Winner dedicated victory to her late mother
When they finally called Sherry Reynolds to the stage to accept the Handi Quilter Best of Show Award, she practically raced to the front of the ballroom at the George R. Brown Convention Center as friends stood with cellphones documenting every second on video.
Reynolds’ winning quilt, an elaborate combination of metallic thread and ornate piecework finished off with embedded Swarovski crystals that danced in the light, earned a $12,500 prize Tuesday from sponsor Handi Quilter at the International Quilt Festival.
It was the second Best of Show honor for Reynolds at the Houston show, which in the quilting world could be compared to the World Series, Super Bowl and the Oscars all rolled into one. In 2012, Reynolds won the top prize for a quilt titled “America, Let It Shine.”
Her large quilt is an ornate pattern of reds, blues, greens and yellows — it has to be seen in person to appreciate its extraordinary beauty. It was inspired by her mother, Carolyn Craven, who died in November 2011 after struggling with multiple sclerosis for 40 years.
“She was so determined and so admired. My mother was thankful for every day she had, and when she was gone, I wanted to make something beautiful in her honor,” Reynolds said as fans gathered around to congratulate her. “It was such an epic journey, that quilt. It got me through the highest peaks and the lowest valleys.”
“I miss my mom so much that sometimes I just look up to the sky to talk to her. I see this, my cathedral in the sky,” Reynolds said, gazing up at her sparkling quilt.
Reynolds started the quilt in 2013 and while making it, her father, James Craven, was diagnosed with esophageal cancer. He died in April.
In 2005, a friend made a quilt for bunk beds at the Reynolds’ home, and Reynolds decided to try to make a second one to match it. She said she’d never sewed or done anything artistic before, but that first quilt got her hooked on the craft.
The awards show Tuesday precedes the International Quilt Festival’s run Thursday to Sunday. More than 1,700 quilts will be on display in a variety of exhibits at the show. About half of the halls at the convention center are turned into a gallery for the quilts, and the other half are used by vendors who sell every conceivable product related to quilting. More than 500 classes are taught as well.
Bob Ruggiero, vice president of communications for Quilts, Inc., said the 650 quilts entered in the competition were juried down to 345 using photographs of the quilts. Those 345 were sent in for in-person judging.
Some $97,250 in prize money is given out at the quilt festival. Here are the winners of the festival’s top prizes: Handi Quilter Best of Show Award: “Eternal Beauty” by Sherry Reynolds of Laramie, Wyo., ($12,500); sponsored by Handi Quilter. Founders Award: “Over the Waves” by Setsuko Matsushima of Otsushi, Shiga, Japan, ($7,500); sponsored by the International Quilt Festival.
World of Beauty
Award: “An Old Woman With Joyous Face” by Marina Landi (with Natasha de Souza Bugarin) of Sao Paulo, Brazil, ($7,500); sponsored by Baby Lock.
Robert S. Cohan Master Award for Traditional Artistry: “Reminiscence” by Mariko Takeda of Nagoya-shi, Aichi-ken, Japan, ($5,000); sponsored by RJR Fabrics.
Gammill Master Award for Contemporary Artistry: “Velvet Flowers” by Linda Anderson of La Mesa, Calif., ($5,000); sponsored by Gammill. Pfaff Master Award for Machine Artistry: “Hope” by Ximo Navarro Sirera of Canals, Valencia, Spain, ($5,000), sponsored by Pfaff Sewing Machines.
Koala Studios Master Award for Innovative Artistry: “Silent Canary” by Patricia KennedyZafred of Murrysville, Penn., ($5,000); sponsored by Koala Studios.
Superior Threads Master Award for Thread Artistry: “Blue Anemone” by Andrea Brokenshire of Round Rock, Texas, ($5,000); sponsored by Superior Threads.