Don't Miss the Fun & Beautiful Quilts in Knoxville

Don’t miss the fun, the beautiful quilts, and the shopportunity in the Merchant Mall at the AQS Quilt Expo in Knoxville, Tennessee, July 22 – 25, 2009. Knoxville is ready to welcome you!

There is still time to register – registration is open until 3:00 p.m. on Wednesday, July 8.
This link will take you directly to the online registration site:
https://events.americanquilter.com/getdemo.ei?id=42&s=_25K0P3MKE .
The supply lists and photos of the projects are available at the registration site too.

Book your room now.
You can stay at one of the downtown hotels with a city trolley stop right at the hotel. You can park your car and ride the trolley to/from the show.

Call the Crowne Plaza Hotel directly at 865/522-2600.

You can book a room at the Knoxville Marriott Downtown by calling 865-588-7426 or 1-800-753-3823, Monday – Thursday (Friday is the 4th of July Holiday this week),
or book online at: https://resweb.passkey.com/Resweb.do?mode=welcome_gi_new&groupID=125209 .

We have an exciting show planned for you, with more than 500 quilts and 300 vendor booths in the Merchant Mall.

Have a great 4th of July and we’ll see you soon in Knoxville!

Des Moines Registration Guide is HERE!

The printed registration guide for the AQS Quilt Expo in Des Moines, October 28 - 31, 2009, has arrived and is being mailed today to those who ordered a copy.

You can go to our Web site and print a copy of the guide by clicking on the link below:

http://www.americanquilter.com/documents/shows_contests/desmoines/09_registration_guide.pdf .

Advance registration is recommended. Workshops are filled on a first-come basis. Registrations can be faxed (270-898-1173) or mailed to the AQS office (AQS, PO Box 3290, Paducah, KY 42002-3290). For registration questions, please contact Laura Davis, Registration Coordinator, at lauradavis@AQSquilt.com or 270-898-7903, ext. 132.

Online registration will be open in a few days - our Webmaster is busy getting it formatted for us now.

We have a great line-up of instructors for Des Moines: Frieda Anderson, Bobbie Aug, Kim Brunner, Karen Kay Buckley, Eleanor Burns, Carol Butzke, Darlene Christopherson, Mickey Depre, Karen Gibbs, Renae Haddadin, Klaudeen Hansen, Linda Honsberger, Laurie Malm, Cheri Meineke-Johnson, ReNae Merrill, Marti Michell, Nannette Moore, Christopher Nejman, Marsha Radtke, Andi Reynolds, Florence Reisen, Nadine Ruggles, Ami Simms, Mildred Sorrells, Helen Squire, and Terry White.

The 2-day Insurance Appraisal workshop is scheduled for Wednesday and Thursday, and the 1-day Fair-Market Value Appraisal workshop is available on Friday at the Des Moines show.

Thursday is Dressed-Up Denim Day in Des Moines. Now is the time to be dressing up your own denim vests, jackets, jeans, dressed, etc., with trims, embroidery, applique, crystals, decorative stitches, stencils, and whatever else you want to do. Be sure to register for the Denim Divas Fashion Show to share your beautiful hand-crafted couture denims. This event was so much fun last year that those who attended asked to do it again! And wait until you see the couture garments that the Denim Divas (Laurie Malm and Cheri Meineke-Johnson) have made!

See you in Des Moines in October.

AQS Staff....

Des Moines Registration Guide

Make your plans now to attend the 2nd AQS Quilt Expo in Des Moines, Iowa. The listing of hotels is on the AQS Web site. Here is a link that will take you right there:
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http://www.americanquilter.com/documents/shows_contests/desmoines/09_desmoines_hotel_list.pdf .
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You should call the hotel directly to make your reservation and be sure to tell them you will be attending the AQS Quilt Expo.
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The AQS Quilt Expo is held in Hy-Vee Hall at the Iowa Events Center. Classrooms are on the first floor, and the exhibit hall is on the second floor. A food court is on level 3, and other food venues are located in the hallways throughout the building.

