Winners and losers

As Doc Leo doesn't like to stray very far from his internet connection and his kitty cats, we don't seem to ever take vacations now that he's retired.  Thus I get stuck having all my obligations around the property staring me in the face with no break. 

To combat that, in order to have a bit more personal time, I apparently have ended up throwing myself into my sewing site with more participation than I really should dedicate. 

Here is a recap of some of the ups and downs I've experienced recently.  The recent ups are particularly rewarding!

Among the attractions of my favorite sewing site are the contests they regularly offer.  Many of them don't interest me or apply to my lifestyle, but some of them have given me a reason to attack my sewing machine and relive a previous life.

A popular pattern

The first interesting contest this year was in March, using a pattern from a particular list. As I had both fabric and a correct pattern that was just waiting to be made, this made a perfect opportunity. 

While I didn't place in the top three, I think I came in fourth, which was still totally exciting, plus I got something new to wear instead of it just sitting on a shelf. 

Another one

And another

For fun, as I had two more patterns on the list, I did both of them, too, although they were not nearly as popular with the voting public.

A wardrobe idea

I really got into the next contest in April, which was creating a coordinated wardrobe of nine articles.  My personal challenge was to only use up stash I already had, some of it going back to my Florida days! 

The Doc helped me to create a really snazzy storyboard, something neither of us had done before.  It was a lot of fun, and I really enjoyed all the communication with everybody else in the sewing world. 

The wardrobe reality

Unfortunately, my collection was not loved at all by the voting public, and I finished way way down on the totem pole.  That was definitely a real blow to my ego, but my real life world has loved the items as I've worn them. 

And I was totally in favor of the collection that won first place.

Words of wisdom

Something for autumn

On the rebound, I entered another contest I had no hope of winning, one that enticed everybody to use up as much of their stash as possible. 

While I have no interest in sewing just to be sewing, I did use that contest as group motivation to make something I'd had in the wings for a couple of years.

Featured!

During the summer, while everybody else was off and away to fascinating destinations, I was chosen to be the highlighted person of the month, making me feel like I was definitely a member of the site's community.  I got so many nice comments from others very happy to learn more about me beyond just checking out my various reviews of the things I've been making.

Being a book cover

A 1940's babe

Right after that was another contest.  It sounded like fun, but I had no idea how to develop the concept.  I ended up turning myself into a vintage teenager!  Well, lo and behold, the results of the public voting were revealed this past week, and Nancy Drew came in first place!  Again, the comments everybody left me were really rewarding.

The day after that contest ended, before voting even began, the site started a major competition.  I was working on my hillside last year when they ran the first season and totally missed that it was even happening.  It's based on a British sewing reality show competition that I haven't been the only one to really enjoy watching for three seasons.

The concept is that on Day 1, they give you the theme of what you then have to make for Round 1 in a short specified period of time.  If you end up in the top unannounced percentage, you get to move on to Round 2, with a winner being chosen for that first round.  Kind of like a Best of Show award.  After the winners are announced, the theme is given for the next round.  And thus it continues for four rounds of elimination and advancement, with a winner for each round, and then an overall winner for the whole competition.

Award-winning styling

While a number of candidates expressed interest before the theme was announced for Round 1, many dropped out as not being interested in the topic or feeling incapable of competing.  But I was thrilled, as it was actually more within my capabilities than many other themes could have been.  I had seven days to make a fitted blouse.  I knew right away what I was going to do, but that whole idea turned out to be a lot harder than I expected, using techniques in ways I'd never done before.

Details

As people started looking over the entries, I started getting some absolutely positive and complimentary comments.  Everybody just loved what I'd come up with.  Yes, it was pretty, but it was just a blouse.  One that I'd made a lot harder than it should have been trying to be contest worthy.  As I was being overwhelmed by all the commentary, waiting for the judges to vote, the previous contest results came in.  My mind was totally in a whirl!

Then, this morning, three days later, the judges' verdict came down.  Not only was I advancing to the next round, but I was chosen as the winner of the first round!  Apparently the judges liked my blouse as much as the comment givers did.

For becoming Nancy Drew

For making a peppermint blouse

It's been kind of embarrassing to get all these congratulatory notes for the two contests, especially with them so close together, which normally isn't possible.  It just so happens that this competition came right on top of a regular contest, and I just happened to place first in both.  I won't be allowed to win (so why enter?) another contest for four months, and I could easily bomb out of the running with the second round's theme (embellish a piece of fabric then use it to make a garment), totally outside of my creative juices.  Then I'll have no excuse not to get back to the drudgery of keeping up our property.

So despite the Doc's homebody preferences, I think I managed to amuse myself fairly well so far this year.  Don't you agree?