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!

And the Winners Are......

Mariya Waters, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, won the Best of Show with her quilt, Renaissance Revival. See a photo of Mariya's quilt and the complete list of winners on the AQS Web site,
http://www.americanquilter.com/shows_contests/paducah/2009/contests/quilt_winners.php .

Today is the third day of the show, highlighted by the AQS/Hobbs Bonded Fibers Fashion Show at 1 p.m. this afternoon, and the Ricky Tims Concert at 7 p.m. tonight. Both of these events are at the Carson Four Rivers Center, 100 Kentucky Avenue, in downtown Paducah.

Booking Rooms for 2010 in Paducah

Due to the delay in the closing of the sale of the Executive Inn, AQS has not been able to negotiate or sign a contract for the 2010 show. AQS is advising quilters that they should not pay any NONREFUNDABLE DEPOSITS for hotel rooms or other lodging for 2010.

Watch the AQS Web site, http://www.americanquilter.com/, the AQS s-News, or this blog, http://aqsquiltnews.blogspot.com/ for more information as it become available on the 2010 show in April.

Bonnie Browning
Executive Show Director

Show Time in Paducah

Well, the quilts are all judged, and if you are planning to attend the Sneak Preview tomorrow (Tuesday) evening from 6:30 - 8:30 p.m., you'll be the first to know who the winners are! Beautiful quilts - lots of color - and interesting techniques.

The Executive Inn is open and the food prepared by Creehan and Company is delicious. I ate both lunch and dinner in the hotel restaurant today. They are having a buffet for breakfast ($9), lunch ($10), and dinner ($15) for all you can eat and that includes your drink, salad bar, and dessert bar. One thing a little different is that you pay as you enter the Patio Dining Room.

In addition, Kincaid's Restaurant (the one that overlooks the Ohio River) will be open in the evenings, and the bar in there will be open then too.

Vendors were setting up today in the new Galleria area in the hotel - lots of room to shop in this area...and there are 156 booths in this one area. Tomorrow the vendors will set up in the first and second floors of the convention center, and the Expo Center. They'll all be ready for you at the Sneak Preview at 6:30.

There is a lot to look forward to. See you all at the show!

Bonnie Browning
Executive Show Director

The Dogwoods are Blooming in Paducah!

Look at these beautiful newly-opened blossoms on this Dogwood tree.

Each bract (petal) is just perfect. Spring is definitely here now!

Executive Inn - Room Photos & Amenities

Earlier this week I was at the Executive Inn and took a peak at some of the rooms after they have been cleaned. Here is one of the king rooms. Like I promised, I'll post new information as we received it at AQS.








To the right is a photo of the living room portion of one of the suites. Each of the suites will have a coffee maker in it.










This is a double bed room.





Below is a bathroom in one of the rooms. Some quilters have been asking what amenities would be included in the rooms at the hotel. Here is the list that we've received: hair dryer, iron and ironing board, soap, shampoo, conditioner, and hangers. Only the suites will have a coffee maker.

I have to say that I haven't seen the hotel this clean in a long time. They are finishing the cleaning of the remaining rooms now.
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In just a few short days, for me at least, we will all be at the hotel, convention center, and expo center for the show. Next weekend the quilts will be judged - good luck to all 388 contestants who have a quilt as a semifinalist in our 25th Anniversary AQS Quilt Quilt.

Executive Inn Telephone Number

Several quilters who have rooms at the Executive Inn during the quilt show have been trying to call the hotel. The hotel has a new telephone number: 270-415-9960. This week they do not have staff there all of the time; you may need to leave your number so they can call you back. Be sure to say the name on the reservation so they can look it up before they call you back.

Convention Center & Hotel Update

Woweeee! Wait until you see the the totally new look of the Julian Carroll Convention Center here in Paducah. On Friday, Terry Guill and I made a trip to do some remeasuring of the new merchant mall space in the hotel, and got our first peak of the nearly completed remodeling of the convention center too.

This detail like a flowing river with lights incorporated into it is located on the ceiling at the entrance of each of the River Rooms in the hallway on the second floor of the convention center.

Workers are busy laying the last of the carpeting in the River Rooms (formerly called the International Rooms). The names of these rooms have been changed to reflect the rivers in this area - Cumberland, Ohio, Tennessee, and Mississippi. The wallhangings in the AQS Contest, some special exhibit quilts, and vendors will be located in these River Rooms on the second floor of the convention center.

The classrooms are all finished with new wall treatments, new ceiling and lights, and new carpet. You won't believe how wonderful the lighting is in these classrooms now. This photo was taken without a flash - using only the lights in the room.

The bathrooms in the convention center have been totally redone. Here you can see that the tile work is all finished and the commodes and sinks are in place. All this restroom needs are the stalls to be put into place and it will be ready for the show.

You might recognize this space as the area in the hotel where the shops used to be. This year we will be using this space for the vendors who had previously been located at the swimming pool and under the pool in the Pool Annex. It is right next to the Patio Dining Room and we are calling this area the Galleria. The offices that had been on either side of this space have been opened up, letting us have all of these vendors much closer to the convention center and expo center.

