This is one of the cutest patterns I have seen in a long time.  I am going to be making one for myself and embellishing it with buttons, hearts, flowers and whatever I can think of!  If you have a family member who sews, or a friend who is always parked in front of her sewing machine, consider making this as a very special gift.   It is a dressmaker form pincushion.

I think the cutest part of this pattern is that it looks exactly like the real thing.  Well, like they did anyway.  Now the designs for dress forms are more sophisticated and sleek.  But they aren’t nearly as charming.  The old Victorian style dress forms have now become a collectible item; this little pincushion is a wonderful, and useful, replica.

Dressmaker Form Pincushion

Every year about this time crafters get extremely busy finalizing their entries for various state fairs.  There are few honors higher than winning a state fair ribbon for a craft.  Many magazines feature state fair winners in special issues and if you are lucky, the patterns for their projects are available in those magazines.  I generally think of this for crochet and sometimes knitting and usually with incredibly beautiful afghans.

If you have a creation in a craft and would like to enter it into competition into a fair, it is time to get the entry submitted.  It isn’t very difficult and could be wonderful exposure for you should you wish to go professional with your work. 

Go to Google.com and type in the state fair you are interested in.  Each fair, of any reasonable size, has its own official site.  Then go to the section that addresses competitions, find your category, and read the rules and regulations.  These are usually in .pdf files so have your Adobe Reader installed.  Applications are often available on the sites as well. 

Give it a shot.  It could be fun.  And even if you don’t win anything, you will have a once-in-a-lifetime experience.  Well, until you do it again next year!  And I can promise you will meet new people and make some forever friends.

I have opened a new crafting group at Yahoo Groups and would love to invite you all.

This group is for people wishing to make through the craft medium of their choice, a memorial. Quilting, knitting, sewing, woodworking, glass crafts and many other crafts are helpful in the grieving process. They also build a beautiful memory that you can cherish or give as a gift.

Consider making:

• Crazy Quilts Embroidery Samplers with your loved ones favorites colors
• Altered Books - This is a wonderful medium for a memorial
• Collage - Another fantastic medium for creating memories
• Knitting - An afghan made of colors that are meaningful
• Woodworking - Build a small table place photographs under a laminated top

Feel free to talk about your loss, about your life, or anything you want. Help others with their crafts and get to know each other. And let’s share lots and lots of pictures.

Click to join CraftingForMemories

I have a thing for rubber duckies. I decorate my bathroom in them. And I am still mad that someone threw away my “real” rubber duck many years ago. But I found some cute ones to fix up to decorate your bathroom, or present as a gift to your rubber duck collector friends.

Crocheted Jelly Bean Duck - Just make him yellow with an orange bill!

Crocheted Easter Duck - Now don’t brush this off. Some color modifications would make it adorable.

Cotton Duck Toy Pattern

Crochet Duck from Lion - Too Cute and a free registration to get the pattern.