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Floral Art

Hand Knitting

Soft Toys

Patchwork

Coloured Embroidery - Hand Sewn

Pressed Flower Design

Breads

Pastries

Savoury Flan

Scones

Preserves

Wines

Photography

Floral Art

• The arrangement should comply with the schedule in its content and size
• The cut ends of all fresh plant material must be in water or water retaining material
• The use of artificial plant materials is not allowed
• All components should be neat and clean
• Plant material must predominate, be well prepared and in good condition
• All entries should show good overall harmony in the choice of colour, texture and form of plant material chosen

HANDICRAFT

Hand Knitting

• Must use yarns specified in the programme
• Yarns should be suitable for the chosen item
• Finishing techniques are as important as the knotting
• Seams should be invisibly joined
• Patterns should be matched from the right side
• Shoulder seams should be invisibly grafted
• Neat buttonholes
• Yarns should be joined at the edge and loose ends darned in neatly
• Garments should be unworn and attractively presented

Soft Toy For Babies

• Should be light in weight
• Should have washable fillings and fabrics
• Must not have glass or plastic eyes, wire joints, squeakers or hard piece down the neck
• Attachment of limbs, ears etc. should be secured using ladder stitch or other neat method of sewing if they are not enclosed within a seam
• Closure of seams after filling should be neat or unobtrusive
• Embroidered eyes are preferable to felt for washable toys
• Whiskers should not be used for baby or toddler toys
• Stuffing should be even and soft with no lumps and should reach the ends of limbs, noses and tail ends
• Knitted toys should be well filled without distortion of the knitted fabric. The filling should not show through
• A discreet stand can be used to support an upright doll or toy rather than placing flat on the show table
• The dolls or toys should be capable of being removed from their staging for judging

Patchwork

• For any items that are to be washed during use, fabrics of a similar weight and with similar washing requirements should be used
• New fabrics should be pre-laundered before making up
• For decorative items that will not require washing during use, a much wider range of both woven and unwoven fabric can be used
• Accuracy is vital – cut fabrics on the straight of the grain unless there are design reasons for doing otherwise
• Sewing threads should be chosen to blend with the fabrics
• Joins, points and corners should be exactly matched
• Use appropriate finishes to neaten and strengthen edges such as piping or bindings
• Large areas of patchwork should be knotted or quilted if the are lined
• Items designed to be wall hung need to have adequate rings or hangers to display them to their best advantage
• Aim for a crisp presentation with no loose threads visible

Coloured Embroidery – Hand Sewn

• ‘A piece of embroidery’ means the back will be looked at – therefore a made up item such as a framed picture is not acceptable
• All embroidery designs should seek effective combination of fabric, threads, stitching and applied material to give colour and texture
• Judges will look for skill in use and adaptation of basic and more advanced stitches worked in well chosen threads
• Items should be unsoiled and appropriately presented with the shape not distorted
• Design markings or transfer marks should not be visible

Pressed Flower Design

• Design should be well balanced, with a focal point and appropriate plant material in scale to the size and shape of the frame or card
• They may be framed or unframed
• Plant material should be in good condition with no visible damage
• Plant material should be well pressed without wrinkles
• Background, plant material and frame should all relate with good colour harmony

All breads and cakes should be displayed on a doyley

Breads

• Usually presented on a bread board
• Bread should be baked 24 hours before judging

White Bread

• Loaf should be well risen and evenly baked to a warm golden brown
• Weight light in relation to size
• Crumb soft and springy to the touch
• Inside, when cut, light, fine, silky and even texture, with no streaks or holes showing lack of kneading

Brown Bread

• Brown loaf will be less well risen than white
• Crumb will feel more moist, a little closer and less springy

Pastries

• Pastries should be presented on a plate, with a doyley if sweet and a dish paper if savoury
• Pastries should be evenly baked
• Base pastry should be completely cooked through
• Plain flour should be used for all pastries except suet pastry

Savoury Flan

• Savoury pastry must be used
• Bake ‘blind’ in a plain flan ring on a baking sheet
• A flan dish may be used, but pastry does not always cook through underneath. Try putting on a baking sheet to increase base heat
• Cooked sauce-based filling added to cooked pastry, then finished

Scones

• Scones should be even in shape, size and colour
• Suitable size is 2 - 2 ½ ins (5 – 6 cm)
• Should be erect, flat on top and pale golden colour
• Texture light and springy
• Plain Scones – plain cutter, no glaze but may be dusted
• Fruit Scones – fluted cutter, no glaze but may be dusted
• Savoury Scones – Plain cutter, glaze with milk or egg
  - Sprinkle grated cheese on top of cheese scones

Preserves

• All jars must be scrupulously clean
• There should be no proprietory names on the lids or jars
• Labels should be plain, neat and straight and of a suitable size for the container. Place label between the vertical seams of the jar
• Label should state contents and day, month and year of making
• All jars must be filled to the brim
• The first thing the judges look for is the seal. This shows that the item is actually worthy of the term ‘preserved’.
• Lids should always be put on freshly potted sugar preserves, immediately each jar is filled, when hot
• The temperature of the preserve should not drop below 82?C in order to produce a seal and ensure that any yeast and moulds present in the headspace do not survive
• Jars may have twist tops, tight plastic lids or paper jam pot covers. Twist tops and plastic lids need not have waxed discs. However, if paper covers are used, a wax disc should seal the top by putting it, waxed side down, on the preserve when it is hot.
• Fruit jellies and curds must have paper covers and waxed discs
• Chutney must have vinegar proof lid eg. Plastic. Metal must not be used as this can react with the vinegar causing a very poisonous solution. Waxed discs are not required
• Chutney should be kept at least two months before showing
• Avoid honey jars with screw tops, as the thread does not produce a good seal
• If no seal of preservation is present the item is not acceptable – do not be tempted to test the seal before the show and thus destroying it

Wines

• Must be presented in clear glass punted bottle with new flanged cork; which need not be sealed
• Bottles must be filled within ½ ins (12mm) of base of cork
• Labels should state type of wine and year of making
• Colour should be bright, characteristic and brilliantly clear
• There should be no sediment in the bottle
• When cork is drawn, wine should be stable
• Aroma should be true, well rounded and pleasant

PHOTOGRAPHY

• The images, however sourced – film or digital camera, from which the prints are derived, must be the work of the Exhibitor
• Prints may be mounted, but not framed under glass
• Maximum size including the mount – 10ins x 8ins
• A print may be mounted directly to a panel of card with an adhesive
• An aperture mount, cut with a bevel-edge cutter may be used with the print taped in place rather than glued