NATIONAL MAKE IT YOURSELF WITH WOOL WINNERS

For Immediate Release, February 12, 2003
Marie Lehfeldt, MIYWW Coordinator, (406) 636-2731, levi@midrivers.com
Laura Gerhard, Communications Manager, (303) 771-3500, ext. 30, lgerhard@sheepusa.org

DENVER ? The creators of a knee-length, single-breasted coat and vest/low-rise pants ensemble won first place in the junior and senior divisions, respectively, at the Make It Yourself With Wool National Finals & Award Program held Feb. 8, 2003, in conjunction with the 2003 American Sheep Industry Convention.

Sixteen-year-old Molly Murphy of Eagle Point, Ore., won the title of First Place Junior 2003 Wool Ambassador with a coat patterned after one from Nordstrom?s 2002 Fall line. Murphy crafted the dark gray, knee-length, single-breasted coat from a lambs wool/cashmere blend for a mere $50 ? significantly less than the $260 price of its retail look-alike. She completed her look with black tweedy, 100-percent wool slacks and a camel-colored shell of a linen/wool blend. Her winnings included a $1,000 scholarship from Pendleton Woolen Mills, a $500 scholarship from the American Sheep Industry Women, wool fabric from both Britex of San Francisco and the Forstmann Co. and a sheep pelt from the Stockman Bank of Billings. The junior division was open to youth ages 13 to 16.

Sarah Walker from Helena, Mont., captured top honors in the senior division with a charcoal gray ensemble consisting of high-fashion, low-rise pants with ankle side slits and a pinstripe vest featuring a lace-up front. For her first-place ranking, Walker won a $1,500 scholarship from the American Sheep Industry Women, wool fabric from Forstmann Co. and Britex of San Francisco, and a sheep pelt from Stockman Bank of Billings. The senior division was open to youth ages 17 to 24.

First runners-up were Cheryl Olson of Woodbury, Minn., in the junior division and Andrea Rygh of South Wayne, Ind., in the senior division. Olson modeled her cold-weather, black and cranberry red ensemble consisting of fully lined, cuffed dress pants and pea coat featuring welt pockets, bound buttonholes and an interlining for extra warmth. Rygh created a close-fitting black, gray-and-white tweed dress, which she topped off with a black boucle- and blanket-wool jacket.

Olson?s first runner-up ranking earned her a Bernina serger from Bernina of America, a $250 savings bond from the National Lamb Feeders Association, a power sewing book from Sandra Betzina and fabric from Forstmann Co. Rygh won a Bernina Serger from Bernina of America, a $250 savings bond from Harper Livestock Co., an iron from Rowenta and fabric from the Forstmann Co.

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NATIONAL MAKE IT YOURSELF WITH WOOL WINNERS CHOSEN AT 2003 ASI COVENTION 2-2-2

Sunny Hickey of Miamsburg, Ohio, was the 2003 Adult winner. Hickey?s winning creation consisted of a classic heather gray and camel houndstooth check wool and camel hair-blend coat with welt pockets, a large collar and thermal-back satin lining. Completing the dressy/casual ensemble were lined slacks and a lined vest of heather gray wool crepe decorated with appliqu?d diamonds. Hickey won an all-expense-paid trip to the national competition, a sheep pelt from Stockman Bank of Billings, and a hand-made wool rug from Roxana Johnson, the Wyoming state Make It Yourself With Wool director.

A total of 54 junior and senior state finalists from 29 states modeled their creations at the national competition. A total of 1,258 contestants entered the competition at the state level, and utilized an estimated 3,400 yards of wool fabric and yarn.
Other winners and awards included:

• Ashley Marcu, Medford, Ore., $500 cash, Exemplary Construction Garmet Award;
• Carolyn Houston, Provo, Utah, $500 cash, Creative Machine Embroidery Award;
• Kristin Jaques, San Jose, Calif., $1,000 scholarship, Fashion or Apparel Design Award;
• Shawna Perry, Santa Maria, Calif., Husqvarna/Viking sewing machine, for use of a Vogue/Butterick pattern; and
• For outstanding use of mohair in their designs, Kim Stein, Hastings, Neb., $1,000 scholarship from the Mohair Council of America; Maria Lamb, Rivers Fall, Wis., $200 savings bond; Jenna Baldwin, Anahuac, Texas, $100 savings bond; and Rebecca Elston, Reno, Nev., $50 savings bond, with all savings bonds donated by mohair producers.

Major sponsors included the American Sheep Industry Association, American Sheep Industry Women, American & Efird, Inc., Bernina of America, Inc., Britex Fabrics of San Francisco, Brother International, Butterick/Vogue Patterns, Coats & Clark, Creative Machine Embroidery Magazine, Dolores? Unique Designs and Elna USA.

Other major sponsors included Forstmann Co., Gingher, Inc., Harper Livestock Co., Husqvarna Viking Sewing Machines, Inc., Lehfeldt Ranch, Mohair Council of America, National Lamb Feeders Association, Palmer/Pletsch Publishing, Pendleton Woolen Mills, Pfaff Sales & Marketing, Rowenta, Inc., Sew News Magazine, Sheep Breeder Sales Management, Simplicity Pattern Co., Inc., Singer Sewing Machine Co., The Tauton Press and Woolrich, Inc.

Marie Lehfedlt of Lavina, Mont., coordinated the event for the eighth consecutive year.

ASI is national organization supported by state sheep associations, benefiting the interests of nearly 64,000 U.S. sheep and goat producers.

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