This year at the Delaware County 4-H fair the fashion revue gave out its first Grand Champion 4-H Fashion Revue award.
Emily Grinder, 18, received the $25 award from the Sugar & Spice Home Economics Club in memory of Melinda Hensley Loy, who died in May. Loy had narrated the fahion revue for years.
The revue is an event where participants model the items they have made. There are a wide variety of categories including clothing, sleepwear, bedding, purses, coats and even costumes.
Grinder won the “Melinda” award for the wool coat she made. She said she plans on taking it to Indiana University-Purdue University of Indianapolis to school with her in the fall.
“I have waited until my last year to do the coat. I have been working my way up to the coat because they say coats are the hardest,” Grinder said. “So I will have a nice coat for college.”
Over the past 10 years of participating in 4-H, Grinder has learned to make many different pieces.
“I make my own pencil bag, I make pillowcases for my sister,” Grinder said. “It just gives you that advantage toward your friends. They’re like ‘ooh you made that?’ and I’m like ‘yes I did.’ So I feel like I have something extra, since sewing is fading away.”
Adrianna Nagle, 15, won the 12th grade division in informal and casual wear for the fashion revue, as well as being champion in construction and non-wearable, for her green sundress.
“I wanted to make a sundress because last year I made a wool coat and it was so hot,” Nagle said. “I really liked this pattern when we went and saw it.”
Nagle is not the only person in her family to participate in 4-H, she has two sisters, Katie and Laura Nagel, who also participate. Katie Nagle, 10, won a blue ribbon earlier in the day in microwave cooking.
For microwave cooking, participants make different types of foods using the microwave depending on their grade level. The higher the grade level, the more difficult type of food.
“Microwave cooking is how you learn to make things quick and easy if you don’t have that much time,” Katie Nagle said. “I made this marshmallow chocolate nut fudge, but you can’t really taste the marshmallow.”
Brenda Nortrup raised her three daughters in 4-H and is judging microwave cooking and needlecraft this year as well as judging at the State Fair.
“I love working with the kids and encouraging them to do the full 10 years. It’s really worth it in a lot of good qualities that are built, I feel, through this 4-H program,” Nortrup said. “Leadership qualities and there are scholarships at the state level, all my daughters got one in different areas.”
4-H fair projects began Monday and will continue to run until July 18. The fair is located at the fairgrounds at 1210 N. Wheeling Ave. in Muncie. Hog, beef, sheep and all other animal shows will begin Friday morning.
For more information go to delawarecountyfair.net and click on 4-H activities