The Des Moines Botanical & Environmental Center is one of our Sanctioned Events. They will be having floral displays in quilt designs, and an exhibit of quilts sponsored by American Patchwork & Quilting magazine. Admission is free with your show name badge.

See the state capital at night.

These photos are courtesty of the Greater Des Moines Convention & Visitors Bureau.


The Registration Guide for the AQS Quilt Expo in Des Moines is being printed.
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We are busy working on getting all of that information online so we can begin online registration as soon as possible. We will post here when the online registration is ready.
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If you want a copy of the printed Des Moines Registration Guide, you can send an e-mail to Laura Davis, lauradavis@AQSquilt.com or fax your request to 270-898-1173. The cost of the printed guide is $2.00.
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We have some fun events in Des Moines, including a fashion show of Celebrity Bags by Christopher Nejman - wait until you see the techniques he uses; An Evening with Ami Simms; The Denim Divas fashion show where you can show off your own embellished and decorated denims; a fun time with Eleanor Burns; and Brunch with Karen Kay Buckley. That's a sneak peak of what's happening in Des Moines.
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Bonnie Browning

Only 2 days left to enter Des Moines Contest

June 24 is the last day to enter the Des Moines contest. Your entry can be mailed/postmarked on June 24.

Here is the link to download the rules: http://www.americanquilter.com/shows_contests/desmoines/2009/quilt_contest/

Remember, you can't win if you don't enter!

Good Luck!

Bonnie Browning

Don't Miss the Des Moines Contest Deadline

Have you entered a quilt in the AQS Quilt Expo - Des Moines? It is not too late. The deadline will be here soon - entries must be received or postmarked by June 24, 2009 for this year's Des Moines contest.

Here are the five categories:

Categories with $42,250 Total Cash Awards

Bed Quilts: Fabric quilts made for a bed, using any quiltmaking technique.
1. Traditional
2. Innovative
Wall Quilts: Fabric quilts designed to hang on a wall, using any quiltmaking
technique.
3. Traditional
4. Innovative
Fabric Art: Works of visual art utilizing fabric as the primary medium.
5. Fabric Art

And...here is the link so you can print off the rules and get your entry completed:

http://www.americanquilter.com/documents/shows_contests/desmoines/09_desmoines_rules.pdf

You only have a few days left - send us your entry today!

Good Luck!

Bonnie Browning
Executive Show Director

A Quilt-cation in Tennessee

Have you made your plans for a Quilt-cation in Knoxville, Tennessee, during the AQS Quilt Expo, July 22 - 25, 2009? What a great place for a family vacation - there is something for all ages.



Knoxville, Tennessee is a mid-sized city along the Tennessee River just outside of the Great Smokey Mountains National Park. The Park has 520,000 acres that encompass more than 850 miles of trails for hiking and horseback riding; 735 miles of streams for fishing; many developed and back country campsites; spectacular scenery and views from peaks over 6,000 feet; several visitors centers with interpretive exhibits and artifacts. This is the most visited National Park in the U.S.

Wayne and I have taken the driving tour through the Park several times and have been lucky enough to see some black bears...once we even saw a mother bear and two cubs strolling across the road.

An afternoon drive will give you some scenic views of the waters rushing right along side the roads. Cade's Cove is an eleven-mile loop that offers 4,000 acres of the best the park has to offer. In addition to the lush natural landscape, you'll run across several preserved historic structures, churches dating back to the 1800's, and a working corn mill that is open throughout the summer.

Or, if you want a city tour, there is plenty to see there too. Take the children to the Knoxville Zoo, or if history is your thing, visit the Civil War Bethel Cemetery or the Museum of Appalachia - the most authentic and complete replica of pioneer Appalachian life in the world. In nearby Oak Ridge, TN, you'll find the American Museum of Science & Energy - a friend told me not to miss seeing this museum.

Next to the Knoxville Convention Center (the location of the AQS Quilt Expo) is the Sunsphere, a golden glass ball that was built as the signature structure for the 1982 World’s Fair. It is 266 feet tall and has 26 stories. The actual ball itself houses only five levels. There is a restaurant in the top of the Sunsphere, along with a great view of the city!

