82-Lancaster Farming, Saturday, July 24, 1993
GAY BROWNLEE
Somerset Co. Correspondent
ALTOONA (Blair Co.)
Dashing from air-conditioned ve
hicles,- which dropped them just
feet from the cool corridors of the
Ramada Inn, 89 participants from
11 counties began their day of 4-H
Fashion Revue Central-Region
competition.
They comprised a senior divi
sion of 38 members and a junior
one of 51 members, according to
Marie Kicffcr, Somerset Co. ex
tension director, who was chair
person for the event.
When the grand finale fashion
sjiow was over the winners’
names were announced. They are
Debbie Black, Jcrin Black, Valeria
Ciampa, Valerie Castro, Jill
Clites, Emily Haagen, Jesse Koeg
ler, Lisa Licb, Judy Mains, Jenna
Svonavec, Amanda Thomas, Eri
ca Walker and Melissa William
son. Amber Armogost, first alter
nate, will attend stale competition
because one winner is unable to
attend.
The second alternate is Sara
Weiland, third is Julie McMillin.
Semi-finalists were Jennifer Af
feldt, Sara Hilegass, Emily Kocg
ler and Jenny Speck.
Counties represented by the
winners arc Bedford, Blair, Cam
bria, Centre, Huntingdon, Perry
and Somerset.
Names in the junior honors
group arc Jenny Brockclt, Lynclte
Chamberlain, Heather Christiana,
Amanda Darr, Sarah Flannery,
Heather Gray, Tammy Grissinger,
Terri Grissinger, Jared Gordon,
Carla Harpster, Julie Hoffman,
Aleecha Jones, Tracey Lieb, Sa
mantha Maust, Jeanette Peacock,
Christina Sanner, Heidi Shryock,
Diane Stouffer, Erin Stroudnour,
Vicki Swinnerton, Kristin Wag
ner, Clarissa Yablinsky, Amy Zur
aski and Laura Zuraski.
CONNIE LEINBACH
Berks Co. Correspondent
READING (Berks Co.) Myr
anda Capulo found herself the cen
ter of attention recently when she
was chosen as one of nine 4-H
Fashion Revue senior competitors
to go on to the state competition.
Caputo’s ensemble was a stun
ning blue and black dress made
entirely of ribbons she had woven
Senior winners are, from left, Carleste Hughes of Northampton County, Myranda
Caputo of Lehigh County, Dana Rothermel of Berks County, Lisa Geschwlndt of Berks
County, Kristen Schlckllng of Montgomery County, Melissa Jackson of Schuylkill
County, Amy of Lehigh County, Jody Hewitt of Chester County, and
Leah Algier of Chester County.
Central Region Fashion Revue
Winners Ready For State
Counties represented by the
junior honors group are Bedford,
Cambria, Elk, Fulton, Hunting
don, Juniata, Mifflin and Somer
set.
Judith Mains, 17, Duncannon,
Perry Co., was introduced as the
National Fashion Revue state rep
resentative. Mains was selected
from the blue form evaluation.
“I’ve lived 4-H actually,” she
said. “You tell how 4-H has af
fected your life and how your are
giving back to 4-H,” she said
about filling out the in-depth, blue
form.
Mains modeled a 100-percent
wool, lined, tailored jacket over a
gored, black shirt of sport suede
and a forest green blouse. “This is
the first time I’ve tailored,” she
said. “This outfit was made with a
lot of tears.”
As variable as the participants
themselves, so were the garments
they had constructed, adding their
stamp of individuality though the
accessory such as a perky hat.
Some formal wear was con
structed by the participants with
years of experience. These stylish
creations were elegant or fit for a
grand ball.
There were trouser suits, dress
es, and playwear proudly paraded
by their owners once the tensions
of judging were past.
Sixteen judges spent the day ex
amining garments for construc
tion, which counted 30 points; ap
pearance and presentation, 25
points; and fashion, design and fit,
each valued at 13 points. Judges
were professional home econom
ists and 4-H leaders.
