The Nebraska Make It With Wool Contest is an annual youth-centered sewing competition to promote the beauty and versatility of wool fabrics, yarns, and fibers.  The competition encourages personal creativity in sewing, knitting, crocheting, spinning, weaving, and other needlework arts. 

This year’s Nebraska contest had 52 entries.  The contestants range in age from 7 to 49 as of January 1st.  The age spectrum includes 6 sets of sisters, 5 sets of brother and sister combinations, 3 sets of mother and son combinations, and 4 sets of mother and daughter combinations.

All 3 wool districts were represented with participants representing 14 towns in 12 counties.

Seven (7) different brands of sewing machines as well as 3 brands of sergers were used.  There were 70 patterns from 14 pattern companies represented, with Simplicity and McCall’s the most used.  There were 73 different pieces of wool used for a total of 143 yards of fabric being sewn.  Also, a great deal of time, talent and dollars went into making these outfits.

Greta Rickertsen of Lexington, in the Junior Division, Dakota Vrbas of Stratton, in the Senior Division and Amanda Spradlin of Cozad in the Adult Division will be Nebraska’s delegates to the National Finals of the Make It With Wool Contest. They were chosen November 22nd by judges at the state contest conducted by Make It With Wool State Director, Andrea Nisley of Elwood. Contestants participated in the state contest at the Lexington Middle School in Lexington.

The National Make It With Wool Contest is scheduled for January 29-31, 2026 in Reno, Nevada.

First place in the Senior Division was Dakota Vrbas, Stratton.

In the Preteen Division, the first-place winner was Eden Ochsner, Aurora, who received a sewing basket with sewing notions. Second-place winner was Augustine Hanson, Aurora; third place, Cassidy Goertzen, Hampton; fourth place, Eva De La Cruz, Hampton; fifth place, Claire Hunke, Lexington; sixth place, Barrett Hunke, Lexington; seventh place, Keziah Galster, Funk; eighth place, Melissa Montano, Kearney; ninth place, Scarlett Andrews, York; and tenth place, Harlow Rickertsen, Lexington. Other preteen contestants were Corbin Anderson, Mitchell; Silas Andrews, York; Josue Casanova, Lexington; Milenzy Casanova, Lexington; Evelyn Conejo, Lexington; Brooklyn Creech, Mitchell; Gage Creech, Mitchell; Kimberly Duryea, Lexington; Lysa Duryea, Lexington; Kanaan Galster, Funk; Zoey Gimpel, Aurora; Augustine Hanson, Aurora; Leah Ochsner, Aurora; Zipporah Ochsner, Aurora; Asher Regier, Aurora; Alex Rickertsen, Lexington; Arista Scott, Thedford; Emery Scott, Aurora; RyDell Scott, Thedford; Charlee Vrbas, Stratton; and Jaspen Vrbas, Stratton.

In the Adult Division, the first-place winner was Amanda Spradlin, Cozad; second place, Rachelle Anderson, Mitchell; and third place, Melissa Nicholson, Chadron.        

In the Made For Others Division, the winner was Krystal Galster, Funk. She constructed a jumper for her daughter Kaia Galster. The second-place winner was Krystal Galster, Funk, who constructed overalls for her son, Kaleb Galster.

Andrea Nisley, Nebraska Make It With Wool Director

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2025 State Make It With Wool Contest winners included (left to right) Eden Ochsner of Aurora, Preteen Division; Greta Rickertsen of Lexington, Junior Division; Dakota Vrbas of Stratton, Senior Division; and (not pictured) Amanda Spradlin of Cozad, Adult Division. The state contest was held Saturday, November 22, at Lexington Middle School in Lexington. (Photo courtesy of Andrea Nisley)