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There will be more than 160 vendor booths in the Galleria area. Next week the carpet will be laid on the floor to finish off this space. You'll find lots of luscious fabric and other quilting goodies in the booths in this whole area. Just think, you won't need to walk all the way from one end of the hotel to the other end of the Expo Center this year.

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The deep cleaning of the hotel rooms is about 3/4 finished...and will be all finished by show time. Space Coast Hospitality Management Services, who is managing the hotel during the quilt show, has been working overtime to get the hotel ready for the quilt show.

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The closing still has not taken place on the sale of the hotel. For those of you who were expecting refunds for the overbooked rooms by the end of March, those refunds cannot be distributed until that closing takes place. Funds will be held in a special account at the closing so you can receive your refund.

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The show opens in just 18 days. Advance registration closed at 3 p.m. on Friday. If you need tickets for lectures or special events, you will need to check at the Workshop Desk at the show. The Workshop Desk will be open from 12 noon to 7 p.m. on Tuesday, April 21, and from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. on show days (closes at 5 p.m. on Saturday).
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Bonnie Browning, reporting on the renovations...

Paducah Registration Closes at 3 pm on Friday

There is just one day left to register for the Paducah AQS Quilt Show. Registration will end at 3 p.m. tomorrow, Friday, April 3, 2009. You can register three ways:
Online: http://www.americanquilter.com/shows_contests/paducah/2009/registration/
Fax: 270-898-1173
Telephone: 270-898-7903, ext. 141

Register before 3 p.m. on April 3. After that, you will need to check for workshop and ticket availability at the Workshop Desk in the Paducah Expo Center at the show.

After registration closes, we will prepare the name badges and confirmation letters for everyone who registered between March 12 to April 3 - these people will need to pick up their name badges at the show. All international name badges are held for pickup at the show too.

The Workshop Desk will be open on Tuesday, April 21, from 12 to 7 p.m., and from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. on show days (close at 5 p.m. on Saturday).

You Can Make an Airborne Quilt for Wounded Soldiers

Here is a special invitation to quilters across the U.S. and around the world to make quilts and send them to our wounded soldiers at Ft. Bragg, Walter Reed, and Brooke Army-Medical Center. See the note below from Rachel Gullixson, the contact for the Quilts of Valor Foundation and the coordinator for a group of quilting wives here at Ft Bragg, NC, specifically the 82nd Airborne.

"Just recently our Ft. Bragg Army wives quilting group was featured in our base newspaper, "The Paraglide" for being inspired by the Quilts of Valor Foundation motto "quilting honor and comfort" to make quilts and send them to our wounded warriors here at Ft Bragg, Walter Reed and Brooke Army Medical Center.

Every May here at Ft Bragg, the 82nd Airborne Division holds what it calls "All-American Week," right before Memorial Day to celebrate the "All Americans," the nickname of the 82nd Airborne since WWII. Former paratroopers come from all around the country to take part. And the National media is here. What a great opportunity to spread the word and mission of QOV. However, this year we are planning something different in conjunction with All American week, and the 82nd Wounded Warrior Committee, we are inviting all Quilters to be a part of "82 for the 82nd." That is, 82 Airborne Quilts of Valor for wounded 82nd Airborne. You see our soldiers are paratroopers- they jump out of planes. And we thought 'well, if our quilts are going to wounded 82nd Airborne paratroopers then our quilts should be Airborne, too!' Are we serious? Yes, we are!

By donating your quilt of Valor to an 82nd Wounded Warrior by May 14, 2009, it can be jumped with an 82nd Paratrooper here at Ft Bragg, NC during a pre-scheduled practice jump and become a true Airborne quilt. It will receive a special commemorative label or what we call a "jump log" that includes the jump date and place, the type of aircraft jumped out of and signed by the paratrooper who jumped in with it. These Airborne quilts of valor will then be donated through the 82nd Wounded Warrior Committee to a wounded 82nd Airborne paratrooper here at Ft Bragg, Walter Reed, or Brooke Army Medical Center aka BAMC.

Will your quilt history include a 100% certified Airborne quilt? Send it to us to arrive by May14, and it will! Standards for QOVs:
Minimum size: 50" x 60"
Ideal size: 54" x 67"
Maximum size: 72" x 87"
Tops and backs--new 100% cotton fabric (preferably quilt shop fabric) good, high-quality thread count; "good quality" means it will hold up for years through washings (nothing stretchy or scratchy or metallic, no juvenile prints or flannels)

Most popular colors are red, white, and blue, and patriotic, but QOVs are like Americans, all different. Purple or orange or red, white and blue...make it from your creative quilter heart and it will be just right!

Also please note, we are in the discussion stage with a publisher for this to become a commemorative, not-for-profit, but a fundraiser coffee table book which include pictures of the 82 quilts and the stories behind them.

Please send Quilts of Valor to:
Wounded Soldier Quilts
P.O. Box 72830
Fort Bragg, NC 28307

We hope this answers any questions and that you are as excited as we are! Please feel free to e-mail us with any questions at woundedsoldierquilts@yahoo.com. We hope to see your quilt become Airborne.

Rachel Gullixson
woundedsoldierquilts@yahoo.com