Raised in Dumas, Texas I’ve been intrigued with sewing since childhood.
At age eight, I learned to sew in 4-H. As long as I can remember, I’ve been designing and coordinating fabrics.
I was nine in the above photo and wearing my first stitched garment—a dress with matching poncho and choker. The choker was my first original design without a pattern and I still have it in my scrapbook. This is my first blue ribbon for sewing.
As sole proprietor of Camelia’s Creative Smock Shoppe, I began teaching my craft in the early 1990’s. My areas of expertise and the subjects I instructed, include: quilting classes, beginner sewing classes, hand embroidery, English hand smocking, counterchange smocking, French hand sewing, and duplicate stitch. During 1992 and 1993, I owned Camelia’s Creative Smock Shoppe, specializing in English hand-smocked and French hand-sewn garments.
In 1993, 1994, and 1996, Sew Beautiful featured three of my hand smocked dresses in their magazine. This dress has 597 hand-stitched bullions to create rosettes around the collar.
The first quilt I pieced was reversible and I finished it in less than one week!
In 1995 I joined the Golden Spread Quilter’s Guild in Canyon, Texas and stitched my first quilt at a Saturday workshop. After the workshop one of the members exclaimed, “We expect to see that quilt finished at show-and-tell during Thursday’s meeting.” Because I thought completing the sixteen-block quilt was a stipulation to stay in the guild, I finished my quilt, including machine quilting and binding, in five days! When I presented it at show-and tell, the group dubbed me an over-achiever.
My first quilt pattern published in 2003. My first living history book, Nestled in the Blue Ridge Mountains, was published in 2008.
I am sentimental, and it shows on my quilt labels. The history of a quilt is important. Future generations should have information about the person who designed and created each quilt. Sometimes my friends laugh when I work on a label, often reminding me that it doesn’t need to be as long as a book.
Several quilting articles about my work, by Texas author, Gilda V. Bryant have appeared in quilting magazines, including:
Quilt World, “Luscious Labels,” January 2002
Quilter’s World, “TLC For Antique Quilts,” Dec. 2005
Piecework, “Rescuing Antique Blocks,” September/October 2006
From 2004 – 2012, I entered my quilts, photos, baskets, scrapbooks, literary work, and other designs into numerous shows, contests, and competitions. Here is a list of awards, winnings and recognitions:
2012 – “13-Year President’s Quilt” was featured in “Quilts of the Appalachian East” at the National Quilting Museum of Paducah, Kentucky. Only eleven quilts from a five-state area made it through the juried process and were featured in this show.
2012 – “Lighthouse Cottage by the Sea” and “13-Year President’s Quilt” juried into the American Quilter’s Society Quilt Show in Paducah, Kentucky.
2012 – Women in the Arts Recognition Award from DAR State of Virginia.
2012 – Second in Nationals, NSDAR American Heritage Contest, Category: Fiber Arts, Wall Hanging Machine Quilted on “The First Thanksgiving”.
2011 – Old Church Gallery Quilt Guild Quilt Show in Floyd, VA (Linda Fiedler Show Chairman), Honorable Mention on “Woven through Time” and second place on “Carousel Charm.”
2011 – “American Heritage Inspirational Award” from DAR State of Virginia. This award was given to a DAR who taught another “daughter” how to create and produce her own design.
2011– DAR Historic Preservation Recognition Award.
2011 – NC Basket Maker’s Association Convention, Blue ribbon winner, Category: Ribbed General.
2011 – NC Basket Maker’s Association Convention, Third place, Category: Novice.
2011 – Second in Nationals, NSDAR American Heritage Contest, Category: Crafts, Dolls (Misc.) on “Santa Goes Fishing.”
2011 – Third in Nationals, NSDAR American Heritage Contest, Category: Crafts, Misc. Crafts (scrapbooking) on “McNeil Family Reunion—50 Years of Memories.”
2011 – Third in Nationals, NSDAR American Heritage Contest, Category: Fiber Arts, Embroidery on “Easter Finery.”
February 17, 2011 – Virginia Tech 6th Annual Author’s Recognition Day.
2010 – “Bringing Continental Congress to Floyd Courthouse Chapter” (a PowerPoint presentation created by Linda Haney and Camelia Elliott) received four Virginia state awards: Best PowerPoint Program, Best District VII Program, 2nd Place Membership Program, 2nd Place
2010 Outstanding Virginia Program. 2010 – Virginia DAR State Conference Award presented to Floyd Courthouse Chapter for “First Place Utilization of the Computer” (group award that I played a big role in).
