I WON, I WON, I WON!!!!

Bee Line March Box

Kreinik Silk Mori on 32 Count Wichelt, Waterlily, linen 

You'll remember, I entered my Bee Line March Box in the DAR American Heritage Contest.  Well, yesterday I received a letter from the East Centra Division Chairman.  She congratulated me on winning East Central Division in the Cross Stitch category.  So, I called my chapter regent, Dorrene, because I was just WAY too excited.  Dorrene told me that the fact that I won Division also means that I've won State.  The State Conference begins this month at the Oglebay Resort near Morgantown and they give out state certificates at that conference.

Now I have to send my box away - insured to the hilt!  It has to go to the National Chairman, because it will be judged for National in Washington, D.C.  The gals were talking to me yesterday about going to Congress.  Congress is held in July at DAR Constitution Hall.  They're talking about arranging a limo to take us down.  If we go on the Wednesday, we can attend the West Virginia Breakfast and then they'll have the awards for American Heritage later in the day.  Dorrene says it's very special to receive an award in person.

I was nearly in tears when I got that letter yesterday.  It's been almost two years to the day since I started working on this project and it has been very near and dear to my heart.  I said to my friends that I thought that it was worthy of being state champion.  Sorry if that sounds conceited, but I firmly believe that we women need to give ourselves more credit where credit is deserved.  There are a lot of really talented designers and needleworkers out there in this country so I never hoped for anything further than state.  I am thrilled to my tippy toes to have won Division.  I will probably faint if I win National!

I had to write a paragraph about my design and how it fit into the theme "America's Heritage Remembered".  The state chairman told me last fall that I should write as much as I possibly could.  My chapter regent - elect, Cheryl - helped me polish what became my essay.  I will publish that as another post, hopefully this weekend, so ya'll can understand what this is all about.