Participants also went to two
workshops. One dealt with how to
accessorize, through a video pre
sentation, while the other dealt
with clothing and textiles.
The textiles workshop allowed
the kids to test their knowledge in
Southeast Regional Fashion Revue
Winners Off To State
together.
Caputo, 17, of Easton, was the admirers that she designed the
last contestant among 61 juniors dress after one she had seen in a
and seniors during the Southeast fashion magazine. Since she could
Regional 4-H Fashion Revue held not find material to match her en vi
at the Inn at Reading. There was an sion dress, she decided to create
audible twitter through the crowd the material by using about 100
as the announcer noted the facts yards of black and blue ribbon,
about Caputo’s dress and jacket Using Stitch Witchery, she
ensemble. adhered the ribbon to another piece
After the awards presentation, of fabric, then sewed all the rows.
a fun way by working as teams to
answer the questions stationed at
each exhibit. Various kinds of
scissors and shears displayed were
intended to provoke a good deci
sion about when to use each and
for what purpose.
How to point-press a collar dur
ing garment construction was an
other question to consider. They
viewed the available tools such as
a seam roller and a pressing ham,
among other choices, and listed
them from the best to the worst
choices.
They also examined five tee
shirts in separate colors, weights,
and “care” instructions. After se
lecting a favorite shirt, they had to
think about the basis of their deci
sion.
Nancy Covert, a 20-yr. cxlcn- _ ,g L Fashion Revue
Sl °" veteran from Jefferson Co. wea r formal attire. From left are Jill elites, Missy Williams,
said. The whole goal is teaching Emily Haagen, and Erica Walker, who will enter state com
(Turn to Page B 4) Itlon later this month.
re are some of the central region 4-H Fashion Revue winners. Foreground, Deb
bie Black, left and Amanda Thomas. On dais, l-r, Judy Mains, Jenn Black, Lisa Lleb,
Jenna Svonavec, Valerie Castro, Jesse Koegler, Amber Armogost and Valeria Clam
pa. They will enter state competition at the end of this month.
Caputo explained to a crowd of
She then cut out her pattern, a
simple, sleeveless dress with a bol
ero jacket, and sewed it.
For a little splash, she sewed
blue sequins on some of the
squares of the jacket and a cording
of sequins around the top of the
dress.
In all, she figured she spent
about 46 hours on the dress a
one-of-a-kind affair of blue and
black checks which was a hit at
Caputo’s recent prom.
“It’s really fantastic,” noted Fay
Strickler, the home economist
extension agent for Berks County,
as she admired the workmanship.
“It takes someone extremely
skilled to do this. Every year she
comm up with something
different.”
Strickler also noted that the col
or combination is unusual. Though
the blue of the ribbons is bright, it
is toned down by the black. As the
dress catches the light, different
shading effects appear.
“This dress is one of the top
quality pieces,” Strickler added.
“Its very unique.”
Other professionals have also
praised the dress, Caputo noted. At
a show given by the Lehigh Valley
Couturier Society, of which Capu
to is the youngest member, the
dressmakers there estimated a
dress like Caputo’s would cost
about $950 in a retail store.
Caputo, who said she loves sew-
ing, is scheduled to study fashion
merchandising when she enters
Mansfield University in the fall.
From there she hopes to transfer to
the Philadelphia College of Tex
tiles. Her dream is to eventually
open her -.own bridal shop.
“I love sewing,” she said. “It’s
my life.”
Caputo praised her 4-H leader,
Bonnie Murray, with whom she
has sewed for six years, for her
coaching and support. Murray
never doubted that Caputo could
do the dress.
“Whatever she said she could
do, I knew she could do it," Murray
said without hesitation.
The last lime Caputo attended
the state championship, she wore a
suit she constructed of ultra suede.
Lila Ncwhard, the 4-H leader
for the Lccsport 4-H club, was
happy dial four of her members
participated in the revue, three of
whom are boys.
"These boys are a real chal
lenge," Ncwhard noted about the
pants and caps they make.
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