Resource Library: Area Fairs and Farm Shows.

It is Fair Season here and I am super excited!

When I first learned how to sew I entered my projects into the Lebanon Area Fair each year. I would search the pages of the fair book to find the maximum amount of crafts I could make to enter. I needed to have all of my bases covered! My mom and I would stay up until the wee hours of the morning the day before I had to submit my final entries. I could not wait to get to the fair the following day to see what awards my projects won!

Did you know that fairs are not just for kids?

Adults can enter too!

So last year I did just that! I entered a few of my sewing projects and drawings.

And just like I did when I was little, I ran to the fair the next day to see what prize ribbons hung from my garments.

Over the years of sewing and entering my projects I have received a lot of feedback on my work.

The judges often write little notes on the back of your prize cards to tell you what they liked about your work and what you could have improved.

Here are a few things that your garments might be judged on:

Creativity: How is your project unique and inspiring? Did you try something new?

Craftsmanship: How well is your project executed? Did you manage your time well and complete your project? Did you finish all of your seams and hand sewing? Does it look well made and polished?

Difficulty: Did you challenge yourself with the project? Did you opt for a dress with sleeves and fit over a shapeless smock with straps?

Suitability: Did you use appropriate fabric for your pattern? If more than one piece, do they work well together? Does it look natural or forced?

Attractiveness: Most of the time garments will be judged on hangers. Therefore you will have to think about how your piece looks on a hanger. Does it look sad and lifeless? Or does it look fun and vibrant? Would you pick your dress out in a store to buy just seeing it on a hanger?

If you have a chance to model your piece, make sure that it fits well! Some fairs allow you to share photos of your garment. Consider taking some nice photos of yourself in the garment to show its fit if it will only be judged on the hanger. Or maybe some photos of different ways to style your pieces. Don't get carried away though. Judges only have a few minutes to spend in each category and will not have time to look through a scrapbook of images of you wearing your suit. Keep it to one or two images.

The fair is about having fun!

So even if you don't win and you think that the dress that won over you is ugly and you wouldn't wear it bed, do not fret about it!

Sure there are things you could probably work on to make it better next time. Or maybe you can enter that item into another local fair and try to win a better prize. But don't get discouraged. Remember, there are people judging the work and everyone has a different opinion.

So just because the conservative women at one fair don't understand your colorblocking does not mean that a different group of judges at another fair will not think it is fresh and modern.

Why should you enter your pieces into local fairs?

Entering your garments into a fair is fun competition. You get to receive feedback on your work from other seamstresses.You can see what others did with the same challenge and get inspired. You can challenge yourself to become better or try harder projects. Maybe do more projects or different categories. And you can win prizes! I mean, everyone likes prizes.

Didn't get a chance to enter any fairs this season?

Don't worry! There is always next year! Go visit your area fair and see what categories they have to offer. Look at which projects won and try to be the judge and determine why one skirt won over the other skirt.
Get inspired! You can begin planning your projects for next year!

Not sure how to find out about local fairs near you? Keep an eye out for them in your local newspaper and merchandiser. Or try looking online by searching for area fairs or farm shows.

-Kaitlin

Made By A Fabricista: Revisiting a Pattern After Five Years

Have you ever used a sewing pattern and then immediately vowed never to sew it again? Well, I have. It all began in the spring of 2020 at the start of the pandemic lockdown. I tackled sewing projects that were more challenging to help me grow as a seamstress. There was one pattern in particular that almost did me in, the Seamwork Penny shirt dress. The Penny dress pattern has a classic button-up dress shirt style bodice with a gathered skirt and pockets. It is a beautiful take on a shirt dress, and my sister and I loved it. The only downside is that it was recommended for intermediate-level sewists and I was only an adventurous beginner back then. I think I had only ever made one button-up shirt before attempting this Penny Dress and it didn’t even have a collar! Despite all of this, I thought “Why not try it, what’s the worst that can happen?” Thankfully the worst didn’t happen, and the dress turned out surprisingly wearable, but I had some intense frustration at the end. I...

Made By A Fabricista: A Simple Frock for Spring

Hello friends! I’m really into sewing and wearing tent dresses at the moment. A tent dress is basically a wide A-line style gown. For this month’s project, I’ve opted to try out The Assembly Line’s Square Neck Dress. This style is a little avant-garde in its enormity and shape, and boasts the squared neckline it’s named after, plus some cute hem side slits. All that volume is fun to move around in, plus there’s loads of air circulation which is cooling. This dress’s main feature–its wide and high squared neckline–really piqued my interest recently, and I added it to my Make Nine plans for 2025. I find it so satisfying to check off those boxes as I sew! This beautiful shirtweight linen is a color I simply adore; a muted medium blue. Stormy skies, worn-in denim, and ocean waves all come to mind, and that is exactly what I want to be all wrapped up in. While I think a wild or large print would be amazingly on display in this big canvas of a dress, I also thought that a subtle ...

Made By A Fabricista: Bold Aspen Dress for Spring

As I write this in mid-April, central New Jersey weather is showing small signs of spring. My neighbor’s daffodils are blooming and our magnolia tree is trying to unfold its vibrant magenta petals. I am in the midst of preparing my wardrobe for the warmer months, even if we are still huddling against windy 30 degree days. For me, warm weather means linen. I love breathable, floaty linen sundresses and drapey, loose linen wide-leg pants. My vision for a spring piece was something bold and bright, inspired by the natural colors of blooming flowers, but also something that could transition well between the warmer and cooler months. When I saw Fabric Godmother’s Apsen Dress, I knew that it had the sensible transitional opportunities I was looking for while also providing a blank canvas for fun prints, patterns and colors. With the pattern in mind, I then turned to the stunning linen collection that Fabric Mart always has on hand to see what colors or patterns would best suit my visio...

Fabric Mart Fabricistas

Search This Blog