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