Do a happy dance, do back flips, jump for joy and shout the news to quilters everywhere that Alex Anderson has been selected as the Silver Star Award winner for 2008! The Silver Star Award is given annually by the International Quilt Festival to a person "whose work and influence has made -- and continues to make -- a sizable and positive impact on the quilting industry and community."

The award dinner will be held on Saturday, November 1, 2008 during International Quilt Festival. If you are planning to go to Houston and you are a TQS member, plan now to book your ticket to the dinner. Actually, the dinner follows my concert - so you might as well plan to do the whole shebang.

Previous winners of the Silver Star Award include such legendary figures as Katie Pasquini Masopust, Marti Michell, Elly Sienkiewicz, Nancy Martin, Georgia Bonesteel, Robert Horton, Donna Wilder, Yvonne Porcella, Jean Ray Laury, Virginia Avery (see Episode 113), Jinny Beyer, Michael James, and Bonnie Leman.

More details will follow, but I simply could not keep this announcement quiet! Contratulations, Alex - I'm very proud to be partnered with you!