a designer's
BRAGGING RIGHTS
Having found myself with a spontaneous design career
in beautiful Andover, MA, home of art patrons
and Phillips Academy, educator to US presidents,
in beautiful Andover, MA, home of art patrons
and Phillips Academy, educator to US presidents,
i discovered art competitions through local fairs.
The above photo shows the fruits of those endeavours
While most ribbons were easy wins, a few mean alot to me --
the red ribbon in the upper right hand corner was my very first win in my very first competition ever ...
i took second place in a juried art show -
After that the ones i treasure most are the four ribbons arranged
in a quasi-diamond on the right side ..
the red one is second place, the two white ones are third place,
and the pink is an honourable mention --
these were won in my first and only competition in Massachusetts historied Topsfield Fair,
the nation's oldest continuous fair (first held in 1818).-
this competition happened in mid-1980's when i discovered
that the old time New England traditions were still very much alive,
and that machine sewing still actually violated the rules of competition ...
before then, it'd never occurred to me that hand-sewing still ruled.
the entry which caused problems was
an exquisite, heirloom quality christening ensemble -
an exquisite, heirloom quality christening ensemble -
long coat, dress, underslip, bonnet, shoes -
with the collection, i'd done something that was not yet practiced,
with the collection, i'd done something that was not yet practiced,
in fact, purists would strongly frown at my mixing of media
in that i created a machine sewn outfit to be a canvas for adornments
of hand embroidery, beading, and quilting -
On registration day, the fair lady jotted notes on a clipboard,
her attention keenly on the variety of handiwork when all of a sudden, she stopped and,
her attention keenly on the variety of handiwork when all of a sudden, she stopped and,
apparently having just noticed, asked, "This is machine sewn?"
Routinely uncomfortable in public, i shrugged uneasily and mumbled, "hand and machine"
whereupon her demeanour suddenly turned respectfully apologetic ...
She put the pen and clipboard and looked at me sympathetically,
"I am so sorry," she said, "but machine sewing is not allowed."
"I am so sorry," she said, "but machine sewing is not allowed."
She fingered the coat's white on white ebroidery with beadwork.
"It's so beautiful," she said to nobody in particular.
She looked at me again and began tentatively at first.
"I wonder...would you be willing to leave it here? for display only, of course,
it can't compete, but it's so beautiful."
She smiled at me.
She smiled at me.
My face stung in a heated blush crawling onto my cheeks -
i could only stammer, "oh my ... of course... thank you ... oh my"
all the while desperately wishing the floor would just open up and swallow me...
how the limelight singes!!
how the limelight singes!!
Later that week visiting the fair to tally my wins (if any),
i turned a corner and there it was! my christening outfit -
all by itself inside a large glass display case!
all by itself inside a large glass display case!
An index card with typing had been tucked into a corner and addressed
the (apparently) hot issue of machine vs. hand sewing -
the (apparently) hot issue of machine vs. hand sewing -
in a corner of the card someone had handwrirtten:
look what beauty we miss by limiting ourselves ...
look what beauty we miss by limiting ourselves ...
but because all my energy had been siphoned into silently pleading
for the floorboards to open and take me in one gulp!!
at the time i missed both the message and the pink ribbon
distinguishing the ensemble as honourable mention
That was my first and sadly last competition at Topsfield ...
just weeks later, we'd adopt a gypsy/hippie lifestyle complete with green and white VW bus -
not for the adventure but because it was practical :
not for the adventure but because it was practical :
we plsnned to homeschool, but since it wasstill illegal to do so,
we figured we could dodge truant officers by living OTR (on the road) all around the country
we figured we could dodge truant officers by living OTR (on the road) all around the country
(when all was said and done, in total we drove 27,000 miles around the USA
usually with everything we owned plus pets,
who were later joined by babies...but i digress)
usually with everything we owned plus pets,
who were later joined by babies...but i digress)
...fast forward 5 years
Back in New England,
i put myself on the address list for the Topsfield Fair's premium book -
studying the premium book, i considered my options, when --
imagine my utter surprise! -- i read sewing categories like "tuxedos and wedding gowns" -
i called the fairgrounds and posed a quick question -
by hand? i asked ...
Contained excitement carried the response.
"Oh no, not necessarily," said a female voice on the other end,
"We now accept machine sewing as well for competition -- "
"We now accept machine sewing as well for competition -- "
Dumbfounded, i said, "Really?" just to be sure i'd understood correctly ...
"Oh yes," she said and proudly explained.
"A few years back the most exquisite christening outfit came in,
but couldn't compete, so we kept looking at the issue
until it was finally decided to open competition to include machine sewing."
until it was finally decided to open competition to include machine sewing."
Even in the privacy of my own kitchen, i felt that crazy heat rising -
it was enough that the rules had been changed,
but to mention that my christening outfit was inspiration ... wow
...fast forward one more time, another 5-10 years, west coast ...
At an Oregon farmers' fair, one original fashion design i'd entered
was a black and pink callico bodice and skirt set ..
was a black and pink callico bodice and skirt set ..
on fair day, in the gym transformed into the fair's summer theme, i found my handiwork
meticulously arranged on one of many free-standing trellises
which displayed the blue ribbon winners
which displayed the blue ribbon winners
-
and as soon as i spotted it, the familiar heat began to rise in my cheeks.
which is why I didn't notice, until too late to back away gracefully,
that a stranger stood next to me admiring my winner ....
which is why I didn't notice, until too late to back away gracefully,
that a stranger stood next to me admiring my winner ....
Her eyes never moved from my design
(and unaware she stood next to the designer),
she asked me, "Don't you just love this outfit?"
(and unaware she stood next to the designer),
she asked me, "Don't you just love this outfit?"
my response got derailed by shyness, stuck somewhere between brain and larynyx ...
Why is there never a hole opening up in the floor when you need one?
-NHT
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