Florida State Fair Textiles Competition

My husband took the week off, as he is deploying to the desert on Saturday - and yesterday we took a road trip to Tampa and the Florida State Fair. I'm not sure the last time I went, but it was at least ten years ago.

I was really surprised by several things - that there were so few exceptional entries, and that many of those on display weren't nearly as remarkably constructed as I remember from years back.

Do people not enter quilts in state and county fairs anymore?

Reply to
auntiedotcom
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I can't answer your question about entering quilts in fairs, but I do want to say thank you to your husband for serving and God bless to both of you.

Reply to
Louise

Reply to
Pat in Virginia

It would be great if they had a separate quilt show. It might bring more of us quilters to visit the fair.

Give your hubbie a hug for all us on the east side of the state. I support our soldiers regardless of their job, It is a tough one. Regardless of one's feelings about the war, I believe that our boys (men) do their best.

Best wishes and good luck to ya.

Reply to
Boca Jan

I don't know anything about the fairs or quilts either but, thank you so much for posting this to let us know that your husband and your family are going thru this sacrafice for us and our country at this time :)

THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU.

Reply to
DLW

Me too! Barbara in Central FL

Reply to
Bobbie Sews Moore

Haven't been to the Illinois State Fair in twenty years. Our local county fair can be a money making event for many handworkers. Check your local county fair and you may find the same situation. Our fair is a tax supported event. As the area changed from farming to bedroom communities the taxing body continued with no questions asked. My friend stumbled upon the situation several years ago and made lots of money but she couldn't resist bragging about it so now she has competition.

To enter any handmade article for judging you must pay a $.50 filing fee. There are three cash prizes given in each of many categories. Each technique like crochet, knitting, sewn garments, quilts has several categories within the technique. There are junior (under 12) and senior (over 65) categories within each sub category but nothing says that a person under 12 or over 65 can't enter the general category also. Say a person over 65 knits, crochets and quilts. They could enter a knit hat and scarf set, a large knit afghan and a knit baby blanket in both the over 65 and general areas. Their investment in filing fees is $3.00. Since there is seldom more than five entries in any sub category the knitter is guaranteed to win 1st ($20), 2nd ($15) or 3rd($10) on several of her six entries. Now if she repeats entries in crochet and quilts you can see how this adds up. The person within the handwork area who tallies the most points gets another "grand champion" ribbon and an added monetary award of $50. It is to the person's advantage to enter as many items as they have made that year because if there isn't enough competition they win no matter how poorly made the item. Any item winning a ribbon can advance to the state fair and the process starts again.

There are down sides to entries. Items are poorly displayed. The building is not air conditioned which guarantees that the widows and doors are open. The place gets dusty. Quilts are just folded on tables meaning some people pick them up to look at them. There are "guards" watching that nothing large walks out the door but small items have been known to disappear. Judges are paid $75 for a morning's work and are usually friends of the people who run the fair rather than artisans qualified in the area they are judging. They don't know the difference between a kit quilt and an original design.

Take a look at your local fair. Maybe it is an >My husband took the week off, as he is deploying to the desert on

Reply to
Susan Laity Price

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