There is a lot of history in Knoxville. Founded in 1786, Knoxville was named for the first United States Secretary of War Henry Knox. Ten years later, after Tennessee's admission to the Union, Knoxville served as the capital of the state until 1819. Today Knoxville is the seat of Knox County and the third largest city in the state of Tennessee with approximately 184,000 residents. Its nickname, "the marble city" comes from the pink marble supplied by Knoxville quarries to build such famous structures as the National Art Gallery in Washington, D.C.

And you won't want to miss a stroll in downtown Knoxville...and a visit to Mast General Store that has big barrels of candy like we used to buy as kids. Just up the street is the Knoxville Visitor Center, where you an stop any weekday and listen to live music at lunch time, as well as pick up some great Knoxville souvenirs.

And to top off all that the city has to offer, there is the AQS Quilt Expo at the Knoxville Convention Center. The AQS Quilt Expo offers hundreds of quilts on exhibit, a gigantic merchant mall, and lectures and workshops - open from Wednesday, July 22 through Saturday, July 25. Check out the AQS Web site, http://www.americanquilter.com/ for more information on the show.

Do you have your reservations made yet for your QUILT-cation? Join us in Knoxville, Tennessee.

We'll see you there July 22 - 25!

Bonnie Browning & all of the AQS Quilt Show staff - Terry, Marcelle, Mary Beth, Kelly, Tracey, Erin, and Laura

Online Quilting Classes

Did you know that AQS and West Kentucky Community & Technical College are now offering Online Quilting Classes...and that you can earn Certificate/College Credit by taking these classes as well as classes at the AQS Quilt Shows and at the National Quilt Museum?

Here is a listing of the classes now available online:

Foundation Quilting - Bonnie Browning
Crazy Quilts - Karen Boyd
Quilt Borders: Making Them Fit Every Time - Bonnie Browning
Edge Finishes - Bonnie Browning
Quilting - Helen Squire
Folded Fabric Elegance - Rami Kim
Susan Stewart - Heirloom Sewing Techniques
Free-Form Design - Gail Garber
Wonderful One-Fabric Design - Kay Nichols

and....more are on the way.

Just go to http://www.wkctcnow.com/ to get started. Click on Quilting for all of the class choices, then click Start Here to get started.

Online Quilting Classes presented by AQS Authors
For information on earning credit by taking classes at AQS shows and the National Quilt Museum, see the AQS registration guides for each show...and click item #1700 for more information.

Happy Learning...

Bonnie Browning

Paducah Quilt Show - After the Show Press Release

Some of you have been asking about the attendance at the Paducah show. Here is the press release we sent out on Friday.

PADUCAH -- More than 30,000 quilters attended the 25th Anniversary AQS Quilt Show, April 22 – 25. Quilters attended from 47 states and 11 countries. The attendance was 4% less than 2008. “Considering the economy and uncertainties relating to the sale of the Executive Inn, we are pleased that the attendance was close to last year,” stated AQS President Meredith Schroeder. “We know the quilters love coming to Paducah and attending our show here. This show turns Paducah into Quilt City USA at this time every year.”

Discussions are underway related to the 2010 AQS Quilt Show & Contest. As plans are formalized, more information will be available on the AQS Web site, www.AmericanQuilter.com.

The American Quilter’s Society holds three quilting events each year, the Annual AQS Quilt Show & Contest in Paducah, Kentucky, each April; the AQS Quilt Expo – Knoxville, Tennessee, in July; and the AQS Quilt Expo – Des Moines, Iowa, in October. AQS has awarded more than $2.5 million in cash awards to quilters in contests at these events. These events provide from $12 to $20 million in economic impact to the cities where the events are held.

A Trip to the Museum of Appalachia

During our planning meeting in Knoxville this week, Terry Guill and I had the opportunity to have lunch and tour the Museum of Appalachia near Knoxville. You know you are in quilters' territory when you see the barn quilt on the front of the building. This design is from one of the quilts in the museum's collection. This is a "must do" event during the 2009 AQS Quilt Expo.

