Slow Sunday Stitching

Welcome to the weekly meeting of the hand stitching enthusiasts! 

It is fall fair season here and I have been busy judging at various local fairs, mostly in the leisure arts divisions. It is a great work out for my brain, and I enjoy seeing what people are crafting these days.

Here are a couple of examples...

First is the category of Christmas Trees smaller than 16". My job is to examine the items submitted and award 1st, 2nd, and 3rd place ribbons.

There are 4 items in this category, which always makes me feel bad because one will not get a ribbon. Sometimes if the items are really equal in quality, I ask if I may award two 3rd place ribbons and most fairs will let me. Here we have a crochet tree, a yoyo tree, a shell tree, and a wood shaving tree. It is like comparing apples and oranges! Mostly I look for indicators of good workmanship, any concerning issues with the  construction, and visual appeal. 

Here is the "Mason jar lantern" category with 3 entries, all of which were well done. We have a decoupage with dried flowers, a painted jar, and a crochet jar cover. All were very clever and pretty, and if they are equal in workmanship I consider the time spent in creating the item and the talent and experience required to create the art piece. 

Just look at this knitted dress! So adorable and unique!
It is mostly very fun, and so invigorating to see such beautiful creations. Sometimes the larger fairs have 8 or 10 items in the category and that can be harder to judge if all the items are well made.

It is also interesting to notice which category of items are empty - no tablerunners were entered in one fair, and no mittens in another! 

And of course, there is great food! Here I am testing the lunch pies with little portions of deliciousness! My fave was the lemon meringue!

So you enter any fall fairs? Do you visit them with your friends or family?

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