I recently finished Melianthus Border and entered it in the open class competition at my local county fair. It got a blue ribbon! To be fair, I think it was the only embroidered table runner and so had no competition...but it was still fun. I'm eyeing some other embroidered item categories for next year.
I finished it literally minutes before I had to submit it to the fair, so I had to wait a full week before I could bring it home and enjoy it in my house.
Your blue ribbon is well deserved - your work is lovely! You've got me thinking in a new direction. I hadn't realized that embroidery is a competitive sport, but it must be thrilling to have won a blue ribbon!