2010 – First Place in Farm Bureau Photo Contest, Category: Landscape Rural Life.
2010 – Second Place in Nationals, NSDAR American Heritage Contest Fiber Arts Contest: Quilting Category on “Nestled in the Blue Ridge Mountains: Pictorial Expressions on Fabric.”
2010 – NSDAR Second Place in Eastern Division (competing against six states) American Heritage Fiber Arts Contest: Knitting Category on “Hues of Blue.”
2010 – NSDAR Third Place in Eastern Division (competing against six states) American Heritage Fiber Arts Contest: Embroidery Category on “ABC Sampler.”
2010 – Old Church Gallery Quilt Guild Quilt Show in Floyd, VA (Linda Fiedler Show Chairman) second place on “Easter Finery” and third place on “13 Year President’s Quilt.”
2010 – Virginia DAR State Conference Award, Best Cultural Events winner for “Camelia’s 5 Day/4 Night Quilting Retreat.”
2010 – Virginia DAR State Conference Award, Outstanding Support for Women’s Issues on “What to Expect during a Breast Biopsy.”
2010 – Virginia DAR State Conference Award, Second Place – Health – Women’s Issues Essay Contest for “What to Expect during a Breast Biopsy.”
2010 – Mid-Atlantic Quilt Festival (Peter Mancuso Show Chairman) Blue Ribbon on “13- Year President’s Quilt.”
2009 – Old Church Gallery Quilt Guild Quilt Show in Floyd, VA (Linda Fiedler Show Chairman), Viewer’s Choice, second place on “Faith’s 180 Hour Heirloom Dress” and third place on “Not So Scared Crow.”
2008 – Virginia Farm Bureau Photo Contest, third place at the state competition, on Ode to the American Farmer out of 136 entries in four categories.
2008 – Virginia Farm Bureau Photo Contest, first place in Floyd County, Virginia on Ode to the American Farmer.
2008 – First place/blue ribbon at Floyd County Fair Homecoming and Harvest Festival, Photography, Category: Wildlife.
2008 – Mountain Comforts Quilt Show in Ferrum, VA (Lucy Ricardo Show Chairman), Runner Up on “Fan Set in Lover’s Knot.”
2007 – Mountain Comforts Quilt Show in Ferrum, VA (Lucy Ricardo Show Chairman), Honorable Mention on “Crazy about Horses.”
2007 – First place/blue ribbon at Floyd County Fair Homecoming and Harvest Festival, Photography, Category: Jamboree.
2006 – Accepted into a juried exhibit at Trinity Fellowship Church with part of the proceeds going to the building fund.
2005 – First place/blue ribbon out of 138 entries in the Amarillo, Texas Tri-State (Texas, New Mexico, Oklahoma) Fair Photography Exhibit.
2005 – Mountain Comforts Quilt Show in Ferrum, VA (Lucy Ricardo Show Chairman), Honorable Mention on “Nestled in the Blue Ridge Mountains.”
2004 – Mountain Comforts Quilt Show in Ferrum, VA (Lucy Ricardo Show Chairman), Blue Ribbon on “McNeil Family Quilt.”
2004 – Old Church Gallery Quilt Guild Quilt Show in Floyd, VA (Linda Fiedler Show Chairman), Blue Ribbon on “McNeil Family Quilt.”
2004 – Second place at Ogallala Quilt Festival in Dimmitt, Texas in category: Pieced/Two Person (large size) on “McNeil Family Quilt.”
2004 – Fat Quarter Silver Dollar Award Winner (fifty shiny gold dollars wrapped in a fat quarter and sponsored by a local business for their favorite quilt) at Ogallala Quilt Festival in Dimmitt, Texas.
2004 – Finalist in Photographer’s Forum Magazine/24th Annual College Photography Contest. Finalist included the top 5% of entries submitted. There were 31,000 photos submitted to this contest.
2003 – Honorable Mention in the Amarillo, Texas Tri-State (Texas, New Mexico, Oklahoma) Fair Photography Exhibit.
After 2012, I focused on quilting retreats, reupholstering vintage family furniture, and refurbishing our historic home.