Grand Champion

Back in my 4-H days it wasn't uncommon for me to receive high marks on whatever project I entered in the Cherokee County fair.  I'm not trying to be "boastful" (a second-grader re-taught me that word a few weeks ago), but it was what it was!!  Since my pig-raising days were over (you'll read about Wilbur tomorrow), a one and done kind of deal, my life in 4-H turned to cooking, sewing, and collecting.

I decided that I would enter a sewing project.  I was ten-years-old and knew how to sew pretty well.  My grandmothers both quilted so they would let me hand-stitch quilt blocks and my mom had her Master's Degree in Home Economics and taught me how to sew easy stuff on her machine.  I already knew how to sew Prairie Points (they go around the outer edge of a quilt), patches, extensions on my dad's overalls (he was 6'4" and the shoulder straps were never long enough) and I helped make pillows, pillow cases, a few bibs, and even simple Barbie clothes.  When it was time to decide what to make for the fair, I told my mom I didn't want to make anything to wear, I wanted to make something I could use.

One day we were up town and I saw this cute little kitty pillow pattern in the window at The Sewing Box and I really wanted to make the pillow to put on my bed...back when I was required to make my bed!  We went inside the store and had Florence (not her real name) cut a pattern off the bolt and mom had me pick out some eyelet to go all the way around the cat-shaped pillow.  She thought it would be really cute.  I was super excited and the eyelet would add to the skill-level of getting each and every stitch perfect with no kinks or fold-overs.

As we were checking out at the register, there was a sign that read "Are you in 4-H?  Receive the Grand Champion Ribbon in Sewing at the fair and win this pair of Singer Scissors".  What a motivation tactic!  If you won Grand Champion, you also got money for your ribbon, you got to take your project to the Kansas State Fair AND win this pair of sewing scissors!  I was 10-years-old, I didn't need much motivation, but I really wanted to win those scissors for my mom because she sewed all the time.

Fair week came, the projects were entered, the judges began judging.  I had a specific time to bring my project in and sit with the judge so she could make notes about my sewing and give constructive criticism.  If you made clothes, you also had to model them.  That was another reason I didn't want to make clothes.  I'm not much on parading around in front of a bunch of strangers who are judging me!! LOL

After the judge was finished with my project, they displayed it in the 4-H building.  You had to wait all day to find out how you did.  Once we caught wind that the judging was complete, we all raced to the 4-H building to find our project to see how we did.  You can only imagine the look on people's faces when they saw what project won the Grand Champion purple ribbon.  Yes, you guessed it, my cute little kitty pillow with the white eyelet!  There were some really upset kids AND their parents.  Some had made three-piece suits, dresses or jackets.  Well EXCUSE ME for being the best little seamstress this side of the Mississippi!! LOL  I was so proud and these people were taking away from me this awesome moment.  I was going to get to take my pillow to the Kansas State Fair in Hutchinson!  Mom had already talked about getting "Alabama" concert tickets because they were going to be playing at the fair and now we were going to get to go and experience the KANSAS STATE FAIR for the first time!  Also, my sister had entered our grandmother's recipe for Refrigerator Cookies (I know, it's a lame name) and had won Grand Champion too so she was getting to take her cookies to the state fair as well.  We were so pumped!

Sunday came and it was time to collect our projects and ribbons from the 4-H building...and let's not forget about my scissors from The Sewing Box!  I had mom take me by on Monday and I took in my ribbon to show Florence and Sally that I had won the Grand Champion with my sewing project.  Sally told me in her snippy voice that my project was far from being a real sewing project and that my mom was the one that probably sewed it anyway and that I was absolutely NOT getting the scissors!

I left The Sewing Box crying.  My mom asked me what was wrong when I got back in the car.  I told her that Mean Sally wouldn't give me my prize and I continued to tell my mom what she told me about mom being the one who sewed my project for me.  My mom turned the car off and told me to stay in the car.  I knew she was mad...not just mad, but furious.  She marched in the store and asked for the scissors.  Mean Sally wouldn't give them to her either.  My mom is the prim and proper type of individual who rarely has an unkind word to say about anybody...but after mom got back in the car, I knew without a doubt what she thought of Sally Litchfield! (not her real name)

It has been 40 years and I still have my Grand Champion pillow...everytime I look at it I chuckle to myself and remember that old bitty who wouldn't give a 10-year-old little girl her much earned and deserved pair of stupid scissors!!

The Grand Champion Kitty Pillow