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International Quilt Expo takes over downtown Knoxville

Over the course of four days, more than 10,000 quilting enthusiasts will descend on Knoxville for the 2009 American Quilter’s Society (AQS) International Quilt Expo, taking place July 22-25 at the Knoxville Convention Center (KCC).

More than 500 quilts will be on exhibit at the expo, 300 of which are semifinalists in an AQS contest, which includes five categories: Quilter’s Choice, On the Wall, Made by Machine, The Ultimate Guild Challenge, and a special category, Great Embroidered Quilts.

More than $42,000 will be awarded to the winners; the Best of Show winner will receive $10,000. Special awards will also be given for hand workmanship, machine workmanship, longarm workmanship and the best “all quilt,” plus first, second and third places in each category.

An additional 200 quilts will be included in special exhibits, including:

• Julia Overton Needham – Born to Quilt, quilts by a prizewinning quiltmaker from Knoxville

• 2008 Quilt Study of Mid-19th-Century Red and Green Quilts by members of the American Quilt Study Group

• The Everchanging River, the work of three art quilt groups from South Carolina: The Thread Heads, Focus, and the Fringe Sisters

• Dreaming the Earth, quilts by the Off-Kilter Quilters, members of California-based Pajaro Valley Quilt Association to honor the Australian Garden of the University of California Arboretum

• Artful Bras, unique, entertaining, humorous, and beautiful bras for breast cancer awareness created by quilters of South Carolina

• New Quilts from an Old Favorite: Burgoyne Surrounded, an annual contest by The National Quilt Museum, Paducah, Ky.

• 2010 Pilgrim/Roy Quilt Challenge, quilts by nationally-known quiltmakers that will be auctioned at the 2010 AQS Quilt Show & Contest

The expo will kick off at 8:45 a.m. on Wednesday, July 22 with a welcome and ribbon cutting by officials with City of Knoxville and Knox County Government; Gloria Ray, Knoxville Tourism & Sports Corporation (KTSC) President & CEO, Mary Bogert, Knoxville Convention Center General Manager; and AQS President Meredith Schroeder, in Exhibit Hall A at the KCC.

More than 110 workshops and lectures offering various quiltmaking techniques will be taught by 32 national quilting instructors. Quilters will be able to earn college credit through a joint program between the American Quilter’s Society and West Kentucky Community & Technical College – the first program in the country of this type between a quilt show and college.

“Quilters are registered from 45 states and 15 other countries to attend this year’s show,” said Meredith L. Schroeder, president of the American Quilter’s Society. “This international event’s attendees will travel from Brazil, Canada, England, Ireland, Japan, Taiwan ROC, Thailand, and Sweden.”

Event hours are Wednesday, July 22, through Friday, July 24, 9 a.m. – 6 p.m.; and Saturday, July 25, 9 a.m. – 5 p.m. Admission is $11 daily and the general public may attend.

For more information, please visit www.AmericanQuilter.com, call (270) 898-7903, or contact Sarah Malak at (865) 523-7263 or smalak@knoxville.org.