AQS Quilt Week – Des Moines

A busy week! Who knew that working was meant to be so enjoyable? The internet connection at the hotel, while good, was not quite up to pain free blogging so please excuse this long post…

It’s just over 300 miles from my home to downtown Des Moines but I managed it all on my own, just NPR and the friendly Garmin lady for company:) A friendly valet fitted all five suitcases, thread stand and my quilt rack on to one luggage cart and I checked in and made my way up to the 29th floor of the Marriot. It took me a few tries to figure out the TV remote but I soon made myself at home and snoozed through the evening’s offerings! And that was Monday.

On Tuesday I was due at the Hy Vee Events Center at one o’clock to be a judge for the Modern Quilt Challenge and decided to take the skywalk over there. Eight and a half blocks later (all up hill) I was early  but I soon spotted Jacquie Gering, also early and ready for the judging and we sat down for a catch up. Oops! We had to be “fetched” when we didn’t notice the time… Bill Kerr was ready and waiting and we joined him for our instructions and set to work.

I hope you like what we did. There are no double ribbons at AQS shows (each quilt cannot win in more that one category) so that might explain some decisions. It was a very interesting experience as we talked about each quilt and came up with our choice. You can see the winners’ list and a picture of the “Best in Show” over at the AQS Modern Quilt Challenge page. I know there will be more pictures to come.

The show opened on Wednesday morning and I was able to spend a few hours looking around and enjoying the rest of the quilts on display. Here’s an overview of the vendors from the walkway up above.

In the evening we had the All-Star Review, as seen on the notice board pictured below.

There were nine teachers each presenting their subject for 10 minutes each. I was showing Traditional Stitches of African Folklore Embroidery. With a camera man to project close-ups on a screen it was a lot of fun, especially when my double sided interweaving didn’t go exactly to plan the first time around!

We were able to set up a table to vend afterwards and I met lots of interested quilters. I gave out business cards so I hope I will meet some of them again.

I didn’t have any obligations on Thursday so I returned to the show floor to have another look at the quilts and to practice on the Juki machine that would be in Saturday’s classroom. I also moved some of the stuff around in my suitcases to be ready for Friday.

It doesn’t sound like I was busy at all does it? Not to worry, things soon got busier…

On Friday I followed the signs.

This was the sign outside my classroom.

Do you think the wrestlers would like my classes? Or perhaps someone thought my students would be interested in wrestling?

I started the day with Beginning English Paper Piecing. The ladies set to work and stitched busily away.

This student really wanted to see what she was doing (note two sets of glasses).

These two enjoyed their time together.

Three hours went so fast and it was time to move on. Everyone went away with their projects well underway. I hope it was the start of some great new quilts!

After a short break I was ready to set up the class room for Beading on Fabric.

Some people bought the kit and some had brought their own little quilts to work on. We covered lots of different stitches and I was able to take some good pictures…

There are going to be some lovely embellished quilts in those ladies futures.

“All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy” and you know those quiltie teachers are not a dull bunch… so it was time for a little play in the evening. We took the hotel shuttle to Fong’s Pizza but the wait was over an hour so we ended up over the road at the Royal Mile, an “English” pub.

Here we are after our dinner and a few drinks…

Left to right there’s Mary Lou Weidman, Peggy Martin, Sally Terry (my roomie), Anita Grossman Solomon peering from behind, Jan Krentz, Deb Karasik, Barb Vlack, Martha DeLeonardis and me!! Certainly not dull…

Up again, early, if not bright, there were more signs to follow to my You Too Can Free Motion Quilt class.

I was next to Jan Krentz’s Diamond Quilt classroom.

It didn’t take too long to get ready and then I just had to wait for the students to arrive.

I had downloaded a Sketchbook app and drew the stitch designs on my iPad so that they could be seen on the screen behind me. (so hi-tec?!!)

Then I stitched them out to show they really could be done…

The students went back to their places and tried the design on paper,

before stitching on the machine.

It was the first free motion class for about half the class and they did great work. The class description said students would be ready to go home and practice and I think they were!

I took my bags back to the hotel on the shuttle but I just wanted to return to the show floor and take a last look at one particular group of quilts, the Caohagan Quilts from the little island of Caohagen in the Philippines.

I walked the skywalk again and made my way to the exhibit. I took lots of pictures and then spotted Anita looking through a catalog. I hadn’t realized I could buy one! Well, to cut a long story short this one is coming to my house this week…

Every time I think about it it makes me smile. I am hoping that Benjamin and Ruby are going to have a fine old time finding all the different creatures… me too!

The skywalk wasn’t any shorter on the way back to the hotel so I had a snooze before a final dinner with some of my new friends at the ChopHouse.

Here I am with Peggy, Jan, Barb and Anita before our dinner arrived.

It was an excellent meal! I learnt so much from these kind ladies. They are so generous with their knowledge and experience. I can only hope to be like them when I grow up.

And there we are! Sunday I loaded up the car and headed east… Four and three quarter hours later I was home. We had Chinese for dinner. This morning I have been doing the laundry. This afternoon I need to unpack my class bags and I’ll be ready to stitch.

When can I do it all again? Please?