HI everyone,
My eye bubble is gone! I woke up this morning to no blue dot in my vision! I’m thrilled and my eye is barely sore anymore. It never really did hurt, it just was a bit sore when I moved it around too much! I’m still going to have the right eye done… and probably soon… It is totally worth it to have those floaters removed. It’s actually pretty amazing! I love being able to see clearly without things floating around.
Thank you for all the Anniversary wishes… I appreciate them and we had a nice day, but are saving our celebrating for another day!
I’m going to show you how much I got cleaned in my sewing room, but Charlotte deserves top honors today… So many blue ribbons and MORE! Very nicely done, Charlotte! I used to LOVE going to the fair and going into the Exhibition Hall and looking at all the sewing and smocking and needlework items on display. I entered a few things before and got blue ribbons but never a rosette!
This is Charlotte’s email to me…
Here are pictures of my Fair entries for this year. Although I do a lot of other forms of needlework, sewing is and always has been my best and first love.
I had brought these items out to the Open Class building about three weeks ago, well before the fair started. This gives their judges time to examine each entry and, eventually, put them carefully on display. Last Thursday was my first time on the fairgrounds after the fair opened. I arrived early enough to spend a little time in the Open Class building, scoping out my stuff, before I had to be in the 4H barn for the cooking contest I judged.
The first item I came upon was my bag. This had been the “Expo twinsie challenge” for the 2020 sewing expo–my friend Tonya and I buy the same fabric, with the same general project in mind, while we’re at expo, then take it home and make the agreed-upon item during the year, and wear (or carry) our “matching” item at the next year’s expo. We’ve had a lot of fun with it.
Anyway, I just couldn’t believe it when I saw a rosette on my bag!! I mean, I knew I’d done a good job and probably would get a blue ribbon (which I did) but I have Never gotten a rosette before. This was a Class Winner rosette, the first level beyond the initial blue ribbon award. Ribbons are individually awarded for your work alone, not comparing it to anything else. There are certain standards for judging, of course. Then the rosettes are awarded by comparing all the “best” blue ribbon winners in a class, and choosing the best of those.
I didn’t seen anything else, immediately, but then the next display area had both my apron (a fun sewing print) and my dress. Both blues, but….Another rosette?!! Yup, my dress won a rosette, too!! SO exciting!! (My dress is a cotton sateen-type fabric, and I really like it. The sad thing is, it doesn’t really fit me as well as it should. If I were to lose about 10 pounds, maybe….
A little further along that same display area, I found my blouse–and ANOTHER rosette!! By this time, I am practically in shock!! I have gone from never a rosette in my life to three at once!! I’m sorry you can’t see the details of the blouse very well; it’s pale lavender, and doesn’t show up too well. The funny thing is, this was fabric I bought at a guild sale, not very expensive to start out with, probably a polyester blend, and I used it just to test this pattern and see if I wanted to make it out of “good” fabric. (I do, but with a little change here and there.) My friend Martha, who is assistant to the superintendent of Open Class Sewing, and I were talking later on and she told me she’d seen my blouse and it was “lovely”.
Okay, so now those are my big items, where are the doll clothes? I submitted two doll dresses, one in sewing, one in needle arts. And here is the display case with the doll clothes (sewing) in it. Wait, what’s this?!! There are TWO rosettes!! I asked Martha, “those rosettes, do they go to the doll dress, or..or…or…?” Yes, they go to the doll dress!! TWO rosettes!! Not only Class winner, but also the next level up, Division winner!! I am practically bouncing off the walls at this point!! And Martha is saying, “Just breathe, Charlotte. We can’t have you passing out on us!!” Haha….
By the way, this doll is Leneda, one of the Leeann group of dolls by Denis Bastien of Affordable Designs. The main fabrics came from a kit I bought from him last year, and I added some of my own trims. I debated entering the other dress, but this one is actually my favorite of the two, in that it’s one of those rare garments where the combination of fabrics and trims just “sing” together!
