Morenci woman's quilt accepted into American Quilter's Society competition in Grand Rapids
MORENCI — A Morenci woman and one of her quilts are headed to Grand Rapids for a chance at prizes and to meet other quilters.
Connie Stover has been chosen as a semifinalist for the 2022 American Quilter's Society QuiltWeek, which will be Aug. 17-20 at DeVos Place Convention Center in Grand Rapids.
Stover has been chosen to display her quilt “Fancy Feathers and Champagne Bubbles” along with 389 others in the AQS contest. First-, second-, and third-place prizes in seven categories will be awarded, along with seven overall awards including Best of Show. Winners will be announced at the show and posted on the AQS website, Americanquilter.com.
More than $50,000 will be granted, including $10,000 for Best of Show and $3,500 each for Best Wall Quilt, Best Traditional Design, Best Original Design, Best Hand, Best Stationary, and Best Movable Workmanship. Regardless of how “Fancy Feathers and Champagne Bubbles” places in the final judging, all semifinalist quilts will be displayed at the show.
Stover started quilting by hand when she was 18 in a home economics class. She put it on hold and raised a family and got back into it in 2006. Now along with her daughter, Chelsea Craig, she puts quilts together as a business.
Over the years she said she has put together around 1,500 quilts and at least 350 quilts since Craig joined her a couple of years ago. People piece together the tops of the quilts and most often supply the backing and Stover provides the batting. They have over 200 designs and they also do custom design with Craig doing computer-assisted design and Stover doing free motion custom on a machine.
Stover has entered her quilts in shows before and has won many prizes. She says quilting is what she does because it is relaxing and she enjoys it.
“You start with small pieces, you put them together and you come up with something wonderful,” Stover said.
“AQS has a longstanding history of having the best of the best quilts in our contests. Just when we think the quality of the quilts can’t get any better, quilters step up their creativity even more and set a new standard of quiltmaking. This year’s contests are no exception, and these quilts are truly exceptional,” AQS President Bill Schroeder said.
Quilts were entered in this international contest from 38 U.S. states and 12 countries. Residents can travel to Grand Rapids to see a wide range of special exhibit quilts including “New Quilts from an Old Favorite: Wheel of Fortune," “The Diana Cherrywood Challenge Exhibit," “SAQA: Wide Horizons VII," and “The Ties That Bind Us,” curated by Wendy Brackman, along with a variety of quilts from the West Michigan Quilt Guild.
The American Quilter’s Society hosts several shows annually, each with its own quilt contest. In addition to the Grand Rapids show, AQS hosts other prestigious shows in Daytona Beach, Florida; Branson, Missouri; Paducah, Kentucky; and Des Moines, Iowa.
Stover started quilting by hand when she was 18 in a home economics class. She put it on hold and raised a family and got back into it in 2006. Now along with her daughter, Chelsea Craig, she puts quilts together as a business.
Over the years she said she has put together around 1,500 quilts and at least 350 quilts since Craig joined her a couple of years ago. People piece together the tops of the quilts and most often supply the backing and Stover provides the batting. They have over 200 designs and they also do custom design with Craig doing computer-assisted design and Stover doing free motion custom on a machine.
Stover has entered her quilts in shows before and has won many prizes. She says quilting is what she does because it is relaxing and she enjoys it.
“You start with small pieces, you put them together and you come up with something wonderful,” Stover said.
This article originally appeared on The Daily Telegram: Morenci woman's quilt accepted into Grand Rapids quilter's competition
