Contests Honor Creative Creations of Skilled Sewers, Crafters

A steady stream of Alabama Farmers Federation members cycled through displays of quilts, table runners and wreaths, hoping to see winning ribbons hanging next to entries created by peers from their home counties.

Across five sewing and wreath-making contests, 13 talented seamstresses and crafters received top prizes, including Randolph County's Pat Norred who won first place in the hand-stitched quilt division.

"I'm still on cloud nine," Norred said. "I've always said to keep trying. I've entered 13 years. I've won third-place three times, and this is my first time winning first place."

The annual contests are sponsored by the Alabama Farmers Federation's Women's Leadership Division and take place during the Federation's Farm & Land Conference. The city of Montgomery hosted this year's conference Aug. 1-3.

"These contests are always such fun. It's great to see the creativity of our members, but the best thing is that the display of entries gives our people the chance to gather in the exhibit hall, swap stories of their sewing successes and failures, and celebrate the efforts of talented members," said Women's Leadership Division Director Kim Earwood.

To promote Alabama agriculture, fabric entries must be made of cotton. Table runners and wreaths must feature a specific commodity.

First-place winners receive $150, second-place $100 and third place $75.

The winners for each division are:

Hand-Stitched Quilts

• First Place - Pat Norred, Randolph County
• Second Place - Martha Jordan, Monroe County

Machine-Stitched Quilts

• First Place - Tamara Rashleigh, St. Clair County
• Second Place - Janet Massey, Geneva County
• Third Place - Roberta McClelllan, Cullman County

Commodity Table Runner

• First Place - Terri Brown, Wilcox County
• Second Place - Dawn East, Cherokee County
• Third Place - Twyla Smith, Crenshaw County

Commodity Table Runner, Youth Division

• First Place - Hannah Grace Aldridge, Fayette County
• Second Place - Trevor Wicks, St. Clair County

Commodity Wreath

• First Place - Pat Sexton, Crenshaw County
• Second Place - Phyllis Johnson, Calhoun County
• Third Place - Lydia Haynes, Cullman County

Public link

Please use the above public link if you want to share this noodl on another website.