It's Time for the County Fair!

The county fair has been a big part of my family's life for over a decade.  My daughters were all in 4-H for many years.  I was in 4-H as a child, and am still involved in it as a project superintendent.  I oversee two projects: "Consumer Clothing" (my daughter Sarah and I are co-superintendents), and  "Decorations."  Even though it has been several years since my youngest graduated out of 4-H I like to remain a part of it because it is such a great organization.  (Pardon me while I step up onto my soapbox...  4-H is not just for country kids!  In addition to all the animal projects, 4-Hers can make crafts, sew, bake, research veterinary sciences, make posters about music, create Lego sculptures, and much, much more!  I greatly encourage anyone who has school aged children to look into 4-H.  My girls learned so much, gained confidence, and earned trips and money for college through 4-H.)

Needless to say, I love the fair!  I am anxiously awaiting my granddaughter's 4-H experience!  But, in the meantime, I am happy to enter my own creations in the "Open Class" division.  This year I entered five items, and was very pleased that each one earned a ribbon!

Yay!  I got a blue ribbon!  The children's wear division is pretty competitive. I sewed this on an oldy moldy sewing machine from 1969.  I didn't know how I would do, knowing that there are some very talented sewers who have sergers.

 My 1969 Singer Touch & Sew machine.  My 1980 something machine quit in the early 1990s & my mom gave me her old machine.  (I'm glad that she kept it!)  I've had it tuned up several times & it still runs well.  (It's one of the last models to have all metal parts & is quite heavy.)  My daughter Sarah learned to sew on this machine, and when her machine (one that I bought second hand from a home ec teacher) conked out, she scoured ebay to find the same model!  Now we both sew on vintage machines!  :) 

Third place for a matching doll dress.

I made this twisted bead bracelet.  Sometime between the time I checked it in and judging, someone untwisted it (maybe it was dropped & they thought they were being helpful??).

Oh well, it did get a ribbon & I can always retwist it once I get it home.

I made this scrapbook page with Isabella swinging & Robert Louis Stevenson's poem "The Swing."  I took the pictures with my phone!  I used my trusty Cricut (Playtime cartridge) to make the backing for the photos & some of the embellishments.

 Third place in the "Family" division!

Santa posed with pets at our nearby feed store!  (Macie on left & Chrissy on right.)  I used my Cricut (Winter Frolic cartridge) to create all of the embellishments for this spread.

Fourth place in the "Other" category.