It's Quilt Expo Time in Des Moines

Wow, do you know that AQS will have more than 900 quilts on exhibit at the AQS Quilt Expo in Des Moines? We'll have the AQS Contest quilts - where more than $42,000 in cash will be awarded, and a variety of special quilt exhibits.

The Des Moines Area Quilters Guild will display quilts in their annual show - it's the 25th anniversary of the guild.

When have you seen an exhibit of Judy Martin's quilts? We'll have 25 of them at the Expo. She'll also be giving a lecture on Wednesday evening.

And prizewinning quilter Sandra McMillan, Albion, Nebraska, will exhibit 24 of her beautiful quilts.

Nancy Kirk, Kirk Collection, Omaha, Nebraska, is sharing some of her patriotic quilts and costumes.

And if you have never met MaryJane Butters of Moscow, Idaho, you're in for a treat. You will be able to view her collection of 40 Aprons at the show. MaryJane will be teaching and sharing some of her experiences in developing your own business. One of her classes is making rugs.

Come have some fun at the AQS Quilt Expo -- you'll be in hog.....er...quilt heaven.

And don't forget that Friday is Dressed Up Denim Day - wear your jazzed up denims that are so popular today. If you don't have any jazzed up denims yet, the Dressed Up Denim Lab is located at booth 403/502 on the show floor. Bring a denim garment with you to the show.

You can see how crystals are put on in Cheri's Crystals booth, or how to use Paintstiks in Laura Murray's booth, or how to use Designer Bindings in the Lollipops booth nearby - purchase your supplies and work away on dressing up your own denims. We'll have some practice pieces so you can try it out first if you want.

If you are into hockey, then you'll want to go to the opening game of the season of the Iowa Chops Hockey team. It's on Friday night. Scroll down in this blog for information on ordering tickets. Get your own cow bell to cheer on the Iowa Chops!

See you all at the show - October 8 - 11 at the Iowa Events Center, 730 Third Street, Des Moines, Iowa!

The AQS Quilt Show Staff:
Bonnie, Terry, Cindy, Sharon, Marcelle, Mary Beth, and Tracey

Executive Inn Deposits

We have received calls and e-mails from quilters who submitted checks for the room lottery at the Executive Inn that have been cashed and no confirmations have been received. AQS is working with the attorneys from the City of Paducah and McCracken County, as well as the Kentucky Attorney General to determine what has happened with these monies and who has rooms confirmed.

As soon as we know more, we will post it on our Web site, http://www.americanquilter.com/, and here on our Blog.

Bonnie Browning
Executive Show Director

American Quilter’s Society Night Out with the CHOPS!!!

Don't miss out on the American Quilter’s Society
Night Out with the CHOPS!!!
OPENING NIGHT October 10, 2008 in Des Moines.

The Iowa Chops Hockey team vs. the Peoria Rivermen

Ticket Prices for Quilters:
Center Ice seats $16.00
Endzone seats $9.00

Free Chops Cow Bell for each group ticket purchased!

THERE ARE 2 WAYS TO ORDER YOUR TICKETS:

1) Click on the link below and enter the offer code 1010QUILT, click on the “BUY” logo on the right, and then enter your desired quantity. Do not clicks on best available or you will not be given the discount!

http://ev6.evenue.net/cgi-bin/ncommerce3/ExecMacro/evenue/ev69/se/DisplayPromoList.d2w/report?linkID=global-iowa&RSRC=&RDAT=&caller=PR

2) CONTACT YOUR TICKET REP JARED YOUNGMAN AT 515-564-8043 and order your tickets over the phone.

