By By Summer Lucky / special to The Star
March 7, 2004
Sewing is fun! Yes, that's right, while some people find sewing a challenge and too much work, I find it really takes me places. Read on and you will see what I mean.
Clothing Construction has been my main 4-H project for the past 5 years. I have sewn many outfits, and competed in several clothing contests.
4-H has giving me the chance to experience new and different things, but one thing I will always remember is the Make It Yourself With Wool Contest. The Make It Yourself With Wool or MIYWW is a competition where you make an outfit out of at least 60 percent wool.
This year, I had the privilege to compete at the state Make It Yourself With Wool contest. I made a 100 percent two-piece sleeveless black dress with a red jacket. The dress was semi-fitted and had front and back darts. The dress also had a back zipper.
The above-the-waist jacket had a black appliqu and black beads sewn on the front. The outfit was challenging, and took about three weeks to complete. Now, I was ready for the competition.
The exciting part is that I won first place in this contest. I received several prizes, but the greatest prize was a trip to national contest in Sacramento, Calif.
On Jan. 22, 4-H agent Beth Randall and I flew to Sacramento. As you can imagine, the dress was treated like gold. We tried in vain to keep the dress wrinkle-free. On one of our planes, we laid the dress in a compartment, knowing that it would be safe. Needless to say, two guys boarded the plane at the last minute and threw their bags in the same compartment with my dress. The plane takes off, bags slide, and yes, the dress gets wrinkled. Oh well, I did bring an iron.
The national contest was a lot of fun. Our first day, we registered and played a get-to-know-you game. I was able to meet contestants from all over the United States. The next two days were spent modeling and having my outfit judged.
Judges look for current fashion, fabric, coordination to the pattern, garment suitability to the contestant, poise and presentation, as well as skill in sewing. A total of 52 finalists from 28 states participated in the contest. As you can imagine, this was an awesome experience.
I also attended several exciting workshops. Claire Shaper the author of the Sew Any Fabrics did a workshop on hems, which was great! Another workshop was about making your own pattern with computer software called Click &Sew. We were each given the Click &Sew software. I cannot wait to design my own pattern.
The fashion show was the highlight of the contest. It was very upbeat and creative. Although I did not place, the contest was a great experience for me. I am looking forward to continuing my clothing journey, and learning new sewing techniques.