One of the first animals to greet us in the parking lot was this white furry looking chicken. They even have feathers between their toes (ummm, do chickens have toes?)

Look at this beautiful peacock sitting on the rail fence in the garden. We saw a couple peacocks with their tail feathers all spread out but I wasn't close enough to get a photo of that. As quilters we can appreciate the brilliant blues and greens in this magnificent bird.

A peacock eats bread from Terry Guill's hand. The peacocks didn't pay much attention to us as we moved around the grounds. They certainly showed off their brilliant colors in the bright sunshine.

Take a look at this steel guitar made on the top of a wooden ironing board. Now who thinks of these things? You can find out though because the history of the guitar is attached to the ironing board.

Take a look at this embellished guitar. The entire top of the guitar is covered with beads and doodads...just like we quilters might do to our quilts.

More photos from Museum of Appalachia

Look at these beautiful handmade baskets! They have a wonderful collection from some that are about the size of your thumb to reallllllly big ones. You'll enjoy the craftsmanship of these baskets.

Among the many collections is this collection of items related to textiles, from baskets to collect the wool, to spinners and winders to work the wool into yarn.

You can walk into the cabins. Take a look at how they stacked the beds to economize the use of the space in this cabin. This bed was so short that I'm sure that my feet would have been sticking out at the end of the bed. Each of the other beds was smaller than the one on top of it.

Animals roam the grounds - see the big turkey near the center of the photo. They also had a really cute little black lamb that was running all over looking for its mother. A herd of goats filled one pasture. One could spend several hours here in this pastoral setting - there is so much to see!


There are still some seats left on the bus for this tour to the Museum of Appalachia on Friday evening during the AQS Quilt Expo in Knoxville. Just call Marcelle at 270-898-7903, ext. 141 to get your seat reserved. Marcelle will be joining you on this tour. You'll get to see some quilts that the museum has never before displayed. And there will be music, touring the museum's grounds, and you'll enjoy a wonderful home cooked family-style meal. What a treat is in store for you!

Bonnie Browning - who just enjoyed lunch and a brief tour of the museum this week

Welcome to Knoxville

Welcome to Knoxville, AQS attendees!

Please use the information listed below to assist you in planning your trip and during your stay. We hope you will stop by our Knoxville Visitor Center when you are in town to enjoy a cup of coffee, live music, and purchase some Knoxville souvenir items to take home. If you should have any additional questions, please feel free to contact us at 1-800-727-8045. We look forward to seeing you in July!

Window Dressing Contest: Don't miss seeing the quilts in the windows in downtown Knoxville. The city is having a contest among the downtown businesses. More quilts to see...

Lodging:Find Lodging

Park and Ride Information:• Purchase KAT bus tickets
Ride - perimeter areas to downtown:• West Town Mall Bus Route• Knoxville Center Mall Bus Route
- Parking:• Downtown Parking• Perimeter
- Trolley and Taxi Information:• Trolley Map• Taxi Information
- Motor Coach Information:• Motor Coach Directions and Parking
- Vendor:• Vendor Parking

Dining:Downtown Dining Guide

Knoxville Visitors Guide:• Download Guide as PDF

Relaxation Stations:• Be sure to visit one of the three Relaxation Stations in the Knoxville Convention Center to pamper your self with a massage. Event massage will provided by Massage Associates. Leg, foot and brief full-body (fully clothed) chair massages will be offered in 10 minute sessions for $10 each (cash or check only). Massages will be available from 11:30am – 5:30pm on Thursday, July 23 and Friday, July 24. Sign up sheets will be available on site to book your session in advance.

Do you see a fun time coming up in Knoxville? The City is very excited to host the AQS Quilt Expo and the quilters who attend.

Knoxville Readies for the Quilters

The summer AQS Quilt Expo will be held July 22 - 25 at the Knoxville Convention Center in downtown Knoxville, Tennessee. Here are some photos to show you a bit of this beautiful city surrounded by unsurpassed natural beauty and filled with great places to go, and of the convention center that will be filled with quilts, vendors, and quilters from around the world.

