82-Lancaster Farming, Saturday, July 15, 2000
LOU ANN GOOD
Lancaster Farming Staff
MECHANICSBURG
(Cumberland Co.) Sewing is
an art, a skill that has been de
veloped with patience and en
couragement.
About 70 4-H’ers who took
gold ribbons at county levels
competed July 6 at the Capitol
Region 4-H Fashion Revue.
These included participants
from Adams, Cumberland, Dau
phin, Franklin, Lancaster, Leba
non, and York counties.
Time, effort, and hard work
paid off for eight senior gold
ribbon winners selected to ad
vance to state competition to be
held at Penn State 4-H Achieve
ment Days, Aug. 1-3.
Although only eight are eligi
ble to advance to state competi
tion, Mary Ann Oyler, Franklin
County family living agent, told
participants, “You are all
winners. You have gained skills
to help you in the future.”
They also have the outfits
they made. From shorts and
tops to evening gowns, the out
fits demonstrated the individual
styles and talents of the one who
made them.
Winning that gold ribbon is
the crowning achievement for
years of practice. Jenny Hoover,
Denver, is one of those. She
started sewing at six years of
age.
“My grandma made draperies
and wedding gowns for others.
She paid me a penny for every
pocket 1 made to hold the
weights at the bottom of the dra
peries.”
At six years of age, that was
an incentive to sew and she also
learned to make doll clothes.
Jenny’s mother (Lois Hoover)
and grandmother (Nancy Good)
are volunteer 4-H sewing lead
ers.
Jenny joined 4-H and has won
gold ribbons for the past six
years. For this, her final year in
competition, Jenny envisioned a
simple but elegant dress.
Much to her mother’s and
grandmother’s chagrin, Jenny
waited until six days before
competition to buy the fabric
and sew her semi-fitted black
polyester ankle-length dress.
These junior division gold ribbon winners are 13 years and under in age but skilled in
sewing and modeling. From left are Kamarin Minnich, Kailey Troutman, Lora Wenger,
Sara Oyler, Denise Hoke, and Katie McGinnis.
“I’m a last-minute person. I
work best under pressure,”
Jenny said. Her fully-lined dress
with the bottom embroidered
etched in a silver design and a
back slit is evidence of her abil
ity.
“It’s really a simple design,
and I thought I might not win
this year,” Jenny said.
Nonetheless the polyester
jersey matte required careful at
tention to sewing machine ten
sion so that the fabric lies flat.
Jenny used three patterns and
needed to adjust the shoulders
and sleeves to fit her.
After state competition,
Jenny will work on her most
challenging and favorite project
her wedding gown. She is get
ting married in December.
Matthew Reichard, Franklin
County, is another consistent
winner. He tailored a herring
bone-patterned wool jacket and
a coordinating pair of corduroy
slacks and a button-front shirt.
The welt pockets were a bit diffi
cult, but Matthew proved he
could compete with the best
seamstresses. Matthew, 14, was
selected as one of the top 10
seamstresses in the state last
year.
He said, “One of the reasons I
participate in this (Fashion
Revue) is because it’s lots of fun
and you get to meet tons of
people. Last year I was the only
boy among 57 girls (contestants)
at state. You can’t beat that!”
Matt credits his mom, Tonja
Reichard, who is his 4-H leader,
for giving him lots of good basic
instruction in his beginning
years that has enabled him to
sew independently. The biggest
problem Matt faces is claiming
the use of the sewing machine.
He has two sisters who also have
4-H sewing projects. He was the
last one in the family to finish
his project, which he estimates
took 30-40 hours to complete.
Other senior gold ribbon
winners include the following:
• Valerie Bomgardner, Leba
non, modeled a leopard print
dress in a cotton and polyester
blend featuring an empire waist
line with gathered neckline.
Valerie is a recent graduate of
Annville-Cleona High School
Skill and patience earned gold ribbons and an opportunity to advance to state compe
tition for these contestants at the Capitol Region Fashion Revue, which includes
winners from seven counties. Front, from left, are Cara Hershey, Matthew Reichard, and
Elizabeth Criswell. Back, from left, are Elizabeth Francis, Gwen Umbreit, Rachael Krali,
Jenny Hoover, and Valerie Bomgardner.
Senior division blue ribbon winners, from left, are Barbara Reichard, Lindsay Shirk,
Rebecca Light, Kristen Sanderson, Emily Walker, and Lindsey Fackler.
and the Lebanon County Career
and Technology Center, where
she was enrolled in culinary arts.
• Rachael Krall, Lebanon,
sewed polyester pants topped
with a tensile camisole, and
sheer polyester crepe print top
for those cool ocean breezes.
Since this was her last year of
competition, Rachael said that
wanted to create an outfit that
was both fashionable and func
tional. The fitted camisole with
spaghetti straps and the ruffled
sleeves on the sheer top were a
challenge.
• Lindsey Fackler, Dauphin,
stitched a sundress with princess
seams in a lightweight twill
fabric that twinkled with metal
lic silver faux. Lindsey added a
double row of top stitching
around the neckline and hem by
using silver metallic thread.
• Elizabeth Criswell, Lancas
ter, stitched tan capri pants in a
stretch denim and a cotton moss
green shirt with three-quarter
length sleeves. She stitched a
shoulder bag in a coordinating
fabric.
• Cara Hershey, Lancaster,
stitched a three-piece outfit,
which included a semi-fitted,
zippered-front, fleece jacket
over a cotton knit shirt. Her
wide-legged pants featured front
and side pockets. Difficult
project required matching
uneven plaids, fitting pants, in
serting a fly zipper, and making
a shirt without a pattern.
• Gwen Umbreit, Franklin
County, president of the 4-H
Thimble Gang, made a three
piece wool suit and cotton
blouse. The fully-lined jacket
with a shaped hem topped loose
(Turn to Pago B 4)