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Montana MIWW representatives compete at nationals

Press release

Montana Make It With Wool representatives showed off their talents with Southwestern Fun, Fashion, Friendship, and Flair! during the 72nd annual National Make It With Wool competition as part of the 2020 American Sheep Industry Convention held Jan. 23-25 at the Scottsdale Plaza Resort in Scottsdale, Arizona.

Kiara Sherman of Ronan participated in the Junior Category, while Angelina Toth of Havre participated in the Senior Category. Montana's Adult winner, Michal Ann Stedje of Ronan, competed in the national contest by mailing in her garment along with a video and photos.

For Kiara Sherman's second year in the Junior Division, she constructed a two-piece 100 percent wool outfit which included a coat and a dress. Her camel colored coat featured a waterfall draping on the front which highlighted the double-sided brushed wool. Sherman completed the coat with flat fell seams. Sherman's navy flannel dress featured pleats in the sleeves and the skirt which she found challenging when adjusting the fit. Sherman is a sophomore at Ronan High school this year where she is involved in FFA and the Maidens softball team. She also raises and shows red Angus cattle.

Senior contestant Angelina Toth has competed in the MIWW contest for seven years. This year, she created a practical-yet-fashionable three-piece ensemble. Her black/brown/gray lined wool tweed coat featured a semi-fitted silhouette, a pointed hemline, and a double shawl collar. To wear under her coat, Toth chose an ivory wool crepe fitted short sleeve shell with a bias bound V-neckline and keyhole opening in the back. To finish her ensemble, she made a pair of lined basic black wool flannel pants featuring a fly front zipper and straight legs. Toth said she knows she will get a lot of use out of this outfit as she can dress her shell and pants up or down depending on the occasion. She is a senior at Havre High School and a 12-year 4-H member. Her favorite 4-H projects are beef, sheep, swine and quilting.

Montana's adult winner, Michal Ann Stedje, constructed a suit with a hand-knitted long leaves shawl to compliment and help tame the chill in Montana's air. Stedje's jacket and skirt were made from a green and gray plaid wool. Her reversible jacket features "built in" pockets and the reverse is solid gray which offers more styling possibilities. The asymmetrical full wrap plaid skirt features a waterfall hem which is stylish for any occasion. To finish off the ensemble, Stedje used the same solid gray for an easy flowing top which she accented with machine embroidery stitches. Stedje has worked in the Ronan school district for more than 20 years and has been a Lake County 4-H leader for more than 25 years.

The National MIWW contest saw 25 Junior contestants, 21 Senior contestants, and 21 Adult contestants representing 26 states. Currently, there are 29 states and the North East Region with active Make It With Wool programs. The National MIWW Director is Lynda Johnson from Encampment, Wyoming.

The contestants learned a lot by attending workshops on accessorizing and the importance of pressing with the correct pressing aids. They also had a lot of fun and did some sightseeing while participating in a scavenger hunt in Old Town Scottsdale. The highlight was lunch and an ice cream treat at the Sugar Bowl, which is a nostalgic diner dressed in pink and black. It was a hit!

Montana's contestants said they had a great time in Scottsdale enjoying the warm weather and represented Montana in high fashion. They did not place in the top 10, but learned a ton that they can use for their entries next year. Madeline Douglas of Indiana won the Junior Division, Charlotte Waldron of Ohio won the Senior Division and Meighan Stevens of Ohio won the Adult Division. The "People's Choice" Award went to Bonnie Imker of Minnesota.

Some interesting statistics collected from the 2019 MIWW year are there was a total of 81 Adult contestants, 52 Seniors, 134 Juniors, 160 PreTeens, and 39 Made for Others throughout the 29 states and the North East Region. There was a total of 1,395 yards of wool fabric and 167 skeins of wool yarn used to construct the MIWW garment entries for the 2019 year.

For more information on the Make It With Wool program, please visit and like the Montana Make It With Wool Facebook page, Montana Wool Growers Association Facebook page or email Montana MIWW Director Amanda Powell at [email protected].

 

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