"Use Your Words" Embroidery Contest: Meet the Judges!

The Prudent Baby "Use Your Words" Embroidery Contest has closed for entries, and now we must get to work judging each beautiful creation. This is an arduous task, as we wish every single person could win, so we asked some fabulous crafty web & sewing gurus to help us score. Perhaps you've heard of Sublime Stitching? Or Design Mom? Meet them and all eight fabulous judges who will be poring over the embroidered treasures.

Each judge will assign entries a score of 1-5 in each of the following categories (with each category getting 25% weight): Originality, Style, Workmanship, and Presentation. The Prudent Mama with the top score will win the amazing Brother Project Runway Limited Edition LB-6800PRW Sewing and Embroidery Machine! Who are the crafty creative ladies and gentlemen who will be assisting us in the arduous task of judging your gorgeous entries? Let us introduce them...

Meet the Judges after the jump, say "hi" in the comments, and be sure to check out their amazing websites...

Jenny Hart, Sublime Stitching

Jenny Hart is an artist, author, and the founder of Sublime Stitching. She has written several titles on embroidery including "Embroidered Effects". Hart's work in embroidery has been exhibited internationally, and has been featured in Spin, Juxtapoz, Vogue, Nylon, Bust and others. In 2012 her work in embroidery will be included in a 40-year retrospective at the Renwick Gallery of the Smithsonian American Art Museum and become a part of its permanent collection. Visit her at jennyhart.net and sublimestitching.com.

Gabrielle Blair, Design Mom

Gabrielle is a designer and mother of six (her new addition was born last May). Her family is spending a year abroad in France. She posts on where design and motherhood intersect at her award-winning site, Design Mom.

Carrie McBride, OhDeeDoh

When not online helming the Ohdeedoh ship (where she is Managing Editor), Carrie can be found with her son trying to break the record for most hours logged in Brooklyn's playgrounds. She's also a lapsed librarian, slapdash sewer and doughnut lover.

Doug Kreinik, Kreinik Thread

Doug Kreinik is the owner of Kreinik Manufacturing Company, Inc, his family’s thread business that will soon celebrate 40 years of involvement in the creative industries. The company offers a variety of silk and metallic threads for hand and machine embroidery, plus real metal threads and iron-on fibers for embellishments. The threads are used in needlepoint, cross stitch, knitting, crochet, tatting, scrapbooking, embellishing, sewing, quilting, surface embroidery, felting, Hardanger, blackwork, card making, jewelry, costuming, fashion, and even fly fishing. The manufacturing facility in Parkersburg, West Virginia, USA is always buzzing with the production of braids, ribbons, filaments, trims, and cords. A fiber expert, Doug has “talked threads” on television, at trade and consumer shows, taught classes, and lectured all over the world, plus served on needlework, art and community boards.

Debbie Hicks, Too Cute Embroidery

Debbie is the Creator of Cuteness behind Too Cute Embroidery. She has been creating machine embroidery designs for the past eight years in addition to being an avid quilter and crafter. She teaches beginning sewing classes for children, quilting and sewing classes at a local quilt shop as well as online video tutorials. She is also involved in many community service projects and loves to reach out to others going through difficulties in their lives, stitching over 100 quilts for chemo patients, children in need, tragedy victims, animal shelters, and soldiers injured in Iraq.

Scott Goodman (a.k.a. Great Scott), Kneedle.com

Scott Goodman is president and founder of Sewing Machine Warehouse & Kneedle.com (and the man who taught me how to use an embroidery machine). He is also an instrument-rated pilot and flies a Cirrus SR20. On winter Sundays, Scott (an EMT) serves with National Ski Patrol at Mountain High rescuing injured skiers and snowboarders. He is actively involved as a first responder with L.A. Fire CERT (Level 3) and American Red Cross. Check out 2011 "Designs in Machine Embroidery" magazine editions for his "Great Scott!" column. Very happily married to the lovely Victoria, their home is in the Hollywood Hills where they are frequently visited by local, deer, racoon, skunk, coyote & family members.

And of course, us, your Prudent friends Jacinda & Jaime.


We're working away on our scoring and can't wait to find out who wins! We'll let you know early next week!