Sewing 4-H into State Fair Fabric

  Many people think fairs and animals are synonymous with 4-H.  It is true for more than 110 years 4-H has been the prevalent youth organization that has been able to market their skills at fairs around the world.  With such a strong historic partnership the North Carolina State Fair offered 4-H and FFA organizations the opportunity to sew the past, present, and future together in a single project.
  The North Carolina Fair asked 4-H and FFA programs to create an 8x8 quilt patch that represented their county program.  There were not many requirements except that it had to be a specific size with at least half inch borders all around and it had to be made of a heavy muslin cloth.  They asked that the squares represent your county program and be as colorful as you like.  The event is open to the first 100 counties that submitted a square.  During the state fair quilters will piece the quilt together and will be seen sewing in the Village of Yesteryear.  This is the area where crafters and artists often wear period costumes and sell time honored homemade crafts.
  We were given a week to get this project together and turned in.  So with the help of our official Extension Quilter Janice Fields (yes, she also happens to be a Family Consumer Science Agent in our office as well) the fabric was purchased and a design was painstakingly created.  Actually we went through three designs before settling on a collage of photos that represent our programs, youth, volunteers, community service, and our funders.  With Janice's help we were able to get the square put together and shipped with a couple of days to spare to the state fair.
  So if you head to the state fair stop by the Village of Yesteryear and check out the quilters.  You might just see the mark Robeson County 4-H will leave for another 110 years.