A former Lebanon Area Fair queen once again will represent Pennsylvania at the national Make It With Wool competition.
Madison Copenhaver of Lebanon will showcase her work at the national contest in Scottsdale, Arizona, in January. She was selected after winning first place in the senior (ages 17-24) category at the state championship on Sept. 28 at the PA Preferred Banquet Hall of the Farm Show Complex in Harrisburg.
According to a press release from PA Make It With Wool director Linda Siegel, also of Lebanon, “each entrant’s ensemble was flat-judged and then judged while being modeled by the entrant.” Judging is based on poise, construction of the garment, fit and wearability, and promotion of the versatility of wool, Siegel explained in the release.
Copenhaver won first place among seniors, besting second-place winner Avanalis Cordero of Reading and Abby Holmberg of Lansdale in third.
She and Kali Bucklen of Glen Mills, winner of the junior (ages 13-16) category, will travel to Scottsdale for the national contest, while the first-place adult winner – Katherine Augustine of Palmerton – will send in her garment, with photos and a video, for national judging.
According to the release, Copenhaver made a wool coat, top, and faux wrap skirt, adapting the patterns to create her own unique style.
The jacket includes bound buttonholes, top stitching, and princess seams. The skirt was the most difficult piece of the ensemble, due to changes she made to the original pattern. Madison added a frayed look down the front of the skirt, using the selvage of the fabric. It was carefully constructed with an invisible zipper so she doesn’t have to re-wrap and tie the skirt every time she wears it.
Her top was also time-consuming, the release said, because she lined it and created circular ruffles to get the look she desired.
Copenhaver is the outgoing president of 4-H Friends Club in Lebanon County, where she took sewing projects for the past 10 years. She is a 2024 graduate of Cedar Crest High School and is pursuing a degree in business administration at Harrisburg Area Community College.
She also works for a local dressmaker, doing formal and bridal alterations. She hopes to have her own sewing business in the future.
Copenhaver says the Make It With Wool contest and working with wool “ties her passion for agriculture and sewing together,” the release said.
This will be the fourth time that Madison represents Pennsylvania at the national contest. She said in the release that she has learned “so much” about the wool industry through her participation.
According to the press release, the objectives of the contest are promoting the beauty and versatility of wool fabrics and yarns; encouraging personal creativity in sewing, knitting, and crocheting with wool fabrics and yarns; recognizing creative skills; and developing life skills, including being responsible for oneself, being a good sport, accepting judge’s decisions, and learning about and appreciating diversity.
The entire garment (back, front and sleeves) that is submitted for consideration “must be 100% wool or wool blend (minimum of 60% wool or specialty fiber) for each fashion fabric or yarn used. Specialty wool fibers include mohair, cashmere, alpaca, camel, llama and vicuna. Trims, facings, linings, interfacings and underlinings may be fabrics other than wool or wool blends.”
Senior winners at the national level are eligible for a $2,000 scholarship from American Sheep Industry Women.
Questions about this story? Suggestions for a future LebTown article? Reach our newsroom using this contact form and we’ll do our best to get back to you.
Free news isn’t cheap. If you value the journalism LebTown provides to the community, then help us make it sustainable by becoming a champion of local news. You can unlock additional coverage for the community by supporting our work with a one-time contribution, or joining as a monthly or annual member. You can cancel anytime.
More Top Stories
Something went wrong. Please refresh the page and/or try again.
