Free Special Link Bus Service in Des Moines

We just received word that the Des Moines Area Regional Transit (DART) will be providing a special LINK service during this year's AQS Quilt Show. This bus will go from Hy-Vee Hall to Holiday Inn, Marriott Hotel, Renaissance Savery Hotel, and Embassy Suites - all in downtown Des Moines.

So if you are staying at any of these downtown hotels, you can leave your car parked at the hotel and jump onto this Special LINK  bus service. Thank you DART for providing this service for the quilters!

 

Great News! More Seats Available

We have been able to add some additional seats for the Eleanor Burns program at the AQS Quilt Show in Des Moines! Eleanor is definitely a crowd pleaser, and her shows always sell out early. This year is no exception, but the great news is that we now have a few more tickets available!

Eleanor Burns: Quilt Blocks on American Barns will be Wednesday night from 7:00pm to 8:30pm. Call Laura Davis at 270-898-7903 Ext. 132 to reserve a ticket today! We will hold your ticket for pickup at the show.

(Note: Online registration is now closed - please call if you want a ticket for Eleanor Burns.)

The Lancaster Deadline is Approaching!

2011 is the second year for the AQS Quilt Show and Contest in Lancaster, Pennsylvania. The 2010 show was amazing, and 2011 will only be better!

Have you entered your quilt for the Lancaster show? Just 6-1/2 weeks remain until the contest entry deadline. With more than  $44,000 in prize money to be won across 5 categories and 5 overall awards including the $10,000 Best of Show, you could be one of those winners.

Send in your entries before November 5, 2011 – you don’t want to miss out on this one! If you have any questions about entering your quilt or completing the entry form, contact Erin Ulrich, Contest Coordinator, at erinulrich@AQSquilt.com or 270-898-7903, ext. 174.

We are excited to be coming back to Lancaster and we can’t wait to see your quilt entries, so send them in now!

P.S.: If you haven't made your plans yet to attend the AQS Quilt Show at the Lancaster County Convention Center, March 16 - 19, 2011, you can click here to make your hotel reservations online or call 1-800-PA-DUTCH (800-723-8824). The Lancaster Registration Guide is at the printer and will be available online soon. You can order a printed copy of the Registration Guide by clicking HERE.

LAST CHANCE! Des Moines Registration Closes on Monday

This is it - the very last weekend to pre-register for the AQS Quilt Show and Contest in Des Moines! The last day to register for advance admission and classes will be Monday, September 20 at 10:00 a.m. central time. There are still some spots available, but they are filling up fast. Click here to register online, or call Laura Davis at 270-898-7903 ext. 132 to register by phone.

After Monday, you will need to check at the Workshop Desk in Hy-Vee Hall at the Iowa Events Center for ticket availability. Admission can be purchased at the door.

We are looking forward to an exciting show in Des Moines, October 6 - 9, and we can't wait to see you there!

Register today!

Des Moines Registration will be closing Monday, September 20

Believe it or not, September is half over! That means that the October AQS Show and Contest in Des Moines is right around the corner!

The last day to register for advance admission and classes will be Monday, September 20 at 10:00 am central time. There are still some spots available, but they are filling up fast. Click here to register online, or call Laura Davis at 270-898-7903 ext. 132 to register by phone.

We are looking forward to an exciting show in Des Moines, and we can't wait to see you there!
Register today!

Still need to book a hotel room? This link takes you to a listing of the hotels that have provided special rates for the AQS attendees. Rates are listed and you should call the hotel directly to book your room. 

It's In the Bag Contest - for AQS Quilt Show in Paducah

Each year the American Quilter's Society sponsors a contest and the items are donated to the annual Quilt Auction at the Paducah Quilt Show. Bags of all kinds are so popular and quilters everywhere are making them - large, small, lots of pockets, fancy, messenger, green bags for shopping, and the list goes on and on - that we chose a "Bag" theme for this year's contest.

Here is your chance to win! $1,000 in prize money will be awarded - $200 for the Best Bag and $100 for the best bag in each of the eight categories.

The categories are:
Purse (primary function is as a purse - can be for everyday use or a fancy one for evening)
Tote (for carrying items)
Full of Pockets (how many pockets can you put into one bag and still be able to carry it loaded?)
Functional (can be used for multiple purposes)
Embellished (show your glitz on this one)
Green (made totally of recycled materials - go for it, this should be fun)
Specialty (backpack, fanny pack, computer bag, etc.)
Student-made (middle school, high school or college-aged sewers).

Sewers of all ages can enter; challenge your children and grandchildren to enter this contest. Everyone can have fun sewing. All of the proceeds from auctioning these bags will benefit The National Quilt Museum located in Paducah, Kentucky.

