Des Moines Registration Guide is HERE!

The printed registration guide for the AQS Quilt Expo in Des Moines, October 28 - 31, 2009, has arrived and is being mailed today to those who ordered a copy.

You can go to our Web site and print a copy of the guide by clicking on the link below:

http://www.americanquilter.com/documents/shows_contests/desmoines/09_registration_guide.pdf .

Advance registration is recommended. Workshops are filled on a first-come basis. Registrations can be faxed (270-898-1173) or mailed to the AQS office (AQS, PO Box 3290, Paducah, KY 42002-3290). For registration questions, please contact Laura Davis, Registration Coordinator, at lauradavis@AQSquilt.com or 270-898-7903, ext. 132.

Online registration will be open in a few days - our Webmaster is busy getting it formatted for us now.

We have a great line-up of instructors for Des Moines: Frieda Anderson, Bobbie Aug, Kim Brunner, Karen Kay Buckley, Eleanor Burns, Carol Butzke, Darlene Christopherson, Mickey Depre, Karen Gibbs, Renae Haddadin, Klaudeen Hansen, Linda Honsberger, Laurie Malm, Cheri Meineke-Johnson, ReNae Merrill, Marti Michell, Nannette Moore, Christopher Nejman, Marsha Radtke, Andi Reynolds, Florence Reisen, Nadine Ruggles, Ami Simms, Mildred Sorrells, Helen Squire, and Terry White.

The 2-day Insurance Appraisal workshop is scheduled for Wednesday and Thursday, and the 1-day Fair-Market Value Appraisal workshop is available on Friday at the Des Moines show.

Thursday is Dressed-Up Denim Day in Des Moines. Now is the time to be dressing up your own denim vests, jackets, jeans, dressed, etc., with trims, embroidery, applique, crystals, decorative stitches, stencils, and whatever else you want to do. Be sure to register for the Denim Divas Fashion Show to share your beautiful hand-crafted couture denims. This event was so much fun last year that those who attended asked to do it again! And wait until you see the couture garments that the Denim Divas (Laurie Malm and Cheri Meineke-Johnson) have made!

See you in Des Moines in October.

AQS Staff....

Des Moines Registration Guide

Make your plans now to attend the 2nd AQS Quilt Expo in Des Moines, Iowa. The listing of hotels is on the AQS Web site. Here is a link that will take you right there:
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http://www.americanquilter.com/documents/shows_contests/desmoines/09_desmoines_hotel_list.pdf .
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You should call the hotel directly to make your reservation and be sure to tell them you will be attending the AQS Quilt Expo.
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The AQS Quilt Expo is held in Hy-Vee Hall at the Iowa Events Center. Classrooms are on the first floor, and the exhibit hall is on the second floor. A food court is on level 3, and other food venues are located in the hallways throughout the building.

The Des Moines Botanical & Environmental Center is one of our Sanctioned Events. They will be having floral displays in quilt designs, and an exhibit of quilts sponsored by American Patchwork & Quilting magazine. Admission is free with your show name badge.

See the state capital at night.

These photos are courtesty of the Greater Des Moines Convention & Visitors Bureau.


The Registration Guide for the AQS Quilt Expo in Des Moines is being printed.
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We are busy working on getting all of that information online so we can begin online registration as soon as possible. We will post here when the online registration is ready.
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If you want a copy of the printed Des Moines Registration Guide, you can send an e-mail to Laura Davis, lauradavis@AQSquilt.com or fax your request to 270-898-1173. The cost of the printed guide is $2.00.
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We have some fun events in Des Moines, including a fashion show of Celebrity Bags by Christopher Nejman - wait until you see the techniques he uses; An Evening with Ami Simms; The Denim Divas fashion show where you can show off your own embellished and decorated denims; a fun time with Eleanor Burns; and Brunch with Karen Kay Buckley. That's a sneak peak of what's happening in Des Moines.
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Bonnie Browning

Only 2 days left to enter Des Moines Contest

June 24 is the last day to enter the Des Moines contest. Your entry can be mailed/postmarked on June 24.

Here is the link to download the rules: http://www.americanquilter.com/shows_contests/desmoines/2009/quilt_contest/

Remember, you can't win if you don't enter!

