The Ribbon Maker

Version 2

Just look at these ribbons!  My local guild is preparing for our upcoming quilt show.  My friend Tess has been making award ribbons for this show since 2008.  A cherished award in any show, a ribbon from our quilt guild is a work of art in itself.

Last week I visited with our local Queen of the Ribbons.  Her quilts have won many prizes, and her sewing room is overflowing with awards.  This photo shows the ribbons she has made for this year’s show.  A first, second, third, and honorable mention in several categories makes for a dazzling array.  The log cabin blocks on point (those are tiny logs) are all painstakingly pieced.  And the design each year is unique, Tess choosing an element of the show’s raffle quilt each year.

Tess has an amazing assistant (her husband) who puts his engineering skills to work to create the graphic design for the wording on the ribbon and for a label for the back of the quilt block.  With the tiny quilt blocks, glue gun, and miles of ribbon, Tess astounds us anew every show.  Maybe that’s one reason we are willing to work so hard to prepare for our biennial show…the hope that one of those ribbons will ride home on one of our quilts.

And, if you noticed the rosettes that go to Best in Show winners, there is a show pin in the center.  Tess designed the show pin, as well.    She is a gem in our guild’s crown.  And, she will likely get to keep at least one of those ribbons because her quilts are fabulous, too.

Author: Sandy Gilreath

I've stitched my way through life. Early skills in utilitarian and decorative sewing have merged with art in the world of quiltmaking. My love of journaling has now crossed into the cloth world, too. I love old songs, old souls, old words; my collections attest to my fascination with memories.

3 thoughts on “The Ribbon Maker”

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *