Thousands of tiny stitches adorned the beautiful hand-made quilt that won Deloris Mount her fourth statewide award at the Alabama Farmers Federation’s 38th Annual Commodity Producers Conference Aug. 5-7 in Columbus, Ga.Mount, a member of the Crenshaw County Farmers Federation’s Women’s Leadership Committee, won the State Hand-Stitched Quilting Contest in 2004, 2006, 2008 and again this year.Contest rules prohibit winners from the previous year from entering the contest, so after each victory, Mount sits out a year, which gives her more time to plan her next creation. This year’s winning entry featured baskets adorned with flowers and birds, each stitched by hand.Gayle Smith of Limestone County won second place with a hand-stitched quilt she called “garden sampler,” and Margaret Caldwell of Talladega County won third with a log cabin design.”This year’s tablescapes, quilting and handbag contests provided a spectacular display of Alabama commodities,” said Federation Women’s Leadership Division Director Kim Earwood. “We were thrilled with the amount of interest from spectators as well as our contestants and are looking forward to next year’s events.”
Gayle Smith also won first place in the machine-stitched quilt contest with the entry she called “Garden Gatherings.” Second place went to Annie Lois Bridges of Houston County with her “Garden Window” entry, and Jennifer Oden of Etowah County won third with her “Batiks Squared” quilt.Lydia Haynes of Cullman County won first place in the handbag competition with a red bag covered with leather silhouettes of farm scenes. Second place in that contest went to Catherine Wood of Autauga County, and Jackie Long of Lee County took third.The conference contest included the second-ever tablescapes contest, which featured commodities produced in Alabama. This year’s winner was June Flowers of Pike County, whose entry focused on forestry with its woodsy design. Catherine White of Talladega County won second place with her entry that featured the state’s greenhouse industry, and third went to Harriet Jones of Chambers County, whose table was adorned with ceramic chicken and eggs in honor of the state’s largest agricultural industry – poultry.Winners in each division received cash awards of $150 for first place, $100 for second place and $75 for third place. For more information about the Federation’s Women’s Leadership Division, visit the Alfa Farmers gallery.