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!

Meet Me in Des Moines, Myrna

OK, "Meet Me in Des Moines, Myrna" doesn't have quite the ring to it Judy Garland gave to "Meet Me in St. Louis, Louis" in the almost-eponymous movie, but this really is an open invitation to come see me during our show this October 6 - 9 at the Iowa Convention Center.

I'll be in an office in the hallway outside the exhibits, hoping to talk with prospective authors about their book ideas (look for the easel sign that says, "Andi Reynolds, Executive Book Editor"). 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, Publishing 101, which will be Wednesday, October 6 from 11 am to 12 pm in the Iowa Hall of Pride Theater. Register for Lecture # 32801.

I'll also be moderating the Author's Roundtable on Thursday, October 7 from 5 pm to 6 pm. This, too will be in the Iowa Hall of Pride Theater; it is Special Event # 32201. Come hear what four AQS authors have to say about being AQS authors: Joe Cunningham (Men and the Art of Quiltmaking), Jean Biddick (Masterful Machine Pieced Quilts), Zena Thorpe (Beautiful Alphabet Applique), and Kimberly Einmo (Jelly Roll Quilts & More).

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, or you may make an appointment before October 1 by emailing me at andi@aqsquilt.com. You can always ask for me at the Workshop Desk, too.

Being at each AQS quilt show is always exciting for me because I do 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. I look forward to meeting you.

Step-by-step instructions for adding a sleeve:

1. Cut the sleeve 8½" wide x the exact width of your quilt. Fold the ends in twice (¼" and ¼" again) to finish each end of the sleeve. Stitch using a scant ¼" seam allowance. Press the long sides of the sleeve so they meet in the center. It helps to fold the sleeve in half lengthwise first and press to give you a center crease. When you press the sides to the center, you’ll press those creases out – they just give an easy guide without measuring or marking.


2. Fold right sides together and stitch ¼" seam on the long edge of the sleeve. Turn the sleeve right-side out.



3. You may need to repress the fold lines – you’ll need those for attaching the sleeve to your quilt. This is the step that provides the give needed in the sleeve.



4. Center the sleeve across the width of your quilt. The edge of the sleeve should lie just inside your binding on each side of the quilt. Using the fold, pin your sleeve in place ½" to ¾" from the top outside edge on the back of the quilt. This spacing is needed so the sleeve will not show after it is hung.



5. Pin the top of the sleeve along the fold and blindstitch in place. Use the opposite fold line to pin the bottom edge of the sleeve in place; blindstitch to the quilt. The sleeve will fit flat against the quilt from fold line to fold line; the rest of the sleeve will cup out giving enough play in the fabric to hold the hanging device (rod) without damaging the sleeve.

Lancaster or Bust!

AQS is delighted to announce our new show in Lancaster, Pennsylvania. Join us there next March 24 - 27 in a great facility in a wonderful tourism area.

The Quilter's Heritage Show is no more, and we really wanted to continue the support and enthusiasm for quilting longstanding in Lancaster, so we'll be there with bells on!

Plans for the Paducah 2010 show are pending while space issues are being resolved.

But there will be AQS in Lancaster! Hope to see you there!

Don't Miss Out!

AQS's first show in Knoxville, Tennessee will be fantastic. Along with amazing quilts, excellent teachers and exciting vendors, there is the beauty of Knoxville and all that city has to offer, show specials, and opportunities to meet the individuals who make the quilt world so special -- including some of our authors!

Come meet Pam Clarke, Pepper Cory, Margie Engel, Rita Fishel, Klaudeen Hansen, Sandy Hart & Gudny Campbell, Deb Karasik, Rami Kim, Ann Lainhart, Laura Patrick & Ed Ditto, Marsha Radtke, Sharon Sebrow, Lynda Smith, Helen Squire and Alice Wilhoit.

See the blog for June 10, 2009 for the book titles, or search our website: www.americanquilter.com. Autographed books increase in value and they're just special, so treat yourself at the AQS Book Fair, Thursday, July 23, 4:30 pm - 6:00 pm outside the Lecture Hall (and just before a special evening with Eleanor Burns!).

And if you think you might want to become an author yourself, there's a lecture just for you: Writing a Quilt Book: The Reality Show, Thursday, July 23, from 4 to 5 pm.

See you in Knoxville! Let's make quilt history!

Calling All Groupies!

If you're a quilter, you've got books, and if you've got books, you probably have a few favorite authors. You can meet your faves during the Book Fair at any AQS show, collect autographs and buy the latest, greatest AQS publications. Here's the author line-up for the AQS Knoxville Quilt Expo July 22-25:

Pepper Cory, Pepper Cory's Quilting Pattern Collection
Margie Engel, Bodacious Applique a la Carte
Rita Fishel, Mystery Quilts
Klaudeen Hansen, Quilt Art Engagement Calendar 2010
Sandy Hart & Gudny Campbell, Piecing with Pixels
Deb Karasik, Quilts with Attitude
Rami Kim, Quilted Elegance
Ann S. Lainhart, Fussy Cut Mariner's Compass
Laura Patrick, Heart for a Hero
Marsha D. Radtke, A Baltimore Album
Florence Riesen, Heirloom Quilted Nursery
Sharon Sebrow, Kaleidoscope the Smart Way
Lynda Smith, Quilt This!
Helen Squire, Quilting UFOs
Alice Wilhoit, Crazy Patchwork

See you in Tennessee!

Collectible Books

The annual AQS Catalogue of Show Quilts is here! Whether you attend the 2009 25th anniversary show in Paducah or not, this highly collectible book showcases all of this year's entires in a beautifully formatted presentation. The quilts are shown by contest category with the entry number, quilt title, quilt size, maker's name and maker's location. True keepsakes, these books document the trend in today's quilting world. AQS item #7931.

Another gem of a book is Collection of The National Quilt Museum. Dedicated to the founders of the American Quilter's Society, Bill and Meredith Schroeder, it summarizes the history of the quilt collection that is the nucleus of the museum. Each quilt is shown with a statement from the artist or a summation of their work, to give the reader insight into how these beautiful works of art came to be. Although some of the museum's collection quilts are always on display and rotated, this book is the definitive catalogue and a real photo essay on how quilting has evolved since the early 1980s. A limited print run makes this a book to buy quickly and keep for posterity. AQS item #7933.