State Fair and Bonnie

You all know what a talented sister I have when it comes to dye -- I think there should be a category at the Fair for hand-dyed thread, but so such luck. Bonnie does lots of other things, and does them well.
She entered four things in the sewing categories: a sleeveless, drop waist, green dress, a baby cap, a vest, and a large bag. Bonnie got blue ribbons on the first three and a red on her bag. The vest wasn't displayed so that one could tell it was made of a pair of jeans, a bandanna and a bit of lace. The jeans are turned upside down and the legs become the front and back of the vest, with the bandanna acting as a yoke. The waistband of the jeans is the waistband of the vest and the button is still there -- of course the zipper is gone (it would zip the wrong way anyway). Her bag is another pair of jeans with the legs cut off, it's also fully lined. The judges left it unbuttoned and with the fly open!!

Bonnie crochets (left handed, amazing to me!) and entered a washcloth and matching hanging towel set, a really,really long scarf, and a baby afghan. Two blues and a white on that lot. I think the baby afghan is really pretty, but I guess it must be too plain for the judges. Plain is good for babies because when they do those things babies do, it can go into the washer and into the dryer and still look just like new.

As I mentioned, Bonnie dyes things. The judges liked her tie-dye on this rayon caftan-shirt and showed it with a pretty blue ribbon. Me too -- I got some thread the same colors!

State Fair and the Family!

Don't look for any tatting here! These are things that my nieces and Dad entered in the fair. I belong to a talented family -- yeah, I really, really do.

Nicole, who's eight, entered her tie-dyed dress in the Creative Arts. She didn't make the dress, but did the fold and dye herself. She competes in the Junior category, which is up to age 14. She got a pretty red ribbon for her entry. She was disgusted that they never give the "big ribbons" to kids.

Allix entered her pottery in the Creative Arts section. Because she's 15 she has to compete with the adults. She got a first on her blue pinch pot vase (which looked purple under the lights at the Fair!), a second on both her coil/pinch pot and her sgraffito (at least I think that's what she called it) box. Her turtle pile sculpture, which got a first place in the County Fair, got a third place ribbon at the State Fair. All-in-all, she did really well.
Allix did get to compete in the junior section in the Home Arts, because that is up to age 17. She did this really nice cross-stitched bookmark. It's the first thing she's ever cross-stitched and she changed one of the books at the bottom so the spine read "Inkheart" which is what she happened to be reading at the time. She got a first place on it. Pretty impressive for a first piece!

Dad welds. He always welded, but before he retired it was for fixing and making useful things. When he retired, his welding became fanciful. Now he makes birds and dragons, and lizards and snakes (we don't mention the cat). This year he entered two pieces in Creative Arts, one in Over 18 Inches and one in Under 18 Inches. The Over 18 inches bird is about two feet tall and made of semi-truck parts, an old shovel, a piece of saw blade, washers, rebar, and ball bearings. He had some trouble with the paint sprayer, and this one was too big for the tiny brushes he uses on the little birds, so he left it. He got a second place ribbon on the big bird and a first place of the little bird, which is made of a spoon bowl, three spoon handles, little ball bearings and other odds and ends.

See? Aren't they a talented trio? Just say, "Yes!"

Learning a new Technique

Roll tatting seems to be all over the tatting blogs these days. That's means it's time to learn. I borrowed Mary Konior's book "Tatting Patterns" from a friend lucky enough to have it. One of her fragments patterns is called Almond. It's got roll tatting and bare threads. I started with a partially filled shuttle and it was going okay, until I ran out of thread. Drat. I wound on a bunch of thread and started again. Do you know it's very nearly impossible to unpick roll tatting (even if you cuss)? I had the ring partly open but broke the thread anyway. Okay. Start again. Ta-da! Not perfect, a little lumpy, but finished. Coincidentally, the thread worked out so both end rings are red and purple and the colors are on opposite sides. I thought that was really a nice touch. This is my sister's dark and light rainbow hand-dyed thread -- the Almond is small enough that it ended up being all dark rainbow! Makes it look like I very nearly know what I'm doing. Oh, and the magic threads worked a treat -- the ends just disappeared.
Thank you to all of the tatters who have gone before me and blazed the trail to roll tatting -- where I could see it. I learned a lot from them -- like the roll has to transfer just like the ds!

Ribbons from the Fair - part 16

One last entry -- this is my mini-doily. It's made with YLI machine quilting thread in a very subtle variegated blue/green/purple called "Alaskan Twilight". It measures just 3.75 inches (9.5 cm) across. I've posted this one before -- sometime in June. It was intended originally as an ornament cover -- but I took it traveling without the ornament and made too many repeats. It's Iris Niebach's "Beatrice" from Tatted Doilies. They have a category in the fair for "coasters" so I entered it there. It impressed someone because it also got a nice sweepstakes Big Ribbon.
The stuff that gets sweepstakes goes into the running for "Best of Show." You want to see what got best of show in the lace area? Of course you do! It's this beautiful piece of bobbin lace made in what looks like size zillion thread -- it's also framed by etched mirror with a clear center so the lace can show through. It's so covered with ribbons it's hard to see -- there's a blue, high blue, sweepstakes, judge's choice and best of show -- and the prize of a pottery casserole dish. Pretty nice, eh?
(Oh, that swirl on the tag is my doing -- I didn't think it was nice to show someone else's name without her permission -- even if I did show her work.)

Ribbons from the Fair - part 15

Back in early May I made this pendant (using ideas from Jon Yusoff) which I gave to my sister for her birthday. She never really nagged about matching earrings, but she did mention it ...oh... about forty-'leven times! There was a category for jewelry sets (two or more pieces and a pair of earrings counts as one piece) at the Fair. Good excuse to make those matching earrings. They are also made with the Oren Bayan multi-colored metallic thread and size 15 seed beads. They're supposed to look like leaves.

I don't know if the judges saw leaves, liked the color or exactly what -- but these got a sweepstakes ribbon. (wheeeee -- one of the Big Ribbons!) They're going to the State Fair, where they will compete against other multi-media jewelry, not with the tatting. It'll be interesting to see how they "fair" in that venue.

Ribbons from the Fair - part 14

Jubiloso* by Yarnplayer is an incredible pattern. It looks really complicated -- but it's rings and chains, and well within the beginner's grasp. It's the wonderful way she's put all those rings and chains together that makes this such a beautiful piece. I chose Lizbeth size 20 in Light and Medium Sea Green. This is what I worked on in the car while on vacation this July. No beads to fuss with, nothing so complicated I couldn't enjoy the scenery -- it was a pleasure to work on. My only beef with it is the dozen single motifs. Effective, very effective -- but all those thread ends! I used magic threads throughout, even going to far as to cut off part of one row and start over, because I'd forgotten to put them in. It turned out really well and just over 10 inches in diameter. It also got a high blue ribbon. I'm entering this one in the State Fair, too!

*Anyone interested in obtaining the pattern for Jubiloso should go to Yarnplayer's Etsy shop, and inquire of her if it still available for purchase.

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!)