New Experience

After some encouragement from guild friends, yesterday I packed up seven quilts to make a trip to the county fair grounds and enter them in this year's fair. 

Quilts are considered part of the "Home Arts" section at our fair. The rules for the textile division are that the work must have been created between 2019 and, well, this week and only one entry per category is allowed for each quilter. I chose quilts of several sizes from my collection for the appliqué, pieced, and modern divisions. 

The process of entering items was quite simple and easy. Entries were made online and preprinted information was affixed right in front of us, giving the entrant a sense of assurance that their creations are in good hands. The people checking in the entries were really pleasant and efficient. 

This is the criterion used for the quilt judging in each category:

Honestly, I know some of my submissions will be dinged for one thing or another in the judging. But this was a welcomed opportunity to reflect on how my quilting has evolved in the last couple of years.

An unused bed in our home has become a collection spot for my quilts. Here they can lay flat on top of each other so they don't get creased by folding. (It's a luxury, I admit. And one that vanishes when family comes to visit.) I just don't often look through that pile to see how much I've improved and take stock of what I've learned along the way. 

So, going through my quilts to pick what I wanted to show was kind of fun. I'm grateful for this opportunity to share ideas and techniques, perhaps to inspire other creative types, however imperfect my own creations are. 

Guess that's why this "Participation" ribbon everyone gets when they sign in was such a pleasant surprise and a good reminder that we're all contributing to a collective creative energy in this annual event, which has been held at the Ventura County Fair grounds since 1914.

 

Happy 148th Anniversary, Ventura County Fair!