HOUSTON — A young quilter has claimed the top prize at RodeoHouston’s Youth Quilt Contest for the second consecutive year with her stunning creation “Midnight Blooms.”
Ellie Stuckey’s intricate quilt, featuring blue and white patterns that required over 300 hours of stitching and more than 50 different fabrics, earned her the Best of Show award at the prestigious competition held at NRG Center.
“It was amazing. It was like a dream come true,” Stuckey said after her win.
The quilting competition, a tradition that has been part of Rodeo Houston for more than 40 years, received 118 entries this year across both adult and youth categories, according to Angela Gutierrez, Senior Manager of Attractions and Competitions.
Gutierrez emphasized the value of the competition beyond the art itself.
“Having a young adult learn what it is to commit to something and to see something through. That’s a lesson that I think goes way beyond, you know, just quilting.”
Stuckey’s inspiration came from an unexpected source.
“I was antique shopping with my mom and I saw a set of dishes that I loved, and I went home and turned it into a quilt,” she explained.
Her achievement follows significant recognition for her previous winning quilt, which was displayed at the Texas Quilt Museum and showcased at the International Quilt Festival.
Stuckey’s mother, Aimee, expressed amazement at her daughter’s dedication.
“It blows us away, on top of keeping up with schoolwork and doing honors and dance and volunteering with the church.”
Having started quilting at just seven years old, Stuckey followed in her grandmother’s footsteps and now hopes to inspire other young people to keep the tradition alive.
“It’s amazing to being able to turn like a vision in your head into like a quilt, you can hold on to and it can be passed on to generations. It’s a great feeling,” Stuckey said.
The young quilter is already looking ahead to future competitions, confirming she already has a design planned for next year’s contest.