Convention: Make It With Wool Fashion Show

MIWW Fashion Show Was A Mardi Gras Celebration

The 71st annual Make It With Wool National Finals and Fashion Show closed out the ASI Annual Convention in New Orleans in late January. Celebrating a Mardi Gras theme, MIWW crowned a handful of winners.

Renata Goossen of Kansas claimed the Senior MIWW Ambassador title with her four-piece wool outfit, including a coat, blouse, skirt and gloves. Inspired by the classic, yet modern look of Kate Spade fashion, her coat was made from a garnet plush wool fabric and lined with silk charmeuse for both comfort and beauty. The coat featured a hand-tailored wide lapel and welt pockets. Her skirt was fashioned from wool flannel and features faux ruffle pockets and an invisible zipper. Her bow tie blouse was made from a butter-colored tropical wool. Finishing off her ensemble, Renata constructed a pair of gloves from double knit wool.

Kevina Clear of Michigan was the Junior Ambassador with her eye-catching winter coat and dress ensemble. Her cashmere coat featured a contrasting skirt and cuffs, hand topstitching and most notably, wool needle-felting down the front and on the pockets. The fully lined coat had a convertible collar that could be worn folded down or standing up. To complete the ensemble, she chose a striking plaid to create a dropped-waist dress with princess­style shaping.

Charlene Colon of North Carolina was the adult winner. The wool and mohair fabric used in her design was one of her prizes for winning the adult division in 2013. Colon’s three-piece ensemble featured three different textures and weights of wool. The loose-fitting belted coat included a large collar and hidden front placket with machine embroidered buttonholes. The sleeves were embellished with a cascade of machine-embroidered wool appliqués and felted wool acorns.

The tailored trousers of suit weight denim-look wool featured a fly front zipper and couture waistband. Her ensemble was accessorized with a braided necklace, made with felted wool beads and embroidered appliqués. She repurposed leftover fabric and sheared sheepskin scraps to make the coordinating banded hat.
She was a senior in high school when she first entered the Make It With Wool contest. While it has been nearly 50 years since she was selected as the 1970 National Junior Division Winner, she continues to learn new techniques from internet tutorials, blogs and videos.

Hannah Drumm of Texas took home the Fashion/Apparel Design title. She is a junior at Baylor University working on a degree in Apparel Design and Product Development. Her natural white wool dress paired with a red herringbone wool coat is modeled after the concept of Little Red Riding Hood as a young adult. Given that she is no longer a young girl, she had outgrown her cape but was still sporting her red hood with a sophisticated and classic look. The trumpet sleeves complemented her playfulness and the high neck on the dress coupled with the hood are meant to keep her warm on her walks through the woods.

Drumm has been sewing for four years and designing clothes for two years. She entered the Texas felting competition last year, but this was her first year in the Make It With Wool contest.

Other winners included:

• Mia Suhrbier, Washington, Creative Machine Embroidery;

• Emily Watson, Ohio, Exemplary Construction;

• Katie Richards, Oklahoma, Handwork;

• Rebecca Yates, Texas, Outstanding Needlework;

• Kimberly Westenberg, Wisconsin, Outstanding Use of Mohair;

• Josie Braun, North Dakota, People’s Choice Award.