Has anyone ever entered the handicrafts competition at an agricultural show?

[sethstarkaddersmum]

Just got back from the Malton Show. As ever there was some very impressive sewing in the handicrafts tent. Am just wondering if anyone has ever entered one of these and knows what kind of thing the judges look for.

or at an old-style village fete?

I did a long time ago enter a one ply knitted Shetland shawl that got second prize. Your best bet is to look at what got the prizes and then do something of that kind of quality but obviously all your own.

We don't have a show of that kind any more or I would be able to enter loads more.

No, but I did come 4th in a Sheep Judging competition at a major agricultural show, even though neither I nor my family have anything to do with rearing sheep.

Sorry. Random comment.

Random but fascinating Thistledew.... do tell us more!

There is a WI book called "on with the Show" which gives an idea of the standard and rules that the judges work to, the rules are laid out quite clearly and the standard is always very high. There will be a schedule for each class to give an idea of what the item should be etc. Some classes are more open ended then others.

I always wish I could pluck up the courage to enter our local show...

The DC always enter (and sometimes win prizes) but I'm far too scared to compete against the pros!

I was in the young farmers as a teenager, and they organised a mock judging competition where they got a professional judge to come along and tell us what to look for. Much to my surprise I won the mock competition, so when the person (a sheep farmer) who was supposed to be doing the competition at the show fell ill, they asked me to go along and do it.

It is far to many years ago for me to remember accurately, but it was all to do with the sheep looking like a square clipped hedge, and then having a good feel to see if it had the right amount of flesh (not too much, not to little) around the neck, shoulder, rib, haunch and base of the tail.

My career is going a bit tits up at the moment, so maybe it would be a useful skill to recall!

Thistledew, Young Farmers has alot to answer for ! I too was a memeber for many years ( married a farmer) and got involved in alsorts of stuff including stockjudging and jam making to name just a couple ! twas all fantastic fun though !

DutchOma - I am posting a link to the type of shawl that you knitted there are only a few people who can knit such fine wool in a Shetland design and you are blessed with this talent. They are astonishingly beautiful and look like cobwebs.
You are being far too modest as it takes a huge amount of skill and patience to make these shawls. I have seen them at the Royal Highland Show and was amazed at the work that goes into them.

Dutchoma - WOW! Am very, very impressed.

Moocowmrs - thanks for the book recommendation - I think I may get hold of that.... (In fact I think I might end up joining the WI.... will see if we have a local branch.)

There were lots of Young Farmers around at the Malton Show. One group of them were wearing perfectly ordinary anoraks that said 'Porn Star' on the back and the other group had t-shirts that said 'We're a drinking club with a farming problem', which seemed almost tragically apposite given what a hard time farmers have had recently.

Porn star is an anagram of 'snort rap' so perhaps they had a cider too many when ironing on the letters

Good theory Swans.

I got second prize in the "cushion" class of the handicrafts section in our village flower and veg show. It was a tapestry depiction of "The Monarch of the Glen" that i had chosen to make for Ironic reasons. Was chuffed with my second prize though. I have won a few prizes for veg and jam over the years but it brought a previously dormant mad competitive streak so i have retired for the time being to avoid the stress of marathon early morning scone baking (make 30 to get three that are all the same shape etc.).

Well done Wigglybeezer!
I am suspecting that technical excellence is more important than style - maybe your ironic cushion was sewn very beautifully indeed

Tell me about your veg prizes too please!

There was a fabulous thread on here a few summers ago in which Slubberdegullion was helped to win second prize for her Victoria sponge in her village fete.

I won the pumpkin class once and also a second for french beans, have yet to win anything in cut flowers, my garden is not well stocked for late summer colour (keep meaning to do something about that).
It is tempting to enter really mad things for a laugh (rude veg etc.) but the organisers are so nice i can't bring myself to do it.
My ironic cushion was very detailed indeed! I gave it to my MIL as a christmas pressie afterwards .

I won on flower arranging once at the village show but by the next year someone far more skilled had moved into the area ! I wish they did handicrafts as I'm fiercely perfectionist.

I have a friend who enters in the WI competitions and the standard/pressure is eyewateringly high.

I am not perfectionist and would therefore never win in a million years if the standard is high. They do need a few crap entries though, don't they, just to make the good ones feel properly proud of themselves

Mine wasn't anything like that intricate. It was just a garter stitch square inside and borders round it. I had no frame to stretch it on and it never looked like much. I had it in a shop, pinned up for a while and the chap who owned the shop damaged it.
I wasn't even that sorry about it and cheerfully went on to do really nice Fair Isle work.

It was one-ply lace yarn though and it did go through my wedding ring.