Here in Ohio, fair season is in full swing. I used to be an enthusiastic competitor in needlework and crafts at both the county and state fair levels. So, when I saw an article titled "Winning Tips for Fair Exhibitors" in the July 1953 issue of The Workbasket, I just had to take look.

Some of those tips are as sound today as they were 55 years ago. For instance: "White crochet, tatting and cutwork: Place colored cardboard under the needlework to show the design better." I always went one better and pinned fine crocheting and tatting to cardboard or foam board covered in midnight blue or maroon velvet, but the concept is the same. (For smaller pieces of cutwork, like a doily, this works well, too. Sometimes I framed cutwork, and I was always careful to back the piece with a suitable fabric in a complementary color.)

There's a photo caption I totally disagree with: "After the needlework is ironed for entry in a fair, wrap it in cellophane. This not only adds to the charm and beauty of the work, but saves much laundering if you exhibit at six or eight fairs in a season." Of course, now we'd use plastic wrap; but in either case, I always think this looks really tacky in an exhibit. Chances are a good judge would remove the plastic to get a closer look at the stitches and even the underside of the work, so there's always a chance the plastic won't be re-wrapped quite right. Light reflected off the plastic's surface also inhibits fairgoers being able to see your work. This is especially frustrating if the wrapped piece is a prizewinner.

In most cases, the worst that's going to happen is a little dust getting on the needlework. If you're a serious competitor, washing and ironing handwork between fairs is no big deal. (Six to eight fairs in a season? Wow, I thought I was a fanatic in my heyday. I think the most competitions I entered in a summer were four: the county fair, the state fair, and a couple of local community needlework competitions. You'd have to do some traveling to hit six to eight fairs.)

I had to chuckle at the advice given in the final paragraph of the article: "In all departments, look over your competition before you make your entries and list where you have the best chance of winning. If you take embroidered pillow slips with crocheted edges and somebody brings in better looking pillow slips, study your competition under 'Best Embroidery' and 'Best Crochet Edgings' and enter them where they have the best chance or least competition. It pays to spend a day at the exhibit hall, studying each entry as it comes in, and listing your own things as late as possible. This one secret is where the blue ribbons lie. The pillow slip in the illustration [i.e., the photo that accompanied the article: the detail of a pillowcase with flowered embroidery and a filet crochet lace edging] has been entered under 'Best Pillow Slips,' 'Best Embroidery' and 'Best Crochet' depending on where the least competition was at the time."

My experience at the "exhibit hall" has been that it's chaotic enough without exhibitors hanging around scoping out the competition as entries are brought in. Also, categories vary so wildly from premium list to premium list that a competitor could drive him- or herself mad. My strategy was to study prizewinners in general, getting an understanding of what standards judges set and what they reward in terms of design, skill, and presentation. However, I did keep an eye on which categories got the most entries and the skill level of those entries. I racked up a lot of ribbons simply by entering the huck towel embroidery categories at our county fair. Twenty years ago people (in my county, anyway) weren't doing much huck towel embroidery. This even worked at the state fair level. (On the other hand, there were so many entries in the counted cross-stitch categories that I often didn't bother.)

Things have changed a lot over the years. In some counties (like mine) the county fair is on the verge of extinction, which is sad. If you have a local fair, definitely enter your needlework. It's fun, you get a swell ego boost from winning a ribbon (any ribbon), and it will help keep the county fair tradition alive.

Fair season may be waning in some areas, or it may be too late to get an entry or two together for this year's fair. Plan now to enter next year--and spend any remaining opportunities this year studying that competition!

--Nancy

Have you checked out the MyCraftivity Shop sales and clearance section yet? Under Cross Stitch and Needle Arts, there are several great titles at reduced prices. Here are just two:

New Anchor Book of Pulled Thread Embroidery Stitches by Christine Wilkins is sale priced at $6 (a 50% savings). The catalog description reads: Pulled thread is a type of openwork embroidery where the threads of the fabric are pulled back tautly to make decorative holes. This book introduces 27 stitches that can be worked in this way. In addition a further 18 counted stitches are featured that can be used to complement the pulled thread work. All stitches are explained in step-by-step detail. Sixteen original charted designs explore the exciting textural effects that can be achieved: e.g., coil filling stitch perfectly captures the seeded flesh of a luscious strawberry, while the ripple stitch evokes the gentle waves beneath a sailing boat. Other designs include a basket of flowers, sunflowers and roses, and a dragonfly. Pulled thread stitches are ideal for samplers, and an attractive design is included that would be ideal for celebrating a birth or a wedding. If you've never tried pulled thread embroidery, here's a chance to learn a new technique and have a valuable resource at hand--and at a savings as well!

120 Celebration Cross Stitch Cards by Gillian Souter is a terrific source of cross stitch motifs for holidays throughout the year. This hardbound collection offers 140 color photos and 123 color charts for only $12.50 (again, a whopping 50% savings).

See these titles and more at the MyCraftivity Shop.

--Nancy

If there's one thing I love, it's a sale! I go straight to a clearance table before I even check out the regular merchandise in a store. That's why I have to tell you about the new Sales & Clearance section in the MyCraftivity Shop.

Titles are available at great savings, and they're broken down by subcategories, linked in the box at the top of the page. Click on the Cross Stitch and Needlearts link to pull up some great titles at bargain prices.

Here's one that caught my eye right away: Helen M. Stevens' Embroidered Animals with "30 stunning, lifelike animal portraits using pure silk thread." And at 50% off, I don't think I can resist--can you?

Go take a look for yourself. It's a great time to build up your cross stitch and needlearts library (and don't overlook bargains in Knitting and Crocheting, Fashion and Sewing, and Quilting--plus lots of other great craft books as well).

--Nancy

 A blog from a friend who's just started cross stitching:-

Only yesterday, I purchased Quick to Stitch Cross Stitch Keepsakes and just can't wait to get started on the many beautiful designs suggested.  Simple is best, in my opinion, and as a cross-stitching novice these patterns are not only achievable but will also produce the loveliest gifts and house decorating accessories.  Having just moved to the UK from Belgium, I am missing my friends and family a lot, so cross stitching personal gifts to celebrate some very important occasions in my friends' and family's lives will not only help me to feel closer to them, but will also show them how much I care!  One project I will tackle is the cute ‘Bootie Card' and ‘Baby Stars' (on page 8 and 10 respectively) for my sister who's expecting her second child later this year!  I've also just moved into my boyfriend's house so adding that feminine touch is highly necessary and I know that the colourful hangings shown in this book will add that something special to our wardrobe -and door handles!  I especially like the ‘Be My Valentine' hanging on page 25.

If you're looking to find the cutest patterns and gifts ideas I would highly recommend this book...

 Muriel

I'm changing the title of this series a bit--from "Needlework Site of the Week" to "Favorite Needlework Sites." I'm hoping readers will nominate sites they think are particularly good for cross stitchers and needle artists. Meanwhile, I'll continue to post great sites as I come across them.

Today I'd like to share the online needlework resources of The Victoria & Albert Museum in London, England. My focus today is on a feature called "Florence Caulfield and The Illustrated Needlework Book." Caulfield was a needle artist from South Africa. She wrote The Illustrated Needlework Book in the early 1900s, drawing on South African wildflowers for her designs. Read about Caulfield, then click on the link to free designs to print or save so you can embroider some of Caulfield's Art Noveau-styled creations yourself (color photos of the completed desgins are included to guide you in thread and color choices).

--Nancy