The Virtual State Fair 2020

Today would have been opening day at the California State Fair.  The fair scene has been a part of my life for many years, having been a booth vendor, submitting competition art work and quilts, and blogging about my experiences these past few years. Because I miss it so much, I present The Virtual State Fair 2020.

We will begin with the food competition. I offer Pumpkin Bread, chock full of raisins and pecans. Local judge Mr. Von Zalez gives it top rating. 


I have been going through my recipes, altering them, updating them. Here is Zucchini Bread, also a strong contender in the baked loaf category. Image below doesn't include the dates (I was out of them), a key ingredient. 

My first year of making plum jam. I referred to the Kerr Kitchen Cookbook, Home Canning and Freezing Guide (1990). 

In my inexperience, there was plum jam everywhere! I had to wash the floors and all the utensils and me.

That little gingham seal on the jam, 20 years old. New in package. It has been that long since I last did any canning (hangs head in shame). 

Moving into arts and crafts, my entry into the quilted wall hanging category. Pieces of the Past quilt, original post here. It was quilted diagonally and in the ditch. 

Who can resist the rides and carousels? 

My brother Puyallup Fair 1962

There is nothing like fair food!

The little critters we like to see but probably terrifies them.

And the others ..

Me in my calf-wrangling days, 1970

You know there are always vendors and product demonstrations. The Mr. did a video for our eBay product - the Hard Times 2020 lid knocker.

https://www.ebay.com/itm/184287486357

I pray there will be a California State Fair in 2021! If you have any summer craft or fair-related posts, please share yours in the comments.

Links to past year's posts on the California State Fair.
2019-pt-1
2019-pt-2
2018

Turner-esqe print and why are people so angry?

This thrift shop print came home with me. I like the vibrancy of color and looks kind of Turner-esque. I even like the frame, understated and quietly beautiful. Photographed at an angle because the print is under glass.  

It needed its hanging wire replaced and that was an easy fix. It hangs in my spare bathroom with my gypsy-hanging-curtain.

Reseller's update: 
What has sold? Needlework kits and as I suspected would sell, the 8 DVD collection of Woody Allen movies. 

I have hit my 400 listings goal on eBay. This round was all of the recently-purchased product. Photographed, checked to ensure the right CD was in the right case and all pieces went with the antelope. I was going to list my treasure chest ceramic bank but now I keep it around to stay focused on my financial goals. 

That stack doesn't include the 18 Christmas CDs I have yet to put through the Tami Process and a Totally Extreme mini skateboard.
  Covid-related stuff:
Now whenever the Mr. and I travel to larger cities nearby for supplies, we encounter numerous angry people. They are angry they have to wear masks. They are angry they have to stand in line. They are angry they have to drive the store. The Mr. contends with quite a few medical conditions and cannot walk quickly. We were in a major retailer's parking lot and a woman in an SUV nearly ran him over, came within inches. 

This is happening every weekend. By the time we get home, I am wrung out. What is going on with our collective soul as people? Is anyone else out there experiencing this oddness? Like everyone has gone a tad bit crazy? 

College update: With a week left to go until I register for classes, it looks like I might get the ones I want. My daughter also wants to take one of her pre-requisites and has a couple in her shopping cart. Here's hoping we will get the ones we want. 

Quilting update: I've got the backing and binding prepared for the Pieces of the Past quilt. Now to marked quilting lines, oh, I had to do a little bit of Frankenbatting on this one. I had leftover binding from my State Fair quilt so I added some periwinkle to the mix. It is going to look so gorgeous! I will debut the final Pieces of the Past quilt on my Virtual State Fair post next month. 

Pieces of the Past Quilt

This quilt truly is comprised of tiny fabric pieces of the past. Both Wanda at exuberantcolor.blogspot.com (an esteemed online friend) and I place the border fabric as a late 1950s-1960s print. 

I bought the bag of remnants at a hospice thrift re-opening. I was in a few minutes past the opening time and headed straight for the craft section. I usually pass by the bagged small pieces of fabric but this group caught my eye. The smallest pieces of fabric I combined in crazy quilt fashion for the cornerstones. I saw this technique in a lot of fabric I purchased a few years ago. Mystery quilter had combined pink remnants, I included those pieces in more than one of my quilts. 

In the four patches, the fabric cut with pinking shears, originally measured 2.75" and I trimmed them down to 2.5" inches. Only one small remnant of each print, like a snapshot in time. Fabric is such a wonderful medium to work with because it rarely degrades over time if preserved correctly. By preserving correctly I mean these scraps have been squirreled away in some closet or drawer or basket for a long period of time. 

It occurred to me the construction of the cornerstone was a lot easier than the first time I attempted those accent pieces. Border fabric is sewn to the top of the block, then the cornerstone is sewn to the left side border. You repeat the process until all of the blocks are sewn together, then you add the final border and cornerstones to the far right side of the quilt. 

The following are images of each of the 4 patches and close-ups of the cornerstones. 

I haven't decided yet whether to keep this as a mini quilt or save it for main section of a bed-sized quilt. Update: I am going to quilt it as a mini. 

Linking up with wendysquiltsandmore.

Resellers update: eBay continues to offer 15K free listings to the end of July to store subscribers. After restocking my product, I am ready to tackle the next round that will put me over 400 listings. I also made the leap from Starter Store ($15 a mo.) to Basic Store ($22 a mo. billed at the yearly rate). That subscription also gives me access to Terapeak which compares solds on eBay. 

What has sold? Those Girl Scout and 4H items - sold and quickly. If you see either in thrift, along with Boy Scout stuff, buy it for resell. I won on bid a lot of G.S. items on an online auction I am awaiting arrival in the mail. 

Clothing/craft patterns are selling. CD and cassettes continue to sell. I have to throw away about half of the cassettes because the tape has aged and drags. At 6 for $1, it is worth my time. 

In my "death pile" to be listed, five craft books, 1 needlework kit, 10 cassettes (still testing them), 12 Christmas CDs and another 50 regular CDs. 

On the subject of patterns, this Pattern of the Day is a McCall's 2781 from 1971. Sometimes I find other items in the pattern packets and this one contained a handwritten note and a sketch of the dress. 

When I find sewing baskets at thrift, there have been pictures, notes, and assorted tchotchkes. It is a part of thrifting that enjoy, when I catch a glimmer of the previous owner.