Three local 4-H members Compete in the Nebraska 'Make It With Wool' Contest

Three local 4-H members competed in the Nebraska Make It With Wool Contest held on November 21 in Lexington.

The Nebraska State competition was organized by Andrea Nisely from Lexington. Kourtney Keller participated in the Preteen Division, sewing a light blue and silver cape made from soft Mohair medium weight wool. Deanna Horst placed fifth in the Junior Division with her black and white fitted dress made with Gabardine wool. Felicity Beyer won second place in the Senior Division with a royal purple light weight woven wool dress. S

She received an Elna sewing machine as a prize. Winners in each state division advance to the National Make it With Wool contest held in January of 2021. The Make It With Wool contest is an annual sewing and design competition that is supported by the American Sheep Industry. All entries are made from fabric that is at least 60 percent wool. There is also an adult division and a Fashion Design Competition in which competitors can enter.

Kourtney, Deanna, and Felicity would like to thank Nancy Rexroth for her help with their projects, and for her generous gift of time and knowledge. Nancy has been dedicated to teaching the skills of sewing for many years as a parent, a Home Economics teacher at Sidney High School and a 4-H leader. Even after her retirement from teaching and 4-H leadership, she has continued to teach 4-H members to sew and has especially encouraged members to sew with wool.

According to Nancy, “It’s a great honor to teach the girls how to do something as difficult as wool. It’s pretty timeless. It’s been passed down through generations and I hope it continues to be passed down.”