One more item to find, and that’s nearby, in the Needle Arts division. It’s another doll dress, but this time with hand smocking. This is actually the dress for Delaney (one of my Little Darlings) but modeled by a similar-sized (and much less expensive) Faith and Friends doll. A blue ribbon, which is just fine, as I’ve probably had enough excitement for one day! Besides, I’ve been sewing for a Lot longer than I’ve been smocking. However, I already have plans for some smocked items for next year!
Now that we have the best part of the blog out of the way, I’ll reluctantly show what I got finished today… My hubby wanted me to help planting a holly bush… and I had a few other sewing things I needed to attend to… someone wanted a couple black and white checked ribbon beaded headbands… and this is what I came up with…
I wasn’t able to make it to the Post Office Saturday, so all the orders for beaded headbands will be going out Tuesday…
My sewing room is better than it was yesterday and will be completed soon. I am determinined… Rebecca inspired me to get rid of all the stuff I didn’t use anymore… so that’s why you see some tubs in my room still… I’m “collecting” things…
I can see my cutting table now… and my sewing machine area is better and my black work table can now be partially seen…
Maybe I’ll get a “blue ribbon” when I get my room completely cleaned up! :o)
See you tomorrow,
Blessings, Jeanne
Hallelujah, your blue bubble is Gone! And no floaters in that eye. A win-win, for sure! At least when you get your other one done, you’ll know what to expect.
Thanks for posting my pictures, Jeanne. Today was the last day of the Fair, and tomorrow I’ll go back out there and pick up all my items (I also had some things in the “4H alumni” display), and maybe admire my rosettes a little bit!! 😁 As I mentioned, although I’ve gotten blue ribbons before, I’ve never had a rosette, so it’s pretty exciting!
If anyone has questions, I’ll be happy to answer them.
Oh, I love those headbands with the checked ribbon on them!! Very cute idea! If you can find some plaid ribbons in a different colorways, that would be a fun look, too.
Your sewing room is coming along very nicely; it’ll be ready for your next sewing project before you know it!
Dear Charlotte, congratulations 6 times over!!! Four Little Darlings, at my house, are jumping up and down and cheering for you. We are so excited. I hope you celebrated.
Thank you, Dorothy! I’m sorry I didn’t see your comment last night–not sure how I missed it!!
So nice to hear that your bubble is gone, and no floaters, Jeanne! I guess I would understand what you mean by floaters if I had any, but that must be quite annoying to have them floating around when you are tyring to look at anything! And BOTH eyes had them? Wow, you are going to be “eagle eyed” when you have the other one done, for sure!
Your sewing room is certainly getting to be back to it’s ship shape look again! Doesn’t that make you feel good to have everything back and orderly? My one problem when I did sew, was that my house had to be in order before I could concentrate on sewing, but by the time the house got to be in order, it was almost too late to do much sewing!
Well, Charlotte, you are the Sewing Queen” if there ever was one! I don’t think we ever had Rosettes in our Home Economics exhibits, so yours are the first I have ever heard of! My first thought, just seeing your pictures, wasthat the bag you made, was a pillow! It would be a cute pillow at that! and your dress and apron are so cute, they look like they could be doll clothes! I’m sure i have a good 10 inches over you!
Is Leneda’s doll dress a polished cotton? It certainly has a pretty sheen to it! And your smocking is perfect in my opinion! I love smocking, and wish I had the patience to do it. No doubt you will get a Rosette the next time you enter for smocking! Thank you for sending the pictures to Jeanne to show all of us.
Jeanne, the new headbands are really cute! They work out so much better than even a clip! I would guess the bows would be larger for the 18 inch dolls than for RRFF or smaller ones, but they are really different and I guess the next “big thing” for accessories!
Hi Linda, and thank you!
Well, the way they displayed that bag, it did look kind of like a pillow! I think it could have been done differently–it has several interior pockets as well as a buttoned strap to hold my water bottle tote (the judge wrote on the evaluation that she thought it was to hold my keys, which of course is also possible).
It’s entirely possible you have a fair bit of height on me–I’m only 4’6″ tall. Altering patterns for my height is really easy; altering for my very narrow shoulders is not!
No, Leneda’s dress is just regular quilting-type cotton, but it is very nice quality.
