Better Living Through Literature
Words + Projects + Stuff I Like
Well, it’s the first day of freelance over here and I have no morning routine any more, so here’s a late post with some pics from the Utah State Fair. I told Doc I wanted to see the quilts and the goats and indeed we did:
^ This was all scraps and foundation paper piecing (on the machine)
^ This was English paper piecing (by hand) and also hand quilted, with a white backing to show off how even the stitches were (what a power move)
^ This was a good girl
I think I’ve gotten over my rut–over the weekend I started a pencil skirt:
And last night I finished the second sleeve of the sweater:
Also, the Hamburglar coat took first in the state fair, as reported by my brother.
The collar baffled the fair ladies in charge of display, as I thought it might–but a ribbon’s a ribbon, right?
I can’t call this a Tuesday Project Roundup because I don’t have a new project to show (I don’t know what’s happened to my productivity lately), so let’s call it a PSA instead: This weekend, it’s time to enter your “Home Arts” projects in the state fair.
I think I’m just going to enter my Hamburglar coat, since that’s the most impressive project in a year of baby gifts, home decor, and tunics.
Impressively striped!
We’ll see how the fair ladies react to my sense of style this year.
I finally made it to the fair Friday to check out my entries. Check out first place in the not-so-competitive “Blouse” category: 
And check out fourth place in the much more competitive “Cable Sweater” category: 
I was a little bummed about fourth (and about the fact that they had put my sweater on a hanger and stretched it all out of shape), but then I saw third place, which was exponentially more elaborate than mine and only got third: 
This year I looked at exhibits in the 4-H building and the Creative Arts building, which I usually skip, an it was really heartening to see all the nice work from the young kids in 4-H. And we can all heed the advice of this sign:
I know being a “cool” person and liking the state fair is supposed to be ironic, but I think the fair is great. You think farming is disappearing or becoming totally industrialized, and then you see the eight-year-olds showing sheep or the lucky, lucky teenage girls* riding their horses and you realize that it’s closer than you think.
Maybe that’s why I like the fair: If I win a ribbon for sewing, I can imagine that someday I might win a ribbon for an egg from my chickens, or even be one of the people who drive in from their ranch and show their animals. Someday, I guess. Until then, I can enter things in the fair.
*Teenage girls, I hope you realize how lucky you are to have your horses. Some people are still longing for one at thirty. I’m just saying.
I never did enter anything in the fair this year; nothing seemed worth the leaving work early and registering it with all the crafty fair ladies and leaving early again to pick it up afterward.
But I still want to go, and my brother gave us free tickets (courtesy of John Deere), so tonight is fair night. I haven’t checked the schedule for any events we want to see, but maybe we’ll catch some draft horse pulls. And eat some funnel cake.
The deadline to enter anything I’ve sewn or knitted in the state fair is fast approaching, so I’d better decide if I’m going to enter or not. I’ve sewn a lot over the past year, certainly, but no project is jumping out at me as particularly fair-worthy. Last year’s entries were a silk dress and a jacket–kind of big, impressive pieces–but this year my quilt certainly won’t be ready in time,* and I’m still wearing the robe and pajamas, so I don’t know.
As for knitting, I think the owl sweater is a candidate, but in my years of fair-going I’ve noticed that the judges tend to favor huge intarsia projects straight out of 1986:
And I still feel much more shy about my knitting getting judged than my sewing, although I think I do a pretty good job finishing.
Maybe I won’t enter anything; maybe my state fair phase is ending, like the derby phase (haven’t been to one in two years). Although if I don’t go, where will I ever eat funnel cake again? Lots to consider..
*I dropped the quilt off to be machine-quilted two weeks ago, hooray! I think there’s another week to go before I get it back and have to do the binding. (Not hooray.)
I picked up my fair entries yesterday evening and thought I’d take a picture, since I never searched the archives to find the original project posts. I submitted the very plaid dress I made last November for a friend’s wedding–first place–and the houndstooth jacket I like so much–second place. Yay, me!
When I was there last night the semis that carry the collapsible midway rides were all packed up and ready to head out in a convoy. My fascination with long-haul trucking (don’t know where that came from, unless it’s Kerouac) collided with my curiosity about how traveling midway ride operators must live, and I just about put the Focus in line behind them. Maybe someday I can take six months and research a book about carnies and their state fair circuit…
