Southern NM State Fair, 2025 Edition

 

I enjoy entering my crafts into the fair every year. I don't think state fairs get the attention that they used to, but I do think it should be a valuable place to compete with other makers, growers, and artists. It could be a way for us to see what others are doing and making. I really love seeing what others are making! And, if you are thinking about getting paid for those skills, it can be a way of gauging your skill growth. Unfortunately, the fairs don't draw like they used to, and the competition is only sometimes stiff. At least when it comes to making. I don't enter stuff because I have to win. I enter stuff because I don't want the venue to die out.

I'm going to share what I made and entered with you, but I'm also going to share what a few of the competitors entered, that I thought was cool.  

Time for sharing the fair entries and results.

First were my crocheted items. Since the fair last year, I made a couple of stacking ring toys, that I entered.

Stacking ring toy Sheep

Stacking ring toy Snowman

Along with these, I entered several of the Christmas eyeballs I made this year. I didn't get a photo of them with their blue ribbon, but here they are, on their way to the fair...

Some Christmas eyeballs, ready for the fair

They look pretty good, right? But here was their competition...

This crocheted spider was beautifully done! 

Yes, the spider won best of lot. I can't complain. It looks beautiful!

I also entered some sewn items. I made a bunny for my aunt, and a wardrobe for that bunny. I took the bunny and a friend, so I could show how the outfits fit the bunnies.

These cuties!

And I entered the wardrobe as one entry. 

The red ribbon is Second Best of Lot

Not a bad result, right? I know these judges have seen dressed bunnies before (because I've entered some before at the very least) BUT this time I altered the patterns some, giving a little different take on the outfits than before. Yes, that black outfit the bunny on the right is wearing is a ladybug costume. I did that a couple different ways, for different people (and one had butterfly wings). I was pretty happy with them!

Another ladybug, just to get the idea

Finally, I have to share another entry, not my work. Someone created the sock monkey version of the Little old woman who lived in the shoe. Check out this cuteness!!

Sock Monkeys at the Fair!

What will the entries next year be???

The Blue Shells and Ripples Afghan

 

I started this afghan out of this magazine:

Remeber that challenge afghan?

I posted about this edition of the Hooked on Crochet magazine, HERE and the chain link afghan that I challenged myself to make. There is a companion pattern called shells and ripples in the magazine, too.

What is it about brown afghans???

I decided to make this one, too. But the brown had to go.

My palette of BLUES

Once I got the yarn I wanted in the colors I wanted, I started on the afghan. As in the previous one, some of the instructions weren't as clear as I would have liked, but since I have years and years of crochet making stuff experience, I was able to fudge my way through them. One thing I really like about the blues that I picked for the contrast ripple stripe is that I don't have to (and I haven't) used those yarns in the same order every time.

I like the effect!

I'm not quite done with the afghan yet, but I better get done soon, because the yarn is going fast! Oh, and please don't mind the sprinkles of Kaliegh hair that shows up...

Yep, I like those blues!

Charitable Crafting Community Quilt Building #2 Quilt

 

This past weekend, the Charitable Crafting group put the finishing touches on the quilt we have been making in time donate it. Cruces Creatives is taking this quilt, and some others made by a couple different groups, the other quilt we made, and some donated sheet sets, pillows, and even some handy dandy tote bags to a group that help unhoused people get a new start in housing.

Sideways view of the quilt

Even though the first quilt that Charitable Crafting made was made along the same lines as this one, I wasn't as involved in all the steps I was in this quilt. It was quite the learning process for me! The blocks are made with a quilt as you go technique, and then sewn together. Because the backing of each block is bigger than the block, when you sew them together, with the backs together, you then fold the back over and finish the block.

You can see what I mean here, I think

It gave us a technique for letting many different people, with different sewing abilities, and who might never have helped make a quilt, participate in our project. And there isn't a wrong way to sew a block. OK, I'm sure if you tried, you could ruin one, but really, look how beautiful it turned out!

Even the back is beautiful!

In the first quilt we made, I did a lot of cutting out of backing fabric and batting into the squares that we needed, and I made a good many squares. I enjoyed making them! On this quilt, I didn't do as much cutting but I did work on many squares again. This time, we also included some orphan blocks, that had been donated one way or another, and then those were free motion quilted, or quilted by using a walking stitch and maybe even some decorative stitching. There was a lot of variety of blocks made and included.

Getting those last rows put on the quilt was definitely a challenge. The quilt took some wrangling to get that accomplished, so I'm sure glad I had help (or else I WAS the help!).

Next up? Would you believe another of these quilts? Look! someone has started blocks!

