Wednesday, February 24, 2010

Lancaster Advanced Registration Closes on March 3

There are just a few more days to register for the AQS Quilt Show in Lancaster, PA, that will be held March 24 - 27, 2010, at the Lancaster County Convention Center and Liberty Place Conference Center.

Registration closes at 3:00 p.m. on Wednesday, March 3, 2010. After that date, you will need to check at the Workshop Desk at the show to purchase tickets for classes, lectures, or special events.

These classes still have a few vacancies: 
School of Applique: 43101, 43102, 43501, 43503, 43506
School of Color & Design: 45503
School of Piecing: 47101, 47103, 47502, 47503, 47505, 47506, 47515, 47520
School of Quilting & Finishing: 48502, 48504, 48506,
School of Technology: 49504

Tickets are available for all lectures and special events (except Eleanor Burns is Sold Out).

You can register online or call the AQS office at 270-898-7903 and ask for the Registration Desk.

Tuesday, February 23, 2010

Getting Ready for the Pavilion in Paducah



Today Terry Guill and I attended a planning meeting for the Paducah Quilt Show. On our way back to the office, we drove by the lot at the corner of Executive Blvd. and 4th Street where the Pavilion will be located.

They are making good progress in leveling and preparing the foundation for the Pavilion. It is expected to arrive by the end of March.

What does this mean for you if you are attending the show? The Pavilion will be the largest vendor area at the show with 150 booths, plus you'll get to see an exhibit of quilts by Kaffe Fassett and Liza Prior Lucy, the 2009 winners of the AQS/Hobbs Bonded Fibers Fashion Show, and a Quilter's Park where you can rest your feet. Certified appraisers will have a booth at the back of the Pavilion where you can have antique and new quilts appraised during show hours. The Men's Den will be located in that area too.

The AQS Bus Stop will be right at the main entrance to the Executive Inn (hotel is closed), so you'll be able to ride the shuttles from the participating hotels and be dropped right there by the entrance to the Pavilion. Admission is required for the Pavilion; an Admission Desk will be located just inside the Pavilion, or you can order your admission in advance online by clicking here. (Order your admission by March 10 to receive your name badge in the mail before the show.) 

We'll provide more photos as progress continues.

The quilts have been juried and it's going to be another show with beautiful quilts! If you still need lodging, contact the Paducah Visitors Bureau for an AQS Home Bed & Breakfast form to stay in a private home. Hundreds of quilters stay in private homes each year right here in the city. You can print the AQS Home B&B Guest Application 2010, or call 1-800-PADUCAH with any questions.

See you in Paducah, April 21 - 24, 2010!

Bonnie Browning
Executive Show Director

Thursday, February 11, 2010

Quilts, Quilts, and More Quilts to See in Lancaster!

There will be plenty of quilts to see at the AQS Quilt Show in Lancaster, PA, March 24 - 27, 2010!

Here is your guide to the QUILTS at the show:

* Freedom Hall in the Lancaster County Convention Center (LCCC) - AQS Contest Quilts (who will win that $10,000 Best of Show award?); Special Exhibits: New Quilts from an Old Favorite: Sunflowers, and Women's Journeys in Fiber

* Commonwealth Ballroom, Level 2 at LCCC - Special Exhibit: Living Colour, Association of Pacific West Quilters

* Heritage Ballroom, Level 3 at LCCC - Special Exhibit: Point of View, Studio Art Quilt Associates

* Liberty Place Conference Center - Special Exhibits: Amish Influences - Quilts by Sharon Norbutas & Klaudeen Hansen; Pilgrim/Roy Challenge 2011; and A Slice of Life - Coastal Quilt Artists
You can park at the Liberty Place parking lot, stop and see these quilts, and catch the complimentary shuttle to the convention center!

In addition , be sure to visit these two AQS-sanctioned events...

Tribute to the Civil War, designed by Sarah Maxwell and Dolores Smith

• Spring Quilt Blossom Festival at the Coutinental Inn, Route 30 (2285 Lincoln Hwy E), Lancaster; open 9 a.m. to 6 p.m., Wednesday – Saturday. A Tribute to the Civil War quilt designed by Sarah Maxwell and Dolores Smith of Homestead Hearth, and quilts representing major battles of the Civil War designed by Evonne Cook of Clothesline Quilts will be on exhibit, along with vendors on two floors. This event is coordinated by Sue Ashe. Free Admission. Ride the shuttle from the Lancaster County Convention Center to the Continental Inn to attend this event.

