Houston Quilt Festival Adventures - Part 1 - Arrival

My friend and I went to Quilt Festival yesterday. It was a repeat for her, as she had gone the day before. But she had the program so we could plot our course of adventure in the aisles before they opened the doors. Lots of new and favorite returning vendors this year, but some missing and missed - like The Sewing Workshop.

The community booths have been moved off the main floor and are now in the quilt display section. All the way back towards the American flag above the doors, take a right. There you'll find the learn to quilt and sew areas, along with the American Sewing Guild, Girl Scouts, cancer and children's heart associations... It's nice they are all grouped together, but sort of forgotten and not publicized. So make a stop after looking at the quilts and see quilting and sewing love in action.

Parking info -- The big space across the GRB is being turned into a park, eliminating a lot of parking spaces. We were able to find a $7 lot, but were one of the last (2!) spaces. But valet parking is a relatively affordable $11. Compared to the lot kitty-corner charging $20!

While you want to get there early to secure a good parking space, inside and outside the Convention Center is nuts! No matter if you wait outside or upstairs inside, funneling all those people through two doors is not for the faint-hearted. They really need to post ticket takers at more than one entry, if only for the first 30-60 minutes of opening. The booth vendors in aisles 1000-2000 would appreciate it, too, as everyone automatically goes and starts spending to the right. And then if you try to outsmart the herd and go to the left, that's not fun either.

And if I can work in a little rant here about some of the booths -- here's a thought: All those black and white signs you plaster around your booth -- "No pictures" "No photographs allowed" "This means you!" -- are really offensive to me, very unfriendly and unwelcoming. When I see those booths, my money and I just walk on by. If I want to take a picture, I always ask first and usually buy the product. The photo helps me remember why I wanted and bought it. Common courtesy and manners work both ways. I'm a potential customer, not a potential thief.