Dominating at the Fair!

This was the first year that I have entered any non-4-H items in the Fair. I have meant to for the last 3 years, but kept missing the entry deadline! So, I had given quite a bit of thought to what I wanted to take, and this year--I did it!

Well almost!

There were several things that I had planned to enter that I was not able to for a variety of reasons:
1. My garden did not cooperate.
2. I didn't read the requirements thoroughly.
3. There was one category where everything had to be entered between 2 and 6 pm on Sunday (yesterday). HOWEVER--since the county fair is in the town 20 miles North, and Church is in the town 20 miles South--and since we had unexpected family come into town, and so we we had a spontaneous family dinner and then I had a Primary Presidency Meeting--that just didn't happen.

Which means that out of the 24 items that BigGirl and I planned to enter between us (I told you I had been saving up!)--which includes her 4-H quilt project and the other baby quilt she made with the Aunties, which she entered in Open Class, we actually entered 14. All of them were valuable learning experiences--including the ones that did not place because I didn't read, understand or follow the rules correctly, or that I just didn't have enough experience to know that "display of 5 each of 3 types of peppers" does NOT mean put them on a paper plate--it means make an artistic display!

Not everything has been judged yet, but one of BigGirl's 2 scarecrows came in third--despite the fact that I switched the entry tags, so it was competing in the wrong competition!

Poor, mislabeled Ninja Scarecrow!

We did well on lots of other things--1st place on my Lavender in Herbs (although the judges note on my red basil said "not REAL Basil!"), 1st place for my Kohlrabi--although that only had 1 other competitor! No surprise to anybody who has tried "Darcy's Can't Leave 'Em Alone Bars" that they came first in the "Make it with Mixes" category.

The two things I am proudest of however--the dress I sewed for my niece's baptism, which I made from a beautiful vintage linen tablecloth came in second (up against some VERY stiff competition!), and my awesome hat not only got a blue ribbon--it got Best in Class!!!

Because BigGirl had Girls Camp the week that they did sewing judging, her quilt was not eligible to place, but she got an honorable mention, and she got 2nd place overall for her demonstration (and a gift card instead of a trophy, which made her very happy!)

All in all--Pretty Darn Good for not really knowing what the heck we were doing! And now we have plans for next year--and a total "Aunt Jeanne style" Fair domination!

OOOHH! New Wool!

I have, in the last year and a half, become something I had never dreamed of becoming: A Fiber Fanatic.

I have always been fascinated by spinning and weaving. I remember watching a demonstration at the library by the local Spinners & Weavers Guild when I was very young. The thing I remember the most vividly is that one of the women had a spinning wheel that looked nothing like those I had seen in pictures--it was small and I think it was homemade, and the wheel was solid (it did not have spokes like a wagon wheel or the spinning wheel in Sleeping Beauty)and she had tole-painted ivy around it. It captured my imagination. I also remember a display the guild had of wool felt that they had helped elementary children dye with Kool-Aid and make into felt.

I always planned on learning to spin and weave as my "empty nest" pursuits. However, over the course of the last several years, I have realized that SmallDaughter will probably never leave the nest, so I needed to adjust my plan!

After a display by our local Spinners and Weavers Guild at an (awesome!) Heritage Days event, where not only I, but all of my children were fascinated by the looms and wheels, I thought about learning again. I was talking to someone at church, who casually mentioned, "Well, have you talked to W about it? She's into all that stuff." I went and talked to the aforementioned W, and she was thrilled to have someone who was interested. She very graciously (and excitedly!) helped me get set up with a wheel of my own, wool, instructions, and a guild membership!

WARNING!

Working with fibers is HIGHLY ADDICTIVE!

We now have our own little "Fiber Arts Nuts" group. We get together every other week to work on spinning, knitting, crochet, felting or whatever other creative thing we are working on, then we eat yummy food. It is nourishment for the soul--body and mind! I have learned so much, and the kids LOVE it, too!

Dear W loves to get things to share, and when she saw a needle-felting hat making set on sale for half price she got it for me. Wow! Needle Felting is AWESOME!
Super easy, good for working out your stress and aggravation!

http://hookedonfelt.com/

I have 2 adorable hats completed, and 2 that I am in progress on.

Yesterday, when the F.A.N.s got together, W had a bag of the most luscious, bright candy apple red, super soft merino wool roving--just for me!!! It was so soft and silky I had to start spinning some RIGHT THEN, but most of it will be turned into hats.

I will report on our gorgeous easter egg dye experiment later (yes, it dyes wool, yes, it is super easy, yes, it is addictive!)