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The 2017 Quilt Alliance contest is underway and we are receiving some lovely entries from longtime members and those new to the organization. Entries last year addressed the theme Playing Favorites and submissions featured favorite techniques, color palettes, concepts, materials and even favorite people and animals. This year’s contest theme is Voices and we are challenging our members to share their opinions, memories, language, conversation and truths in the form of a quilt.

Postmark deadline for the 2017 Quilt Alliance “Voices” contest is June 2, 2017.

“My Garden” by Margaret Cibulsky. 2016.

The 2016 Handi Quilter Grand Prize Winner was Margaret Cibulsky of Port Washington, New York. For her winning entry, “My Garden,” Margaret received her choice of either a HQ Sweet Sixteen sit-down longarm machine package or an HQ Simply Sixteen and Little Foot package from Handi Quilter, Inc. This year’s 1st through 3rd place winners will receive a HQ Stitch 710, 510 and 210 respectively. Past Quilt Alliance Contest winners (Grand Prize and 1st-3rd place winners) are ineligible for a period of 3 years to win 1st-3rd place awards in this year’s contest. For the 2017 contest, this includes 2014, 2015, 2016 contest winners. All past entrants are, however, eligible for Honorable Mention and Judge’s Choice awards.

We asked Margaret to tell us about her quilting journey. In 2006, Cibulsky joined a quilting group in her Congregation who were making throw quilts for those in need of a lift. With basic skills under her belt, she was inspired her to make her first quilt. Cibulsky’s husband passed away in 2004, and the quilt was made of his clothing. She still considers this quilt, finished in 2010, to be her best.

Cibulsky joined the NYC Metro Mod Guild around that time and has only missed a few meetings since. She is basically self-taught but she has learned from other guild members, from books and blogs. Cibulsky says although her first love was teaching, (32 years as a kindergarten and first grade teacher), designing and making quilts is her new passion, especially the process!

Cibulsky sent us a look at how her 2017 Voices quilt was put together.

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