2 Lebanon County crafters advance to nationals after PA Make It With Wool

Two Lebanon County crafters will represent Pennsylvania next year at the National Make It with Wool competition in January in Reno, Nevada.

The state competition was held at the Farm Show Complex in Harrisburg on Oct. 4. According to a press release from Linda Siegel, director of Pennsylvania Make It With Wool, three first-place winners and several other ranking contestants are from Lebanon County.

Hope Wagner of Annville won first place in the senior (17-24) division. She has been sewing for 11 years.

“Her ensemble this year is a one-of-a-kind geometric plaid charcoal gray coat and slim fitting pencil skirt, paired with a black long sleeve wool knit top,” the release says. “She chose a hot pink lining, adding a bit of flair. Hope designed her skirt pattern by herself with inspiration from a KnowMe pattern.”

Wagner learned to sew in the 4-H Friends Club. Her coat and skirt were created with wools she received as prizes at previous Make It With Wool contests, and she bought the merino wool knit from an online vendor.

A graduate of Annville-Cleona High School, she plans to showcase her outfit when attending job interviews after completing her masters degree in speech pathology at Lebanon Valley College.

Mindy Bickel of Lebanon won first place in the adult (25 and older) division. She has been a knitter since she was 5.

“She is always on the lookout for new sweater patterns,” the release says. “This Martin Storey sweater jacket design caught her eye in April 2020. The pattern, while beautiful, had many mistakes and underestimated the amount of yarn needed. Both challenges led to Mindy putting the project in ‘time out’ before picking it back up again and finishing two months before the contest.”

Bickel’s pants and top were made from a merino wool ponte and were designed from Pamela’s Patterns with modifications to create a top with boat neck and cut on sleeve and gathers in the back of the pants. The complicated sweater has beading on the knitted contrast at the bottom, and the black top and pants “allow the sweater to be the star of the outfit,” the release says.

Bickel is a Retreats chair of the Lancaster Area Sewing Network and vice president of the Lebanon Valley Knit2Gether Guild. She is a member of the White Flint Knitting Meetup and Knitting Around NY, where she was one of the original members.

Tenley Fetzer of Lebanon won first place in the pre-teen (12 and under) division. The pre-teen winner does not progress to the national finals.

According to the release, Tenley “mixed summer and wool with a cute A-line dress. She selected a black lightweight wool with tiny silver dots to showcase her look. The dress is lined with a hot pink lining to express her personality. Tenley’s favorite part of the dress are the shoulder frills which were included as part of the Australian Style Arc pattern. She learned how to create a Hong Kong finish for her facings and hem.”

She is a student at Commonwealth Charter Academy, where she was recently inducted into the National Junior Honor Society. She twirls baton at local football games and in regional and national competitions. She is the game leader in 4-H Friends Club, Lebanon County, where created this dress as her sewing project.

Kennedy Sanders of Lebanon placed second in the pre-teen division with a grey and rose tweed jumper.

This is Kennedy’s fourth year of sewing in the 4-H Friends Club, but the Annville-Cleona student says she learned to sew with her grandmother, Deb Bohr.

“The most complicated part of making this jumper for her was getting the armholes perfect,” the release says. “She used the ‘burrito method’ and pulled her jumper through the shoulder seam.”

Violet Yorgenson of Myerstown placed third in the pre-teen division for a wool jumper.

“The jumper’s soft texture and classic cut give it a comfortable appeal, while the white shirt’s collar peeks out for a polished touch,” the release says. “Paired with simple flats and subtle accessories, the ensemble looks youthful and practical. … This was her first time working with wool.”

Other winners at the state competition include:

First place in the junior (13-16) division went to Kali Bucklen of Glen Mills, Delaware County, for a coat and dress ensemble.

Second place in the junior division went to Lily Cicconi of Valencia, Butler County, for an olive wool dress. Second place in the senior division went to Evelyn Snyder of Halifax, Dauphin County, for a red melton wool coat and plaid lined skirt. Second place in the adult division went to Katherine Augustine of Palmerton, Carbon County, for a two-piece ensemble.

Third place in the junior division went to Lukas Verbos of Harrisburg for a pair of pants and vest. No one won third place in the senior division. Third place in the adult division went to Janice Kennedy of State College for a six-panel, floral-print skirt.

There were 18 entries in the state contest.

Each entrant’s ensemble was flat-judged, then judged again while being modeled by the entrant. Judging was based on poise, construction of the garments, fit and wearability, and promotion of the versatility of wool.

Each entrant constructed at least one wool or wool-blend garment, using knitting, crocheting, and/or sewing skills. The entire garment must be made of wool or a wool-blend fabric, although trims, facings, linings, interfacings, and underlinings may be made of other fabrics.

According to the release, the objectives of the contest are to promote the beauty and versatility of wool fabrics and yarns; encourage personal creativity in sewing, knitting, and crocheting with wool fabrics and yarns; recognize creative skills; and develop life skills, including being responsible for oneself, being a good sport, accepting judge’s decisions, and learning about and appreciating diversity.

The national finals will be held Jan. 28-31. The first place junior and senior entrant will represent Pennsylvania in Reno in person, while the first-place adult will send her garment, with photos and a video, for judging.