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.

Ribbons from the Fair - part 3

The last of my not-tatting entries is this crochet baby afghan. Good thing it got a red ribbon -- none of the others would have matched. I don't really like yellow or colors with yellow tones, but this yarn practically screamed "Buy me! Buy me!" It's really soft and crocheted up in my favorite pattern (actually the only one I use for baby afghans) it looks like tropical sherbet to me. Anybody want a spoon?

This was made for another tatter who's expecting a small person to expand her family pretty soon. I couldn't send it until after the Fair -- and now I can't send it until it gets washed in some nice mild soap. Don't want Fair dirt on a new baby!

Ribbons from the Fair - part 2

Another piece of not tatting -- and I got a red ribbon (that's a second place)! Amazing for a point-and-click picture taker (no way can I use the word "photographer").

This little guy is a Monkey Face Frog. I took his picture at the California Academy of Sciences in the Rainforest exhibit. He doesn't look much like Kermit or Froggy (my favorite frogs), but he does look like he's smiling.

I'm adding him to my frog collection corner -- instead of the shelf, he's going on the wall.

Ribbons from the Fair - part 1

Okay, it's not tatting, but this is my third place piece of calligraphy. I made the paper, too -- out of old paper -- that's why it's rumply looking. It's supposed to look old.
The judge said it was entered in the wrong area and it "just broke her heart" to have to judge it against the paintings. It should have been entered in Creative Arts where it would certainly have taken top honors (uh-huh, prob'ly because there wasn't any other calligraphy entered). Well, I did try that but the Creative Arts people told me because it was framed it had to be entered in Fine Arts. The Fine Arts lady wasn't there, but her daughter who was doing the scrapbook entries took it in. Wouldn't you know...tatting and calligraphy, the forgotten (but not lost) arts. I should have learned to sew!
I don't do this often anymore, so I doubt I'll be entering any next year. That's okay. I've hung this back in my office and the wall looks finished again.

County Fair

Nothing to see here! I've been tatting but not scanning or photographing. As a matter of fact, I took my stuff to the fair without even taking pictures. I entered 18 things (not all tatting), some of which have never made an appearance on this blog. Between the four of us, we entered 43 things. We looked all over the house for things we've done in the last 3 years that have never been entered in the fair!
The fair starts tomorrow so I'll know the result then -- well, I will if I go looking. We're going to make certain we're there to see the Nitty Gritty Dirt Band (we've got tickets). We'll look at the fair stuff if there's time after that. Of course, we plan on going back on Saturday to take a leisurely look at everything. If you're in Salt Lake County: