2016 Marie White Masterpiece Award made and quilted by Janet Stone[/caption] A couple of years ago, a “very nice lady” came to Carolyn Reese, owner of Road to California, and offered to sponsor the first runner up award on two conditions: One, that she remained anonymous and Two, that Road to California call the award The Marie White Masterpiece Award.  Road gladly agreed to her terms. [caption id="attachment_3411" align="aligncenter" width="448"] 2015 Marie White Masterpiece Award made and quilted by Nancy Prince[/caption] Marie White is Carolyn Reese’s mother and a woman who was very active in the quilting and doll making world until she passed away five years ago, six weeks shy of her 93rd birthday. Marie was born in Oklahoma. One day when she was walking home from high school, a busload of young men working at a CCC depression-era camp, passed her on the road.  One of the fellows threw a Prince Albert Tobacco Can out the window with a note inside asking her for a date. That fellow was Glenn White and Marie accepted the date. Marie and Glenn were married for 57 years and had two daughters, Carolyn and Glenda. Carolyn and Marie established The Fabric Patch fabric store in 1981. Their store was featured in the third issue of American Patchwork & Quilting Magazine, making it one of the top thirty stores in the United States. Marie’s specialty was doll making. She also loved working with ribbon embroidery and crazy quilting. Two of Marie’s dolls are currently on display in a special Cloth Dolls Tell Their Story Exhibit at the Ontario Museum of History and Art.  One is a doll she created from a photograph of her mother, Oda Anderson, taken in 1934. The second doll, “Blanche” is one that Marie designed, taught classes and also sold patterns. Blanche was created in honor of Blanche Young, a well-known quilter and author, who was the teacher that started Carolyn in the quilting world. As they say, now you know “the rest of the story” regarding the first runner up award given at Road to California, The Marie White Masterpiece Award.]]>