The first blocks! Loving them all ready!

Every Ending is a New Beginning

 

I finished a couple of projects this week, and I'm working towards another. 

First up is Lillian's hoodie. A nice fleecy hoody for snuggly soft warmth. It isn't my first time working with fleece, but it is the most complex fleecy make I've made. 

soft hoodie, snuggly hoodie

It wasn't a complex pattern, thankfully, and went together pretty easily. More trouble with my sewing machine, which doesn't like thick fabrics. But we managed. My serger also wanted to ruffle the fabric a bit, which means I should have tested it with the fabric left-overs (where the heck did we put those??), and adjusted the tension. But it wasn't too bad, anyway.

What? no pocket?

Lillian was very happy to take her hoodie home, turn up the air conditioning, and snuggle in.

Next, is that project challenge afghan, which I finished, then took off the border, and redid. I'm sooo much happier with the finish this time!!

Oh, yes!

What will happen to this afghan, you ask? I expect to donate it through Cruces Creatives and Charitable Crafting, very possibly to the Community of Hope/Jardin de los Ninos.

The final project I'm going to talk about ALSO will be donated there this month, if we can get it finished. A few of us in the Charitable Crafting group have been working on getting the beautiful, beautiful blocks sewn into rows, and then the rows sewn together. There's a decorative pillow, and a bag to hold the quilt as well. 

The most recent picture I have - beautiful blocks!

I'll try to take more pictures!

And of course, I can't forget the new beginnings part... Yep, some sewists started on blocks for the next Charitable Crafting quilt! So excited to see those beautiful blocks!  I'm working on setting up my next Vintage crafting project. Looks like crochet again, but a much smaller project. It is exciting to challenge myself and learn something! I'm also going to be working on another ripple afghan, but as a challenge bonus, not the challenge. Those bonus projects are going to be some of my favorites, I think. And I can see some happening for the next challenge Vintage crafting source.

On the Border of a Finished Afghan

 

I finished the challenge afghan, and it almost fabulous!

Notice I'm not showing the top or bottom edges.

Here is the sample from the crochet magazine, as a refresher:

Their version

I mean I thought my photo turned out pretty well... but then there's this one. Of the top and bottom. Sigh.

The gathered ends. Not great

Wow! I wish there was a reasonable way to undo the border on just the ends, but I think I'm taking off the border, and adding it again. My mistake? I tried to make the stitch count match the sides. It was a mistake. I just need to go back and let the ends be the number of stitches they are, and I can still keep the basic ripple technique while I do. THEN the dang thing will truly be finished. So this evening I ripped out the border, and started it again.

I'll just blog about it now, and maybe put an update picture in some other time, maybe when I'm on to my next challenge project.

Here are my challenge take-aways: It was very nice working with materials I don't usually work with. I liked the wool/silk mix of the variegated yarn. It felt nice, and it is beautiful. The solid yarn was on a spool (cone?) and I'm not sure what yarn it was, but the cone caused the yarn to fray in places along the bottom. Not a fan of that. I hadn't made a ripple quilt before and I liked this one. It went quickly, and I think someone will enjoy it. It will definitely be warm. I didn't follow the directions exactly, as I talked about in my other posts, but I learned from the process of making this afghan, and really, that was one of my goals! 

Would I recommend making this afghan to others? Actually, since it was mainly single crochet, it was pretty doable. I would say, yes, I would. I might include some instructions on a post-it note of the changes I made, if the person was interested. I might not suggest it as a first afghan you ever made, but maybe the second would be OK.

So what's next along the challenge line? I don't know yet. I haven't picked out the next crafting magazine yet. Not sure if I'll stick to a crochet magazine, or go for some other craft. I feel like doing a variety will keep my interest longer, and I have to admit I do like to trade them off. 

I also bought some yarn - a more conventional acrylic - to make the companion afghan. I don't think I'm going to consider that a challenge craft, though, but more of a bonus find. I went with some blues for that afghan, and I'm sure I'll post some pictures of it, and write about it at some point as well.

Here's the picture of that one from the magazine:

Now picture it in blues

That Afghan Again?

 

I've been working pretty steadily on that afghan, and making good progress. I think I'm more than a third of the way through the main pattern (and then there's a border). 

Making progress

I feel like my later rows (on the edges)  look better than the starter rows (in the middle). I guess I'm getting the hang of the pattern. I remember to do the back loops only on the edging rows, for instance, which helps the pattern look more chain link-y. In some places, the variegated yarn has a stretch that matches the solid yarn, and muddles up the look a bit, but hey, that's why I thought the yarns went well together, so...