TICKETS BASED ON AVAILABILITY – ORDER FEES MAY APPLY. THE IOWA EVENTS CENTER WILL NOT REIMBURSE PATRONS THE DIFFERENCE IN TICKET PRICES FOR PREVIOUSLY PURCHASED TICKETS OR TICKETS ORDERED INCORRECTLY THROUGH THE GROUP SALES WEBSITE! THIS OFFER CANNOT BE USED AT ANY DAHL’S FOODS OUTLET

ALL TICKETS MUST BE PURCHASED BY 5:00 PM ON THURSDAY, OCTOBER 9TH

AQS Quilt Expo - Des Moines

Are you coming to the AQS Quilt Expo in Des Moines, October 8 - 11, 2008? There are still some rooms at the Des Moines Marriott, 700 Grand Ave. It's the closest hotel to the Iowa Events Center where the quilt show will be held and you can get there through the skywalks. They have free shuttle service from the airport. Don't miss out on the great AQS Quilt Expo rate of $129 -- the current online rate is $229. To book your room, log on to http://www.desmoinesmarriott.com/ or call 515-245-5500.

Did you know the Iowa State Capitol’s impressive 275-foot golden dome is the largest of any state capitol in the nation, and is flanked by four smaller domes? The largest dome is covered with 23-karat gold sheets, equaling 100 ounces of gold. These sheets are so thin that 250,000 of them piled together would measure about one inch high. The Capitol building, dedicated in 1884 and completed in 1886 at a cost of some $2.8 million, is built of limestone, granite, sandstone and brick. In addition to serving as the seat of Iowa government, the Capitol is a showcase for artwork, woodcarving, artifacts and decorative wall and ceiling painting. Today, the Iowa State Capitol has just finished an extensive interior and exterior restoration. Add a visit to the Capitol to your visit to Des Moines.

Dressed Up Denim Brunch & Fashion Show with Laurie Malm

Laurie Malm, Lollipops Designer Bindings, shows off her denim vest decorated with fancy binding strips.

Her booth will be next to the Dressed Up Denim Lab at the Des Moines show. Stop at her booth and learn all of the tricks in applying binding to your Dressed Up Denims.

Don't mis the Brunch & Dressed Up Denim Fashion Show with Laurie Malm - Friday at 9:00 a.m. at the AQS Quilt Expo in Des Moines.

Dressed Up Denim Lab at Des Moines

Dressed Up Denims

Denim clothing that is decorated...with stitching, appliques, ribbon and trims, and, of course, crystals, is all the rage. Couture clothing by many of the leading designers have picked up this trend in garments of all sizes - from small rompers to elaborate jackets selling for hundreds of dollars.

At this year's AQS Quilt Expo, you can dress up your own denim. Just bring a denim shirt, jacket, jeans, or other garments with you and we'll have a space set up at the show, the Dressed Up Denims Lab, for you to do just that. Some of our vendors with products that you might need will be located nearby. These include Cheri's Crystals, with crystals that are heat set to adhere to the garment; Lollipops Designer Bindings, with binding that can be stitched in a variety of designs; Igolochkoy (Gail Bird), with materials for needlepunching designs, and Laura Murray Designs, with some great fabrics for applique and Paintstiks.

Here's how it works. You can watch demos in their booths to learn the techniques, purchase any supplies you might need, and go to the tables in the Dressed Up Denim Lab to work on your shirt, jacket, or jeans. We'll have some shirts for you to try it on before you begin working on your own jacket.

What fun! You can learn techniques from some of the best and they'll be close by if you have any questions...and you'll end up with your own couture style denims.

Then, be sure to sign up for the Brunch with Laurie Malm on Friday at 9:00 a.m., where we'll have a fashion show of Dressed Up Denims...and you can show off yours too.

Everyone should wear your Dressed Up Denims on Friday at the show.

Des Moines, Iowa - AQS Quilt Expo

And next we will be off to Des Moines, Iowa, for the very first AQS Quilt Expo, October 8 - 11, 2008.

The name badges were mailed on Friday, August 29, to those who registered by Wednesday, August 27. If you registered after August 27, your name badge will be held for pickup at the show. All international name badges will be held for pickup at the show.


The show will be located in Hy-Vee Hall at the Iowa Events Center, 730 3rd Street, in downtown Des Moines.


