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Please don't remind me that I'm poor; I'm having too much fun pretending I'm simply "living green" like everyone else these days.


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Friday, August 20, 2010

Did I win?

Yes, I did win a couple of ribbons.  My rose quilt got third place.



This quilt got second place.  I think you can read the person's name if you enlarge the picture.  I'm trying to figure out what the design is?  Is it a bug?  An animal?  I really do like it though.


This quilt got the first in the same category as well as best of show in all the quilt categories.  This is the second or third year in a row this person won best of show for his textile art.


I know it's hard to see from the glare of the glass.  It's a 3D textile art piece with lots of open areas.  It was entered in the original design category where "innovative design is encouraged".  He certainly does that with this piece.  Its a beautiful piece of textile art. 


It has layers of quilted fabric elements with open areas in between.  The white fabric you see is actually the back of the other quilt in the glass case, seen through those open areas of this quilt (art).  This swirl thing stands up about 5 inches from the flat part of the art piece.



This quilt is done by a guy who is a local artist.  I don't think he started out doing textile art.  I can't seem to remember his name either.  I did write it down and now I can't find the paper I wrote it on.  I'll try to get it again next time I go to the fair.



There were a lot of people talking about that quilt and how it should not be entered as a quilt.  Well, hmm.... it does meet all the criteria for being an innovative original design quilt.  I'm not upset that it won best of show.  However; the average, everyday quilt maker doesn't stand a chance of winning the big ribbon as long as the textile artist's works are in the same department.  That includes any original design art quilts I enter too.  Art and quilts can't really compete against each other.  It's like comparing delicious layer cake to plain flat bread.  Both are good in different ways but there's nothing alike about them. 



How can this problem be fixed?  I'm glad you asked.  It's my opinion the "innovative, original design, textile art quilts" should be moved to the fine art department.  Leave the category of original design quilt in the textile department for those who come up with "an original pieced or applique quilt consisting of three complete layers recognizable as an actual quilt for a bed or a wall".  Hmm.... the description wording could be improved but I think you get the idea.  The problem of separating textile art from actual quilt is a growing problem for many quilt shows and fairs.  Until someone comes up with the perfect wording for a description to separate the two; it's going to continue being a problem between quilt makers and textile artists. 

One of my customers won a blue ribbon in the two person quilt category.  This is the quilt you can see from the back behind the art quilt.  I won a ribbon for best machine quilting on a bed size quilt.  I had told this customer last fall that it was a good quilt to enter the fair and I was right.  Some quilts just stand out for me after the quilting is finished.  Not that I don't put my heart into all the quilts... it's just that some turn out much better than others.  Everything goes perfect and turn out better than expected.



My quilt with the nude bathing lady and the log cabin quilt didn't win any ribbons. My rug got a second place ribbon.



This rug got first in the category.




This rug got best of show.  It's beautiful!  This person has me wanting to make one like it.




I just have to show you this doll that got a blue ribbon.  I love, love, love it!  A little old lady with her walker complete with tennis balls, her beehive hairdo, her comfortable shoes, her hand made jewelry and thrift store clothes, her quilted jacket, the rear view mirror on her walker, and she's....



headed for the bingo with a grin on her face.  Don't you just love her too? 



That's how I'm gonna look in a few years only I'll be headed for a quilt show.  What really got me to giggling is her shoes.  Look at her fuzzy flip flops..... and now take a look at what I wear everywhere I go. 




Hee, hee, hee..... you laughed too.  I have fuzzy flip flops in different colors. 

I wanted to take lots of pictures of the quilts and other crafts.  Well that didn't happen because I forgot to put fresh batteries in the camera and didn't carry any extra with me.   I'll take more photos the next time I go. 

I also saw something at the fair that really upset me and I don't know what to do about it.  First let me explain about winning ribbons at the fair.  No one knows if they won a ribbon until they actually go to the fair and look.  The ribbons are left on the items until the end of the fair.  The ribbons are given to the people when the items are picked up.  So, if a ribbon disappears before someone knows they won it... there's no way to know about it.  For example if a person enters something and it wins a ribbon.  Say that person can't get to the fair until the weekend before the fair ends and the ribbon is gone from the item.  That person won't know they won anything until a check for a few dollars arrives in the mail weeks later.  Much too late to get the actual ribbon. 

Well, I saw a couple of older ladies with some ribbons quickly hiding them in a bag.  I don't know which department the ribbons came from.  My SIL and I were sitting outside the building on a bench taking a break at the time I saw these two ladies with the ribbons.  My SIL said maybe the ladies won the ribbons but asked to take them home instead of leaving them.  Maybe she's right although I seriously doubt it.  I don't even know who to tell about what I saw because where the ribbons came from could have been anywhere in the fair.   

I haven't a clue why someone would want to steal ribbons.  There's no fun in owning a fair ribbon unless there is some pride in winning it.  You can't sell them.  You can't even make a quilt from the ribbons because the ink will wash off.   Displaying a bunch of ribbons won't have any meaning unless those ladies are trying to fool someone into believing a craft they create is ribbon winning skill. 

My only hope is the ribbons those ladies stole did not come from an entry done by a child.  How heart breaking it would be for a child to find out weeks after the fair they really won a ribbon but doesn't have an actual ribbon to show their friends.  Oooo.... another horrible thought.... I hope those ladies don't go to big quilt shows!


4 comments:

lw said...

The best in show quilt is exactly what I don't like about most of the quilt shows that I've been going to. Pure innovation by itself does not make something beautiful; most of the prizes are going to quilts like this one: unbalanced riots of color that may be challenging as "art" but are not beautiful.

I did love the doll with the walker-- great details. And congratulations for the prizes you won, and to your customer co-winner.

Quiltin' LibraryLady said...

All I can say about the ribbon stealing is......people continue to sink to new depths.Guess they think if you can't win 'em it's OK to steal 'em. I really, really hope it was just their own ribbons they were taking home and not some they thought they SHOULD have won.

Anonymous said...

Congratulations on your ribbons, I think you did a great job. That one blue ribbon winner, the textile artist, was a little over the top for me. He does belong in a category all his own. The lady heading to bingo with her walker was a hoot! I have a feeling I'll look alot like her in a few years!!! She already looks familiar!

kathi said...

WOW. what a DAY huh? i am so GLAD your ROSE won a ribbon. to be in competion with THAT "best of show".. well. yes. NOT quite the same thing. a quilt IS 3 layers, etc etc. THAT one is WAY over the top. MAGNIFICENT. art YES. a "quilt" NO WAY. need better guidelines for categories. FOR SURE. your LADY the "nude" won NO ribbon? BUMMER. can't BELIEVE that.
STEALING ribbons. UNREAL. but i can believe it. just ANOTHER example of how our "society" has deteriorated. NOTHING is sacred and there is NO RESPECT for OTHERS. period. makes me want to VOMIT. It is the NEW attitude of so many. i WANT it. YOU have it. but I'M GOING TO TAKE IT. cuz I WANT IT. hurray for ME. and POOP on you.

the "walker lady' HYSTERICAL and JUST AMAZING. WHAT A giggle. yes, one day we may all be there. i HOPE i have HER GRIN. and her flip flops. giggle.

THANKS for sharing HER. i think we ALL needed HER.