In other news, I harvested some of my tomatoes. They are not pretty. The rain we had was too much water, and then a couple hot dry days meant not quite enough. I couldn't win with the water, or not watering... any way, they still taste good, and I would be willing to plant the variety again. Better boys, I think.

Today's tomato harvest

 I guess they go well with my one bell pepper...

One teeny bell pepper (one inch squares there)

It's OK to laugh. I have. I still call it a gardening win, compared to other attempts. I'm still determined to do it again next year!

Oh, yeah, and I've already bought yarn for the other ripple afghan that was in that magazine, so I guess that is a success, too, even though this challenge isn't completed yet.

A Vintage Project Update _ Chain Link Afghan

 

I've been working on the Chain Link Afghan as my first in the Craft Book series. Here it is, so far:

The Chain Link Afghan

Things I'm liking so far... I found some beautiful yarn to work with. The picture doesn't do it justice, really. I'm sure that is a reflection of my phone photo skills (that I don't really have the interest in doing the work to improve much). This afghan is coming together pretty quickly, too, actually. It is worked in columns (up and down) instead of rows, If that matters, but they go pretty quickly. Mostly single crochet, which is an easy stitch, and pretty basic for anyone interested in trying it out for themselves.

Here are the yarns I'm using

There are also some changes that I've made, the most important of which has to do with chains of diamonds that you can see here. They are basically four rows of four single crochet, only I didn't like how the pattern built them into the blanket. So - of course - I changed it. I'm adding an extra row of single crochet to the diamonds so that I can connect them to the work in progress more securely. That makes me happier than having it full of "holes," or basically only connecting the diamonds at the corners. (OK, I just thought of this, that those connection points may make it more like the fencing) When the pattern calls for two rows of ripple between the diamond "rows" the connections seem to me more consistent. So, yeah, mine may not lie as flat as the original, but also, it may be a matter of blocking. IF I bother to do that.

Over all, I am really happy with the project so far. I feel like it won't take a super long time, even though I'm making a fairly large piece. The border rows around the outside of the piece will take longer to crochet, and I may have something to say about that before I'm done...

Here's their version

Projects Update

 

Yes, I said projectS. Like I would only be working on one at a time... ha ha ha ha ha...

Wanna hear about eyeballs? After a conversation with my eyeball enablers, We came up with a couple of project ideas, and I finished one yesterday.

Eyeball bolas

"Weaponized" eyeballs, throw these at someone and trip them up. Theoretically, at least. I know, now you're thinking I'm weird... (really? only NOW???) These won't be going to the fair, but they will be going to someone who will love them, and pet them, and... Oh, you know the rest.

On to other projects. This one isn't technically mine, but I've encouraging a friend of mine to take up crafting again. She has loved it in the past, and although she is still working through some physical challenges, I feel like with a little encouragement, she's totally got this! She finished a fabric box today, with pieced sides, and a lining that makes it reversable. Now she can take on the next project! Woo! She also made a couple of coasters.

fabric box!

reversable!

I did some sewing myself, today. I finished the mosaic block that I had started, and then started another one. 

Finished, but not perfect...

For the most part, my seams met pretty well, except for some not-straight sewing that cause some distortion in the block, and the last seam that joined the two half blocks together. This block is definitely going to take some practice. The small-ish pieces would also make me a little crazy if I was trying to build a whole quilt with it at this point. It won't be the last one I make, though because I want to play with the colors more (I keep trying to make it a kaleidoscope block). In addition, I've already started the second mosaic block.

Mosaic block 2

Quite a different color palette than the first. Ironing the seams open this time to see if that makes a difference in the distortion, and makes it a little easier for my machine to handle the layers. The next time I do one of these, I think I will make all the small half square triangle the same fabric, and see how that looks.

I have been playing with some of the small triangles in another way. I saw someone make a quilt as you go flying geese block, or maybe it was a strip of them. So, I tried it. I don't think I really got far enough with it to have any final thoughts, except in seems to be working OK.

An experiment in tiny flying geese

Now, it's time for a gardening update. Yeah, it's one of my projects right now... I did actually harvest a tomato, and it was delicious. But here's my one bell pepper (speaking of tiny stuff). I'll have to try the bell pepper again next year. 

Sigh.

I'm already planning my garden efforts for next year, in fact. Containers again. A bee watering station. I'm going to put it in a different location, hopefully a little more sheltered from the wind. And a few more crops. I may even try the 3 sisters combination.

Finally, I started a new project. I blogged about it here, and you can read about that if you want to. I found yarn I wanted to use, a beautiful wool and silk blend and a dark magenta-ish to go with it. The afghan is called Chain Link, and I've got the beginning "backbone" of  it almost complete.

