Congratulations to Janet Stone for winning the Marie White Masterpiece Award for her quilt, Crazy for Ewe. Janet received $7,500 from Sponsor, Road to California.
Janet Stone began her quilting adventure in the late 1990’s. She said she got serious about quilting in 2006 after she bought a “really nice new sewing machine.” Janet made her first “show quilt” in 2008 and has been hooked on making quilts for show ever since.
Making Crazy for Ewe
Crazy for Ewe was inspired by wool applique and crazy quilting, both of which Janet loves. She decided to combine the two but used flannel fabrics instead of wool because there are “so many pretty commercial flannels on the market these days.”
It took Janet 9 months to complete Crazy for Ewe, which was a little longer than her usual because of the extra quilting that she did. Janet quilted the blocks separately. Before she attached them to the background, she quilted from the back where the blocks were going to go, then appliqued the blocks on so it became a 2-sided quilt.
Janet has a style that is easily recognizable. Her quilts are known to feature letters of the alphabet and sheep. When asked about her trademark symbols, Janet replied, “(the sheep) are not trademarked, they are just the way I design sheep. I use them in a lot of my quilts because I love sheep.”
What is the Marie White Masterpiece Award?
The Marie White Masterpiece Award is the second highest cash award given at Road to California’s Quilt Contest. It is named for Marie White, who was the mother of Road to California’s former owner, Carolyn Reese. Marie was very active in the quilting and doll making world until she passed away in 2011, six weeks shy of her 93rd birthday.
An anonymous donor approached Carolyn and offered to sponsor this first runner-up award on two conditions: One, that she, the donor, would remain anonymous and Two, that Road to California call the prize, “The Marie White Masterpiece Award.” Road gladly agreed to her terms.
Winning the Award
What was Janet doing when she got word that she had won this prestigious award? “I was in my basement working on my next quilt! I never got the promised email on Tuesday night, so I kept perusing Facebook, knowing one of my Facebook friends would be attending the sneak preview. Sure enough, Wednesday night, I saw a picture of my quilt and the ribbon that said Marie White Masterpiece Quilt!!!” Marie was “thrilled” with her award.
Last year, in 2019, Janet won Road to California’s Best of Show award. How did winning the Marie White Masterpiece Award in 2020 compare to last year’s prize? “It’s pretty much right up there with the Best of Show I won last year. I mean with the competition as amazing as it is at Road to California, I could not be more thrilled to place in the top awards with any of my quilts!”
What’s in Janet’s future?
Janet said she is going to use her prize money to help pay down the deductible on her medical insurance as her husband was in the hospital for 4 days the week prior to this win. She also figures that purchasing some more fabric and thread will also be sneaked in.
Janet is currently working on her next alphabet quilt. This next quilt be number 22 in her series. She’s hoping to have it finished this spring and will probably be visiting California next January. She’s keeping her fingers crossed!!
