Record number of entries and judging categories in conjunction with the 2023 Louie Bluie Music and Arts Festival

TOP PHOTO: An entrant’s quilt gets a close-up inspection for stitch quality from judge Mary Dacres of Cincinnati.

LAFOLLETTE, TN (SPECIAL TO WLAF) — Lou Ellison of La Follette won the “Best of Quilts” award and a $100 prize for her quilt, “Bee My Sunshine.” Lou created the pattern for the quilt, which features a black “You are My Sunshine” panel accentuated by yellow quilt blocks and custom long-arm quilting by Cheryl LaBagh of Jacksboro.

“The quality and beauty of the quilts I judged points to east Tennessee being home to a vibrant community of quilters” said experienced quilt show judge Mary Dacres of Cincinnati, Ohio. She used a standard quilt show scoring rubric to judge each quilt for visual impact, design and construction.

A record-setting total of 57 quilts were evaluated across 13 categories representing a wide variety of quilting techniques. New categories this year include art quilts, foundation piecing, appliqué and more.

Judging took place at The Quilt Patch inside Woodson’s Mall in La Follette. “Our business is home to a growing base of sewing hobbyists who love to gather for classes and fellowship,” said Marie King, owner of The Quilt Patch. “Louie Bluie is the most-anticipated event for our customers, so we’re honored to serve as sponsor of quilt judging.

All quilt show entries will be on display Saturday, September 30, from 10:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. inside the Cove Lake State Park Recreation Pavilion adjacent to Rickard Ridge Restaurant.

For information on this year’s Louie Bluie Music and Arts Festival, visit louiebluie.org.

For more information about the Campbell County quilting community, please see:

Marie King, manager of The Quilt Patch, (423) 562-4420

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