When I picked up my things today, the needle arts supt. told me that my smocked doll dress was the only smocked item entered this year! Usually there are several pieces. I told her I do have several other smocked items planned, and would try to have more to exhibit next year!
Wow, and double wow, Charlotte! I am thrilled for you! I haven’t been to a county fair in a long time, you make me want to go. Congratulations.
Jeanne, I am happy for your success with your eye. I have had two surgeries this summer to remove cataracts. This really changed my vision and not of the better. I have finally been able to get my prescription changed and have my glasses back. It has been really difficult trying to sew with Walmart readers. I hope your next surgery goes as well
Thank you, Sissy! I love going to fairs, my favorite parts being Open Class sewing and the 4H sewing and needlearts!!
I remember it took a while before I could get a new prescription after my cataract surgeries a few years ago. I had saved some older prescription glasses, which worked for a while, and I had 2 or 3 different strengths of readers, too. I was determined I was still going to keep sewing and reading, and I did, but the new glasses made everything Much easier!! It will for you, too.
Glad to hear your floaters are history and the floating bubble as well. 🙂
Love the bag that Charlotte made. The print kind of reminds me of an ice cave or cooling forest trees. Must be me craving coolness after our 112 temp here yesterday. Not fun. That smocked dress for Charlotte’s, LD with the cherries is absolutely adorable. I’m sure Delaney looks wonderful in it as well as her substitute. 🙂 Congrats on your wins, Charlotte.
Sweltering here yesterday outside as well as inside. It hit 90 inside during the hottest part of the day. Fans just moved around the hot air, but better than nothing. Today, much cooler. I think only 102 expected. Overnight it cooled down, but could only get our inside temp down to 78. It will start going up with the sunrise. We might be back to 90s outside soon, which will be like nice weather after the hot one yesterday.
Keep cool everyone. 🙂
Thank you, Joy. The funny thing is, my girlfriend, who also made a bag out of that fabric, turned hers the other way around, so the light part is at the bottom!
Yes, Delaney is over the moon about her new dress. She was the only one of my LDs who didn’t have her own smocked dress, and she says it was about time!
I am so happy for you Charlotte! You “knocked it out of the ballpark” this year and deservedly so. Your entries were so diverse, a real testament to your talent. Well done! You will be flying high for a while. I also love seeing the active participation in 4-H.
Great eye surgery results Jeanne, and so soon! Yes, get the other one done before you start thinking about it too much. I waited 4 years between eye surgeries and was a wreck by the time I finally got myself ready. The sewing room looks great and I love that black and white bow in Nellie’s hair. She is a hard one to dress with her coloring but black and white works.
Thank you so much, Debbie. I was thrilled just to see One rosette, but then when I kept finding rosettes on my things, I was really excited!! I think my friend Martha must have been watching me as I progressed down the hall, watching as I found each of my items. By the time I got to the pink doll dress, which was both a class winner and best of division, you practically had to peel me off the ceiling!! She said, “just breathe! We can’t have you passing out here!!”
Charlotte you are the Queen! What a fantastic experience to walk in and look expectantly for your entry only to find a big Rosette…and then to find more! I remember how fun it was for my kids to look for their ribbons …but those had to make your heart skip a beat. Now you will be planning all kinds of entries for next year. 👏🏅
Joy…112 degrees is scary… you seem so calm about it. It has to be a shock when you never get that kind of heat. Hope it will cool down…quick!
Jeanne “whoopie” no floaters! I can see how you want to have the other one done soon. It’s so amazing what can be done. 🙏🏻🥹 The sewing room will be tidy in mo time. Have a good week!🤗
Thank you, Kathie. Yes, I was pretty excited! I’d gotten blue ribbons before (both in Open Class and–many many years ago–in 4H, but never a rosette!! It was a red-letter day, for sure!
Nice to hear the floaters are gone.
Wow, Charlotte, a big congratulations for all your lovely blue ribbons and rosettes. All of your work is lovely.
The black and white beaded hairbands are very sweet and I just know who those are going to. 🙂
Thank you so much, Laura!!
So good to hear your eye surgery was a success. I can’t imagine doing all the sewing you do while dealing with those floaters. I didn’t realize you would have to have the other eye done too. But you handled this one so well and now you know what to expect so it makes sense to get the other one done as soon as possible.
