Here I am, reporting back on how I did at the state fair!  I earned one second place ribbon, three 3rd place ribbons, and an honorable mention for a total of $23 in prize money.

Specifically, Mark’s doll got 3rd place…

…and his color book got second place.

Ellie’s Easter dress got 3rd place…

…and her doll dress received an honorable mention.

Finally, my tote bag took 3rd place.  This year, there were a lot of nicely constructed bags entered in this category and I was frankly grateful to have gotten any ribbon at all. Clearly, I’m going to have to make a much more difficult bag to win next year!  The bags that took first and second were technically strong (there’s the faint praise) but wow, they hurt my eyes. The fabric choices were just hard to look at.  I suppose my bugs (which I LOVE) might creep other people out though, so each to her own, right?

I have to confess to being justifiably but perhaps a bit too annoyed with the fact that they displayed my tote bag with the back side out!  That patchwork panel with the cool bugs and the pinks/greens got buried! 😦  It just looked like a boring easy tote bag that definitely didn’t deserve a ribbon.

All in all, five ribbons out of eight entries is pretty good, right?  Ellie’s ornament got a “participation” ribbon, which is more than I thought she might get!  And although I didn’t manage to take a picture of myself with any of my own entries, I did get a picture of my friend Sharla with her second place ribbon for canned tomato puree.  I feel proud of this myself because it was me who taught her how to water bath can years and years ago! 🙂

so excited about her first ribbon from her first year of entering the fair! 🙂