Ribbons from the Fair - part 13

Thanks, Mark Myers! From a stalled bookmark to a successful baby wearable, Mark's pattern was just perfect. That pretty seahorse (without the seaweed, which I just could not get my head around) is the central decoration on this summer baby onsie. The two little fish I made up (three rings and a chain) when I was trying to figure out how to finish this off. I had thought about adding a bit of wavy blue chain above the seahorse or at the neck to represent water, but decided enough was enough. Apparently it was enough for the judges, too. This one got a blue ribbon, then was considered for sweepstakes, so it got a high blue ribbon, too.

I know three people having babies -- but they are all winter babies, so I guess I'll keep it around for a while. I can guarantee, it doesn't fit anyone in my family!

Ribbons from the Fair - part 12

I've shown this one before too -- it's Number 4 in my 25 Motif Challenge (this time around). It's modified from "Ice Crystal" from Blomqvist and Persson's Tatting Patterns and Designs. The blue ribbon on this one was a surprise -- a pleasant surprise. You see, I thought the other ornament would do better. Although I do like the red plastic ornaments better than the gold ones -- it's still a plastic ornament! It has to be the way the white really stands out on the red -- that and so many people have the idea that tatting should be white! I've decided it really IS pretty!

Ribbons from the Fair - part 11

Yes, that is Anne Bruvold's dragon -- twice. This is my dad's hat. The dragon, and harvest orange and black, were his High School's mascot and colors. I made the dragons last Fall in Lizbeth size 40, had them pinned to the hat last Winter and partially sewn on this Spring. Can you believe anything so lazy? I finally finished sewing the night before we took our entries to the Fair. They don't have any beads (not even eyes) -- because I made them for Dad! Actually, I should have made them smooth-skinned and left off lots of the picots to make them look more masculine. That's okay -- at 80 Dad says he can wear what he wants (including pink and purple tie-dye!).
I thought the hat turned out really well and Dad likes it. Turns out the Fair judges liked it too -- see that pretty blue ribbon?

Ribbons from the Fair - part 10

I've posted these earrings before -- last October. They're made with Oren Bayan multi-colored metalic thread and tiny little blue beads. Like the rest of my jewelry, they were originally entered as "Creative Arts: Jewelry-mixed media" but got moved to the Home Arts, where I could compete with myself. *sigh* These got a nice blue ribbon -- but as you can see in the first picture -- got buried under the ribbon and tags in the Fair display. (Huh, getting a ribbon's not good enough -- now I gotta have location, location, location!) Anyway, I was pretty chuffed about these, because they are my second favorite pair of earrings. (I've got a pair of heavily beaded silver ones that I wear almost every other day!)

Ribbons from the Fair - part 9

This angel is made from white button cotton and a tiny bit of Oren Bayan gold metallic thread. I can't find the pattern I used! (See? I knew there was a reason to NOT clean!) Does any one recognize the designer? I'll keep hunting through all my patterns because I want to give proper credit.

Thanks everyone -- especially Martha Ess. This is her "Marjorie's Angel" pattern.

After carefully considering the available tatting categories, I entered the angel under "Wedding Accessory." I told the people taking stuff in that it was for the flower girl's dress -- because, really I could only think of handkerchief or garter as a wedding accessory when I was looking around for what I should enter. Of course, there's a category for handkerchief (but I didn't have one anyway). Since then I've looked over some other blogs (notably Tatscool's and Lace-lovin' Librarian's) and realized there are a goodly number of things which are wedding accessories. I didn't have any of those either (like ring bearer pillows or wedding bears!).

At any rate...
The judges pinned a nice blue (that's first place) ribbon to her. Good -- 'cause I think she's perfectly lovely and is also to be sent off to my friend who's getting the Bible marker (she collects angels). Maybe she'd like the ribbons, too?

Ribbons from the Fair - part 8

Okay, I'll admit it -- this was a disappointment. *sigh* This is my original Lock Chain ornament cover pattern. It's made in DMC size 80 red and green threads with red, green, and white beads. I made a completely different bottom for it, too. I like it very much. I think my tatting was very nice as well. The comment I got on this one was that it was not spaced evenly on the ball. Oh. Well, darn. Next time I'll get out my protractor, ruler and calipers! (Yeah, that was a really mature comment.)
Just like Nicole (my 8-year-old niece) I wanted one of the BIG ribbons for this one. Humility, indeed! (I dunno where to find any of that).


