AQS Creativity Challenge: America the Beautiful

Share Your Vision of America’s Spirit and Beauty Through Quilting

The American Quilter’s Society invites quilters from around the globe to submit their artistic interpretations of America the Beautiful, capturing the beauty and diversity of our country's natural wonders and landmarks. 

Theme

Nature's Beauty: Stitch a tribute to celebrate the breathtaking landscapes, natural wonders, and iconic landmarks that make America truly magnificent: our spacious skies, amber waves of grain, purple mountain majesties, above the fruited plain, and sea to shining sea. 

• Examples of Natural Landscapes: The Grand Canyon, Yosemite National Park, Redwood Forest, Niagara Falls, the Everglades, Kilauea Volcano, Denali National Park, Acadia National Park, the Great Lakes, the Rocky Mountains
• Examples of Iconic Landmarks: Statue of Liberty, Washington Monument, Empire State Building, Space Needle, Gateway Arch, Golden Gate Bridge, and Liberty Bell

Whether you live in the United States, have fond memories of your travels, or it’s on your bucket list, we invite the world to celebrate America the Beautiful by honoring our nation's natural beauty through the art of quilting!

Submission Guidelines:

• Quilt Size: Should measure 24” x 40” and can either be horizontal or vertical.
• Fabric: All, including but not limited to: Cotton, Wool, Felt, Silk, Satin, Flannel, Linen, Burlap, Organza, etc
• Techniques: All techniques are welcome, including traditional piecing, paper/foundation piecing, hand appliqué, machine appliqué, English paper piecing, fabric origami, hand embroidery, collage, and/or thread painting. Quilts can be hand or machine pieced and must be hand and/or machine quilted.
• Originality: We encourage unique and creative interpretations of the America the Beautiful theme.
  Submission Period: July 4, 2025 - August 30, 2025
• Submission Method: Anyone can enter a quilt by submitting an online entry form, with two digital images (one full view and one detail). Entries open online on July 4, 2025.

Rules

• The quilt should be 24” wide by 40” long (portrait orientation) or 40” wide by 24” long (landscape orientation). All quilts must fit the size requirements.
• Limit one entry per person or team.
• Quilts must have been completed between February 19 through August 30, 2025.
• Quilts must use threads from at least one of the WonderFil America the Beautiful Thread Packs and state which one upon entry.
• The quilt, in some recognizable way, must embody your interpretation of the theme: America the Beautiful:
  – Examples of Natural Landscapes: The Grand Canyon, Yosemite National Park, Redwood Forest, Niagara Falls, the Everglades, Kilauea Volcano, Denali National Park, Acadia National Park, the Great Lakes, the Rocky Mountains
  – Examples of Iconic Landmarks: Statue of Liberty, Washington Monument, Empire State Building, Space Needle, Gateway Arch, Golden Gate Bridge, and Liberty Bell
• There must be a 2-inch sleeve for hanging the quilt, along with an identification label with the quiltmaker’s name, year, address, and the title of the quilt sewn to the lower left corner of the back.
• All quilters involved in the making of the quilt must be listed on the entry form.
• All quilts must be quilted by hand, machine, or both. Quilting is defined as a running stitch that passes through a top, middle layer, and backing fabric. The quilt must consist of three layers: quilt top, batting, and backing. Tied quilts are not eligible.
• Quilts must be in excellent condition. Incomplete, torn, or soiled quilts do not qualify for entry or display
• Quilts must be a single unit and may not be framed with wood, metal, etc. No rods may be sewn into a quilt
• Quilts must be titled and the title must be 35 characters or less, including spaces
• All quilts must be original designs; no adaptions or copyrighted patterns

Notification of Acceptance:

• Entrants are notified of the jurors’ decision by email no later than October 22, 2025

Quilt Availability: 

• Juried quilts will be displayed at all 2026 QuiltWeek Shows
• All juried quilt entries must arrive at American Quilter’s Society by November 20, 2025, and be available for display through October 2026.

Quilt Photography:

• Quilts are photographed for use in publications, publicity, and for education purposes.

Appraisals: 

• Quilts valued over $1,000 require an appraisal submission. When uploading appraisal files, make sure they are no larger than 10MB and multiple pages are scanned as one document.

Shipping Costs 

• All accepted quilts must be mailed to our home office in Paducah, KY, at the entrant's expense.
• All displayed quilts will be returned to the Quiltmaker at AQS’s expense. AQS will confirm return shipping information in September 2026.

All juried entries will receive a Special Exhibit participant’s ribbon.