Coming to Town

This week - Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, and Saturday - the American Quilters Society (Paducah, Kentucky) will host a quilt show in Des Moines, Iowa, at the Iowa Events Center.

While it's permissible to take pictures of quilts on display, they can be for personal use only. AQS rules specifically state that photos may not be posted to the Internet (blog). So the best I can do is show you this 2008 picture I took from above the convention hall. Pretty impressive, huh? And that's just half of the show!

2008 American Quilters Society National Quilt Show, Des Moines, Iowa

I missed the show last year because I was in Sydney, Australia, (poor me, ha!) with these lovely ladies: Di B. on the left and Di J. on the right, leading Stitchin' Mission beginner quiltmaking lessons at St. Mark's Anglican Church in Darling Point.

This year I'm at home and looking forward to seeing quilts from all over the world. Though I don't have any quilts entered, I will attend the awards ceremony, and also a "book publishing 101 author's roundtable." Even thought one of my dreams is on the way to becoming a reality - making Stitchin' Mission beginner quiltmaking lessons into a DVD series - another dream is to publish a book to accompany Stitchin' Mission DVD lessons. I wrote the book several years ago and haven't been able to find a publisher. Prayers are appreciated for my Friday appointment with the AQS book editor. God has taught me to let Him lead this dream; not me.

Since I can't show you quilt show photos this week, let me show you these pictures of a pretty little quilt. It's a very simple design I named "Bricks and Mortar." Previously, I've made this little 19" X 21" table-topper in several different fabric themes.

The colors of Aunt Grace, 1930s reproduction prints are very pretty, but they don't suit my home at all. And not everyone's tastes favor these prints.

 But if yours do, and you'd like to win this quilt, you're invited to enter my giveaway.

Detail of free motion-quilted feathers and cross-hatch

Giveaway

• Just make a comment, letting me know you'd like to own this quilt.
• Be sure you're not a "no reply" commenter. Many of you are and may not know it, so check your blogger profile.
• Giveaway comments will be accepted until the AQS quilt show in Des Moines ends Saturday, October 9.

If you don't want to win the quilt, please leave a comment anyway. I love hearing from you, and won't enter you in the giveaway.

Now let's have a good chuckle courtesy of PeachRainbow:

Two little boys, ages 8 and 10, are excessively mischievous. They are always getting into trouble and their parents know all about it. If any mischief occurs in their town, the two boys are probably involved. The boys' mother heard that a preacher in town had been successful in disciplining children, so she asked if he would speak with her boys.

The preacher agreed, but he asked to see them individually. So the mother sent the 8 year old first, in the morning, with the older boy to see the preacher in the afternoon.

The preacher, a huge man with a booming voice, sat the younger boy down and asked him sternly, "Do you know where God is, son?"

The boy's mouth dropped open, but he made no response, sitting there wide-eyed with his mouth hanging open. So the preacher repeated the question in an even sterner tone, "Where is God?!"

Again, the boy made no attempt to answer.

The preacher raised his voice even more and shook his finger in the boy's face and bellowed, "Where is God?!"

The boy screamed & bolted from the room, ran directly home & dove into his closet, slamming the door behind him. When his older brother found him in the closet, he asked, "what happened?"

The younger brother, gasping for breath, replied, "We are in BIG trouble this time."

"GOD is missing, and they think we did it!"