Great Fun & Beautiful Surroundings at the Knoxville Quilt Show

It is almost time for the AQS Quilt Show in Knoxville, July 14 - 17.

You can still call AQS at 270-898-7903 (ask for the Quilt Show office) and we can hold tickets for you to pick up and pay for at the show to hold your space in the workshops, lectures or special events. We have now closed the online registration so the staff can make final preparations for the show. ALL registration for the Knoxville show will close at 3:00 p.m. on July 2. After that date, you will need to check at the Workshop Desk at the show for ticket availability.

Speaking of special events, have you signed up for the Quilters' Fun Night with Alex Anderson and Bonnie Browning? Wait until you see the prizes we have for this event - they already total more than $1,000. Here are some hints: fabric cutter, fabric kits, note cards, books, crystals, special umbrella, fat quarter kits, and more. You won't want to miss having a fun evening with Alex and Bonnie on Wednesday at 7:00 p.m.!

The Step Back in Time Progressive Dinner on Wednesday evening is now sold out.

Tickets are still available for An Evening with Alex Anderson on Thursday at 7 p.m., and for Down on the Farm with Eleanor Burns at 7 p.m. on Friday. Learn and laugh with Alex and Eleanor at these special events.

There are still some openings in some great workshops - learn how Bethany Reynolds has adapted her Magic Stack-n-Whack method to some new designs, find out how Margaret Miller puts together Strips That Sizzle, how Joan Shay makes those beautiful 3-D flowers, or see how Cynthia England makes her pieced pictures.

You can view the class descriptions and see the project photos on the AQS Web site. Once you've made a choice, you can call AQS at 270-898-7903 to have your tickets held for you. You can also just view the printed registration guide by clicking here if you need to check your supply lists.

Don't forget to sign up for the three free Janome sewing machines that will be given away. The drawing box will be located near the Admissions Desk just inside the exhibit hall. One name will be drawn at 2:00 p.m. on Thursday, Friday, and Saturday. It could be your name that AQS Vice President Rick Loyd reads to win a brand new Janome sewing machine.

Before you get busy celebrating the July 4th holiday, secure your tickets for the Knoxville show. We'll see you at the Knoxville Convention Center, July 14 - 17.

The AQS Quilt Show Staff

Have You Registered for the Knoxville AQS Quilt Show Yet?

It's time to register for the AQS Quilt Show in Knoxville, Tennessee, that will be held July 14 - 17, 2010. After June 2, we will be mailing the name badges for everyone who has registered by June 2 - your name badge is your admission to all of your confirmed events. Registering in advance (by June 2) means that you won't need to stand in line to pick up your name badge at the show.

You can still register after June 2, but those name badges will be held for pickup at the show and you will probably need to stand in line to get it. Save yourself some time, register now by clicking here.

Alex Anderson will be teaching in Knoxville - two seminars plus two evening special events - Quilters' Fun Night with Alex Anderson and Bonnie Browning on Wednesday, and An Evening with Alex Anderson on Thursday. You can go Down on the Farm with our favorite farmer's daughter, Eleanor Burns on Friday. And, you can have Brunch with Gwen Marston on Saturday morning. Don't miss out!

And Now the Clean-up After the Ice Storm

Thanks to all of you who have inquired and sent messages asking about AQS and our staff. The AQS office is back up and operational. The online registration is again working properly, so you can go to http://www.americanquilter.com/shows_contests/paducah/2009/registration/ . From this page you can order a registration guide, print the pdf of the registration guide, or go directly to online registration to register.

Now that the ice is gone, we are left with the aftermath of the ice storm. This is a view of the trees surrounding Dolly McNutt Plaza, just behind the library in downtown Paducah. It looks like this on all four sides of the Plaza. Some of you may have visited this city park where free wireless Internet connections are available. This ice storm is the worst natural disaster ever in the state of Kentucky. This week it was designated a Major Disaster by President O'Bama, which will allow the cities to recoup some of the money that has to be spent on handling the disaster. (Click on the photo for a larger version.)


This utility pole located at the corner of the Paducah Expo Center parking lot is an example of the problems the utility companies are facing. There are literally thousands of utility poles snapped in half, or in this case thirds. The weight of all that ice was more than these poles could stand. The transformer from this pole stands alone like a little soldier left behind on the street. Cindy Carrico, our Assistant Show Director, counted 28 snapped utility poles between her home in Fancy Farm and Mayfield, Kentucky. What a huge task it will be to get all of our power operating again.

The power is being restored section by section, however many of our staff still do not have power in their homes. Many have generators and others are living with relatives and friends. This is now Day 12 and some don't expect to have their power on for two to three weeks yet. Yesterday the news reported that more than 500 utility workers from nine states are here helping to work on the power lines. A big Thank You to all of them and to our local utility companies for working so hard to restore our power.