How about the Fair, for starters? I got some blue ribbons (1st), some red ribbons (2nd) and some pink ribbons (4th). In ascending order then, I got a 4th place ribbon on my ankle bracelet and my hat (which for some reason shows as a pillowcase on my "premium statement" from the fair). The ankle bracelet is the same one I entered in the county fair. The hat is all new. I made the initial just for the hat, but the top is decorated with one of Jon Yusoff's snowflakes. Both are made in size 80 thread hand-dyed "Oh, Baby" by my sister. The judges comments -- that I was hoping would be helpful -- just said "nice" and "precise tatting" for these. *sigh*
The Heart's Desire bookmark is also the same one entered in the County Fair. It got a second place ribbon at the State Fair. I also entered my little crocheted Cthulhu toy which got a red ribbon. The funny little guy has wings, arms and legs, but he's buried here in someone's quilt, so it looks like he's only a head. He's being shipped off to the far reaches of the world, as soon as I find a spare minute to stand in line at the post office.
I got nice first place blue ribbons on the button doily, and the Easter and Christmas ornaments I also entered in the state fair. The coaster I entered got a blue ribbon as well. It's the square I designed in Sharon Briggs' Design Tat Class. She teaches well! I made it again in purple size 30 DMC Cebelia. I've made four now so I have a small set of coasters, but I only entered one.
I was very pleased to have gotten a first place ribbon on the large centerpiece I adapted from a Jan Stawasz pattern. I left out all the picots except the joining ones. What made me so happy is that entry morning when I took it's picture, I noticed that I had missed a couple of joins -- there were the picots just hanging out there. It's such a large piece that either the judges didn't see them or figured they'd cut me a little slack! It's the same doily on which I reported not much progress last June.
The first two pictures are those I took the morning we were taking things to the fair. It did turn out really pretty, I think. I was just upset that I had missed the joins. I still haven't decided whether or not to try to fix it, or just figure, nobody's perfect and a man on a galloping horse won't notice anyway. The second pictures are the ones I took at the fair, after I convinced the fair people to move it . It was originally displayed draped over a white knitted something, and it completely disappeared -- not to mention I spent hours getting it blocked just right and they rumpled it all up. I have no idea how the owner of the afghan they finally placed it on felt about having her work covered up. *sigh* I wish they had a bigger building!
The last thing I entered in the fair was over in the Creative Arts area. It's a bit of Calligraphy in the Celtic style. It got a blue ribbon, too.
All together, it cost me $11.00 to enter this stuff in the fair, but I came home with $22.00. Not too bad -- it bought me a nice lunch one day!
