every one of them. Here's the website of the winners from the 2012 Road 2 California show:
http://www.road2ca.com/...
All in all, having learned some new things and being super inspired, it was worth the money spent on travel, lodging and classes.
Here's a short list of web sites with quilt shows listed:
International Quilt Shows: http://quilts.com/...
Mancuso Quilt Shows: http://www.quiltfest.com/
Machine Quilters Expo East & West: http://www.mqxshow.com/...
Machine Quilters Showcase: http://www.mqsshow.org/
Home Machine Quilt Show: http://www.hmqs.org/
American Quilters Society shows: http://www.americanquilter.com/...
National Quilting Association: http://nqaquilts.org/...
Quilting, Stitches and Craft Expos: http://qscexpos.com/
Submitted Quilt Shows - click on month to see what's been listed: http://quiltguilds.com/...