A lucrative County Fair

The County Fair was good to me!  I almost feel like an Olympic athlete: I have a medal count.  Those little ribbons that I covet have graced me multiple times this year.

The haul

Three blue ribbons (yay!!!)
Two second place red ribbons (still a big deal!)
Two lovely quilts that got lots of pairs of eyes on them (but no ribbons, alas)

Back in June, I set my aspirations to enter ten items into the fair.  Well, I managed to get seven things entered, and that seems darn good to me.  And, I was richly rewarded by the judges--just a bonus to all that hard work.

Ribbon-worthy

Oakie scored big-time for me, as three of my entries were about him.

Oakie's award-winning summer duds

1: Doll (or stuffed animal), outfit only
For this entry, I made a new visor (Oakie's old one got lost in a hurricane in Florida) and matching board shorts (swim trunks?)  I looked for a small-scale Hawaiian print, but settled on a tiny fishy print as being appropriate to the garments.

The board shorts were a bit challenging, especially since Oakie doesn't really have legs, just lower flippers.

I may revise the design a bit, if I make another pair, but these have enough design details to "ooh" and "aah" over: drawstring ties that emerge from grommet holes (embroidered); mock fly stitching; and seams that are top-stitched to resemble ready-to-wear styles.

2.  Doll accessory
I already blogged about Oakie's backpack, and it went on to win a blue ribbon.

Even without that pesky lining that I (wisely) decided not to add in.

3.  Doll clothes, woven
I think the "doll clothes, knit" category really means a garment you knit or crochet.  This category is for clothes that are sewn, but the doll (or stuffed penguin!) is not wearing the garment.

Oakie's dress attire (sailor suit) that I completed for last summer's Alaskan cruise won a red ribbon.

4.  Toy, book or game
I wonder how the judges manage this category, since it can be so broad.  In years past I have entered cloth books and a large "quiet cube" (like a quiet book, but in a big block shape).  I entered the Nancy Drew mystery block that I completed for a blog hop in March.

 My stitching was not the neatest in the world, but I won a red ribbon.

5.  Any holiday-themed item
My final blue ribbon was for a textile item featuring Santa's sack.

Can't show it to you yet, because it is my surprise for the HoHoHo blog hop.  Check back soon for more details!

Blue Ribbon @ the Fair!

My friend Dwynn spilled the beans in an email to me, but I went to the County Fair today (on the last day) and saw that I won a Blue Ribbon for my tote bag!  Category: any recycled article.

Also, since I didn't have any pictures of it from before, the queen-size quilt I entered in the Fair.

Largest quilt I have ever made (big difference for me between twin size and queen size).  Scrappy Christmas prints, made from fabric my sister-in-law gave me when she moved.  The pattern is called Circle of Friends from Miss Rosie's Quilt Co (a 2006 pattern); taught in a class at Something to Crow About, and the first time I used Triangle Paper to make half-square triangles.  At one point, the partially completed quilt top was hanging in my classroom, and I calculated 1,440 individual pieces.  That count was before the side borders, which are more half-square triangles.  A three-year labor of love, I gave this away as a Christmas present (to my dear sister-in-law).

Category: quilt, amateur pieced, machine professionally quilted (by Quiltmasters, in an adorable snowflake pattern).  There were at least ten quilts entered in this category.  Stiff competition - there are some great quilters in Lane County.  So, imagine my surprise that my quilt got an Honorable Mention ribbon.  I am quite pleased.  I think it's a darn pretty quilt.

And just like that, the Fair is over.  I am dreaming of next year already...  Creativity never sleeps.

Maximizing a novelty flamingo print

 Subtitle: Monthly Color Challenge, November 2020

I joined the 2020 Monthly Color Challenge, a free Block of the Month party hosted by Patterns by Jen, specifically because of this year's color theme: birds. 

You see, I had this fabulous flamingo print that I wanted to feature.  I had a plan.  Those flamingos were gonna pop up all over the sampler blocks.  And they are destined to play a starring role in the overall setting I have chosen for putting the blocks together.

Bought this particular flamingo print eons ago.  And I used it to make a square dancing outfit.  (Because square dance outfits can be extra like that.)  Even entered that flamingo outfit into the county fair.  (Because I am crazy in chasing after blue ribbons, and you won't win any if you don't enter.  So I enter lots of things.)

 

 

Yep, won that Blue Ribbon

So, these flamingos did not end up appearing in August's pink block.  I used a different flamingo print... And I feel kinda bad about it.

Which might have been why I used the flamingo fabric in November's block.  Color: BUFF.  Bird inspiration: buff-breasted sandpiper.