Here's more or less how it will look

Here's what I've got so far

Thanks for browsing!

A Vintage Crochet Project

 

I have a ton of crafting books and magazines, and I've been thinking for a while, that I should look through these crafting resources, and pick a project to complete from each one to share on my blog. So, I picked Issue #5 from Sept/Oct 1987 of Hooked on Crochet to find the first project. Why this particular issue of this particular magazine? Well, it was in my craft room, for just this purpose, in a plastic shoebox of other issues, and it was the first one to hand. 

Can I find a project??

So what are my expectations from this challenge? (Yes, I expect that picking and completing a project from each of these crafting magazines is a challenge). Like this issue, from 1987, styles have changed, so one challenge will be to find a project that interests me. I really don't have any use for a doily collection, for example. Or sheets and pillow cases decorated with crochet.

Bed Set

While I would be willing to consider a sweater project, especially one for a kid, especially a sweater vest out here in NM, this one is - at least to me - a "NO."

No. Just, no.

Keep turning the pages. Surely there is something! Maybe a piano scarf? Uh, no, I don't have a piano. Much less a piano that needs a scarf (see doily. BIG doily). Don't need the Baby Set. I think we're all over crocheting a cover for a box of tissue, right?

How about an afghan? Well, I hadn't really thought about doing anything that big, but it does fit with the blanket projects that Charitable Crafting is working on. OOOhhhh these look nice...

The Chain Link afghan

Shells and Ripples afghan

Oh, man, those browns and golds. They do speak to me of my younger years... But, thankfully, I am not tied to them. Even if it was still 1987, and I was going to make one of these, I would have picked my own colors. For this project,  I will be choosing yarn from my own stash, and what is available from Cruces Creatives. This will take longer than I really planned for a project, but I really like these afghans. I am going to work on the Chain Link, with the possibility of then moving on to Shells and Ripples if the instructions are well written, and go pretty fast.

What is going to happen to these projects when I'm done? Well, I think you can tell this one will be donated to the blanket project, potentially going to Community of Hope, a local homeless shelter. Others may be donated to school clothing closets, or other places. Maybe given as gifts, if appropriate. Just know that I'm not keeping all of them. I'll be updating on the progress of this afghan soon!

Quilt Progress is Learning

 

I got an Accuquilt cutter for my birthday. With it, you buy dies that cut fabric into the pieces you need to make a quilt block. There are several reasons to get one. For instance if you have a hard time cutting the pieces, for whatever reason, it makes it much more physically in reach. Also, if you are like me, and have a hard time cutting the pieces consistently, it definitely makes the pieces VERY consistent.  BUT there is a learning process with it. I mean, if you are cutting half-square triangles, you can put the right side of the fabric face up or face down, and it won't make much difference. Some of the other shapes, however are not as forgiving. It takes practice.

Yesterday, I cut pieces for a couple of mosaic blocks, for the first time. Yeah, I ended up with more of some parts of the block than I did the other. And I have "extras" for the future. Yeah. Extras. Today, I got some of the sewing done. Here's how that went.

The first mosaic block in process

I think the block when finished, will look pretty good, although I am glad to be able to practice it a few times. Is this my next quilt? you may ask. No. I will make my practice blocks into mug rugs, or maybe a fabric box. They are supposed to be 10" blocks, and that might be a bigger box than I would really like. We'll see...

I will say that I'm putting to use some of the quilt building techniques making this block, however. Pins, for one thing. Yep, I don't like using them because they take time to put in, and put away, and then, I drop them on the floor and make a mess. But really, I do try to keep them out of Pin Killer's clutches. (OK, OK, that IS the name of the sewing machine I use most of the time.) I think I got my pieces matching up pretty well this time, but while I will practice that, I won't live or die by it. Ever.

Pin Killer doesn't like sewing more than 4 layers of fabric, really, even this relatively light cotton. I think I'm going to try my older Singer on the next mosaic that I make. So, that is something else I'm learning: different machines are good at different things. OK, I really already knew that, but I'm learning to use them and find what they are good at, and take advantage of that knowledge.

Another quilt I've been working on is the current Charitable Crafting quilt. Many of the other people working on that quilt have much more knowledge of making quilts than I have, and I am learning a lot from them. Learning where being careful makes a difference. Learning about process, and thoughtfulness. Learning about using pieces that were made by others, and integrating them into the whole. 