The rules are available on the AQS website; just click here to print a copy.

The completed bag and entry form must be received by AQS by March 1, 2011.

There are many free patterns available on the Internet for making all types of bags. Just Google "free bag patterns" and you will find hundreds from which to choose.

When you are making those bags for holiday gifting, make one or two more to donate to benefit The National Quilt Museum. You can send your completed bag(s) and entry form any time before March 1.

Good Luck...we can't wait to see the great bags you create.

Jeana Kimball – Quilting: In Her Own Words

I learned to quilt, when I was about 12 years old, from my mother and my maternal grandmother; later I was prompted to try a quilt all on my own by an ad in a women's magazine in 1975. The ad was meant to sell a bed but what caught my eye was the Double Wedding Ring quilt being used as a bedspread. Up until that moment I had thought of quilts as simply bedding – to be placed underneath the bedspread.

Seeing a quilt being intentionally used as a bedspread was a new concept to me and I decided to keep up with the latest fashion by making a Double Wedding Ring quilt of my own. Have you ever noticed that all new quiltmakers want to start with a bed quilt, usually king sized?

After using a corner of my bedroom for fabric storage and the kitchen table for a work station for many, many years, I now have a quilting studio of my own. The thing I like best about it is not having to the share this lovely large room with any other function. Great lighting, lots of storage, a comfortable chair for hand stitching, and a large work surface is great too. My second favorite thing about having a quilting studio is my Ipod player and dock. I can listen to music that fits my mood or my project. It is lovely to mix and match my favorite artists at will.

Most of my quilting work is by hand. I simply love the process of plying needle and thread to fabric (whether hand appliqué or hand quilting). It is fascinating to watch a design appear from such a simple tool as a needle.

For me, helping students find an easier way or refining a technique they have been struggling with is one of the greatest rewards of teaching. All of my classes are geared towards that end – teaching techniques that make hand stitching ever more enjoyable. There is nothing as beautiful as a quilt that was made over time. To me, such a quilt carries the essence of its maker, whether she is living or long lost to passing time.

Jeana is teaching the following classes at the Des Moines show in October… Jeana is no longer doing much traveling to teach so this is a golden opportunity to take a class from her.

#33102 Forget-Me-Knots: Classic Album Quilt Designs

#33104 Refining Needle-turn Applique Skills

#33506 Applique Borders: An Added Grace;

#38508 Hand Quilting: How and What to Quilt.








 
Click here to register online or call Laura Davis – Registration Coordinator at 270-898-7903 ext.132 to register by phone.

See you in Des Moines!

Terri Tope: Quilting – In Her Own Words

Quilting has been my joy, and sharing it has been one of my greatest pleasures. It seems likeI have sewn all my life – starting with doll clothes and then on to 4-H clothing projects. It wasn't until being put on bed rest while pregnant with my oldest daughter that the quilting bug really took effect. Out of that tiny first apartment came some wonderful quilts and a huge learning curve. 

I have been predominately a quilter for 27 years, and try to stitch a little every single day. I do have a quilting studio that I work from and love – it's my organized chaos. After taking over the formal living room and dining room of our older Worthington, Ohio home, a couple of rooms rarely used are now full of life and fabric. A cutting counter from a local quilt shop that went out of business is the centerpiece of the workspace. It is huge, but also on wheels, with plenty of storage underneath! I don't know how I quilted without it.

When asked about my quilting specialty, my favorite response to give is that "I wear my scarlet letter with pride. I APPLIQUE!" Being a bit dyslexic and due to its shear repetitive nature, piecing is not one of my favorite things to do. (Understatement) In fact it gives me hives and I only do it under duress… just kidding. I currently am on this reverse appliqué adventure and it is taking me to some pretty neat places.

#35502 No Sew Gift Bag

Several years ago I played around with some fusible web and created the "no sew gift bag", which is one of my classes in Des Moines. I was signed up to go with my guild to go on a retreat in the Amish area of Ohio (Holmes County) and decided to use my friends as guinea pigs to test my bag directions. We were rolling along with my little trial class quilt well until we needed to press our bag under weight – a phone book works great. The Amish do not have phones and therefore no phone books were to be found. Our solution... fourteen ladies were pressing their bags by sitting on them under their bed pillows. This gave us some great pictures! Needless to say directions did contain a few corrections. 

Please plan to join us for some great new classroom experiences in Des Moines!

Terri is teaching the following classes at the Des Moines show in October….#33103 Spring Symphony Needle-turn Appliqué; #33503 Reverse Appliqué Lettering; and #35502 No Sew Gift Bag

Click here to register online or call Laura Davis, AQS Registration Coordinator, at 270-898-7903 ext.132 to register by phone.

