With the arrival of County Fair time, my pal and co-worker, Lindsay, and I were chatting about some of our funny 4H memories, and I suggested we do a simultaneous post with some vintage pictures of both of us in our clothing project outfits. Great idea, huh? Well, it was supposed to be published last Friday! I left her high and dry and humiliated alone for days in cyberspace wearing an array (I mean, it is quite a lineup!) of handcrafted vintage '80's and early 90's ensembles without so much as a mention here of my sad attempts to make and model even a simple elastic-waist skirt! Lindsay, I am so sorry.
So, I'm here to make good on my word, but I must say I never made it past about level 3--I'm telling you it's a miracle that I still sew after all of those long days and nights stitching and ripping and pressing meticulously, and bickering with Mom, only to have the judge scrutinize it all in person on the day of open judging.
After perusing through my scrapbook, I could find only this page, with a tiny cutout of me backstage at fashion review in my matching rayon "shell" ,as Mom calls it, and gray print skort--Oh, there's a matching scrunchie peeking through back there--see it!? This is really pretty much a cop out, now that I have it up here, because it doesn't cover the daisy-print A-lined skirt or the blue gingham sleeveless blouse (with another matching scrunchie), which took me to the state competition, but only because the other winner was disqualified for some reason. There must be others, but the evidence remains MIA.
Maybe the shot of me dancing in old-lady attire at the "Share the Fun" 4-H talent show will be enough to make up for the lack of tacky outfits. If it doesn't, surely the perm and fluffy poodle bangs (eerily similar to Lindsay's in that era) in the shot at bottom right will. The picture of me with my hogs and dear ol' Dad (is that Dad?) is just a bonus. Enjoy your trip to the fair this year, and think of this post before you say an unkind word about any polka dot jumper in the exhibit hall!