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Want to see the IMQE quilts in person? Now is your chance. They will be on display as one of the special exhibits at the American Quilter's Society (AQS) QuiltWeek Show in Grand Rapids, Michigan, August 21-24, 2019 at the DeVos Convention Center.

To avoid lines, purchasing tickets in advance online is encouraged. Visit www.quiltweek.com to purchase tickets. AQS Members receive 20 percent off. Group and discounted hotel room rates are available.

Click here for a full list of all the special exhibits.

The Quilt Show sponsored a miniature quilt exchange between quilters in the United States and international quilters. They were paired up in teams to develop a friendship and to learn about each of their own quiltmaking styles. The only criteria was that the quilts needed to be a maximum of 24” and a minimum of 18”. From the 300 quilts (150 teams), 24 teams (48 mini quilts) were selected for this traveling exhibit based on their stories.

Click here to learn more about the IMQE.

Here is an example from Team 203.

Title of Quilt: See im Nebel – Misty Lake

Quilter's Name: Inna Rohrberg

Location: Yach, Baden Wurttemberg, Germany

I don't consider myself an artist, but I am a passionate craftswoman. Making a miniature quilt was an extreme challenge for me. My exchange partner and I have very different personalities and each has her own very individual mode of making quilts. But there is one thing that connects us and that is a love of the American quilt designer Bonnie K. Hunter. At the end of every year, Bonnie presents her followers with the gift of a mystery quilt. I have been making these mystery quilts with great enthusiasm for a number of years. The 2017 mystery was "On Ringo Lake". My exchange quilt is an almost exact representation of this design, at a scale of 1:3 - homage to Bonnie and at the same time a miniature lake for my exchange partner. For the choice of fabrics I was inspired both by the original design and also by a photo sent to me by my partner, whilst at the same time keeping with my own personal preference for more sedate colours. And honestly, how many people get to hang a miniature lake on their wall?! Foundation paper pieced by machine, Machine quilted.

Title of Quilt: Bee Eater of the Black Forest

Quilter's Name: Alexandra Wright

Location: Madison, Wisconsin, USA

My partner, Inna told me she loves all kinds of quilts but she shared wonderful photos of her work and I knew she loved and excelled at traditional patchwork. –I too love all kinds of quilts, but decided to make Inna something she might not make herself. I chose my subject after I learned Inna lived in the Black Forest in Germany. When I researched the area I discovered that the Mediterranean Bee Eater, surprisingly, is found there. I think it is one of the most colorful and beautiful birds I’ve ever seen. Over the course of the year we sent messages back and forth (thank you Google Translator!). Inna’s exuberance and enthusiasm for making quilts just made me happy! I thought this bright colorful bird reflected her passion for quilting. We agreed we would both feel “withdrawal” if we don’t get to sew every day. Like all quilters we both love fabric. I wanted to use some of the special hand dyes that I’ve saved for years. But I also got a kick out of combining my semi solid fabric “paints” with the white and gray prints I could find in my stash. We both love to sew by machine and this quilt is entirely machine made. My choices were often inspired by techniques I have seen on The Quilt Show. I used raw edge improvisational applique for the background, lots of free machine stitching, and outline sketches with 12 wt. quilting thread.