Author: Cassi

March is National Craft Month, which gives us the perfect opportunity to showcase many of our talented Kentucky State Fair exhibitors! Each year, thousands of ribbons are awarded in 31 divisions. In the Fine Arts and Crafts Department everything from weaving to wood carving is showcased.  We’re starting our celebration of Kentucky State Fair crafters with Terryl Allen. Crafting has always helped Terryl de-stress. Maybe that’s why she’s picked up so many different hobbies, from quilting to cross-stitch. We sat down with the blue-ribbon winning Kentucky State Fair exhibitor to learn more about how she got started and her award-winning creations.  What crafts do you do? I knit, crochet, sew clothing, and quilt. I also make doll clothes and do counted cross-stitch, embroidery, needlepoint, and have done some smocking. I always say, “Give me a needle and thread and I can probably do something with it.” I used to do liquid embroidery and ceramics, but have moved on from them. How did you get started? My mother taught me to sew and crochet when I was about 9 years old, and I think I was embroidering before that. Mom kept up with the trends in the 70’s and 80’s (counted cross-stitch, afghan stitch (Tunisian) crochet, etc.) and made me aware of them, too, so she was always the impetus for all my crafting. Other than knitting. Mom never had any interest in learning that, so I taught myself from the books that were available in the 80’s. A far cry from today’s YouTube lessons! Do you have a favorite project? Ooh, that’s tough. I’ve done many things over the years that I’ve been proud of, but I guess my favorites lately have to be a zoo-themed quilt I made several years ago, because it made me step outside of my comfort zone, a peacock quilt I made in memory of my mother that incorporates aspects of embroidery, and an appliquéd pansy wall-hanging that also made me work outside my box. What awards have you won? The above mentioned zoo quilt won Honorable Mention at the KY State Fair in 2013. That was the first time I won any kind of an award, and I was thrilled! Since then I’ve won some 1st & 2nd place ribbons at the Fair for doll clothes, a 3rd & 4th place ribbon on some clothing, a Blue Ribbon for an embroidered Temari ball, a Red Ribbon for a Tunisian Crocheted shawl, and a Blue Ribbon for a wool skirt made as part of an historic outfit. That last one made my day on opening day last year, because it was the first thing I saw when I entered the Textiles Department! If someone wanted to get started with either needlework or sewing, what tips would you give them? Find like-minded people to help and inspire you – whether that be on-line, through local shops, local or statewide guilds, or just a couple of friends getting together to chat and create. Having someone to share […]

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Thank you to everyone who participated in the Kentucky State Fair Photography Department this year! Check out the entries below: 4004 Aspiring – (063 Monochrome – Theme: KENTUCKY AGRICULTURE, 072 Color – UNCLASSIFIED NO ANIMALS OR PEOPLE, 073 Color – Theme: KENTUCKY AGRICULTURE) 4004 – Aspiring – Monochrome (060 Monochrome – PEOPLE Must include person or part of a person – No animals, 061 Monochrome – NATURE/SCENIC No People, 062 Monochrome – UNCLASSIFIED NO ANIMALS OR PEOPLE) 4004 – Aspiring – Color classes (070 Color – PEOPLE Must include person or part of a person – No animals, 071 Color – NATURE/SCENIC No People, 072 Color – UNCLASSIFIED NO ANIMALS OR PEOPLE) 4005 Accomplished Monochrome Classes – (080 Monochrome – PEOPLE Must include person or part of a person. No animals, 081 Monochrome – NATURE/SCENIC No People, 082 Monochrome – UNCLASSIFIED NO ANIMALS OR PEOPLE, anything else goes, 083 Monochrome – Theme: KENTUCKY AGRICULTURE www.fairvault.com/displayslideshow.cfm?fairName=ksfgen&slideshowName=Student%20Division 4005 Accomplished Color Classes – (090 Color – PEOPLE (Must include person or part of a person. No animals, 091 Color – NATURE/SCENIC No People, 092 Color – UNCLASSIFIED NO ANIMALS OR PEOPLE, anything else goes, 093 Color – Theme: KENTUCKY AGRICULTURE) 4006 – Student Photography Division […]