ASK HELEN in DES MOINES

Did you know that Helen Squire of “Dear Helen” fame is going to be teaching 3 classes in Des Moines this year? For the past 10 years, she has written “Helen's Hints: Creative Quilting Designs” for American Quilter magazine, and has recently published the eighth book in the "Dear Helen" series, Quilting UFO´s with Helen´s Hints. You may remember her days as “Dear Helen” columnist for Lady's Circle Patchwork Quilts magazine. This is your chance to spend quality “small group” time with Helen; asking for her advice about adapting and choosing patterns, and planning your own quilting projects.

Helen designs, teaches, and lectures all across the country while maintaining her home base in Paducah, Kentucky – Quilt City USA! You'll never know what stories Helen will share, or whether her hair will be red…or green…or…? Just be totally prepared to have a great time!

She will be teaching class numbers: 38503, 38507, and 38511 in Des Moines. Also available: Lecture #32810 – How Quilting Makes the Quilt. Register by August 25 and you’ll receive your name badge in the mail. Click here to register.

Meet the AQS Executive Book Editor in Des Moines

If you've ever entertained the notion of writing a book about quilting, the show in Des Moines is your chance to discuss it with our executive book editor. Andi Reynolds will be available to meet one-on-one with prospective authors throughout the show (when she's not teaching or moderating the Authors' Roundtable, that is).

Come see her with just an idea or a proposal-in-progress. You can prepare to meet her by reviewing our book proposal guidelines, available on our Web site, or by attending her lecture, Publishing 101, on Wednesday, October 6 from 11 a.m. to 12 p.m. Register for lecture #32801 by clicking here.


You can set up a meeting in advance by e-mailing Andi at andi@AQSquilt.com.

Andi's office will be in the corridor of Hy-Vee Hall outside the entrance to the quilt show. Look for the easel sign with her name. You may also ask for Andi at the Workshop Desk. She looks forward to meeting you!

Copyright Questions?

Copyright can seem complicated. We have received a number of questions in the AQS office about copyright as it relates to entering our contests.

See this link for some helpful information. You will find an article, "An Explanation of Design Permissions," and a link to a handy chart that gives information on when changes in the copyright laws were made. Both of these pieces of information should help to clear up some of the questions you might have when entering the AQS Quilt Contests.

Always start by getting permission, especially if money is involved. Today this is an easy process using the Internet to find contact information. Designers love to have you use their designs and give them credit as the design source.

AQS Quilt Contests - Submitting Entries

It’s already the end of August, school is back in session, and we are eagerly awaiting the cooler fall weather. 2011 will be here before we know it, and so will the deadlines for our Lancaster and Paducah 2011 quilt contests! We are receiving entries for both contests every week, and right now there is still plenty of time to submit your entry forms. November 5, 2010 is the deadline for Lancaster entries, and January 3, 2011 is the deadline for Paducah.

Erin, our contest coordinator, loves to see entry forms come in early, so get those quilts finished and send in your contest entries now! If you want to submit your quilts for Knoxville or Des Moines in 2011, she is ready for those too.

Here are links to be able to view and print the rules for 2011:
Lancaster rules
Paducah rules
Knoxville rules
Des Moines rules

If you have any questions about entering a quilt, you can e-mail Erin, erinulrich@AQSquilt.com, or call her at 270-898-7903, ext. 174.

Planning for AQS Quilt Show in Lancaster, PA

Plans are underway for many months prior to the AQS Quilt Shows. Last week Terry Guill and I traveled to Lancaster for a planning meeting. We like to stay at different hotels and eat at different restaurants so we can report our experiences to you.

We stayed at the new Cork Factory Hotel, located about seven blocks from the Lancaster County Convention Center. This restoration turned a cork factory into a modern hotel with a lot of charm.

The hotel room had tall ceilings, a comfy chair, flat screen television, and a nice big shower with plenty of hot water. We also enjoyed having dinner in the Cork and Cap Restaurant at the hotel featuring homemade breads, butter, pasta, lots of fresh vegetables, and they make a great steak too.

After we finished our meetings one afternoon, we went for a buggy ride at Aaron and Jessica's. What a great way to see the countryside. Our ride started by going through a covered bridge; did you know that Lancaster County has 27 covered bridges? Watch as you ride along the roads there and you'll spot several near Lancaster.

 

See the beautiful well-kept gardens and homes along the way - hardly a blade of grass out of place.

It was very pieceful to clip, clop along while seeing farm after farm in this Amish community.

You can make your hotel reservations now for the 2011 AQS Quilt Show - Lancaster that will be held March 16 - 19, 2011 at the Lancaster County Convention Center. You can book your room online or by calling 1-800-723-8824 option 1.