A view of the first 5 rows 

Most of the blocks for this quilt were made sort of crazy quilt fashion, by various volunteers. Some, however, are created by using "orphan" blocks. Blocks that were created for other quilts, but didn't get incorporated, or the quilt was never completed, and the pieces have been donated to Cruces Creatives. Several of the people who help with Charitable Crafting make quilts for Linus projects, and have used some of these donations as part of one or another of their quilts. We have found them a beautiful addition to this project as well. I've learned how to use a walking foot, and a free motion quilting foot to help turn them into quilt as you go blocks. Recently, I saw someone making quilt as you go flying geese using half square triangles, and now I want to try that, too!

Of course Roxanne and I are working on some quilt construction together, finishing up the quilt tops that we started years ago. I need to go back to mine and finish up sewing the rows I made together, and get it quilted and finished! I know so much more about the whole process now than I did when we started those. And quilting is so much more than block making (although I will confess, the block making is my favorite part, so far).

Is Gardening Creative?

 

For purposes of this blog, I'm calling it creative. It is definitely a learning experience, and I have strong feels about being a life-long learner. So here we go!

I come from families that included many farmers, and garden people. My mom had a big garden in our backyard, and grew roses, and all sorts of things around our house. Even when she could no longer go out and garden, my dad would work on having a crop of tomatoes every summer. Before them, gardens were a thing that you did so you got enough food on your table. I, however, am a pretty poor excuse for a garden person. 

While I would love to have a crop of summer tomatoes, my efforts were sadly troubled. One year, I planted  several tomato plants, got _one_ tomato to take, and then the birds ate it before I could. ARGH! Another year, Carl and I experimented with a raised garden and planted a variety of tomato plants. I don't think they had enough root space, and didn't thrive. I do think we had a good idea by getting a table that allowed drainage, though.

During the pandemic, my front yard thrived. I was up early, and would water before the heat set it. I would pull some weeds before I went for a walk, and after I got home. I would sit under my tree in the shade and look in wonder at one of the best yards in my section of the street. (when I first moved into my neighborhood, two of the families across the street from me must have been in competition for the best lawn, but sadly they are no longer in the neighborhood)

Now, in my retirement, I'm thinking about trying some gardening again, encouraged by the efforts of a friend, who is also interested in fresh, healthy foods. She found a couple of containers for us to try out. One was a tower that had room for about one plant in each spot. Another find were some awesome container grow bags, and she gave me a couple to try out.

Tower Garden

Here is my tower. I planted the tower twice. The first time I planted mint, basil, some marigolds on the bottom, and rosemary, I think. I put it on an end table, and just as some things (not all the things) were sprouting, we had some strong winds, and it blew off the table. I set in upright, and rescued the sprouts I could, and several days later, added some already established marigolds in the bottom tier, Some other things (not sure I remember, and they didn't sprout anyway) in the next two tiers up, some onions in the second tier from the top and radishes in the top. I had tried the trick of sprouting new celery from  the bottom of the bunch by putting it in water for a while, and that is what is in the container in the top center. The basil has taken off, and grown really well. It smells so good! my radishes had their leaves eaten off, so I harvested the tiny radishes and we ate them. But they were tiny. I have some onions growing, and they seem to be doing OK, but the poor marigolds were done in. I think spiders got them. 

Salsa garden container

I started the salsa garden with plants already established. A bell pepper, a tomato and a basil (wasn't sure at the time my other basil would take hold). I also planted some onion seeds in here, but they never took hold, which maybe just fine because the other three really started to grow! 

my blurry tomatoes

I have three tomatoes growing on this plant. I've got some yellow leaves happening and I don't know why. (see, gardening has a learning curve) but I'm encouraged because it has already done better than my previous tomato endeavor! I also have a pepper growing. The basil has absolutely grown like crazy, and I've staked them so they share their space.

Blue Lake green beans

A couple weeks ago, I planted this other grow bags with some green beans. I was gone for a couple days, and found three had already sprouted when I got home. I think there are seven total plants in here at this point, and they sure are taking off. Wow!

Now, the learning process. I would like to get them up off the ground for some pest control. Not sure how that will work with the tower. But still a possibility. May need to treat the area for spider control before I plant. I would like to add more sand into my planting mix, I think some of the plants will do better. ALSO, by next year, my fried will have some compost for me. I'm contributing to her efforts, and she will share with me. I'm also thinking I will move them to the back yard, and up against the side of the house instead of the front. More morning sun, a bit of a wind break. I also have a place I can set up tables there. I will be shopping for "new" seeds next year as well. I think that was a problem with some of what I planted. 

Finally, I'm looking forward to these irises blooming next year. I got them at a seed share, and they seem to like this pot! The leaves have gotten much taller since I took this picture.

Seed share irises