Oh, I haven't posted this one before, so it's number 12 for my 25 Motif Challenge.

Ribbons from the Fair - part 7

Another bit of Bonnie's jewelry I borrowed back. I made these for her birthday last year. They are made from the thread she dyed for me and were adapted from my original pattern (for a center-ring snowflake). They didn't fit into the rings as well as they should have, but they were well-done enough to garner another red ribbon.

Who out there is snoring? Wake up! I'm not done yet.

See that gold thing on the red square over there? It got put in the case upside down. This was an experiment and I really didn't like it very well, but my niece did. I entered it for her -- and now she can have it. I don't think she will wear it, though. It really looks rather like this: The pattern is Jane Eborall's butterfly with too many beads holding it in the ring. The big mistake was the loop of size 10 beads at the bottom. I would have used the size 15 beads, but couldn't fit two strands of the thread through them! Then, too, it is yellow. It's made with Oren Bayan gold metallic thread, but it just looks yellow. So, why did I enter it in the Fair? Because it doesn't cost anything to enter stuff in the County Fair, that's why!

Ribbons from the Fair - part 6

"Delia" from Tatted Doilies by Iris Niebach. I finished this one back in May and thought it would be perfect for the Fair. I did a little more blocking on it, but I don't think it was enough. The judges didn't love it as much as I did -- they loved it second-place worth, though. That's good, but means I don't think it's going to be making the trip to the State Fair this year.
It doesn't mean I'm going to stop making Iris Niebach patterns -- they're still my favorites (in fact -- my copy of Tatting Fantasia 3 came the other day!)

Ribbons from the Fair - part 5

Julie Patterson's "Hearts and Flower Cross Bookmark "was made for a friend of mine (she's still waiting for it). You can see how it looked at the Fair -- sorta rumpled up in the case. Poor little thing (it got a smudge on it too, so I'll be washing and reblocking it). I entered it as a Wedding Accessory -- a bookmark for the bride's Bible.

That's its second place ribbon just about overpowering the bit of tatting. I'm not certain why it got that, because the comments just said "nice work." Yeah, Fair judges -- way to keep me humble. (Ooooo, I sound like a whiny brat!)

The pink background over there is what it looks like stretched out on my scanner. I don't do tassels well, and it has to be shipped off to another state. I wanted a tail that would lie flat in her Bible and not get too bent up during shipping. This one is made of button cotton in perle tatting over an inner thread, and ending with a tiny split ring cross.

Ribbons from the Fair - part 4

This is my sister's Christmas jewelry set -- made from a Yarnplayer pattern called "Dream".

I originally entered it in the "Creative Arts" section of the fair as "Jewelry - mixed media". Well, that's what it is. After we were all done, the person taking in the entries decided that tatting didn't belong in creative arts or in the jewelry. She took it all over to the "Home Arts" area and they just wrote in new tatting categories for it. *sigh* Mine was the only tatted jewelry entered, so I competed against myself. I do wish it had been left to compete with the rest of the jewelry. It will be in creative arts as mixed media jewelry for the State Fair, because they don't just write things in if they feel like it.

Bonnie used to have an inexpensive necklace with these little bells on it that she wore at Christmas. One of the girls decided that the bells would look better used another way and ...well... chopped it up. She rescued the bells, but no longer had any jewelry. With as many bells as she had, I was able to make her two sets: one red and one green.

Good thing I entered the red set -- the only green ribbons they give out at the fair are those big sweepstakes ones! Of course, red ribbons with the green set would have just looked even more Christmasy, wouldn't they?

I suppose when I give the set back to her I could give her the ribbon, too. She could tie it over her ear. ;)

Oh...I apparently need to practice my chains to because they judge said they are all inconsistent. *sigh* Actually, what I read on the note was that the "chair types were inconsistent". I looked at it blankly and thought "What chair?" Rest...I need rest.