Nelson wins tablescape design prize
Published 6:41 pm Wednesday, August 5, 2015
A forestry themed place setting earned Cheryl Nelson of Crenshaw County first place and $150 in the State Tablescapes Contest sponsored by the Alabama Farmers Federation Women’s Leadership Division. The contest was part of the Federation’s 43rd Commodity Producers Conference in Montgomery July 30-Aug. 2. For more information about the Federation’s Women’s Leadership Division, visit AlfaFarmers.org. For more photos of the Commodity Conference, visit Flickr.com/AlabamaFarmers.
Thousands of tiny stitches and big smiles circled around winning entries at the Women’s Leadership Luncheon Aug. 1 at the Alabama Farmers Federation 43rd Commodity Producers Conference in Montgomery.
One of the biggest smiles graced the face of Crenshaw County resident Cheryl Nelson, winner of the tablescapes division of the competition.
County winners competed in two sewing divisions, three quilting divisions and a tablescape design contest featuring commodities from Alabama counties.
First-place winners in each division received $150, while second- and third-place won $100 and $75, respectively.
“The participants in our state contests always do a good job, and this year was no exception,” said the Federation’s Kim Ramsey, director of the Women’s Leadership Division. “The time and skill on display here today is amazing. These talented women do a great job of preserving our state’s history of hand crafts and hospitality.”
The top three winners in each division were:
Tablescapes: First Place – Cheryl Nelson, Crenshaw County; Second Place – Joann Wissinger, Jefferson County; and Third Place – Jennifer Brock, Marshall County.
Table Runners: First Place – Ruby Nuss, St. Clair County; Second Place – Glenda Stewart, Geneva County; and Third Place – Melanie Stokley, Washington County.
Youth Table Runners for ages 7-12: First Place – Sarah Oden, Etowah County; Second Place – Victoria Balakitsis, Tuscaloosa County; and Third Place – Brittney Shelton, Randolph County.
Hand-Stitched Quilting: First Place – Anne Yancey Barrett, DeKalb County; Second Place – Melanie Stokley, Washington County; and Third Place – Blanche Lee Mitchell, Blount County.
Machine-Stitched Quilting: First Place – Anne Yancey Barrett, DeKalb County; Second Place – Tippi Helea, Randolph County; and Third Place – Mary Burroughs, Tuscaloosa County.
Baby Quilting: First Place – Blanche Lee Mitchell, Blount County; Second Place – Ruby Nuss, St. Clair County; and Third Place Melanie Stokley, Washington County.
More than 800 farmers from throughout Alabama attended the conference, which began Thursday. The conference concluded Aug. 1 with comments from Georgia Farm Bureau President Zippy Duvall and announcement of Young Farmers contest winners.
See photos from the conference on the Federation’s Facebook page or on Flickr at tinyurl.com/AFFCC2015.
