We have a winner!

She's ready to start on next year's quilt!

Ready for the Fair

I finally made something out of those Dresden plates.  Well, I made two somethings--and I still have several plates left over, plus a ziploc bag full of blades.  Anywhoo, on to the finished products:

I used five of the smaller plates to make this table runner.  I was thinking about entering it in the Grange Fair this year, but my lack of patience won out.  I wanted to be finished with the binding, so I stitched in the ditch instead of hand-stitching.  I really feel like it should be hand-stitched to enter it in the fair.

But I really love it.  I love how pretty my table looks.  And I don't even mind that I've already spilt coffee on it, because I know it's the first of years' worth of spills that this table runner is going to see.

I used a thrifted sheet for the back.

Now that quilt?  I did hand stitch the binding on the back.  'Cause this one is going to the fair.

Let me be clear: there are mistakes in the quilt.  My free-motion quilting is full of irregular stitches and meandering straight lines.  And I harbor no delusions of this quilt's winning.  Believe me, I have seen the winners in years past, and they are magnificent.  I do this for fun. Last year when we walked into the exhibition hall, we saw my quilt on display, and the kids got all excited (I did too).  The Grange fair is quickly becoming the highlight of our August.  Now I have to start tweaking my cookie and cake entries!

I'm back

Not that I've really been anywhere.  Our computer finally gave out last week, and now I'm posting this from our new, so-much-faster computer.  I no longer have to use the basic uploader on flickr, so I'm excited.  I have been up to a few things.

The Grange fair was this past weekend.  I pre-registered a few weeks ago.  I ended up entering in nine different categories (last year I only entered one).

I made this quilt to go in our bedroom.  It didn't win anything.  I had a lot of blank unquilted space that just didn't look right, and they called me on it.  Now I have something to work toward for next year.  Oh, but you should have seen the winners!  They were magnificent!

Participant.  This is totally what I was expecting.

But, hey, look!  Maybe making (and eating) all those chocolate cakes over the last month-and-a-half really paid off!

And wow!  Way to go, February Lady!  (Although Caitlin was disappointed that her birthday sweater didn't win a ribbon.  She also didn't want to part with it for the week.  "What if I need it?" she asked.  In August?  Not likely)

And if you've ever thought about making Leslie's chocolate chip cookies--you know, her version of the Toll House recipe--I can tell you that it is now officially a prize-winning recipe!

So there you have it--your Grange Fair recap.  This week is our last week of summer vacation.  And the weather is slightly cooler this week.  We are going to rest up and get ready for our big day next Monday.

Hot!

It is too hot to play outside.  Unless you're in the pool.

I am waiting on my vegetables.

I am poring over the 4-H fair guide.  I think I will be entering in many more categories this year.

I'm thinking about entering the cake contest.  This means I'll need to practice.

And...this is my 400th post!