A Quilt Expo sneak peek...

The third-annual Quilt Expo has arrived!

This year's event, which is again presented by WPT, Friends of WHA-TV and Sewing With Nancy, runs from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Thursday through Saturday at the Exhibition Hall of the Alliant Energy Center in Madison. Tickets are available from advance ticket vendors and are $8 at the door. There are hundreds of vendor booths filling more than 10,000 square feet of exhibition space, a judged and juried quilt contest with hundreds of quilts and a series of special lectures, Sit & Sew workshops, quilting celebrity events and special exhibits to visit. For more details about the event, visit the exclusive Quilt Expo Web site.

We headed to the Quilt Expo at its opening to provide a sneak peek at all of the wonderful aspects of the event that visitors can partake in through Saturday. Click the link below to see the photos from Thursday morning's opening hours. You can also click on the photos for a larger view. (Exclusive photos from the 2007 Quilt Expo after the jump...)


Shortly after the doors opened for the event, eager quilters filed into the Alliant Energy Center.

Throughout the Exhibition Hall, hundreds of vendors from throughout the United States offered innovative quilting and textile products, along with in-depth information and helpful hints for interested Expo-goers.











At the WPT booth in the front of the hall, WPT staff volunteers provided event information, offered entry forms for the free drawing and sold this year's official Quilt Expo t-shirts and tote bags.



Life-sized cut-outs of Nancy Zieman greeted visitors to the event. The real Nancy Zieman will be appearing at the WPT booth throughout the weekend to chat with quilters and other fans of Sewing With Nancy.



Throughout the event, expo attendees will find spectacular specialty quilt exhibits that showcase quilting work from around North America.

A series of Sit & Sew Workshops give quilters a chance to try out new products and techniques in person with the help of industry professionals and television personalities. Visit the information booth at the front of Quilt Expo to inquire about registration availability.







Elsewhere, a hearty collection of free lectures on dozens of topics are available for drop-in quilters.

The centerpiece of Quilt Expo is the quilt contest exhibit. Occupying the center of the hall, the enormous exhibit is home to hundreds of finely handcrafted quilts from artists and hobbyists from all throughout North America. Within the exhibit, visitors can get an up-close look at the colorful, intricate designs. Docents are available to provide insight into the quilts and to give viewers an opportunity to see the stitching and design-work that is hidden on the backs of many of the quilts.



Visitors admire the Best of Show quilt, which was created by Linda Roy of Knoxville, Tenn.