Lodging: If you still need to make your hotel reservations, here is the link to the list of hotels on the AQS Web site: http://www.americanquilter.com/documents/shows_contests/desmoines/08_desmoines_hotel.pdf.
Just call the hotel directly and tell them you are coming to the AQS Quilt Expo so you'll get our quilt show rates. Don't delay in booking your room though, those rates will end soon and you'll be paying higher rates.


This is going to be an exciting event -- there are 800 quilts on exhibit, including the annual show of the Greater Des Moines Quilters Guild. More than 350 vendor booths will make it a quilt shoppers' paradise - you know they will have all of the latest tools and fabric that you just need to add to your stash.

Check out the next blog entry for information on our special Dressed Up Denim Lab, where you can jazz up your own denim jackets, jeans, vests, and more.

Bonnie Browning
Executive Show Director

Book Your Rooms for Knoxville - July 22 - 25, 2009

It’s easy to book your room for the AQS Quilt Expo in Knoxville, July 22 – 25, 2009. The hotels are all listed by their distance from the Knoxville Convention Center.

For online room reservations, click here.
Or, call 865-588-7426 or 1-800-753-3823.
Book your flights and car rental with discounts to Knoxville by calling 1-800-753-3823.
E-mail reservations@wvtt.com if you have questions related to your reservations.

Shuttle service is not provided from all of the hotels. If you will need shuttle service, look at the hotels in the downtown area. Here is the online map for the free shuttle service:

http://www.knoxville.org/eguide/zoom.php?ID=7&guide=NaN .

If you need additional assistance on whether this service is available from your hotel, please call the phone number above for making reservations.

Connie Guthary, Aurora, IL, wins AQS Nashville Giveaway

Connie Guthary, Aurora, Illinois, was thrilled to learn that she won the AQS Nashville Bound Giveaway. Her prize was an ultimate quilting studio: HQ Sixteen™ Longarm Machine with table and frame, cabinetry for her sewing studio from Tracey's Tables, and a free trip to the AQS Quilt Expo.

For a complete list of all winners in the AQS Nashville Giveaway, go to:

http://www.americanquilter.com/shows_contests/nashville/2008/giveaway/ .

(Pictured above, L to R: AQS President Meredith Schroeder; Mike ________, Tracey's Tables; Connie Guthary; Mark Hyland, HandiQuilter; and Gloria Bolden, AQS Ad Manager

Meet Marge Boyle and Cindy Carrico

Two more members of our staff -- Marge Boyle, Director of Sales of Marketing, and Cindy Carrico, Assistant Show Director.

Cindy handles the quilt entries for each show, and also works with the instructors...as well as all of those other duties as assigned.

Marge helps out at the Workshop Desk during the shows, but her regular duties include selling and marketing AQS books and membership, as well as handling advertising for our events.

Meet Marcelle Cashon, AQS Registration Coordinator

Many of you talk to members of the AQS Quilt Show staff as you are registering, entering your quilts, or maybe just to ask a question.


Marcelle Cashon is our new Registration Coordinator. She processes the registrations and makes sure you receive your name badges for the show.


Look for Marcelle at the Workshop Desk at our shows.

Dawn Gerber, Best of Show winner - Nashville

Dawn Gerber, Hanover, Pennsylvania, shows off her check for $10,000 for winning the Best of Show award at the AQS Quilt Expo - Nashville.

Watch for more information on Dawn and her prizewinning quilt in the next issue of American Quilter magazine.

Nashville was a Great Show!

The quilters couldn't wait to enter the AQS Quilt Expo in Nashville, Tennessee. The quilts were great and there were plenty of vendors in the Merchant Mall. What more could a quilter ask for?

We'll miss Gaylord Opryland Resort next year.

The dates for next summer's show are July 22 - 25, 2009 and the Expo will be held at the Knoxville Convention Center in Knoxville, Tennessee.

AQS Quilt Expo - Nashville Begins on August 20

It is just a few days before the AQS Quilt Expo opens at Gaylord Opryland Resort in Nashville, Tennessee. Join us as we visit Music City USA for the eighth time. Quilters from around the world will enjoy seeing more than 500 quilts on exhibit, including five categories in the AQS contest, where one quilter will win the $10,000 Best of Show Award. The special quilt exhibits will range from More Than Warmth, quilts made by children, to the American Quilt Study Groups exhibit of quilts inspired by 1840s quilts.