Read More… from 2021 Kentucky State Fair Photography Department

  We’re celebrating National Pecan Pie Day with our 1994 Blue Ribbon winning pie recipe. Thanks to Charles Dawson from Maceo KY for this recipe! My Pecan Pie 2 large eggs 3/4 cup white sugar 3/4 cup white syrup 1 tablespoon butter, melted 1 level tablespoon flour 1 teaspoon vanilla dash salt 1 cup pecans, chopped Pastry for 9″ pie Preheat oven to 350 degrees Beat eggs until a little foamy. Then add sugar, syrup, butter (melted), flour, vanilla and a dash of salt. Stir well. Stir in pecans. Pour in raw pie shell. Bake for 40-45 minutes. Yield one 9″ pie. […]

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For exhibitor Madison Davis, raising dairy cows is always an adventure. Each day brings something new. Whether it’s an escaped cow roaming the countryside or another emergency on the farm, a good farmer always has to be ready to handle the unexpected.   Not that she’s complaining. She loves her life on the farm. Even though it isn’t easy, she says dairy farming is always rewarding and competing at events like the Kentucky State Fair provide opportunity for friendships to form. “Getting to spend time with my animals and make new friends are my favorite things about showing,” said Madison, who competes in local and state dairy shows. Through her time on the farm, she’s gained a lot of patience, learning to adapt when things don’t go according to plan and gaining knowledge to solve the problems as they arise. It’s one of the many life skills she’s gained early. Another is responsibility. Every day Madison works with her cows, feeding, watering and milking. Often it takes more than one person to get all the work done, but it’s all worth it to spend time with her animals and her family.   June is National Dairy Month and we’re celebrating by highlighting dairy exhibitors. Did you know Kentucky has 450 dairy farms and the typical dairy farm has a herd of 107 milking cows? The total amount of milk produced equals 109 million gallons annually. Dairy cattle will be showing at the Kentucky State Fair August 19-22. To learn more about entering, click here.     […]

Read More… from National Dairy Month: Meet exhibitor Madison Davis

Not many people find their passion early in life, but listening to 19-year-old Skyla Lawless talk about dairy cattle makes you certain she’s found hers.  She’s well-versed in the nuances of raising cattle, spending hours going through different pedigrees deciding what genetics to cross, what feed to use and how to care for her cattle to get the desired results. For Skyla, learning is a never-ending process and it’s part of what she loves about farming.  “I can honestly say I have gained more from raising dairy cattle than I ever have from a class or a textbook,” Skyla said. “By living and working on a dairy farm my entire life I feel I have been given an upper hand in life as I have learned from a young age that life begins but it also ends, that there are daily challenges that have to be faced and no matter what you do not give up.”  There are no typical days on a dairy farm. Each day comes with its own challenges but Skyla’s family motto “farming is a hard life but a good life” helps them get through the difficult days. She spends a lot of early mornings and late nights on the farm, getting up early every morning to milk the cows, feed the calves and repeating the process again each evening. That’s the expected work, but there’s always something extra whether it’s mending fences or delivering calves.   Skyla has been exhibiting at the Kentucky State Fair since 2012 and she considers it a second home. For her the Fair is about more than ribbons or banners, it gives her an opportunity to be an “Agvocate,” advocating and sharing her knowledge of agriculture with fairgoers who haven’t experienced life on the farm. According to Skyla, most farmers are happy to answer questions about their farms, explain how they care for their animals and help educate the public on what Kentucky agriculture truly looks like.  Skyla and the Kentucky State Fair look forward to seeing you in August! Dairy cattle will be showing August 19-22 during the eleven-day Kentucky State Fair August 19-29, 2021 Kentucky State Fair. To learn more about participating or competing, click here. […]

Read More… from National Dairy Month: Young Dairy Farmer Skyla Lawless Advocates for Agriculture 

Colt Buckley has learned a lot about dairy farming in his short life. Though he may be young, only 11-years-old, he’s gained a lot of knowledge about responsibility by helping out on his family farm. Raising dairy cattle is a lot of work. Each morning he wakes up early to feed and care for his livestock. Then he helps his dad around the farm until it’s lunchtime for both him and the cows. That’s when he feeds them hay and mucks their stalls. Later in the afternoon they wash their cattle, keeping them clean to help prevent diseases, feed them and then practice leading to get show-ring ready. It’s all in a day’s work for Colt and he understands the importance of taking his job seriously. “My favorite thing to do on the farm is showing cows,” said Colt, adding that all of his hard work pays off when he wins a ribbon or banner at a competition. He’s been showing since he was just one-years-old, when his parents helped him in the children’s class. He’s a born showman, following his father’s footsteps into competition. “Every year I look forward to going to the Kentucky State Fair because that is where you get recognized for your hard work. I can’t remember a time at the state fair where I wasn’t having fun,” said Colt. Wise beyond his years, Colt thinks everyone should appreciate farmers because it’s one of the hardest jobs in the world.   […]

