The Winners of the Name the Turtle Contest

A TRULY
AMERICAN ART
FORM

CHOOSE A
STORYBOOK QUILT
THEME

MATERIALS
AND QUALITY

WHAT IS A
STORYBOOK QUILT?

PLACING AN
ORDER

CARING FOR
YOUR QUILT

OUR HISTORY
AND VALUES

PERSONALIZE AND
CUSTOMIZE

WELCOME
to the Storybook Quilts
NAME THE TURTLE CONTEST

ANNOUNCING THE WINNERS!

In a way, it was sad to see the contest end. We will miss the excitement
of seeing the inventive names and the reasons for selecting them. Some
contestants clearly had given serious thought to this.

Entries came from all over the US and from Canada and England. Many
contestants noted that they were entering a name their child, grandchild,
niece or nephew had suggested. This is just what we had hoped -- that
a contest in the summer about a beach adventure would be a great way
to involve children in a project requiring some imagination. Winning the
turtle Storybook Quilt, we thought, also would be an unforgettable
summer experience.

We took on the difficult task of winnowing down the entries to a
manageable number, then sent these off to the judges to rank. The
results were close, except for first place — the votes for that put it way
ahead of the two names that tied for second place.

And the winners are . . .

First place: Luna, submitted by Kelly Hermann of Maine

Second place (a tie): Stitch, submitted by Barbara Randa, and Tewwy,
submitted by Jacklyn Kaup, both of Pennsylvania.

The first place winner, Kelly Hermann, husband Bob,
daughters Adia (right) and Edie

Kelly’s explanation of why she chose "Luna"
"My four-year-old daughter, Adia, became fascinated by
caterpillars and we raised two generations of the
beautiful and enchanting luna moth over the summer. You
may think that this name, ‘Luna,’ couldn’t be more
detached from an adventurous sea turtle, but sea turtle
nesting cycles appear to be based on the lunar cycle. The
name also has a gentle, soothing, soft feel in the mouth
that is perfect for a storybook creature guiding us into
an unknown adventure.”

*The top ten entries,* *in order*
Luna	"This name's inspiration comes from our family's own adventure over this summer. After expressing an almost obsessive interest in caterpillars; my 4 year old was delighted to receive a grown-up book all about them for her birthday. We were amazed at her ability to identify the different kinds and it wasn't long before we felt a more personal and meaningful experience was needed. We decided to try raising Luna moths and are currently awaiting the arrival of our first brood of caterpillars from the eggs they have laid. It has been a most fascinating journey. One which has taught us much about these delicate and mysterious and beautiful creatures. You may think, as I did at first, this name couldn't seem more detached from an adventurous sea turtle...and especially after my lengthy description above. However, I was surprised to discover the sea turtle's nesting cycles are theorized to possibly coincide with the lunar cylce, the phases of the moon. When I read this, I was reminded of our family's project and the mysterious creatures we had been studying together. It may only be my own romantic notion, but I find it believable to imagine some storybook turtle-mom; upon meeting one of her little hatchlings, deciding to call it Luna. Other noteworthy notions: It has a gentle feel in your mouth as you say it, kind of soothing and soft and comforting; perfect for a storybook creature entrusted with guiding us into this unknown adventure. It's gender-neutral-ish."
Stitch	How many stitches of colorful thread did it take to create this enchanting quilt? Every single stitch that shaped this turtle, gave strength and courage to his character. Therefore, the name "Stitch" seems very appropriate and also adds to the fluidity of the names of the other characters, Sam and Stanley.
Tewwy	After the famous pirate Thomas Tew
Murtle	I asked my 3 year old son whose whole room is filled with turtles… "If this was your turtle, what would you name him?" he said 'Murtle, like the big one at the New England Aquarium."
Tanner	I love turtles, and "Tanner" is a German name meaning "leather worker." Since one type of the great turtles of the sea is a Leatherback, this would be a good name for him even if he wasn't a Leatherback turtle.
Serena	Whenever I have seen television stories about sea turtles, they have this ancient, yet wise look in their eyes, as if they have seen and experienced everything; they have a SERENITY about them, an acceptance of all that has happened to them, and naturally this serenity has morped into the name 'Serena.' And, we all know how females, throughout history, have been helpers, assisting others.
Terry	Your story remindes me of the 1934 comic strip called "Terry and the Pirates." I believe that the name "Terry the Turtle" will work well for you turtle quilt and story.
Themba	The pattern on her shell resembles Aboriginal paintings which suggests that she is from Africa and so would have an African name. The name means trusted - something Sam clearly was willing to do in the story. Likely Themba's Mama gave her that name because she wanted her to grow up to be a very wise and trustworthy turtle.
Tobin	Tobin is a variation of Tobias, which means God is good I thought an name beginning with "T" would be good. Tobin is My grandson's name.
Destiny	It is the turtle's destiny to escape the pirates and any further obstacles. To be the heroine of the story and therefore this special turtle could have no other name but Destiny.
*Others we particularly liked*
Aldon	Because it means "old friend" which is what I think of when I think of a turtle. Besides, it sounds very "fairytale" like, and very majestic.
Caretta	This is part of the scientific name for the loggerhead sea turtle. I thought you could tell a marvelous story about the loggerhead, how she survived with the help of her friends.
Killigrew	The reason I chose the name is that Lady Killigrew was a female pirate! Since Sam is female, I thought it would be cool to have the turtle be named after a female pirate. Amazingly enough, Queen Elizabeth I liked Lady Killigrew and allowed the piracy of the Lady as long as there was little bloodshed.
Percival Shelly	Percival is seen here on a bed of shells, and it is with his strong, protective shell that he will save Sam from pirate danger. In addition, Percival comes from a long ancestry of storytellers--the poet Percival Bysshe Shelley and Mary Shelley, as well as the Arthurian fool-hero of the Grail knights. As such, Percival is an adept teller of tales and understands the mysteries of the deep sea. He will not fall into the Frankensteinian abyss of turtle destroying humankind in the name of technology, or pirates. No, Percival is a brave finder of shells, the sea's stars, and much prefers the poetry of the water, the excitement of storytelling, and the absolute beauty of all that came before him.
	My original thought was that the turtle was a male, but then decided to go against that and choose a girl's name. The turtle in the story seems very wise, so I first thought, "Sage", but didn't like that for a name, and instead, going with the herb idea, chose Rosemary, which is a name I really like.
Timothy	My son, Asa, chose "Timothy the Turtle" because it means "companion" in the Bible and the turtle is going to help the starfish and Sam find the treasure!!
Toodle	Carrying Sam on his/her back, Toodle the Turtle will really have to be able to toodle along! Also I think children will enjoy saying "Toodle the Turtle!"
Verde (Vertie)	Can be pronounced as "Vertie." Translated, this means "green" in Spanish. Just from the description of the turtle in the story it is a green sea turtle which historically has been known to be the "turtle soup" turtle which is why this species is on the endangered species list.

And the story?

Captured by Pirates! now is complete and off to the
printer. In the final version, Sam has been renamed
Adia. We also have incorporated the second place
names — the starfish is now “Stitch” and the head
pirate is named “Tewwy.”

The starfish character in the turtle and the pirates story