Look Me Up in Lancaster

Andi Reynolds here, sniffing wonderful things in the air. It’s not just Spring—it’s the start of Show Season in the Quilt world. A most exciting time!

Next week AQS will host the first of our four American Quilter’s Society Shows & Contests in 2011. We will be at the Lancaster County Convention Center in Lancaster, Pennsylvania, March 16 – 19.

Being at each AQS quilt show is always exciting for me, because as the executive book editor for AQS, I get to meet so many creative people with such interesting ideas. If you have given some thought to writing a quilt book, come to the quilt show and see me! Bring just an idea or a full-blown proposal or anything in between.

My office will be the Susquehanna Board room, which is on the fourth floor of the Marriott at Penn Square. The Marriott and convention center are attached; just use the hotel’s elevators and you’ll find me.

If you'd like to talk about a book idea, you can prepare in advance by reviewing our proposal guidelines. Go to www.americanquilter.com and click on “Authors.”

You can also attend my lecture, Quilt Book Publishing 101, which will be Thursday, March 17 (Happy St. Patrick’s Day!) from 12 pm to 1 pm in the Southern Market Council Chamber. Southern Market is across Vine Street from the convention center. Tickets for Lecture # 42805 will be available at the Workshop Desk.

Later that afternoon, also at Southern Market, I will moderate the Author's Roundtable. From 4:30 pm to 5:30 pm come hear what four AQS authors have to say about what it’s like to publish with AQS. This is your time to ask all the nitty-gritty questions you can think of about what it is like to write a quilt book. Invited authors are Kathie Alyce (Flip Flop Block Quilts); Dianne S. Hire (Vivacious Curvy Quilts); Sally Terry (Pathways from Quilt Top to Quilted); and Sue Nickels (Machine Quilting: A Primer of Techniques). Tickets for Special Event # 42201 will be available at the Workshop Desk—and it’s free!

Both events should help explain the process of becoming an AQS author, but you don't need to attend them to talk with me. Walk-ins are welcome (leave me a note with your phone number if I’m not around), or you may make an appointment by noon on Friday, March 11, by emailing me at andi@aqsquilt.com. You can always ask for me at the Workshop Desk, too. I hope to see you in Lancaster!

Quilts Your Grandkids Can Snuggle In!

Those Crafty Ol' Broads have done it again. Sisters Linda K. Johnson and Jane K. Wells have written another book packed with over-the-top, fun-to-make, colorful quilts -- Cuddly Snuggly Quilts. (Their first was Beyond the Block, 2009, AQS# 7611.)

This time, they created the projects in the book for their grandchildren. Each quilt was made to match that child's personality, interests, or a milestone.

These quilts are made for snuggling, which means being used, which means not too much effort has to go into making them. As a result, these are dynamite patterns for charity.

And because Linda and Jane are doting aunts as well as loving grannies, each project is shown in a different colorway. You'll get tons of ideas from these 17 quilts and their alternates. If you love making quilts for lots of people, this is the book for you -- AQS# 8239.

Very Three Dimensional

Remember the warning not to "fold, spindle or mutilate?" Well, maybe spindling and mutilating are still bad ideas, but folding is definitely in!

Co-authors Geesje Baron and Esther Vermeer have written a great book on making folded blocks that will take every project into the third dimension. There are 70 blocks to choose from to make 12 unusual projects, and the best thing is that any block can be adapted to any project. Learn the basic folds and go to town creating your own folded blocks.

There's a handy visual block reference so you can go straight to the blocks that interest you and mix and match at will. Plus, each block is rated for ease, so you can start where you're most comfortable.

Enjoy taking your piecing into another world with 3D Folded Blocks. AQS #8158 (1-800-626-5420)

'Tis the Season

If you're a gardener as well as a quilter, as many of us are, then Spring and Summer are joyously creative seasons for you indoors (sewing) and out (planting). Here at AQS Publishing, mid-May is a bonanza of beautiful quilts and creative ideas as our latest round of manuscripts and finished projects arrive.

If you think you have a good quilt book idea, you may submit a book proposal anytime. The guidelines are on our web site under the "Authors" tab. As you develop your proposal, never hesitate to call or email with any questions or concerns you may have. That's what I'm here for!

We review book proposals mid-month in January, February, May, June, August, September, November and December, so you never have to wait long for our response to your book idea. In the other four months, we are hosting quilt shows, and I am there to meet you in person to discuss your ideas (see the schedule below). I also give a lecture -- it's free -- on publishing with AQS, and it's a wonderful way to discover what's involved in getting from idea to book with us. We also host either an Authors' Roundtable or a Book Fair so you can meet and speak with AQS authors and talk with them about their publishing experiences.

Come see me and everyone at AQS at these upcoming shows and bring your best book ideas!

Lancaster, Pennsylvania: March 16-19, 2011; March 14-17, 2012
Paducah, Kentucky: April 27-30, 2011;  April 25-28, 2012
Knoxville, Tennessee: July 14-17, 2010; July 13-16, 2011; July 18-21, 2012
Des Moines, Iowa: October 6-9, 2010; September 28-October 1, 2011; October 3-6, 2012; October 2-5, 2013

Andi