Online registration is now open. Just go to http://www.americanquilter.com/shows_contests/knoxville/2009/registration/ . Once you have input your name and address, you can view all of the class descriptions, photos of the class projects, special events and lectures. Remember you can complete only your individual registration via the Internet. To register for a friend using your credit card, please call the AQS office at 270-898-7903.

The Women's Basketball Hall of Fame sits in the foreground, with the skyline of the city in the background.

The easy-to-read signs will guide you through the building. Can't you just imagine this hallway filled with quilters attending the AQS Quilt Expo? I can!

The wide hallways provide seating areas throughout the building. And, you won't want to miss viewing the artwork displayed in cases, and on the walls and ceilings throughout the convention center. Viewing that artwork alone is a feast for the eyes! And then you can see more beauty in the quilts in the Exhibit Hall.

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It’s easy to book your room for the AQS Quilt Expo in Knoxville, July 22 – 25, 2009. For online room reservations, click here. Or, call 865-588-7426 or 1-800-753-3823.

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Make your plans now to visit this new location for the AQS Quilt Expo in July!

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Bonnie Browning...giving you a sneak peak of the facilities in Knoxville

Photography Policy for Photos Taken at AQS Quilt Show

This is a reminder that any photos of quilts taken at the AQS Quilt Show may be used for your own personal use only - that is viewed for your own pleasure. The photos of quilts may not be used for any commercial purpose or placed on the Internet without permission from the quiltmaker and the American Quilter's Society. The images of these quilts belong to the quiltmaker and are therefore protected by the copyright laws. So any use of the quilt images in a public way needs to be granted by the quiltmaker.

The same also applies to any recording of programs presented at the show by Eleanor Burns and Ricky Tims.

Here is information from the United States Copyright Office:

Copyright Registration
for Works of
the Visual Arts

General Information
Copyright is a form of protection provided by the laws of the United States to the authors of “original works of authorship,” including “pictorial, graphic, and sculptural works.” The owner of copyright in a work has the exclusive right to make copies, to prepare derivative works, to sell or distribute copies, and to display the work publicly. Anyone else wishing to use the work in these ways must have the permission of the author or someone who has derived rights
through the author. From Section 106A of the 1976 Copyright Act, Circular 40, Copyright Registration for Works of the Visual Arts.

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Please respect the rights of these artists and request permission before using images of their quilts or programs in any way, or before placing them on the Internet.

Ricky Tims Concert

Ricky Tims did it again. He hit it out of the ball park with his Ricky Tims Concert last night. His human props at the opening made you wonder where and when Ricky would appear. Through a cloud of smoke, he appeared at his little red piano - a family heirloom that he recently had restored.


The legs and case were rebuilt, but the inner workings of the piano are all original. Now he no longer has to covet that piano his cousin received for Christmas when he was a very small boy - he owns it and can play it!

The maestro played a variety of songs - some from his upcoming Christmas album (I really liked Christmas in a Small Town), old favorites like Danny Boy, and Dance from his Sacred Age album. Yes, we all had our toes tapping!

The evening ended with Ricky playing the trumpet and piano, and singing The Impossible Dream - an ode to quilters everywhere that they ARE CREATIVE!

Don't miss spending an evening with Ricky Tims at next year's show on Friday, April 23, 2010. Put it on your calendar now.

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Aren't we lucky to have so many talented quilters? The beautiful quilts on display at the show certainly inspire all of us, and we loved being entertained by Nancy Zieman at Wednesday's tea; Keith Harrell, our keynote speaker, at the 25th Anniversary Celebration on Wednesday; Eleanor Burns on Thursday; Ricky Tims on Friday; and Helen Squire on Saturday.

Wow, what a 25th Anniversary Celebration this has been!

Bonnie Browning... reporting on the 2009 AQS Quilt Show

Eleanor Burns - Big Show on Stage at Four Rivers Center

If you missed the Live on State: 30 Years of Eleanor Burns, you missed a great program on Thursday evening. Using video and a big pile of quilts, Eleanor shared quilts and stories from the 31 years since she starting teaching people her strip piecing techniques. We had a lot of fun and laughs!