2007 Mary Conkel Award

Linda Schlenker


Susan and Celeste sent me some questions to help me write an article about winning the 2007 Mary Conkel Award and hopefully I will answer them in this article.

Since I have only been a guild member for the past 3 years, I was never so surprised in my whole life as when Kim announced my name as the winner of the 2007 Mary Conkel Award. I hope that I had enough presence of mind to say "Thank you", but in case I didn't "Thank you". I knew Mary Conkel as Sid and Sue's mother. I grew up about 3 miles north of Conkel's farm and rode the same school bus as Sid and Sue, but sadly I don't have any specific memories of Mary herself.

Yes, I am one of those rare people who were actually born and raised on a farm near Ankeny and still live in the country. I graduated from ISU in computer science and have worked for the State of Iowa for the past 35 years. Currently I manage Windows web servers for the Department of Administrative Services. Other than work and quilting, I read and watch too much TV. I have 2 dogs and 7 cats to care for, and lawn mowing is an endless summer task .

Sewing and quilting have always been a part of my life. It is a heritage of my Mother's family that has been passed along from generation to generation along with a strong 4-H tradition. I was not allowed to use the sewing machine until I was ten when I made a purple paisley apron for 4-H. However when it came to quilt making, my Mom and Grandma thought my first quilt should be hand pieced, so I hand pieced 9-patches—enough for a full+ size quilt. It is actually a comforter because it was tied not quilted. It was completed before I finished high school. Neither of the first quilted quilts I made in the late 1970's have survived. The oldest UFO I have dates from the same era. Making quilts has never been a constant passion for me, but life events like weddings tend to trigger my desire to make a quilt. My passion is more the fabric—the color, the feel, the design.

Joining the Ankeny Guild came about because the group of women I worked with all retired. My work team is now all men under the age of 40—a great bunch of guys, but I missed socializing with other women. I was going to various quilt shows and had thought about joining a quild, but didn't know anyone. Then I went to the quilt show the year that Cyndee Davis was quilt show chair-elect. I knew Cyndee thru my Aunt Donna's church and StarTrek conventions, but didn't know she quilted. So there was at least one person, I would know. I joined that September and began meeting all of you.

Linda Schlenker

The 2007 Mary Conkel Award winner, Linda Schlenker.