AQS Quilt Show Information

2027 AQS Wool Creativity Challenge:
Circles of Yesterday, Stitched for Today

Sponsored by WonderFil Specialty Threads

Start with circles. Start with wool. Then let your creativity lead the way. Will your pennies be perfectly traditional? Boldly modern? Sculptural? Layered? Textured? Storytelling?

However you interpret them, each circle becomes part of something larger—a gathering, a rhythm, a design that is uniquely yours.

Using wool appliqué and the iconic penny circle as your starting point, create a piece that honors the past while expressing your unique artistic voice.

Open for Submissions May 4 through October 28, 2026.

For more detailed information, click here.

Celebrating Women Challenge

“Celebrating Women: A Quilter’s Perspective” A Special Exhibition Challenge Sponsored by Mancuso Show Management

From trailblazing women in history to inspiring quilters, mentors, and cherished figures in your own family, this challenge invites participants to create a quilt that honors the women who have made a meaningful impact on their lives. This does not need to be a pictorial quilt—creativity in interpretation is encouraged.

IMPORTANT:  Before starting your challenge entry, please log in to your QuiltFest account or create a QuiltFest account.

Exhibit Calendar:

  • Entry Deadline: July 7, 2026
  • Notification of Jurors: July 10, 2026
  • Ship Quilt to Arrive: July 20 – August 3, 2026
  • Quilt Return: Mid-March 2027

This challenge is the Mancuso Show Management’s second juried quilt exhibit premiering at the:

  • Pennsylvania National Quilt Extravaganza, September 17–20, 2026, at the Greater Philadelphia Expo Center in Oaks, Pennsylvania.
  • Mid-Atlantic Quilt Festival, March 4–7, 2027, at the Hampton Roads Convention Center in Hampton, Virginia.

For more detailed information, go to: https://www.quiltfest.com/register/celebrating-women-challenge/.

2027 AQS Creativity Challenge: “Petals of Connection”

Sponsored by Quilters Select

AQS invites quilters of all skill levels to take part in the 2027 Creativity Challenge: Petals of Connection, inspired by one of the most beloved blocks in American quiltmaking—the Dresden Plate.

For generations, the Dresden Plate has brought people together. From its elegant Victorian inspiration to its rise as a Depression-era scrap-buster, this iconic design has always been about making something beautiful from many individual pieces. Petal by petal. Friend by friend. Scrap by scrap.

The American Quilter’s Society is looking for quilts that reimagine the Dresden Plate as a symbol of friendship, family, and community. Create your own “Community Circle” using color, prints, fabrics, or personal stories that represent the people who make your world brighter. Traditional or modern. Hand-pieced or machine-stitched. Bold or subtle. If it features a Dresden Plate, or a creative interpretation of one, it meets the criteria and qualifies as a valid quilt entry.

Selected quilts will travel as a Special Exhibit to all 2027 AQS QuiltWeek shows, celebrating the timeless power of connection through quilting.

The deadline to submit Dresden Plate quilt entries is May 4 through August 30, 2026.

For more detailed information, go to: https://www.americanquilter.com/creativity-challenge-petals-of-connection/.

AQS Call For Quilts: “New York Beauty” – An American Icon Reinterpreted – Tradition Takes a New Spin

Sponsored by SewShare

For the 2027 Call For Quilts, AQS is seeking exceptional New York Beauty quilts created between January 2021 and August 30, 2026. From traditional interpretations to contemporary explorations, from subtle sophistications to fearless color play, AQS welcomes quilts that showcase the remarkable range and expressive potential of this enduring design.

A distinguished panel of jurors will select quilts to form a curated special exhibit, traveling to every 2027 AQS QuiltWeek show. This exclusive collection will highlight the innovation, craftmanship, and creative vision shaping the New York Beauty block today.

The deadline to submit New York Beauty quilt entries is May 4 through August 30, 2026.

For more detailed information, go to: https://www.americanquilter.com/call-for-quilts-new-york-beauty/.

37th Annual Hoffman Challenge

2026 – 2027 Hoffman Challenge “Coffee Shoppe” Batik Collection

There’s no better way to display your exceptional skills and talents than by participating in the 37th Annual Hoffman Challenge. The “Coffee Shoppe” batik collection makes up the 2026-2027 Hoffman Challenge Collection. Hoffman Challenge participants are required to use a minimum of 5 out-of-18 of these batik challenge fabrics in the body of the quilt top or garment in recognizable, but not necessarily equal amounts. Also, participants are encouraged to use fabrics from any manufacturer in addition to the required challenge fabrics.

Participant registration, submissions, and initial jurying all take place online, with a panel of certified judges considering all entries. If it is determined that your artwork qualifies for in-person judging, you will be asked to mail it to Hoffman Fabrics.

The completion of your online registration, including photos of your artwork (one overall and one close-up) must be submitted by September 15, 2026. You may submit up to three different pieces of artwork with the $30 entry fee (paid online).

Finalists’ and award winners’ artwork will go on tour for a year and will be displayed in the Hoffman Virtual Showroom. And the exhibitors may include quilt shows and festivals, museums and libraries, cultural centers, guilds, and even some Hoffman retailers.

For more detailed information, go to: https://www.thehoffmanchallenge.com/2026-2027-information-and-guidelines.

  • The deadline for entering your quilt is Friday, June 19, 2026.
  • The quilts in this show are not juried and are accepted on a first come, first served basis and are limited to the first 375 quilts submitted by June 19, 2026, with an additional limit of 350 judged quilts.
  • The submission date for online entries is the date of input as determined by the computer system and the submission date for manual entries is the date RECEIVED.
  • For the 2026 Rules and Categories, please see https://www.ashevillequiltguild.org/entry-form to get the timeline, rules of entry, and category descriptions. PLEASE review this document BEFORE you complete your entry form!

Lovely Feather Princesses, let’s spread our wings and consider entering our gorgeous appliqué quilts in this dynamic quilt show, so that even more quilters and enthusiasts can see and enjoy our beautiful quilted creations.

2026 Asheville Quilt Show

Western North Carolina Ag Center
Davis Event Center
765 Boylston Highway
Fletcher, North Carolina 28732

Thursday, August 13 – Friday, August 14, 2026:
9 a.m. – 5 p.m.
Saturday, August 15, 2026: 
9 a.m. – 4 p.m.

This amazing quilt show will feature:

  • Over 300 quilts on display
  • Quilts for Sale
  • Cash Awards/Prize Money
  • 2026 Opportunity Quilt
  • 25+ Vendors
  • Demonstrations by Expert Quilters
  • Gift Shop
  • Special Exhibits
  • Silent Auction
  • Sewing Station for Kids

The entry process for this impressive show has already begun and the Entry Form is available on the website at: https://www.ashevillequiltguild.org/quilt_show.

  • The awards for the top three prizes (Best of Show, Outstanding Hand Work, and Outstanding Machine Work) has increased.
  • There are 19 Judged Categories – 1st, 2nd, and 3rd Place Awards in each category. If you don’t want your quilt to be judged, you can enter your quilt in the Display Only category.
  • There are separate categories for Appliqué Quilts and Hand-Quilted Quilts.
  • There are also categories for Modern, Art, and Special Technique Quilts.