And the Winners of the Special Awards Are ...

Here are the winners of the special award ribbons at the Smoky Mountain Quilt Guild Show that opened today featuring 129 quilts. Jane Hall of Raleigh, North Carolina spent two days judging the quilts last week. Click on the photos to see details.

Best In Show Bed Quilt awarded to "Grace Unfolding" by Betty Ekern Suiter of Racine, Wisconsin.
Betty says, "The center is like an unfolding kaleidoscope to the beauty of the flowers surrounding it. It took 3,821 hours to complete this original design using my hand dyed fabric, needle-turn applique, trapunto and hand quilting."
Best in Show Wall Quilt awarded to "Roman Patience" by Dena Bauer.
Dena says, "This pastel "painting" resulted from a Quilt University (online) perspective class taught by Susan Brittingham. It was shown in Houston in 2007. It's machine pieced, raw edge appliqued, and machine quilted.
Judge's Choice awarded to "Lake #54" by me (woo hoo!)
This one can be read about here. It also received an Honorable Mention ribbon in the Pictorial category.
Innovative Design awarded to "Life, the Universe, and Everything" by Gerry O'Neil of Oak Ridge, Tennessee. It also received 1st place in the Small Art Quilt category.
Gerry says, "Life becomes world, world becomes the sky, sky becomes universe. Nothing is separate; we are all part of a universal ONE."
Traditional Design awarded to"Appalachian Spring - to God the Glory" by Lavinia Milligan Sala of Johnson City, Tennessee. It also received 1st place in the Two Person Team category.
Her quilt was inspired by God's glorious renewal of the earth in sprin after a long winter's nap. The pattern is by Theresa Field and it's quilted by Donna Patrick. Excellence in Hand Workmanship awarded to "Wistful Willow" by Linda Roy of Knoxville, Tennessee. It also received 1st place in the Wall Quilt/Mixed Techniques category.
Linda says, "Folk art style with a little formality, this quilt honors Tink, whom we enjoyed for many years. The phrase, "Don't Park Beside Your Troubles," is borrowed from from a 1980's quilt by Helen Fleenor."
Excellence In Machine Workmanship awarded to "Girl In the Blue Dress" by Marlene Brown Woodfield of La Porte, Indiana. It also received 1st place in the Pictorial category.
Marlene says, "The 'girl in the blue dress' gently blows bubbles that glide upward on the gentle summer breeze. This is a portrait of my granddaughter."
Embellishment awarded to "Let Me Take You to the Kasbah". Cannot believe I won two special award ribbons. Plus this one also got 3rd place in the Group Quilt category.
All about this one can be read here.
Scrap Quilt awarded to "Tribute to Felix" by Fleda Collins of Talbott, Tennessee. It also received 2nd place in Bed Quilt, Applique/Mixed Techniques.
She didn't write anything about this quilt for the show booklet. It's one of the most interesting Baltimore Album quilts I've seen. Usually a scrappy looking quilt is the recipient of this award, but this kind of quilt uses scraps, too, doesn't it?
Just For Fun award to "Partridge in a Purr Tree" by Sheila Rauen of Knoxville, Tennessee.
Sheila says, "I'm always thinking of new plays on words, then and image may come to mind. That is how this design evolved. It is appliqued with free-motion embroidery and quilting."

The "First Quilt" award was originally given to a quilt that wasn't a first quilt. I haven't taken a photo of the one that ended up getting it. The "Viewer's Choice" quilt will be awarded on Sunday afternoon to the quilt with the most votes from the attendees at the show.

I'll post photos of more wonderful quilts during the next few days.