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  • Sharon Melrose recently won third in national quilting contest with 37 quilts made. (Staff File Photo by BILLY HEFTON)

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April 16, 2010

Melrose enters quilt contest for the children

By Kasey Fowler, Staff Writer Enid News and Eagle

ENID — By Kasey Fowler

Staff Writer



In a few short weeks, in January and February, Sharon Melrose made 37 quilts for The Quilter Challenge, a national quilting contest.

Her efforts earned her third place.

“The Quilter Challenge,” is a national quilting contest sponsored by Downy Touch of Comfort, Quilts for Kids Inc. and Quilter Magazine. The quilts made for the challenge by quilters across the nation were donated to children in hospitals through Children’s Miracle Network.

Melrose was reading her copy of The Quilter Magazine in January when she came across an article about the contest and decided to enter. The first-place prize was a trip for two to Los Angeles to meet Chandra Wilson, an actress on “Grey’s Anatomy.”

Melrose will receive a Downy-themed gift basket, an autographed photograph of Wilson, sheets and more.

Melrose said she didn’t think she would win the trip but wanted to do the quilts for the children.

“Hopefully, some kids got some joy from it. It was worth it. It was a good cause,” she said. “Obviously, this was for children. It is important to do things for other people, especially kids. I am retired, and I have all the time in the world to help kids. It wasn’t about winning, it was about the fun and helping the hospitals.”

Melrose figures with just the top three winners, the cause likely received around 300 quilts.

“The lady that won did over 100, which I find remarkable. It was unbelievable someone could do so many,” she said.

Melrose believes people should share their talents in a productive manner.

“It is nice when someone appreciates it because stacking them up in my closet doesn’t do any good,” she said. “It is nice to be able to do for others. I think people who sew or quilt, they are pretty good about donating their stuff to others. If you have the talent, use it to give to someone else. There are only so many you can put in your closet, and my closet is full.”

This isn’t Melrose’s first time to quilt for a cause. She and five of her cousins worked together to make quilts for the family of a college cheerleader from Alabama who died from a brain tumor.

Melrose also makes quilts for patients Dexeus Oncology. She also is working on projects for her grandkids.

“I’m doing some stuff for my grandkids,” she said. “I will always have something going somewhere. My room is never quiet. There is always something going on somewhere.”

Although Melrose had fun participating in the contest and giving her talents, she said she doesn’t plan on doing that much sewing again in such a short period of time any time soon.

“It was fun doing it, but one time was enough,” she said.

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