Two Shelburne residents received accolades and awards for quilt designs they entered in the 34th Vermont Quilt Festival held the last weekend in June at the Champlain Valley Exposition. Their designs joined over 200 other quilts in the annual show that attracted thousands of quilt enthusiasts from around the world and featured more than 500 new and antique quilts in a variety of exhibits. Four national quilting authorities judged the quilts prior to the opening of the show.

Emily Gagnon, age 10, received the Lt. Governor's Award for Best Youth Quilt. According to Emily, "I was inspired by my Dad, a retired Marine, to make this quilt." Her design, "Marine Memories," was created from his old uniforms. Emily's quilt was entered in the youth category that had 10 entrants ages 6 to 16. As a very special surprise, each of the 10 entrants was presented with a Janome sewing machine by Janome/America and Bittersweet Fabric Shop of Boscawen, N. H.

Hope Johnson, winner of last year's Governor's Award in the competition, won this year's Best Mixed and Other Techniques Award for her quilt entitled "The Hive in Winter." Johnson explained her design, which depicts honeybees clustering to stay warm, and said that it was inspired by the shared hexagonal geometry of bees, flowers, and snowflakes.