Sunday 8 August 2010

More about the Local Show

At the end of June, our region had its annual local show. The show, as I mentioned in this post, is a bit like a local town fair: it showcases all the best the town has to offer: best cattle, best horses, best wood-chopping, best arts and crafts, best produce. And, of course, there's side-show alley, with its rides, dodgem cars, fun houses, laughing clowns, games of chance, and the quintessential ferris wheel. When you live in a small country community, with not much to do, it's always great fun to go along to the show.

These pics were taken from up atop said ferris wheel. As you can see, being a country show, it's a fairly small affair, and beyond the show grounds is a whole lot of ... well... nothing! Countryside, sugar cane fields, and - just out of shot of the photos - the small town of Proserpine.

In this photo (below), in the top left corner, you can see a building with a green roof. This building held the produce, cooking, school, photography, and art and craft displays.



Including...

the crochet blankets...

...all FIVE of them! (Told you it was a small show!)

See my Rainsong Blanket there? On the bottom shelf? :-) Nice! I feel like one-of-the-gang! :-)


I feel I must comment, though, to the way our work was displayed in comparison with other crafts, particularly the quilts. Now, no offence intended to all the quilters out there - it is a difficult and admirable craft, I'm sure. But the quilts are hung, on rods, up high, while the crochet blankets were left scrunched in a corner!

Okay, maybe they weren't scrunched, but you can see for yourselves how they were displayed:

And you can see, in the background of the photo above, the back of one of the quilts, hanging up as I've described. I wish I'd taken more photos of the quilts to help explain this more, but basically they were hanging up all around the pavilion.


Here is the winning "blankets and lap-rugs" crochet entry. It's made of those repeated motifs that are meant to look like a 3D cube. I like that 3D illusion stuff. There's a free pattern for a similar one here. I think this blanket would have looked a lot more 3D if it had been given a better display.

Does quilting really deserve more display space and admiration? Is it true that people see crochet as "the poor-man's craft", so lowly and easy that it only deserves a little corner? I'm just curious on your thoughts here. I think for the work involved in our blankets, they could have been displayed a little more generously.

But, regardless of how they were shown, it was nice to see my first-ever-completed blanket there, amongst them. I felt really chuffed. :-)

Oh, and here is a close-up of second prize. Very nice stitch-work:


Who knows, maybe I'll have some luck next year. I've already got some projects in mind! :-)

Well, I hope you've enjoyed your journey though our local, country show. It's only small, but it's always a lot of fun, and it feels good to be a part of it!

Till next time,
Caz :)

8 comments:

  1. Hello Caz, I have had the same thoughts as you.People in Sweden are happy to pay high prices for pottery for example, but rather not much at all for a big beautiful crocheted blanket.
    Crocheted things have very low status, unfortunately. When I try to sell things I crochet, I can not even get money back for the cost of yarn :-(
    I don´t often trye to sell anything, I rather give things away.
    Hugs,
    Susanne

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  2. I think the main problem with the crochet display is that you really can't "hang" them as they are so-so-so stretchy, but they really could have come up with a better display.
    I have been eyeing off the 3-D pattern, but it really does not show it how it was laid out.
    But next year, maybe with all your hype and eveyone seeing you wear the beautiful things you make around town, the display will be HUGE!!!!

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  3. Hi, I have just found your blog and I think it is lovely. I will be popping back for a better look around when my little man goes to bed tonight. He keeps grabbing the mouse and saying "Look Mum Look Mum - stick work like mum mums'" Bless he means crochet! Clare

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  4. Keep up trying things. I don't think crochet gets a lot of respect but I love it anyway. My brother and I are going to try to sell some things we're working on sometime in the fall so I'm hoping some people think it worthwhile. I would love to go to a little country fair, it looks cool.

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  5. How wonderful to have come across on a blog.. can I say welcome to the art of crochet :)) I think it has come along way and will get the respect it surely deserves, as long as we keep putting it out there for everyone to see..
    I love your show, don't you think small town shows have much to offer??

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  6. Welcome back, I have missed reading your blog. Your blanket was easily better than the winning ones keep on going you are a natural!! I loved hearing about the fair its all very colourful. I agree about crochet being a poor relation. I sometimes am embarassed to admit that I hook. Lucy has made it cool and modernised the image, we now have to keep going flying the flag!!! Lovely to chat again, cheers

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  7. What a lovely blanket .I find patterns really difficult to follow in crochet.Your blanket is great!
    I noticed you have a little Scottie!I have a little girl scot called Peggy.She is currently laying on her back in her bed ,belly hanging out.Its pouring with rain here & she refuses to go out in it!!

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  8. Hello. I found your blog. Nice! I'm now a follower. Have a nice day!

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