Dusty Darrah began quilting in 2000 after retiring from Qwest. She enjoys designing very unique quilted wall hangings. She made special quilts for both of her nieces and wanted to create something really different for her nephew, Rob. He does old west re-enactments in Idaho and she decided to celebrate his love for Doc Holliday and that time period. WIth a picture of him in his old west garb , she began the process by taking an online class to learn how to make fabric portraits.

Collecting all kinds of 'western' looking fabrics and gathering other ideas from books and magazines for over a year, she designed the rest of the 'blocks' for this 'old west' wall hanging and began sewing.

When the Colorado State Fair announced the 'Wild, Wild West' theme for their quilt contest this year, she hurried to finish the wall hanging just in time to enter it in the contest since it 'fit' the theme perfectly. The timing was perfect and the judges awarded her quilt, 'Remembering Doc', 1st prize in their amateur division.

"Once you win a cash prize in a quilt contest, you are no longer considered an amateur. That just means you have to work harder, improving your skills & try new techniques every year to be able to win the competition."

"Right now, the quilt is entered in an online quilt contest sponsored by the American Quilters Society and the contest is judged by people like you & me, just the regular online public."

The 15 quilts receiving the most votes from the viewers will be displayed in the National AQS Quilt Show in Paducah, KY in April 2007. "It's a huge honor to be able to show a quilt at Paducah!"

If you'd like to help Dusty by voting for her quilt, go to this link and vote for entry number 1164, 'Remembering Doc' no later than Friday, November 10th. http://www.americanquilter.com/contest/entries.php?page=34#e1164

Although it's hard to see the detail on the quilt at that link, if you're interested in close-ups of each block, as well as a larger view of the entire quilt, she has them posted at this website: http://community.webshots.com/user/firehousequilts

There are a few other quilts at this link that Dusty and volunteers from Firehouse Quilts have made in the past, including 'Colorado Wildflowers', the originally designed quilted wall hanging that will be given away the first week of December, 2006. It was made by 15 of the volunteers in Firehouse Quilts and used as a fund raiser for their nonprofit group this year.

If you'd like to buy a chance to win 'Colorado Wildflowers', get more information on their website. www.firehousequilts.orgor email Dusty directly at firehousequilts@att.net