Look for DiVine in the Delta area just outside the Convention Center. You won't believe it until you see it. You might walk up and see this vine along a post...and all of a sudden it moves.

Special quilting celebrities include Billie Lauder (Wednesday); Joe the Quilter: A Musical Quilt Show by Joe Cunningham (Thursday); Afternoon Tea with Jodi Barrows, Show & Tell with Eleanor Burns, and Dear Jane Turns 12: Anniversary Celebration with Brenda Papadakis (Friday); and Brunch with Sue Nickels (Saturday).

Don't forget to experience Nashville by attending the Grand Ole Opry on Friday or Saturday evenings, or a cruise on the General Jackson Riverboat.

The Workshop Desk opens at 12:00 noon on Tuesday. Check there for ticket availability on workshops, lectures, and special events.


Put on your walking shoes and join us at Gaylord Opryland...it's just one week away!


Bonnie Browning
Executive Show Director

More about MaryJane Butters

I'll let MaryJane tell you how she became a "farmgirl" raising organic fruits and vegetables...and a whole lot more.

Five years ago, before the idea of MaryJanesFarm and my playful definition of “farmgirl” made the newspaper that Toni read, I was known as Paradise Farm, since my little five-acre piece of paradise was nestled at the base of Paradise Ridge. When I bought my piece of ground some 20 years ago, I dreamed of making my living as a farmer. My first season here, I sold green bell peppers, pickling cucumbers, and other odds and ends. But to make more money from my crops, I needed a longer growing season. So I built six hoophouses that I had to crawl into on my hands and knees. It was good training, because for the next 15 years, keeping my farm and making a living required lots of kneeling — the late night prayerful variety that builds mighty calluses on both kneecaps. During the Paradise Farm era, when my daughter was all of 7 years old and still letting me put her hair in two braids, she zenned me in a stunning way. A single mom living the homestead life, without indoor plumbing, without money, I drove a car so old we wore masks in it because it sucked dust in through the rusty floorboards (my son remembers getting his leg stuck in one of the holes), when late one evening coming home from town, the driveline fell off. It jammed into the ground like a javelin. Crying, I lifted my 3-year old from his seat and the three of us began to walk. My daughter grabbed my hand, “Momma, there’s always something good out of something bad.” With her words as my mantra, I survived the next decade by reinventing myself over and over again, growing this, growing that, trying this and trying that.

My mother had seen to it that I had a passion for feeding people, and my father had taught me how to grow absolutely anything. Given I’d worked for the Forest Service right out of high school, and I wanted to create a secure value-added market for other local farmers, I eventually ended up with a line of backpacking foods — the kind of foods I would have liked when I was backpacking as a wilderness ranger.

You'll hear more about her journey to make a living with her organic farm at the Lunch with Mary Jane Butters at the AQS Quilt Expo in Des Moines. She has experienced lessons we can all learn from in whatever we endeavor to do. Registration for this lunch is open on the our Web site, http://www.americanquilter.com/shows_contests/desmoines/2008/registration/ .

Are you a farmgirl? MaryJane definition of a farmgirl... is anyone who sews or knits or weaves (or wants to learn how). A farmgirl remembers her mother or grandmother paring apples for pie. A farmgirl believes in the strong arms of friendship, community and the just plain fun of being together.A farmgirl believes in connection. a farmgirl ...isn’t afraid to go it alone. A farmgirl takes joy in the quiet satisfaction of making things with her own hands. A farmgirl wants a world that is sane, and just, and clean, and is willing to do her part to make it so. A farmgirl doesn’t have to live on a farm. There’s a farmgirl in all of us. Farmgirl is a condition of the heart.

Learn more about MaryJane Butters on her Web site: http://www.maryjanesfarm.org/About/farmlife/searching.asp .