This year we will have one central parking lot with shuttle service to streamline both parking and getting you to/from the parking lot and the convention center. Final details will be available soon.

The Registration Guide will be available in October.

Have you seen all of the great classes available at the AQS Quilt Show in Des Moines, October 6 - 9? Phone registration is now open for the Des Moines show. Click here for a complete directory of classes and events. You can call 1-270-898-7903 to register yourself and a friend today!

Be sure to reserve your spot in the fun and informative lecture by Joe Cunningham called "Quilt Men at Work." Joe will show some of his own quilts and also images of the fantastic quilts being made by some of the other men of the quilting world! You'll see a variety of quilt styles - from traditional to modern art quilts, and you'll get to enjoy Joe's sense of humor!

And how about attending one of these cool classes:

#37501 Faux Log Cabin by Jean Biddick – if you like making Log Cabin quilts, then you’ll love how quick and easy this Faux Log Cabin quilt is to make. Clear out your scrap box by choosing lights and darks. You’ll be amazed at all of the ways you can set these blocks together to give different looks.







#37511 Charms, Strips and Bias, Oh My! by Laurie Malm – this is another stash buster project, including how to use bias strips and rickrack on the curved edges of the Drunkard’s Path. Learn Laurie’s method for sewing curved seams – she makes it a snap.

#38504 Trapunto without Tears by Zena Thorpe – you could call this class “a prizewinning technique taught by a prizewinning quiltmaker." Learn this simple technique that many of the prizewinning quiltmakers use to add that extra dimension to their quilting. It can be used in hand or machine quilting.




Register by August 25 to receive your name badge in the mail. Just pick up your phone and call Laura at 270-898-7903, ext. 132.

For registrations between August 26 and September 15, name badges will be held for pickup at the show.

Laura Davis
AQS Registration Coordinator

What's New in Des Moines

 Iowa Events Center, Des Moines, Iowa

We are really excited about having our 3rd Annual AQS Quilt Show at the Iowa Events Center in Des Moines, Iowa, October 6 - 9. Here are some of the quilting stars who will be presenting special events there -- Eleanor Burns (who will have us all Down on the Farm), Joe Cunningham (who can pluck that guitar), Jim Shore (famous for his collectibles featuring quilt patterns), and Flavin Glover (who is famous for her Log Cabin quilts and who will give us treatment remedies for being quiltaholics).

As you make your plans to attend the show, don't miss taking a walk across the new Center Street Bridge, a 400-foot span usable by pedestrians and bicyclists that connects the east and west sides of the Des Moines River. This is part of the Principal Riverwalk project that will ultimately include 1.2-mile trails on each side of the Des Moines River between the Center Street Dam to the north and the retrofitted Union Pacific Railroad Bridge south of Court Avenue. Here's a photo to show you this beautiful new landmark in downtown Des Moines.

Center Street Bridge for pedistrians and bicyclists

Also, don't forget the AQS-sanctioned events:
Iowa Hall of Pride: These wonderful interactive exhibits of people and groups related to Iowa are located right there in Hy-Vee Hall in the Iowa Events Center - the same building where the quilt show is located. If you are a history buff, a sports enthusiasts, or just want to have some fun, check out the Iowa Hall of Pride.

These Iowa personalities are included in the Hall of Heroes: Nile Kinnick, Peggy Whitson, Andy Williams, Meredith Wilson, Dr. Frank Spalding, Donna Reed, John Wayne, Glenn Miller, Grand Wood, Mauricio Lasansky, James Van Allen, Roger Williams, and a lot more. Check it out! You can purchase your tickets when you register for the show.
 
Des Moines Botanical and Environmental Center: The Botanical Center will feature quilt-themed displays on the grounds, plus a special exhibit of quilts in the Northwing Gallery, lobby and Show House corridors. Admission is free with your AQS name badge. Open daily, 10 a.m. - 5 p.m. The Riverwalk Cafe serves lunch Monday through Friday, 11 a.m. - 2 p.m. You can jump on the free shuttle bus to get there.

Historic Valley Junction welcomes you to the Quilter's Open House: Free bus service from the Iowa Events Center will take you to Valley Junction in West Des Moines. Stores will showcase quilts in their front windows, and there is a special Quilt Walk from Wednesday through Saturday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. A special Quilter's Open House will be on Thursday from 4 to 8 p.m. (shuttle service is extended on Thursday evening until 8 p.m.) Free admission.

To learn more about these sanctioned events or to register for the show, click here.

The leaves on the trees are usually really pretty in early October in Iowa - a perfect time and place for a fall trip.