4-H'ers turn in projects

BROWNSTOWN - Evan Merida may have looked out of place surrounded by girls wearing pretty patterned dresses and outfits.

But when he showed off his home-sewn wall organizer, the 10-year-old fit in just fine.

Merida was one of many Jackson County youth who turned in 4-H sewing projects for judging this week at Brownstown Elementary School. Other projects streamed into the school and the fairgrounds on Wednesday.

Those projects - and others due Friday - will be on display in the 4-H building at the Jackson County Fairgrounds beginning Monday.

"See, it's not just girls who can sew," Marie Burgess, longtime 4-H sewing and consumer clothing leader said upon seeing Merida and his project.

Judge Jeanette Otte from Bartholomew County agreed.

"I can't find anything wrong with it," she said of Merida's organizer. "He did a great job."

That he was the only boy signed up for sewing only added to the pride Merida showed for what he had accomplished.

"Before I joined 4-H, my mom always sewed, and I had always wanted to try," he said.

This is Merida's second year to be a member of the Farmington Champions 4-H club. Before that he participated in mini 4-H.

"Everything we do is fun," he said of the club's activities.

Merida enjoys 4-H so much he has worked on many different projects he plans to enter in the Jackson County Fair this year.

"I did about 15 projects this year," he said. "I like going to the fair to look at all the projects and to just have fun. You also get to show your animals."

Merida's border collie-Australian shepherd mix Cody was the inspiration for his sewing project.

"When we went looking for fabric and I saw the dog print material, I knew I had to make something for him," Merida said.

Now, Merida will have a special place to organize Cody's dog treats and supplies.

In the early part of judging, girls who had made dresses and other pieces of clothing and accessories modeled their work on stage for judges Barb Dunn and Brenda Briggs, both of Johnson County.

Kourtney Branaman, 12, said she is looking forward to showing off her sundress at the 4-H fashion revue Tuesday at the fair grandstand, where winners will be announced.

This is Branaman's third year in sewing as part of the Vallonia Friends 4-H club.

"I like to be able to wear it afterward," Branaman said of her sewing projects. "It makes me feel proud of what I've done."

Branaman said it took her only three or four days to complete her sundress. All 4-H sewers can participate in sewing workshops during the summer at Loose Threads quilting and sewing store in Seymour, Burgess said, but some choose to do their projects at home, she added.

"We have such wonderful seamstresses here in Jackson County," Burgess said of the 4-H sewers.

"Sewing can be hard, but it usually doesn't take a lot of time to finish," Branaman said.

In her case, that's good, because Branaman is also entering a scrapbooking project and showing her beef cattle and sheep this year at the fair.

Dunn, who has been judging 4-H sewing projects for county fairs for the past five years, said the first quality she looks for in a sewing project is how happy the child is with their finished product.

"You can tell just by looking at them if the child is comfortable wearing it and if they are proud of it," she said. "Then we look at if it fits them well, how the colors go together and if it's appropriate for their age and skill level."

The judges said they can tell a lot about the clothing just by watching the girls walk and turn in them.

"You can tell a sewer's skill by how the clothing fits them," Dunn said.

Briggs said being in 4-H and, more specifically, participating in sewing projects, is about more than just keeping kids busy.

"It helps to teach them to plan ahead, so they aren't waiting the night before to finish their projects," Briggs said. "Sewing in general helps them learn to do things in steps. Everything looks difficult at first until it is broken down into steps. It's also a good way to learn how to follow directions."

Amanda Wright, 9, and her sister, Kaitlyn, 11, both entered sewing projects this year with Amanda making a skirt and top and Kaitlyn making a polka-dotted dress and matching bag.

Both girls chose to use pink fabric as their main color, complementing their red hair.

"I like pink, it's my favorite color," Amanda said. "It was kinda hard making my skirt, but I think it turned out pretty good, since this was my first year sewing."

In her third year of sewing, Kaitlyn had a little more experience than her sister, but she was still nervous about modeling her dress.

"I like when I get finished," she said of her projects. "Actually, I like the sewing part a whole lot better than modeling."

The girls are both members of Sauers 4-H club.

Amanda said she decided to try sewing this year because of her sister.

"I watched her do it and she looked pretty, so I wanted to do it," she said. "I'm excited about the fashion show at the fair."

Besides sewing, Amanda said she is entering a total of eight projects, including crafts and foods.

Her favorite part of the fair?

"I like hanging out with my friends and making my projects," she said. "You really learn a lot in 4-H."

For 11-year-old Alexis Thomasma, completing her sewing project was a big deal as this was her first year to be in 4-H. She is a member of the Chestnut Ridge Runners 4-H Club in Seymour.

"It just sounded like a lot of fun," Thomasma said of why she decided to make a sundress. "It wasn't too hard. The only hard part was the handstitching."

She completed her sewing project in a little over two days, she said. But that's not all she's doing for the fair.

"I did seven projects," she said. "The sewing and showing pigs were last minute, but I think it will be fun."

Although being in 4-H can mean a lot of work, it also is a lot of fun, she added.

"It's fun to do all the projects," she said. "And I like that you have a lot of responsibility."