Quilt shop promotes breast cancer awareness through contest

A local quilt shop is hoping a quilting contest leads to awareness of a huge issue facing women.

Sylvia Stewart, who owns Sylvia's Quilt Depot in Wasilla, recently held a quilt "contest" in honor of National Breast Cancer Awareness Month. And while the top prize winners haven't been announced, Stewart said everybody wins.

"Everyone who submitted a quilt will get something, but the big thing is raising awareness," she said. "That's the most important part."

Last year, Stewart had customers submit breast cancer awareness quilt blocks, which she then quilted and gave to the Mat-Su Breast Cancer Support Group.

This year, she donated a quilt that was raffled during the breast cancer awareness luncheon Oct. 4, and decided to take it one step farther and sponsor the contest.

"I like to do a display for breast cancer awareness month, and this year's we did something a little different," Stewart said.

In all, 10 quilters participated in the contest. The only rules were that the quilts be at least 36 inches square, and use a special Quilt for a Cure fabric, which is designed annually by a national fabric manufacturer.

Quilters who come into the store can cast a ballot for their favorite quilt. Stewart said all participants will receive a small gift, and the top two quilts will receive "special prizes."

Each quilt tells an important story, Stewart said.

"We have one quilt that's called 'The Road to Recovery,'" Stewart said. "And another was done by a lady who is battling breast cancer along with her sister."

The display will be up through tomorrow, when the winners will be selected and the quilts will be returned to their owners, several of whom are giving them to someone special who is fighting breast cancer.

National Breast Cancer Awareness Month runs the entire month of October.