By Lisa Allmendinger
The 88th Annual Chelsea Community Fair judging in the Green (hobby) Barn got underway shortly after the last exhibit was entered and logged on Sunday, Aug. 23.
As such, about 35 community members took their judging seats and began tasting baked goods, and evaluating canned foods, needle arts, antiques and flowers.
Monday morning, agricultural items, quilts and crocheted items, art and crafts, and photography judging took place.
Ever wonder what the judges are looking for as they place entries from first to fourth and then award those coveted champion and grand champion rosettes?
Below is your chance to find out.
The number one comment from the judges was reminding folks to enter their items in the correct class.
From many accounts, the total entries in several departments surpassed those in previous years, and the overall quality was outstanding.
As for the individual departments, the two canning judges said they were examining the contents in the glass jars for texture, color, consistency and “head space,” which means the level of liquid in each jar. They do not open the jars to taste the items.
Two baked goods judges based their choices on three things: consistency, texture and flavor. They said they were very impressed by what they’d judged in the 6–8-year-old age group category.
Presentation, appearance inside and out, the smell, flavor and moisture were all taken into account by the judges for the adult category baked goods entries.
And the two judges evaluating entries in the 13–17-year-old group, said they were visually checking if the item was baked thoroughly. It shouldn’t be dry or gooey. Was the frosting “incorporated properly?” And, of course, the flavor.
The needlework judge said she was looking for entries that were well finished, meaning how it was presented, the workmanship and stitching. She was looking for “(Chelsea) Fair quality work and presentation.”
She suggested that people clean up their entries and iron them if they are wrinkled before entering them.
In addition, some of the judges in the machine sewing, quilts, crochet and knitting departments included “educational” comments on the back of the exhibitor’s tags.
Machine sewing judges discussed the little details, such as clipped threads, evenness of stitches, and how authentic the entries were.
Crochet and knitting judges looked for the quality of the work, taking into account age appropriateness, the difficulty of the project, and the appropriate use and weight of yarn.
Quilting judges looked at how well it was done, the applications, how much was quilted, pointed corners and color.
In the floral department, the judge said she was looking for healthy plants while judging the entries from the perspective of the age group in which the item was entered.
She said the most popular types of flowers entered this year were marigolds, dahlias and sunflowers.
In the ag area, among the qualities the judges were looking for in the vegetables and fruit categories were entries with no blemishes or pests and the proper ripeness.
“Kudos to everyone who entered, regardless of where they placed, the crops this year are amazing,” one judge commented. Noting the grape entries were so visually appealing they wanted to eat them. (No, the judges do not taste the veggies or fruit.)
The judges were pleasantly surprised by the number of bean and pepper entries as well as the number of tomatoes and peppers.
Judges in the antique area said there were a lot of really wonderful and amazing items entered this year. They said they were looking for unique items. “If they could tell a story, what would it be?” A piece that lends itself to the judge imagining a story for it herself. Also important were the item’s age and whether it was in its original condition.
In the arts and hobby area, the adult entry judge said he was looking for craftsmanship and originality along with composition. He said how the media is handled is also a consideration along with how complicated the media and execution is.
The judge for the 13-17-year old group said she looked for the amount of work that went into the entry, the detail, did the artist take it to the next level?
Tiny details can also make a difference in placements. Was extra effort put into the piece? Did the children just bring them to fair or did they display them?
She said the creativity and talent this year was amazing.
As you enjoy visiting the Green Barn this year, use this year’s exhibits as inspiration to enter something yourself next year.