Good Luck!

Bonnie Browning

Don't Miss the Des Moines Contest Deadline

Have you entered a quilt in the AQS Quilt Expo - Des Moines? It is not too late. The deadline will be here soon - entries must be received or postmarked by June 24, 2009 for this year's Des Moines contest.

Here are the five categories:

Categories with $42,250 Total Cash Awards

Bed Quilts: Fabric quilts made for a bed, using any quiltmaking technique.
1. Traditional
2. Innovative
Wall Quilts: Fabric quilts designed to hang on a wall, using any quiltmaking
technique.
3. Traditional
4. Innovative
Fabric Art: Works of visual art utilizing fabric as the primary medium.
5. Fabric Art

And...here is the link so you can print off the rules and get your entry completed:

http://www.americanquilter.com/documents/shows_contests/desmoines/09_desmoines_rules.pdf

You only have a few days left - send us your entry today!

Good Luck!

Bonnie Browning
Executive Show Director

A Quilt-cation in Tennessee

Have you made your plans for a Quilt-cation in Knoxville, Tennessee, during the AQS Quilt Expo, July 22 - 25, 2009? What a great place for a family vacation - there is something for all ages.



Knoxville, Tennessee is a mid-sized city along the Tennessee River just outside of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. The Park has 520,000 acres that encompass more than 850 miles of trails for hiking and horseback riding; 735 miles of streams for fishing; many developed and back country campsites; spectacular scenery and views from peaks over 6,000 feet; several visitors centers with interpretive exhibits and artifacts. This is the most visited National Park in the U.S.

Wayne and I have taken the driving tour through the Park several times and have been lucky enough to see some black bears...once we even saw a mother bear and two cubs strolling across the road.

An afternoon drive will give you some scenic views of the waters rushing right along side the roads. Cade's Cove is an eleven-mile loop that offers 4,000 acres of the best the park has to offer. In addition to the lush natural landscape, you'll run across several preserved historic structures, churches dating back to the 1800's, and a working corn mill that is open throughout the summer.

Or, if you want a city tour, there is plenty to see there too. Take the children to the Knoxville Zoo, or if history is your thing, visit the Civil War Bethel Cemetery or the Museum of Appalachia - the most authentic and complete replica of pioneer Appalachian life in the world. In nearby Oak Ridge, TN, you'll find the American Museum of Science & Energy - a friend told me not to miss seeing this museum.

Next to the Knoxville Convention Center (the location of the AQS Quilt Expo) is the Sunsphere, a golden glass ball that was built as the signature structure for the 1982 World’s Fair. It is 266 feet tall and has 26 stories. The actual ball itself houses only five levels. There is a restaurant in the top of the Sunsphere, along with a great view of the city!

There is a lot of history in Knoxville. Founded in 1786, Knoxville was named for the first United States Secretary of War Henry Knox. Ten years later, after Tennessee's admission to the Union, Knoxville served as the capital of the state until 1819. Today Knoxville is the seat of Knox County and the third largest city in the state of Tennessee with approximately 184,000 residents. Its nickname, "the marble city" comes from the pink marble supplied by Knoxville quarries to build such famous structures as the National Art Gallery in Washington, D.C.

And you won't want to miss a stroll in downtown Knoxville...and a visit to Mast General Store that has big barrels of candy like we used to buy as kids. Just up the street is the Knoxville Visitor Center, where you an stop any weekday and listen to live music at lunch time, as well as pick up some great Knoxville souvenirs.

And to top off all that the city has to offer, there is the AQS Quilt Expo at the Knoxville Convention Center. The AQS Quilt Expo offers hundreds of quilts on exhibit, a gigantic merchant mall, and lectures and workshops - open from Wednesday, July 22 through Saturday, July 25. Check out the AQS Web site, http://www.americanquilter.com/ for more information on the show.

Do you have your reservations made yet for your QUILT-cation? Join us in Knoxville, Tennessee.

We'll see you there July 22 - 25!

Bonnie Browning & all of the AQS Quilt Show staff - Terry, Marcelle, Mary Beth, Kelly, Tracey, Erin, and Laura