• Lancaster Quilt & Textile Museum, 37 N. Market Street (just a block from the convention center); open 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., Monday – Saturday. See Amish quilts from the Esprit Collection, and a special exhibit, Family and Friends: Quilts and Their Connections, will be on display. An evening reception featuring local quilters and hosted by textile historian and author, Patricia T. Herr, will be held on Friday, 7 – 8:30 p.m. Museum Admission: $6

Knoxville AQS Quilt Contest - Deadline is March 22

Attention quilters! While we are getting ready for the Lancaster and Paducah shows, the deadline for entries in the Knoxville AQS Quilt Contest is approaching fast. All entries for our Knoxville 2010 contest are due by March 22, 2010. That means there are still 5 weeks to go – plenty of time to get those entry forms and photos sent in! More than $44,000 in prize money is going to be awarded to quilts in five different categories. You can’t win if you don’t enter!

Categories for the 2010 Knoxville Contest are: Quilter’s Choice, On the Wall Quilts, Sew Tech, Galaxy of Stars, and of course the ever-popular Ultimate Guild Challenge. We look forward to another great year and another wonderful show in Knoxville. For details, complete rules, and contest entry forms, please visit our website at www.americanquilter.com. For any questions regarding the contest, you can contact Erin Ulrich at erinulrich@AQSquilt.com or (270) 898-7903 ext. 174. Send in those entries – we can't wait to see them!

Tuesday, February 9, 2010

Lancaster - Cutoff for Early Mailing of Name Badges

Tomorrow, February 10, is the last day you can register to receive your name badge in advance for the AQS Quilt Show in Lancaster, PA.

You can register online - click here, or call the AQS office at 270-898-7903, and ask for the Registration Desk.

The program with Eleanor Burns on Thursday is now SOLD OUT. There are still some tickets available for An Evening with Karen K. Stone on Wednesday at 7 p.m. and for A Love Affair with Fabric with Charlotte Angotti at 7 p.m. on Friday. Brunch and Fun with Helen Squire on Saturday morning is also SOLD OUT.

The contest quilts are beautiful, and there will be a variety of special quilt exhibits including:
*National Quilt Museum: New Quilts from an Old Favorite: Sunflowers
*2011 Pilgrim/Roy Challenge
*Point of View by the Studio Art Quilt Associates
*Living Colour - Assocation of Pacific West Quilters
*Amish Influence Quilts by Sharon Norbutas & Klaudeen Hansen
*A Slice of Life - Coastal Quilt Artists
*Women’s Journeys in Fiber by Illinois Quilters, Inc.; North Suburban NeedleArts Guild; and Weavers Guild of the North Shore.

Registration will remain open until March 3, 2010, at 3:00 p.m. Central time. Name badges for registrations received between February 11 and March 3 will be held for pickup at the Workshop Desk in the Lancaster County Convention Center hallway.

Register today! You don't want to miss this exciting AQS Quilt Show in Lancaster! 

Thursday, February 4, 2010

National Wear Red Day - February 5

Tomorrow is National Wear Red Day. Thousands of Americans will be wearing red to draw attention to this startling fact:


Over 430,000 women are silenced each year by cardiovascular disease – and most of these deaths are preventable.

Check out our facebook for more info.

Tuesday, February 2, 2010

New Travel Regulation for International Visitors

Effective January 20, 2010, inbound travelers to the United States from Visa Waiver Program countries may be denied boarding by the airlines if they haven’t complied with the U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s Electronic System for Travel Authorization (ESTA) program.

ESTA, introduced in January 2009, requires all international travelers from VWP countries to register in an online database. Previously, international travelers had to fill out an I-94W form before each trip, but ESTA seeks to streamline and update the process. Now, international travelers to the United States must go to the ESTA Web site and fill out an application before entering the country by air or sea. If approved, the authorization is good for two years and can be renewed. Travelers no longer have to fill out an I-94W form before each trip. U.S. officials say ESTA will speed up the process for travelers, enable customs officials to screen passengers in advance, and improve security.

The ESTA requirement does not affect U.S. citizens returning from overseas, people from VWP countries traveling on a valid U.S. visa, or travelers from non-VWP nations.

Questions? Click here to go to the government travel page.
Note: AQS is only passing along this information to those traveling into the U.S. from other countries. We cannot answer questions about this form, who needs to complete it, or the process for approval. You will need to contact the government travel page for answers to questions (link provided above).