Crafting for the County Fair.

[happystuff]

Has anyone else done this? I used to submit knitted and crocheted items to our annual county fair way back when the kids were young. Stopped for a while when we had event conflicts. This year the calendar seems to be free during fair week, so I think I'm going to submit some pieces this year. Have printed out the registration form and rules. I'm actually kind of excited. Is anyone else prepping to do this?

[awakenedsoul]

I haven't done this, but I'd be interested to hear how it goes. It sounds fun. I've considered making things like pot holders and dish cloths to sell. It just seems like you have to keep the prices too low to make money. But, if you have the time, and can get the yarn on sale with a coupon, maybe you can make a profit. I love knitting socks, but they are time consuming. I sell mine for $70.00. I don't anyone would pay that at a craft fair. Hope it goes well for you. What are you making?

[Float On]

I was very involved in 4H growing up and submitted in probably everything I could....except I never entered a steer or hog. I did submit entries in sheep, chickens, rabbits, horse events, and dog shows and I submitted cookies, cakes, any veggies I'd grown, in sewing I'd submit a skirt or apron, I didn't knit at the time but I painted so submitted in that, copper tooling, weaving, and any other craft I was doing at the time. Loved county fair time. To be honest....I haven't been to a county fair since moving down here. I think you should submit as many items as you want.

[iris lilies]

I love the county fair crafts, sewing, and horticulture displays. When I retire I want to enter hort.

We went to a county fair last year, one in Illinois. The quilts were unbelievably fabulous. I mean the level of artistry and execution--just amazing! the other stuff--not so much. The crafts were dorky, photos were amateur, and the paintings were not good. I'm not even talking about 4-H projects, these are the adult level competitions. The 4-H side of the building had some interesting stuff.

There were some lovely, competent sewing projects besides the quilts, but those quilts, egad! I can't imagine what the competition was like at the state level. Oh wait, I have actually been to the Illinois State Fair and have seen the quilts. They have limited space there so every quilt was amazing but there weren't enough of them.

I love quilts, have no desire to make them.

[JaneV2.0]

By all means go for it! It will assure that you finish projects on time, if nothing else--and you might win a ribbon.

I've never submitted anything to a fair, but I've had a few entries in quilt shows. It was fun to lurk around my quilts--ostensibly serving as a helper--and eavesdrop. I haven't made a full size quilt--the idea is completely daunting--but I'm going to get back to making wall hangings.

[awakenedsoul]

happystuff,
Sorry, I misunderstood your post. Sounds great. I thought you wanted to sell you hand knits at a craft fair...

[Tussiemussies]

It sounds great happy stuff, sounds like you really want to do this so since you have the time for it you are free and clear to move ahead! Chris

[happystuff]

Thanks for all the responses. Yes, it's been so long since I last entered anything, I'm rather excited to do this. Not so much for the competition part of it, but just to participate - if that makes sense. The last 5-8 years it seems as though participate is really down at the fair. The crafts used to have their own building for displays and now they are just a corner of one building along with the veggies, baked goods, etc.

Anyway, after going over the rules and requirements, I'm trying to finish a hooded baby sweater to submit along with some other things. LOL. If nothing else, this should reduce my yarn stash!

[Kestrel]

I used to work full time at a small county fair/fairgrounds, and what fun that was! Enter, enter, enter! And, if you can, get involved by helping set up, clerking, etc. Some may be paid, many just volunteer. I've never had so much actual FUN in my life ... (no, I didn't enter things and technically couldn't since I worked there).

[KayLR]

Like you, OP, I used to enter things at the fair, usually stitchery or baked goods. But haven't for years. This subject brought a smile to my face because it reminds me of my Mom. She's a quilt purist (snob). She used to enter her quilts (she's made 100s), but when she started getting competition from entrants with "machine-quilted" quilts, she turned up her nose in protest and quit entering. According to her, "that's not quilting."

[Mary B.]

I entered a loaf of bread at our local fair a few years ago and one third prize. I have the ribbon to prove it, hanging over the breadbox so that doubters will be assured that they are indeed getting prize-winning bread.

They do not need to know that there were only three loaves entered.

[JaneV2.0]

Like you, OP, I used to enter things at the fair, usually stitchery or baked goods. But haven't for years. This subject brought a smile to my face because it reminds me of my Mom. She's a quilt purist (snob). She used to enter her quilts (she's made 100s), but when she started getting competition from entrants with "machine-quilted" quilts, she turned up her nose in protest and quit entering. According to her, "that's not quilting."

They should have categories (as our quilt shows do)--small, large, miniature, hand-quilted, machine quilted...Years ago, women who machine-pieced quilts were thought to be "cheating." Those days are gone. I often use a combination of machine quilting "in the ditch" to define the blocks and hand-quilting where it shows.

[Kestrel]

If you want to see other categories added to the Fair Premium Book, talk to the person who staffs that department and/or the Fair Manager, and have others talk to them as well. It's not hard to get new categories added at a small fair, but if you're talking State Fair, you'll have a harder time. It seems to me that entries are going down, probably partly because it's hard to work so hard on a beautiful quilt, for instance, and then no ribbons earned and your "friends" noticing that someone else got 1st place. I knew many who entered (quilts, for instance) just to make the hall more beautiful and not necessarily to win. They were just "on display", and consequently some had people contact them to make quilts for them. At one time arts and crafts entries (painting, photography, woodworking, pottery, etc.) seemed to be going up, but I don't know for sure.

I seldom had time to escape the office and go see things, but I did what I could, if only a walk-through. I enjoyed the animals, especially the goats and chickens. Entertainers were wonderful, and because our town was so small (one "hotel" and one motel, and they were crap) they often stayed with us, and we're still friends with many of them.

During fairtime we worked long hours, as long as necessary -- sometimes till the wee hours of the morning ... so tired we couldn't think straight, but having so much fun we hated to go home.

Such fun and good memories ... pardon my rambling ...

[happystuff]

Just a quick update. Entered 7 items into the fair which entitled me to a pass for the week. Going up in a little while to look at everything. :)

[iris lilies]

Just a quick update. Entered 7 items into the fair which entitled me to a pass for the week. Going up in a little while to look at everything. :)

Hope you won lots of blue ribbons! the fairs are so much fun.

[awakenedsoul]

I thought of you the other day, Kestrel. A woman at our local yarn shop was working on a sweater that she is entering in the fair. She said that last year she knit several items, and they all won ribbons. Let us know how it goes!

[happystuff]

the biggest prize from the fair was the week long free pass - so I count myself as a winner for that alone. For 7 items submitted, I received 3 -2nd places, 1 - 3rd place and 1 - 4th place. As far as I could tell, two items were just "there" - lol. It's been fun and I'm excited to start making stuff for next year!!!

[awakenedsoul]

Congratulations happystuff. That's great! You sound inspired.