Kathryn turned 13 on Aug. 29. Her Grandmother, Harriet Tillman started her stringing spools on a shoe string and stitching clothes on paper dolls when she was 3. Kathryn would sit on her Grandmother's lap and watch her machine embroidery designs. She learned to sew on the machine by stitching designs on paper. She liked using the "big machine" better than the small portable and made pillows and sewed strips together for a doll quilt when she was about 5. Kathryn has made pajamas, shorts, tops, several small quilts and because she likes to sew on the serger, Harriet got her involved sewing "Ugly quilts" for the World relief project at their church.

Rebeka won "Best in Show" and it was in Textiles. She followed last years' guide and planned the doll, found the material, chose different parts of several patterns, stitched, cut out, turned, applied armature then stuffed. THEN, she decided that she didn't like the color of the 'face', so applied a mask. She cut the pattern for her clothes, chose the fabrics ( much to my aggravation, since I couldn't see her mental pic, didn't know what to offer) and searched for the right trims. She crafted the head to reflect the long, plain face, as described in the book. 'beka drew 5 heads and faces, then put the face on the doll. She looked for hair that was 'right' and decided the human hair was exactly the thing. I told her how to craft the wig, she sat down and did it. The hat was part of the book, also. Laurie had given her the hat as a joke, since no one wore that kind anymore. Jo wore it anyway, much to Meg's disgust. This was 'beka's first try at fingers. She carefully stitched the fingers, with attention to broader at the base, narrower at the tips, straight across the tips, then 2 stitches between each finger. She did a beautiful job. Lots of experienced stitchers and dollmakers have difficulty with fingers---but those same folks have difficulty with faces, also. She just grabs paper and pens and begins. She won an award from ASG and was thrilled, since it was from her 'friends in the Guild."

Katy King won the Textile Sweepstakes Award in the County competition with her "Mardi Gras" quilt. Originally she had a different quilt picked out for competition, but after Katrina she decided to make one with a Mardi Gras theme. She decided at that time to donate it to the American Red Cross after competition. The 86"x 86" quilt has 181 blocks and is machine quilted. The fabrics chosen represent New Orleans: fish for the fishing industry, trumpets for the musical culture and Mardi Gras masks for the festival everyone associates with New Orleans. In each corner she machine embroidered masks decorated with Phoenixes which represents hope and rebirth.

Rebekah Ring is a 5th grade student at Lamar Elementary in Sinton, Texas. She recently participated in the San Patricio and Aransas Counties Agriculture and Home Economics Show and Sale placing first in show and county, for her age and class, with her entry of a doll. This is Rebekah's third year to place first with a doll entry. She began sewing at about 4 years of age. Her grandmother, (Mamu) Jan Foster, has shared the gift and love of sewing with all of her children and granddaughters. Rebekah and her cousin Anna have made several items with Mamu. Rebekah has entered the A & H show the last three years with a doll fashioned after a storybook character. The stories are favorites of Rebekah and she had designed the dolls. Yet, the very first doll she made, she was watching Mamu make a doll and she mimicked the actions Mamu made. Mamu did not even realize Rebekah was making a doll too. Rebekah was 4 when she made this doll. She has made several dolls and had just made one for a neighbor that is celebrating her 1st birthday. Rebekah also made her first quilt top when she was 9. She was at home with a sitter while her mother was at work. She called her mother and asked if she could sew. When her mother got home, Rebekah had taken her own fabric pieces and sewn them together into a quilt top. After purchasing another piece of fabric for the backing, she finished the quilt to give to her dad for father's day. Rebekah is an active and intelligent eleven year old. She is an all “A” honor student involved in extracurricular activities in and out of school. She has participated and placed in several UIL activities with school. Rebekah has served as an officer two of the three years she has been a 4H member and is also an active member of the Sinton Junior FFA. Rebekah was the first junior member of the American Sewing Guild's Corpus Christi Chapter. She has attended several ASG special meetings during the year, as school time permits, and has participated with other junior members and young seamstresses for a few Saturday sewing activities. Over the three years as a 4H/Jr. FFA member, she has bred, raised, and shown rabbits, raised and shown hogs, steers and a heifer, entered baked goods and the doll in the A&H show. She is getting ready to start the entries for the next year, yet must first read more to find the right book to decide upon a character.