FAQ (Frequently Asked Questions)
about the Improvements to all Clothing Projects
Buying Projects
1. If I am in a buying project how do I participate in the Fashion Revue?
For Clothing Decisions I we have now made it optional to purchase a garment as a
requirement for the project. However, if you would like to participate in the Fashion
Revue then you will need to purchase a garment. That garment will need to relate to the
activity you have chosen to complete for the fair. If you decide that you do not want to
participate in the Fashion Revue then you do not need to purchase a garment for your
project. The book contains many activities that would not require the purchase of a
garment.
For Clothing Decision II there is NOT an option. You are required to purchase a
garment for the project that relates to an activity in the book or create you own activity
that incorporates the garment.
2. What should be the first steps in my buying project? First you should wait for your
manual to arrive, or pull out last year’s manual if you are in the same project as last
year.
 Then you should look through the book carefully
 Select which 4 activities you would like to complete this year
 Of those 4 decide which activity will be the one you make a poster,
display or presentation for the fair.
 Next you should decide if you need to purchase garments for the
activity. (For Clothing Decisions I optional and for Clothing
Decisions II required.)
 For Clothing Decisions I if you decide you want to participate in the
Fashion Review, or if you are enrolled in Clothing Decisions II, you
will need to select and purchase your garments.
 Purchase any accessories that are needed to compliment the outfit.
 Keep all receipts and hang tags to bring to judging.
 Bring your manual with the 4 completed activities to judging
3. I have already purchased my garments for my buying project, now what? Relax!
The garments you purchased for the project will work. Your task will be to find an
activity from your project manual that you can make a display, a poster or a presentation
that will incorporate the garment you purchased for your project.
4. What if I cannot find an activity that works with the garment that I already
purchased? You can develop your own activity. Guidelines for developing your own
activities are found in the back of your F-I Unit Handbook on the How to Complete a
Project Manual fact sheet. This is on the back side of the sheet labeled Project Manual
Requirements.
5. I enrolled in Sewing and Construction I Buying, but since you dropped that project
now what? We automatically transferred your enrollment into Clothing Decisions I
Buying instead. You do not need to do anything. We took care of it here at the Extension
office. Now, you just need to follow the project and exhibit requirements for the Clothing
Decisions I project. We also ordered a Clothing Decisions I project manual for you and
you should be receiving it soon. Please complete your 4 activities in this manual and
bring it to the judging.
General Questions
1. Why are we making these changes? These changes are a result of suggestions and
comments we have received the past few years. We had a committee come together that
included staff, past judges, clothing committee members and clothing Superintendents.
Then we began brainstorming ways to improve the project, like our motto says, “Making
the Best Better”. Our overall goal was to put more emphasis on skills and not put a
youth in Sewing and Textiles II just because they were 14. If the 14 year old has never
sewn before, then technically he/she should be in a beginning level. But the way our
system was currently set up it would not work that way. So now youth will advance to the
next level when they have mastered the skills of the current level, not just because they
are a year older. The biggest reason we made the improvement is because we are
moving toward focusing on the overall project and what you learned from it rather than
the end result.
2. How do I know what level/year I am in the project? We have included a summary of
the new clothing judging criteria; this should help you determine which skill level you
belong in. First you find what project you enrolled in, (Sewing and Textiles I, II, or III or
Clothing Decisions I, or II) and then look at the skills that are required to determine what
level you are at. Keep in mind as we implement these changes the first year will be the
most difficult to figure out everyone’s level. If you still need assistance in making this
decision please call Deanne or Kimberly at 815/268-4051 we would be happy to help! Be
prepared to know what level you are in so that you can complete your fair entry forms
correctly.
3. What expectations or requirements are there for my project; what will I be judged
on? We have created new judging rubrics to make the judging process more consistent.
This will benefit you as well because now you will know ahead of time exactly what the
judge will be looking for and you will be prepared. These sheets will also allow you to
receive more comments and feedback from the judges. We have also included a summary
of the criteria that outlines the expectations for each project level and summarizes the
judging rubrics for each level.
4. Can I see the new judge’s sheets? Certainly. We will post them on our website at
www.extension.uiuc.edu/ford go to the 4-H page and they are under4-H and Youth
section and open the Clothing Resources folder. You will be able to view them anytime;
however they are on legal size paper so they may be difficult to print out. Also your
leaders will have a copy of each sheet as a reference and can make a copy for you if they
wish. Also please feel free to stop by the Extension office to request a copy.
5. Can I take a pillow or tote bag to the State Fair? No, non-garment items are not
eligible for the State Fair. So if you are eligible ( see F-I Unit 4-H Program Handbook
for age requirements) for the State Fair and want to have the opportunity to be attend if
you are selected than you will need to construct a garment instead of a pillow or tote bag
if you are enrolled in Sewing and Textiles I.
6. How will I know when I am ready to move onto the next level? When you have
received a score (85% or above), then you can move on to the next level the following
year because you have mastered the skills for that level. If you do not receive a score of
85% or above you will be able to stay in that level to continue perfecting your skills for
next year. These improvements will allow you to move through the skill levels at your
own pace.
7. Do you know where I can find a good pattern to use to make a pillow or tote bag? I
am glad you asked because we have enclosed a few patterns that we thought would be
good for beginners to use. Please remember that these are just suggested patterns if find
another one you like better, please feel free to use it instead. We will also have links to
additional websites with patterns and other resources located in the Clothing Resources
folder under 4-H and Youth tab on the 4-H page of our website at
www.extension.uiuc.edu/ford.
8. What do I do with my judge’s sheet after the fair is over? We are asking that
everyone keep their judging sheets in a safe place. This will remind you what you did last
year, help you set goals for next year and review suggestions that the judges may have
made. Each year you will be required to demonstrate new skills that you learned and
explain them to the judge. By asking you to keep these sheets they will be a quick
reference for you the next year.
Most importantly as with all changes, we just ask that everyone please be patient with all of the
staff and volunteers who are working so hard to make this program better. There are bound to be
a few glitches we did not anticipate. So as we test pilot these changes this year, we would
appreciate your feedback. Let us know what is working well and we would be open to
suggestions to improve the things that are not.
Rest assured as we are making this transition it will be a learning process for all involved, and so
staff and volunteers will use this year as a way to educate everyone on the changes as we
transition.
Please do not hesitate to call Kimberly or Deanne if you have any questions at
815/268-4051 or drop us an email at rahnk@uiuc.edu or deholste@uiuc.edu .