Golden Quilter Awards- Vote for your favorite nominees

SewCalGal blog is hosting the Golden Quilter Awards, Stop by http://sewcalgal.blogspot.com/2010/02/update-on-golden-quilter-award.html to vote for your favorites in the quilting world. The Categories are: Best Designer, Best Teacher/Instructor, Best Author, Best Quilt store (physical location), Best Quilt Store Online, Best Long Arm Quilter, Most Innovative New Product (Physical Item), Best Innovative New Product (Software) and Most Influential Person in the World of Quilting AKA Lifetime Achievement Award. I have voted for my favorites, now you can too, please take a few minutes to look over the list of Nominees and Vote for your favorites. What a wonderful way to honor these men and women who love quilting and who inspire others, plus the new products that we all love and would hate to be without.

I do have a special interest in the Lifetime achievement award. Lorraine Millar ( Nominee) is a wonderful women who passed away from cancer. She had been a quilter all her life (80 years) and even as she fought for her life and endured her Chemotherapy she continued to hand quilt. From the time Lorraine was a young child she and her two sisters would sit at Grammy Armstrong's Quilt frame, stitching to help bring extra money into the home, Lorraine was taught that the stitches had to be perfect and if there was a mistake it needed to be taken out and redone. For years the three girls learned from their Mother and Grand Mother, stitch by stitch. Lorraine was the only one of the three girls who continued with her gift of quilting. When Lorraine married and started her family she to would quilt and crochet to bring extra money into the home. Her quilts were treasures and each one was made with Lorraine's loving touch, each stitch was perfect. If she heard of someone in need of a little warmth or cheering up, Lorraine would make sure a quilt headed in their direction. She made quilts for the homeless, returning soldiers, newborns, seriously ill children and cancer patients. When there was a marriage or new baby in the family a quilt would be made as that special gift.  Lorraine had also helped out at the local Jr High's Home Economics dept. teaching the students the art of quilting. I remember when she helped out my 6 grade class as we drew our Lancaster Heritage blocks, stitched them, she sewed them together and set up a frame in our class room and we learned from this wonderful lady how to quilt. The Lancaster County Heritage quilt was given to our town mayor at the end of the school year. Lorraine always had her frame set up and neighborhood children would come and learn sitting around that frame, not only did we learn, but we stayed out of trouble. There wasn't a quilt that Lorraine and I made together, she was hand stitching and me I liked my machine so we did our own thing our own way. When she was going through her Chemo treatments I stayed with her for two months, and in that time we made our first start to finish quilt together, it was a Dina Pappas design for a watercolor heart quilt, I added a embroidery section that said " Live, Love, Laugh" this is what we lived by. The big frame was long gone as her house was just not big enough for it, but she had her large oval lap frame and she would work when she was strong enough and not sick from her Chemo. We finished this joint effort quilt which was for my home and started on the basket of flowers quilt for her home, The top was made, and borders added and put into her lap frame, the plans were made as to what designs would be quilted, she started to quilt it, but the basket was never finished as this wonderful women lost her battle to Cancer. I inherited all her sewing machines and items. I felt a strong urge to continue in her work, to finish her unfinished projects. For years my husband and I had searched craft sales, yard and garage sales for fabric, yarn and equipment, we would deliver the years goodies to that lovely lady and she would turn them into beautiful items which she would give to those in need. I now continue to do her work and make and donate quilts to nursing homes, ill children and cancer patients. Lorraine may be gone but her work lives on in me, I am her daughter and so very proud of her and all she had done and all she has passed on to others. So Lorraine Millar was my vote for Lifetime achievement award...To me she has already won her Golden Quilter's Award.

The Last Finished Quilt made with love by Mother and Daughter and the basket quilt still unfinished