The biggest event of the year in my little rural area is the county fair. Because I live in a rural area that still has farms, there are always a lot of 4-H events in which kids show off the animals they've raised that year. There are horses, cows, pigs, sheep, goats, llamas, poultry and rabbits on show, with their proud owners standing by to give their pet pig a bath just before the judging. There are rides, all sorts of foods, displays of baking, canning and crafts from photography to handwork, music, a tractor pull and a pig scramble (put a dozen women and greased pigs in a small area and stand back), etc. It's lots of fun. I usually take a quick visit to the poultry and rabbit displays and look at the hand crafts and this year I took a few photos. The rabbit was one of the few awake when I ran through the exhibit this year early one morning.
Sadly there isn't much needlepoint on display. There never is. What you see is one piece of needlepoint (the blue purse) with a lot of crewel and cross stitch. The counted thread piece two pictures to the left of the purple ribbon one is a Berlin woolwork-style counted thread design done on black Aida over one. It was quite pretty, although very hard to see in the photo.
There is a lot of crewel and knitting in this photo, actually more crewel than I've seen in years.
and at http://chstitchguides.blogspot.com
Sadly there isn't much needlepoint on display. There never is. What you see is one piece of needlepoint (the blue purse) with a lot of crewel and cross stitch. The counted thread piece two pictures to the left of the purple ribbon one is a Berlin woolwork-style counted thread design done on black Aida over one. It was quite pretty, although very hard to see in the photo.
There is a lot of crewel and knitting in this photo, actually more crewel than I've seen in years.
One of the two Best in Show purple ribbons (one is given out in each age group, the quilt winner is in the Over Sixty Age category) is the quilt in the center of the piece. The hand quilting pattern was beautifully done but it doesn't show up in the photo. Sadly, there are fewer quilts this year than usual but there is much more knitting.
Another better shot of the Best quilt plus a very nice counted thread piece frame to its left. I ran into the counted thread piece's stitcher. It is this design from Darleen O'Steen who lives over the mountain from us in the D.C. suburbs.
Here's a better look at the other Best in Show piece, SharonG's Blue Purse. Watson is inspecting the ribbons when I brought it home when the fair ended. Yes, the piece is under glass.
My first Best in Show ribbon! I wore it on the front of my t-shirt all day.
Written by Jane/Chilly Hollow
Blogging at http://chillyhollownp.blogspot.com
and at http://chstitchguides.blogspot.com
20 comments:
Ooooh congratulations, Jane!!!
Congratulations on your ribbon! It must be County Fair season all over the U.S. Hayden Hitchcock ( the new member I added to the Facebook group) sent me photos of his County Fair entry and I was hoping he would post them. The judging is taking place today, so maybe he's waiting for results.
Congratulations Jane, it is beautiful and the ribbon well deserved. Did you bring the bunny home?
Thanks, Palma. No, I didn't bring the bunny home. I just took lots of bunny pictures for my nieces who have pet rabbits. Watson would love to have a bunny but the bunny wouldn't much like him!
Yes, August and September are county and state fair months. It's harvest time then and these were rural farm fairs in the beginning. My mother (who's almost 89) told me she used to sit in the ticket booth with her father as he took entrance money at their tri-county fair. This has to be in the 1930s and fairs have been around much earlier than that. By the way, I've got my fingers crossed for Hayden!
Jane,
Congratulations on the Best In Show! It's beautiful, but I must confess I just love seeing pictures of Watson.
Deby
Watson is flattered he has a fan in Deby. Thanks!
wow Jane! best in show! Congratulations
Congratulations, Jane! My dogs wouldn't be nearly as interested in your ribbons as Watson was. They'd just want to know what I brought them. Way to go on a very well deserved accomplishment.
Thank you for sharing your beautiful piece. I wonder how many of us 'do' needlepoint but never think of the long term benefits of entering a piece. If we show our work, we inspire others and drive the market to create more opportunities for us to shop ☺
Beautiful job, Jane! Congratulations on the ribbon.
Jane, below is a link to the oriental quilt that was at the Maryland State Fair this year - it was wonderful, and made me think of you.
http://www.facebook.com/marylandstatefairquilts#!/photo.php?fbid=243427849034285&set=pu.211071668936570&type=1&theater
Wow, BIG WIN at the County Fair! I'm impressed, but then again I am always impressed and inspired by your work. CONGRATULATIONS Jane!!
A Blue Ribbon!!! Hurray for Jane!!!
Goldy, thanks much for the link to the Geisha Quilt. I'd looked for it because your comment made me curious but failed to find it. It's a real beauty and HUGE. Lots of hand applique and hand quilting on it, too. It's an amazing amount of skilled work.
Whitney, Watson thought the needlepoint **was** the gift I brought him from the fair. I expect he would have preferred a bunny, though. Dogs, we spoil them!
Many thanks to everyone for the nice compliments. It's fun to win, even at the local level, but it is even more important to enter local fairs so that folks know there is needlepoint around. It's part of keeping our craft alive in my opinion.
Jane--Congrats on the ribbons!
You really should enter more things at the county fair, AND consider entering things in the ANG exhibit. I bet they would do well!
Carol S.
Congratulations! You must have done this one in the middle of the night as I don't remember seeing it before!
Pat, I think I stitched the SharonG blue purse in 2007. It's been a while, anyway. Carol, I have entered the ANG exhibit before and taken home a blue ribbon, but generally don't because so many of my pieces are models or gifts now. I rarely have one I can send.
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