With less than two weeks until the Lancaster AQS quilt show, I’m getting really excited.

Lancaster is about an 8 hour drive from Ottawa, with a few quick rest stops. Definitely doable in one day, however, I’m planning to leave a day early, take my time and explore a few areas along the way, such as Scranton, Bethlehem, Allentown and Reading.

Here’s what I have booked:

• The Quilter’s Link Wednesday, March 24, 9:00 – 10:00 am
• Floral Delight (Course/Workshop), Thursday, March 25, 8:30 am – 4:00 pm
• The Quilt-As-You-Go Advantage (Lecture), Friday, March 26, 3:00 – 4:00 pm
• All Star Review Saturday, March 27, 1:00 – 3:00 pm

The Floral Delight class is with Linda M. Poole. Here’s what I’ll be making:

I have only been to one other large quilt show before: the Nashville AQS show in 2008. I had an absolutely fabulous time, and returned home loaded with goodies, new friendships and inspired like never before.

There are so many wonderful quilt shows throughout the United States (and even a few here in Canada). Do you have a favourite show? Best experience, worst experience? What show would you love to go to but haven’t yet? (For me that’s Road 2 California and Paducah!)

Join us at Quilter’s Daily Blog Along and share your quilt show experiences.

P.S. Anyone else coming to Lancaster? I’d love to meet-up.

The Parkinson’s Quilt Project is the first global quilt project to focus the world’s attention on the nearly one million people in the US and more than 4.1 million people worldwide living with Parkinson’s disease (PD). The project aims to raise awareness of the impact that the disease has on people living with Parkinson’s along with their families, caregivers and friends and on our continued urgency to find a cure.

The Quilt gives people all over the world the chance to express their support of people living with PD and highlight their connection to the disease by adding their own personalized panel. You do not need to be a sewing expert to create a panel for the quilt. You can use paint, needlework, iron-on transfers, fabric markers or even spray paint. If you are a poet, you can write a poem on the panel or even write it on a piece of firm paper and sew that paper to the panel.

The Quilt will consist of panels made by individuals and groups affected by Parkinson’s, in honor of the cause, of their group or in honor of their loved ones affected by PD. Each panel will be two feet tall and two feet wide, and will be sewn together in eight foot sections. There will be the opportunity for groups to create both panels and sections.

The Parkinson’s Quilt will be displayed for the first time at the 2nd World Parkinson Congress in Glasgow, Scotland from September 28th through October 1st, 2010. After this initial showing, blocks of the Quilt will be available through 2011 for rent to display at PD events. Details of this opportunity will be available in 2010.

The sky is the limit with this project and it is open to anyone touched by Parkinson’s or wants to honor those with Parkinson’s. The more creative the piece the more exciting it will make the final Quilt!

Registration to make a panel opened December 1, 2009 and will end June 1, 2010.

• How to get involved
• Help raise awareness

The fabulous ladies from the Fat Quarter Shop are organizing a silent auction to raise funds for charities helping the victims of the Haiti disaster.

They have 25 fabulous items that have been donated. Head over to the Jolly Jabber blog to see the items and place your bid. The auction ends Jan. 29th at noon (CST).

Here are a few photos of the gorgeous quilts available. You can click on each photo to go to the auction page.

Pennsylvania Dutch Sampler Quilt

Ice Cubes Baby Quilt

The Bunny Run Quilt

Dora S'mores Baby Quilt

The Alliance for American Quilts has announced a new quilt contest.

“New From Old” is the theme of the 2010 contest and quiltmakers are encouraged to think broadly and creatively about this opportunity to celebrate the past in the frame of the present. They might seek inspiration and/or content from antique quilt blocks, fabrics, trims, color palettes or stitches, then use the tools and materials of contemporary quilting to produce a new wall quilt. Artists might also respond to the theme more conceptually-an “old” idea recycled, a new way of creating an old block, technique or style, or a more personal interpretation.

The rules are simple: quilts must be 16″ x 16″ (including a 4″ sleeve and a label) and consist of three layers. Contest quilts must be sent to the AAQ by May 31, 2010. The contest is also a fundraiser; all quilts become a donation to the organization and will be auctioned on eBay Nov. 8 – Dec. 6, 2010 to benefit the AAQ and its mission to document, preserve and share the history of quilts and quiltmakers.

The contest quilts will tour national venues, including the National Quilting Association’s annual show in Columbus, Ohio, June 16 – 19 and the American Quilters Society Show in Knoxville, Tennessee, July 14-17. All contestants will benefit as well from their quilts being displayed on the AAQ website, not just during the contest and auction, but permanently, on the Quilt Index.

I’m really excited about this contest, and have been thinking about ideas for the past few days. I’m thinking something miniature, Amish-like or totally scrappy. The Alliance does amazing work for quilters, and I’m happy to support their efforts in this creative way. Head over to their web site to get all the contest info.

On display November 14, 2009 is Wellington County Museum & Archives’ newest exhibit, Winter in Red and White. The vibrant colour red was treasured for its richness and was used in combination with white to enhance the quality of everyday household articles – signature and wedding quilts, clothing, toys and even tableware.

Over fifty red and white artifacts from the Museum’s collection are brought together in one exhibit space to create a stunning visual of deep warmth and elegance. Placed in their historical context, the artifacts offer insights into the vibrancy of our Canadian heritage over the past two centuries.

For more information please check the website at www.wcm.on.ca or phone 519-846-0916. The exhibit is on display until February 21, 2010. Wellington County Museum & Archives, located between Fergus and Elora, is opened weekdays – 9:30 am to 4:30 pm and weekends & holidays – 12:00 pm to 4:00 pm.

Please note: I copied this announcement from the International Quilt Festival’s Facebook fan page. I don’t know any additional information than what I’ve posted here. You can find the “official” info on their web site.

International Quilt Festival/Chicago plans to showcase Canadian quilts and their makers in a special exhibit, O Canada 2010. This exhibit will be one of the highlights of Festival, April 16-18, 2010, at the Donald E. Stephens Convention Center in Rosemont, Illinois. This exhibit is open to residents currently residing in Canada. You must reside in a Canadian province to be eligible for this exhibit.

We would like to invite you to participate in this exciting exhibit focusing on the Canadian quilter. You may submit a total of five quilts for our consideration. Quilts need not be made specifically for this exhibit. Traditional or art, all quilts made by residents of Canada will be considered. Please do not submit a quilt that was included in a previous edition of O Canada.

Click here for submission form.

Each quilt must have its own form completed and sent to us with visuals to be considered for the exhibit. You may complete the form online and return it to us by e-mail or regular mail. We will accept 35 mm slides or hi-resolution JPEG or TIFF digital images. PLEASE SEND YOUR DIGITAL IMAGES TO spexentries@quilts.com

Click here for visual instructions.

Completed submissions with visuals must be received in our office by January 20, 2010. You will be notified no later than Wednesday, February 12, 2010, regarding the quilts to be included in this exhibit, along with shipping instructions. If selected, the quilts will need to arrive in Houston no later than Friday, March 12, 2010, and will be returned to you no later than May 30, 2010, if they are not a part of the traveling exhibit. If you choose to permit your quilt to travel and it is accepted for exhibition, your quilt will be returned no later than November 30, 2010.

Again, I know nothing else about this and the information may change without my knowledge. Please visit the IQF site for more info.