Read More… from Celebrating National Dairy Month: Meet 11-year-old farmer Colt Buckley

Despite learning to weave late in life, Kathy McWilliams excels at the craft. Only a couple of years into her retirement a friend invited her to spend a day at Weaver’s Corner, a small weaving shop in Boston, KY. After one day of weaving, she already knew purchasing a loom was in her future. She jumped into the craft, taking a beginners class to learn the basics and four months later she purchased her first loom. Then she discovered the Little Loomhouse and with the help of the local weaving community started her weaving journey. The Little Loomhouse is a hidden Louisville gem, nestled in the Kenwood Hill neighborhood in a trio of historic cabins. The non-profit’s mission is to educate students about the history of weaving and textile arts. The Little Loomhouse offers tours, weaving classes and hosts events. “It’s such a fascinating craft.  It’s very challenging, but also relaxing and definitely rewarding.  It’s a constant learning experience and I enjoy that,” said Kathy.  With the encouragement of her weaving friends and especially her husband, she competed in the Kentucky State Fair for the first time. She entered seven items, hoping to come home with any ribbon, the color didn’t matter. When she came home with six blue ribbons and one white ribbon she was thrilled.  Now an experienced weaver, Kathy volunteers at the Little Loomhouse Gift Shop to pay-it-forward for all the help and encouragement they’ve given her. To learn more about weaving, click here to visit the Handweavers Guild of America. For more information on the Little Loomhouse, click here.  […]

Read More… from Celebrating Kentucky Crafters: Weaving with Kathy McWilliams

For Tamara Yohannes, it’s hard to remember when her life-long fascination with fiber arts began. She started sewing by hand at her grandmother’s knee, beginning with fabric scraps, a needle and thread when she was only four or five-years-old. Her grandmother recognized her serious interest in sewing, teaching young Tamara how to make even stitches and turn an edge.  When she was in high school she began using the same leftover fabric scraps to make doll clothes for her sister and young girls in their neighborhood. Eventually, that morphed into a business. Neighborhood children would bring their weekly allowance to buy their doll’s next outfit. Tamara would let them choose the pattern and fabric. She used the money from her small business to fund her goal of becoming an exchange student in Japan. There she continued to sew, learning to make a Japanese kimono by hand.  After majoring in Home Economics Education in college, she received a Fulbright Fellowship to teach English for a semester at Presov University in Slovakia. There she found a bobbin-lace teacher who taught her the fundamentals of the beautiful craft. She’d done a little bit of lace in her crocheting and knitting in high school. After returning from Slovakia, she joined the Embroiders’ Guild of America where she found information on Romanian Point Lace, which became her primary focus. Romanian Point Lace is created by connecting lengths of crochet braid with various needle-made stitches.  “I love lace – I started out in high school by crocheting and knitting lace. I love the feel of that air-y fabric falling through my fingers as it grows in size. I love combining colors, trying new patterns, seeing the joy in people’s faces when I give my pieces away,” said Tamara.  Tamara now teaches Romanian Point Lace and has entered pieces in the Kentucky State Fair where she has been fortunate to earn blue, red, pink and white ribbons. From sewing to crochet to lacework, Tamara has explored a variety of sewing and stitching projects in her lifetime.  “I think it is surprising how once you get the hang of one type of sewing or stitching, that skill transfers really nicely into learning other sewing and stitching techniques.  The opportunities are limitless, and if someone were to want to get started, I would recommend picking something you like or you think might be useful and give it a try,” said Tamara.  To learn more about creating lace, Tamara recommends visiting the Embroider’ s Guild of America’s website and watching tutorials on Youtube, where you can find a lot of helpful instructional videos.    […]

Read More… from Celebrating Kentucky Crafters – From Sewing to Lacework: Tamara Yohannes’ Fiber Journey