In spite of being the chair of the committee for this event, it was a fun day. All the planning and help made for an enjoyable day. The votes were counted the day after the show, and the winners announced at our guild meeting yesterday. We set up early in the day so we were open at 10 am when the mall stores opened. Voting was by viewers. The guild gives prizes to five places, and the winners were all extraordinary.

Let’s start with one that my friend Gail made. It didn’t win a ribbon, but it was so clever that you just have to see it. For many years, Gail was a hot air balloon pilot. The big festival was annually in October, her birthday month. She made a hot air balloon shaped like a birthday cake, modeled off a real one she once saw.

Note the basket on the bottom done in embroidery. It has a marigold in the basket, the flower for October.

She also did fabric photo transfer of a birthday card showing her two little dogs she once had.

Now the winners, in Fifth Place, Ruth E made balloons in the shape of numbers like the ones she got on her last birthday when she turned 80.

Fourth Place was won by Lindsay S, with an amazing traditional quilt with piecing and applique.

Just look at these small blocks, with fussy cut centers from the challenge fabric.

The appliques are really well done, and the basket is actually woven.

Third Place went to Alice E who did a wonderful applique quilt showing a beach in Denmark where she once spent a birthday.

The challenge fabric was fussy cut into kites and balloons in the sky, and she incorporated mesh fabric on the lighthouse to create the shadow.

Terrie S won the Second Place ribbon with her cupcake of multi-layers raw edge applique. The sheer number of pieces she put together is staggering.

The colors and variety of fabrics are fabulous, perfectly creating the illusion of layers of frosting on the cupcake.

She quilted it with balloons in the stitching.

First Place winner, an extraordinary piece by Deanna H. It depicts her blowing out her birthday candle.

Such amazing thread work in the hair!

The blouse is raw edge applique collage of the motifs cut from the challenge fabric.

Her breath is represented by words – Strength, Joy, Laughter, Love, Peace, Flowers.

The hat has machine embroidered flowers. Just an amazing piece.

Work like this makes me want to go sew! Thank you to everyone who made a project and entered the competition. I am always inspired by my friends in the guild. Congratulations to all the winners!!

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Sulky just released their Garden Party Mystery Box for Spring 2025!! The Garden Party theme echoes throughout the items in the Mystery Box, with floral motifs and pastel hues. You’re sure to enjoy the brand new designer fabrics inside, with threads to match in different types and weights for endless creative options. It comes with pretty fabrics, stabilizer, needles, 7 spools of thread, digital downloads and more. Check it out!! Hurry, these sell out fast!

Shop the Milk Street Store for select tools, pantry, knives and cookbooks made by Milk Street for 30% OFF! Use code MILKSTREETMADE. Sale ends at midnight!

March deals at Fat Quarter Shop – 20% off the Basic of the Month Bee Vintage by Lori Holt (perfect for the Bee projects I have coming up!), 30% Off the Notions of the Month from Sewline, 30% off Patterns of the Month from A Quilting Life Patterns, and see the Book of the Month Simply Half Yards. Check out Today’s Flash Sale and see the Precuts of the Week, plus The Cross Stitch Sale of the Month will be from Hands on Design.