The State Fair (Part 2)

More fun at the State Fair! In today's post I'll show you some of the entries and winners from the seemingly endless array of competitions, from sewing to wood carving to model building and beyond. I must admit, I was baffled by the sheer variety of categories. We enjoyed looking at all of these, and I was awed by the level of workmanship I saw.

This ensemble won the category for costume making, and you can see why. It took an INSANE amount of work to create this (note also the painstaking craftsmanship in the gown pictured above it and the tutu in the photo at the top of this post, both also ribbon winners). I enjoy sewing, but I am certainly not at this level. It must have taken months to create any of these beautiful costumes. My fingers ache just thinking about it.

Just a simple child's frock, you say? Take a closer look! All those pin tucks and flounces and appliqués are murder, I tell you! That's a lot of work to put into a tiny dress that will likely be worn only once!

This beautiful sweater really inspired me. I love to knit, and though I'm strictly self-taught, over the years I've become reasonably good at it. A sweater like this is not beyond my skill level. It made me want to enter one of my own knit creations in next year's fair!

This level of crocheted badassery is beyond me, however. I learned to crochet as a child, but I will never be good enough to create a dress like this. Bravo! (I also like the one in the background. It's equally impressive!)

This man won a blue ribbon for his wood carving artistry.

Pat and I were befuddled by this piece. It won a ribbon in the puzzle category. But we didn't see any other puzzles, so did it win by default? Also, how exactly does that work? Did the person who created it actually make an original painting first and then have the painting converted into a jigsaw puzzle? Did they somehow convert it into a puzzle themselves (how does one do that?)? Or did they simply assemble a puzzle out of a box? So many questions!

This woman won second place for her model making skills.

This guy made a guitar. HE MADE A GUITAR. Blue ribbon for you, sir!

There is even a category for dolls. It apparently includes creating some kind of environment or theme. This setup won the blue ribbon.

Ah, but this one was my favorite! I assume the dioramas and the clothing all have to be custom made. Look at those little frocks! Great stuff, I tell ya!

I saved the best for last. This quilt features a bikini-clad dachshund lounging under a beach umbrella. For some reason I found it utterly adorable (and once again, as a person who enjoys sewing, I appreciate the amount of work that went into it!).

Tomorrow I'll post a few pictures of barnyard critters! See you then!