Day 13: Show Off Your Stuff at the CGOA!

And now a break from our regularly scheduled program for a PSA...

It's that time of year again, time to enter your best original crochet designs in the annual CGOA Design Competition!

Do you love to crochet but find that you seldom follow someone else's pattern? Have you always dreamed of having one of your patterns published in a magazine or book? Do you want to have your work seen by some of the most important people in the crochet industry? Or do you just want to show off your cool, one of a kind crocheted creations?

This was me, until just 3 years ago, when I sent in a couple designs I had made for my then 6 year old son. Having my designs recognized on a national level by judges who I knew were editors and experienced big name designers, inspired me to finally submit my first designs to books and magazines, and the rest is history.

There are so many awesome designers that seem to have gotten their start through the CGOA Design Competition. Just to name a few winners from recent years whose designs you have probably seen all over the crochet magazines and on book shelves:

• Shelby Allaho won the Grand Prize in 2010 bringing her freeform style to one-of-a-kind accessories and just released a book with Ellen Gormley called Crocheting Clothes Kids Love.
• The Shibaguyz (aka Shannon and Jason Mullet-Bowlsby) won 1st place Afghans in 2010 and Shannon's close attention to detail can be seen in all his designs.
• Jennifer E. Ryan won awards in Fashion both of the past 2 years, and creates distinctive Celtic Knotwork woven from strips of double crochet. Since winning, her designs have graced the pages of numerous magazines including Crochet Today! and Interweave Crochet.
• Linda Skuja placed 2nd in the Fashion Category in 2011. Her unique garment designs can be found on fashion runways, for sale on Ravelry, and in magazines (including the cover of this year's Interweave Crochet Spring issue)!

Thanks to the CGOA (and most of all the hard work of Doris Chan and Andee Graves who have made it possible) this competition gives designers both new and experienced the opportunity to show off their best ideas. Even if you do not win, your work will be seen!

There is still time to enter this year's competition! Just remember...

• Submissions must arrive by July 1st. 
• The project can have been made at any time, but cannot have been published online or elsewhere.
• It must be all your own design.
• You do not have to be present to win (both Shelby and Linda live in other countries)!
• You do not even have to write out the pattern!
• But you do have to be a member of CGOA to enter. If you are not already a member you should be, so join the CGOA, and check out all the Competition details on their website.

So go for it! What better year than CGOA's 20th anniversary! This may be the biggest year yet. Good luck!