Thursday, October 30, 2014

2014 Melbourne Show

This year for the Melbourne Show craft competition I got a bit more ambitious and entered three classes: Amigurumi, Homewares and of course, Doiley. 

I'm glad they've introduced the Amigurumi competition.  Now this little guy doesn't have to compete with tablecloths.


This is the first time an Amigurumi of mine has even placed. 

Speaking of tablecloths, I finally made this.  The convolvulus Supper Cloth (designed by Mary Card).



The edge is a huge amount of filet crochet (around three months.) Then it took about a week to get the fabric centre fitted. Of course I was rushing to do everything before it was due. Did you know that you can get blisters from hand sewing? 


It's all worth it in the end. Apart from finally crossing this off my craft-to-do list, I also have another blue ribbon.

The doiley took a lot less time to make, but was probably more annoying.  So many long chain loops and stitches into chains. I got lost more than once.  


Worse when I finally pinned it out for blocking, I found two mistakes.  One was fixable but only by cutting out a section and crocheting in a patch. The other is small enough that I got away with it.


It won first place in the Doiley Class and Best Exhibit Crochet.

For those of you counting that's three years in a row for Best Crochet.


(That is the same prize, I don't know why the ribbons are all so different.)

One step closer to world domination.







Sunday, October 26, 2014

2013 Melbourne Show

The last 18 months have been kind of busy.  So busy that when I sat down to post my 2014 Show results, I realised I hadn't posted last years.  I almost didn't get anything made in time.

I planned on entering two pieces, a Round Doiley and a Star Wars Hankie.  Due to work commitments I didn't have time to actually make the Star Wars Hankie.  Fortunately I had a standby hankie to enter.


It's a little known fact that the Emperor had a specially trained squad of attack squirrels.  At least the judges didn't mind.


Now my sister is the proud owner of a prize winning hankie. 

I nearly didn't get the Round Doiley finished either.  I was up until midnight waiting for the starch to dry. Fortunately those big pointy spikes make pinning it out much easier.


The judges really liked this one. 


Not only did it win best doiley it also beat every other piece of crochet in the competition.

Of course I don't know what the competition was like.  I was too busy to actually get to the Show.