How, you ask?  Well, with fussy-cutting, of course.  Although the prescribed pieces in November's block could not be cut cleanly from just the background of my flamingo print, I was able to piece delicate 4-patch sections, showing faint palm trees and clouds against a creamy sky background.  If you read my previous review of this year's blocks, I have already used fussy-cutting in January and May to get the colors I wanted in each block.  Just one way to make my existing fabric stash work--I consider this the challenge part of Monthly Color Challenge.

And paired with another metallic (a sub-theme for me this year).

November Monthly Color Challenge: buff

Thanks for visiting!  Be sure and go check out the other bloggers who are showing off their November blocks.

Stephanie of Quilt'n Party

Becca of Pretty Piney

Sarah of Sew Joy Creations

Alla of rainbows. bunnies. cupcakes (that's me!) 

Kathryn of Dragonfly's Quilting Design Studio

Kathy of Kathy's Kwilts and More

Kris of Scrap Dash

Joanne of Everyone Deserves a Quilt

And did you know there are SPONSORS?  Link up your block at the end of the month (to Jen's linky party) and you might win something from one of these generous donors (these are the 4th quarter sponsors--prizes will be awarded in January 2021)

Sponsors October thru December

Said With Love - PDF Pattern

For the Love of Geese - PDF Pattern

P & B Textiles - Fabric Bundle

Quilters Dream Batting - 60" x 60" Dream Blend

Warm Company - 45" x 60" Warm and Plush

Warm Company - Light Steam and Seam 2

Island Batik - 3 1/2 yards of assorted fabrics

Patterns By Jen - Superior Thread S-Fine 50

Patterns By Jen - PDF Pattern

 Go get this month's pattern directly from Jen--it's free until the end of November.

Oakie has a backpack!

Started a completely new project, just in time for County Fair (entry due date: July 15th).  Made a tiny backpack for our intrepid traveling penguin, Oakie.  I had this planned for the past year, but had to wait for Oakie to come back from visiting his other parent on the East Coast.  (You know, because of fit issues.)

So. Darn. Cute.

My Method

backpack in blue buffalo check

First, let me give a shout-out to my mother, who sewed wardrobes of Barbie clothes all those years ago.  I now have a much greater appreciation of the patience needed to sew tiny details.  Thanks, Mom!


I measured across Oakie's back to estimate the size of backpack he could accommodate.  It was about 3" wide.  I had a commercial pattern for a children's backpack, McCall's 628.  The backpack to be made using that pattern ended up being about 12" wide when finished.  So I needed to make Oakie's pattern 1/4 of the original size.

Brilliant idea: use a 1" = 1/4" scale by transferring the measurements of the pattern from a 1" grid (like the one on my cutting mat!) to a 1/4" grid (most pads of graph paper use a 1/4" scale).

Original pattern piece

Miniature pattern piece

When using this method, transfer each pattern piece without seam allowances, then add your desired seam allowance back to the smaller piece.  Also, I had to determine how much turn-down would be needed for the casing, as I was certainly not going to use 3/4" elastic.

I wanted to mix fabrics, but the available space is so tiny!  Managed to fussy-cut the smallest dinosaurs for the flap and pocket; the pocket itself is lined with a green plaid (visible as trim along the top of the pocket); the back of the backpack is a blue/black mini-check (which was also supposed to be the lining, but really: lining?!); the straps are a mini polka-dot ribbon; and a coordinating yellow bias trim accents the flap.  Whew!  I think that counts as mixing fabrics.

Wish I had taken more photos before he left for the fair.  Alas, our boy is in the capable hands of the County Fair personnel.  I will go visit him next week and see if his tiny backpack has won a ribbon.  (Just wish that "cuteness" was one of the judging criteria.)

County Fair here I come...

Just did my online entries for the Lane County Fair.  Fair is not until August, and I entered four items.  Here's my not-so-secret confession: only one of those items is finished as we speak.  I use the Fair deadline as a way to motivate myself to finish sewing projects, and it usually works.  My problem every year is that I have so many works in progress (WIP's), as well as so many creative ideas for new projects, that it is nearly impossible for me to narrow my focus.  Well, I have announced my narrowed focus: those three new projects, which need to be delivered for judging by August 5th.

 

Just to show off a bit, this is an entry from last year's Fair: a two-piece square dance dress from a not-too-loud flamingo and palm tree print.  Surprisingly, it won a blue ribbon.  Oh, how I covet those ribbons!  (And feel silly for getting so excited about them.)

So stay tuned for sewing updates as I get to work on those 3 promised projects.  Sneak peek: two of them are being made from my old wedding dress!

Duvet Cover finished!

Son's duvet cover is truly finished.  Buttonholes, sewn-on buttons, and all.

And really, it was not such a big deal to stitch the buttonholes.  No, they don't look perfect.  Wouldn't pass muster at the County Fair.  But I'm not trying to win a blue ribbon here, just cover my Son's bedding.

Gotta get over the need to make things *perfect*.  It really gets in the way of getting things done.