The 12-year-old year 8 pupil at Weston School won the Judge's Choice award in the primary school section of a competition organised by the Association of New Zealand Embroiderers Guild.
Entries were to be no larger than 60cm square, of fabric and thread, and hand or machine-stitched.
The theme was "Joy To The World".
Laura began work in January and finished in May.
Her entry depicted three sheep and a shepherd holding a crook.
She took the design from a Christmas card, then enlarged it and traced it on to fabric.
She sent her work away for the guilds' exhibition in Hawkes Bay, winning the award and $50 worth of beads.
An interest in embroidery and craft-work goes back generations in Laura's family.
Her grandmother, Gay Downing, of Queenstown, also won a prize; and her mother, Janine Smith, is a keen embroiderer, patchworker and doll-maker.
Embroidery was a relaxing hobby, and it was something that she could do that her brothers could not, Laura said, laughing.
She is looking forward to her framed work being returned, likely to hang in her bedroom.
Her next project involves stitching a picture of her cat, taken from a photograph.
The exhibition is being held at the Hawkes Bay Exhibition Centre until August 31.