I love the black and white checked headbands. The possibilities for those headbands are endless.
It looks like your sewing room wasn’t too untidy since it only took you a day to put it mostly to rights. I don’t even know where to start in mine.
Congratulations Charotte for all your ribbons and rosettes. I can’t even imagine what you were feeling when you saw all those and for so many different things. Everything was so nice and I loved the little smocked doll dress.
Thank you, Barbara. I think I was rather shocked, actually, having never won a rosette before, and then to end up with a total of 5 all in the same year!! The smocked doll dress is one I’ve made many times; I never know what design i will smock, just start working on it, and when it looks “right”, I know it. Sometimes, of course, I do use “plates” (smocking patterns) but not always.
Jeanne I am glad your eye is so much better. I had floaters about thirty years ago. I had never heard of them but had my eyes checked and they said that is what I had. They didn’t do anything about them though and they disappeared on their own.
Congratulations Charlotte you did so well. We have very few competitions of that kind here nowadays. I have in the distant past won first prizes for my cakes never for sewing. Very well done.
Barbara, to answer your question from yesterday I have never seen a metric foot for the sewing machine but a quarter inch is 6 mm. I always work in inches for my sewing, in patchwork anyway, because most books and patterns, particularly the old patterns, are in imperial measurements. However, I do have to buy in metric lol. Going from imperial to metric is pretty annoying in cake decorating though because there is no real, exact equivalent for some of the cake tin sizes particularly when you get to the larger sizes. I live in two worlds when it comes to rulers lol. Because of my age it is not a problem for me but must be really difficult for our new quilters who never learned imperial measurements. Sam barely remembers there were once inches and she is 51.
The snow has gone and although it is VERY cold the weather is supposed to improve now. I really hope so, don’t enjoy going back to sweaters, cardigans, coats and scarves.
Well, you gave me the laugh of the day when you mentioned the very cold weather you’ve been enjoying. Today it was 115 here in CA. Thought we were going to broil. I think it is 91 still inside, but cooling down outside to maybe 99, I think. Going to take some time to cool down inside. Wishing for air conditioning. 🙂 Keep cool!
Thank you so much, Anne. I’ve seen pictures of your cakes, and can totally understand how you’ve taken first prize for them!!
We do have several fairs, but in different areas. The Puyallup Fair is the really big one, but I think ours in Monroe is second largest. I believe both of them consider themselves “state” fairs!
Hurrah for the vanished blue bubble and the floaters sent packing! That room looks a lot more organized which is, to me, more calming and restful. Rooms helter shelter drive me over the edge, NOT that I’m a super neatnik. 😣 BTW, there is something coming via snail mail your way.
Charlote, you are simply the oyster’s ice skates. Congratulations. That apron is a super print and covers everything! Lovely blouse, and I really liked that dress. Of course, the doll dresses were fun with that print of pattern pieces and the other with your smocking. I bet you really had an enormous adrenaline rush going from one rosette to the next and the next. Congratulations a million times over. What a ⭐️ you are!
Those headbands look darling, Jeanne.
Joy, time to relocate. That is horrible; hang in there with lots of cooling salads.
Iris arrived today from France but she is unopened as of yet. Also, two outfits I ordered from Chicago arrived today after being sent out, getting to Denver, then the Springs, then Chicago, back to Denver, and now Salida. 🤨😁
Anne, here’s to your spring; you have earned it!
Thank you so much, Sally. It certainly Was a big adrenaline rush, finding one rosette after another on my things, especially since I have Never gotten even one before! I have everything back home now, and those rosettes are pretty good-sized; I will have to figure out how to store them but first I want to write on the attached paper tags what they were for. I’ll do that on the blue ribbons, also. (Each of my items got blue ribbons, but not all got rosettes.)
Dear Jeanne, your sewing room is coming together. I hate organizing but I always feel better when it is done.
No bubble! No floaters! A sewing room in recovery!
And a post full of blue ribbons and rosettes. A really good day for all of us not having a heat wave. It’s in the 90s here, but we’ve certainly had worse summers.
Congratulations to all.