Brother Donates Two Simplicity® by Brother Sewing Machines to Unique Sewing Competition

Brother continues to support young sewing enthusiasts and this year was no exception, as they generously donated two Simplicity® by Brother sewing machines as prizes to the two runners-up of the National Make it With Wool Competition that was held in Scottsdale, AZ, last January. Make it With Wool
was first introduced in 1947 when the wives of sheep owners gathered to begin the first contest to promote wool as a profitable commodity. Over the years, the contest developed into a youth-centered annual sewing competition designed to promote the beauty and versatility of wool fabrics, yarns and fibers. Celebrating its 68th year, this all-volunteer program is proudly sponsored by the American Wool Council, the American Sheep Industry and American Sheep Industry Women, and it continues to encourage personal creativity while developing life skills. The contest is open to participants ranging in ages from pre-teen through adult, and begins at the state level. The unique guidelines require contestants to select, construct and model their own garment or outfit that contains at least 60 percent wool (and each submission is laboratory-tested to meet this strict requirement). Two winners are chosen from each state contest to move onto the national competition, where they are judged on the construction quality of their garment, the garment’s marketability, style and show, and their personal interview.
For the past 20 years, Brother has donated sewing machines to this unique contest, which encourages and inspires the younger generation to nurture their craft. This year, Meighan Stevens and Camille Anderson were the national runners-up and the recipients of the Simplicity® by Brother SB4138
and the Simplicity® by Brother SB3129
sewing machines, respectively. “I’m so appreciative and thankful to Brother for their continued support of the Make it With Wool contest,” said Meighan. “I finally have a sewing machine to call my own!” Meighan was born and raised in Ohio, and began sewing on her mother’s sewing machine when she was five years old. Her mother was a home economics teacher and she encouraged Meighan to learn the fundamentals of sewing, including: hand sewing, blanket stitching, embroidery and button work to refine her hand/eye coordination. She entered her first Make it With Wool contest when she was seven years old and now, at the age of 25, she just competed in her twelfth contest – having used her mother’s sewing machine for every project. Meighan entered a red wool coat and a color block dress that placed her as the first runner-up in the senior category, which won her the Simplicity® by Brother SB4138. She explained that she chose to use lightweight wool to promote this material as an everyday fabric for all seasons and selected red to show a color that works well all-year-round. Meighan is a second-year graduate student at Brigham Young University in Utah, and she said she can’t wait to go home to Ohio to start using her new Brother sewing machine to create her new project. She explained how she always wanted to design a coat using polka-dot fabric and said she is planning on creating her own polka-dot design on green fabric by stitching circles with her new Brother machine. She said she was blown away with the feature that allows for sideways sewing. “I wish I had this machine when I was making my coat for the contest,” Meighan explained. “The yoke alone took me over one month to make. This one feature will save me so much time on future garments. I’m excited to discover the projects that I can create with my new Brother machine.”
Camille Anderson shared the same excitement when she received the Simplicity® by Brother SB3129 sewing machine for placing as the first runner-up in the junior category. Camille said, “It sews so smoothly, and I just love the fun and crazy stitches!” Camille explained that she was five years old when her grandmother taught her how to sew, and said she has loved the craft ever since. She entered her first Make it With Wool contest four years ago and today, at 15 years old, she is more excited than ever. In addition to placing in the contest, Camille was recognized with the Junior Exemplary Construction Award for ‘Exceptional Quality of a Garment.’ Camille entered a purple wool coat that she said took her one month to complete, but that was after making a practice coat just to make sure it would fit. “I’ve always liked to make coats,” Camille said. “It’s time-consuming, but I love the challenge.” Camille explained that she doesn’t have any specific project in mind to make on her new Brother machine, but she always allows time over the summer to create something fun. “I’m so excited about my new Simplicity® by Brother sewing machine – it’s so fancy,” Camille said excitedly. She explained how she loves the automatic thread cutter and wide extension table for larger projects. “It will be so helpful when I’m sewing my next coat. I can’t wait!” The Simplicity® by Brother Limited Edition line of machines is a fresh and innovative option for beginning sewers and accomplished enthusiasts who are looking for an affordable and technologically advanced sewing machine that has all the advanced features of higher end machines. The National Make it With Wool Competition featured 60 junior and senior finalists representing 30 states and the New England region. More than 1,750 yards of wool fabric and over 270 skeins of yarn were used to create all of the garments that were entered into the state contests. “We are so thankful to Brother for their continued support,” said Mary Roediger, National Coordinator for Make it With Wool. “Brother has not only made a name for itself in the sewing industry, but has earned a special place in our organization as a company who cares about our cause,” stated Mary. In her thirteenth year with the Make it With Wool contest, Mary explains how past winners have been thrilled with their Brother machines, and this year just tops the cake!