News COTTON IN FULL BLOOM AT ANNUAL CONTESTS

COTTON IN FULL BLOOM AT ANNUAL CONTESTS

COTTON IN FULL BLOOM AT ANNUAL CONTESTS
August 4, 2018 |

Debra Davis

Beautiful cotton fabrics with thousands of tiny stitches along with a cotton-themed tablescape setting took first-place honors during the Alabama Farmers Federation Commodity Producers Conference Aug. 2-5.

The contests were coordinated by the Federation Women’s Leadership Division.

Pam Madden of Baldwin County won first place in the Hand-Stitched Quilt Contest. Her quilt featured a honeycomb-shaped green and beige background with multi-colored floral patterns.

“It’s called ‘grandmother’s flower garden,’ but I did most of it while I was sitting with a lady with Alzheimer’s, and her name was Emily, so it’s now named ‘Emily’s Flower Garden,’” Madden said.

Madden said she started quilting in the early ‘80s, but she got busy and stopped the hobby for a while.

“I got back into it in the early ‘90s and have been enjoying it ever since,” she said. “I feel like it’s a blessing from God to be able to do it.”

St. Clair County’s Jackie Stevens won second place in the hand-stitched contest. Third went to Deloris Mount of Crenshaw County.

Baldwin County’s Bonnie Savell won first place in the Machine-Stitched Quilt Contest. She said her quilt is a “Road to Paradise” pattern.

“A friend and I got together, and we wanted to do something together at the same time that was alike,” she said. “Quilting soothes my soul. When I’m upset, if I go in my sewing room and sew for 5 or 10 minutes, I’m just calm and at peace with whatever was wrong.”

Lauderdale County’s Regina Painter won second place in the machine-stitched division, and Melanie Connell of St. Clair County placed third.

A colorful zebra-themed quilt by Regina Painter of Lauderdale County won the Baby Quilt Division. Second place went to Mary Burroughs of Tuscaloosa County, and third went to Glenda Stewart of Geneva County.

Adult and youth contests also were held for Christmas tree skirts. In the adult division, Tamara Rashleigh of St. Clair County won first place. Second place went to Jacqueline King of Houston County, and third went to Geneva County’s Elizabeth Usery.

In the Youth 7-12 Christmas Tree Skirt contest, Lamar County’s Autumn Buckley won first; Madison Cole of St. Clair County took second; and Brandi Schultz of Tallapoosa County was third.

Russell County’s Bonnie Martin won first place in the Tablescapes Contest with a colorful cotton theme. Kim Seymore of Winston County won second, and Mary Alice Helms of Coffee County was third. 

A machine-stitched quilt by Melanie Stokley of Washington County won the People’s Choice Award, which was voted on by attendees at the conference.

First-place winners in each division won $150, second-place winners received $100 and third-place winners won $75.

For more photos, visit the Federation’s Facebook page.

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