New York Beauty Puzzle

I've always been a fan of jigsaw puzzles. At AQS, we've been thinking about ways we can provide fun and excitement to quilters in addition to our shared love of fabric. We'd like to see whether anyone else is interested in puzzles, too.

We've made an online jigsaw puzzle one of the quilts from  New York Beauty Simplified  by Linda J. Hahn. We hope you enjoy putting it together as much as we did. Let me know what you think!


Have some fun putting this quilt together. Please share your comments and thoughts on whether you'd want to see more of these in the future.

Happy Piecing!

Spice Up Your Quilts

It's so much fun to find (and buy) gadgets and gizmos that bring out your creativity, we sometimes overlook the tried-and-true we already have.

Consider the sewing machine. Whether sort of old (like some of us) or loaded with bells and whistles (also like some of us), not many people take full advantage of the machine's properties when making quilts.

Enter 9 very talented Janome educators. Led by editor Nancy Fiedler, they have compiled a nifty book that explains 11 different techniques (plus 4 variations) and designed 13 really creative projects to teach how to take make the best use of what you probably already own. Make an oval table runner, a bed scarf, even a fringed journal for sketching or noting your best ideas. Wallhangings, quilts and pillows are in this book, from traditional to contemporary in style.

In addition, the book has "Bright Idea" boxes with suggestions of taking each technique further or in a different direction.

The contributors are (in order of appearance in the book): Kim Schultz, Valora Hammond, Carol McKinney, Nancy Fiedler, Mary Carollo, Marilyn Gatz, Nancy Burg, Louis Carney and Patsy Shields. Their names may be familiar if you've taken classes at AQS shows where Janome machines are used, or if you've been to other sewing events where class instructors are assisted by these oh-so-knowledgeable sewing machine experts.

Once you've read Creative Sewing Techniques by Machine, you'll never make ho-hum projects again, and your machine will truly be your creativity ally. (AQS # 8235; 1-800-626-5429)

Shipping News

This box was not only ripped front and back, it was open when it arrived. The plastic shopping bags loosely wrapped around the quilt had come apart, leaving the quilt exposed and vulnerable to theft and damage.

Sending quilts to shows or publishers can be scary, for the quilter and the recipient. The horror stories you may have heard about quilts being lost, stolen or damaged are most likely true. This is one time when overdoing the safety angle makes excellent sense. We've written up the best practices in shipping quilts, so our authors and contestants can rest assured their treasures arrive at AQS safely. If you have additional suggestions, we'd love to hear them and will pass them on.

AQS Shipping Information

We know how much your quilts mean to you, so we’ve compiled this checklist of best practices when sending us (or anyone) your quilts.

Mail or ship them to:

(the contact name you were given on your entry form or email)
AQS
5801 Kentucky Dam Road
Paducah, KY 42003
(270) 898-7903

Email a tracking number as soon as you have it and let us know when we should expect your quilts to: Tracey@aqsquilt.com.

If you don't take any other measure suggested here, at least sew a label with, at a minimum, your name, the quilt’s name, and your address and phone number onto each quilt.

For quilts larger than 30” x 30”, sew a 4-inch sleeve across the back at the top. Be sure the sleeve is set down far enough not to show above the quilt when hung.

Enclose each quilt in some sort of plastic bag that you can close or tape shut to prevent water damage should the box rip or tear. Ziploc makes large-quilt size bags. Do not use anything that might be mistaken for a trash bag!

Include a color photo of the quilt in the bag with your name and contact information and why you're sending the quilt to us - the name of your proposal, book or magazine article or the contest or event you're entering.

Enclose a packing list with the box that includes your name and contact information and a list of the quilts in the box. Do not include any indications of your quilts’ values.

If you are concerned about insuring your quilts, have them appraised, and use a fine arts rider on your home owner's insurance rather than buying the shipper's insurance.

Do not pack your quilts too tightly. We have to use a sharp blade to open most boxes and the danger of damaging a quilt stuffed into a container is real. Consider adding a layer of cardboard on top of the bagged quilts as a safety barrier.

Do not indicate anywhere on the outside of the box that it includes quilts. Do not use the word “quilt” anywhere inside or outside, including the shipping label. Use “AQS,“ not “American Quilter’s Society.”

Send your quilts early in the week so they do not sit around a warehouse or loading dock over the weekend, or send them overnight so they arrive here by 2:00 pm CST on a Friday.

If you are sending multiple quilts or multiple boxes of quilts, consider packing them either one quilt to a box and sending them on subsequent days, or put two or three quilts in a box and send the several boxes on subsequent days. This prevents having all of your quilts on the one truck that gets into an accident or burns down in a warehouse fire.

If this seems like overkill, it isn’t. The condition in which many boxes reach us is terrible, and quilts have been known to get wet, become damaged or disappear in transit.

See additional good information about shipping sent in by Pat from Montana in the comments section. Thanks, Pat!

We hope you will take these precautions and we look forward to seeing your quilts.

Des Moines My Way?

Midwest quilters are very excited that AQS is hosting a new show in Iowa's capital city. And with good reason! Not only will there be 500 outstanding quilts to see and hundreds of vendor booths to shop and loads of great classes, but also the sights and sounds of Des Moines, one of America's best kept secrets. This metropolitan city still has a small town ambiance and the people couldn't be nicer.

If you've ever wondered what it takes to write a quilt book, stop by the Workshop Desk or Admissions Booth and ask for me, Andi Reynolds. I'll be glad to listen to your book idea or answer any questions you might have.

See you in Des Moines, and practice smiling and waving. Those Iowans are friendly folks!