We Didn't Do it For The Money!!

When Mike brought the paper home advertising the Star Valley Barn Quilt contest late last summer/early fall, I did notice there was a big prize money award.  Although, I promptly forgot about the prize and went to work planning and scheming.  Mom, being a big quilt maker, was who we wanted to honor with this effort.  And one of the quilts she has made me, my very favorite, is the Sunflower Quilt.  We plant sunflowers on the farm every year, so it seemed like a good pattern choice! 

Then the research started.  How to design it - the 8"x 8" square was magnified to an 8' x 8' design. Priming, painting, assembling framing, and then - the hardest part of all - hanging, the latter, not for the weak of heart. 

I was finished with the painting pre-COVID and took on another 8' x 8' to keep my mind off COVID, that barn quilt ending up in Jackson.  

We learned we won first place about a week ago.  Shirley and Donna from the Star Valley Quilt Guild arrived, with check in hand and first place banner, to take our picture and do a short interview.  Our Star Valley moment of fame will come out in next week's paper - a full feature on the barn quilt competition.  

And the prize money was big, it turns out.  Big enough to make three more barn quilts!!  We were presented with a check for $1500!  I didn't get the exact details, but the Guild got the money through some sort of Lincoln County Business group that funded the endevour.  Barn Quilt trails are popular across the United States.  The hope is that people will travel around the county going to look at the quilts, stopping along the way to spend their money while gaping at the artwork.  

The whole thing was started by Donna Sue Clark who wanted to honor her mother's quilt making.  She started a trend and we became part of this neat, national public display! 

There is one sad part to this story.  It was my hope that Mom could stand below our barn quilt holding her Sunflower quilt for a photo.  With COVID, that has not been possible and it is the one disappointment to our Barn Quilt Story.  

Like Donna Sue, Mike and I too want to honor the amazing woman who has done so many awesome things in her life and who made the Sunflower Barn quilt back in 1998, cursing and swearing every stitch of the way.  Thank you Mom!