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Ohio 4-H Youth Development

Ohio State University Extension

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Faces of Ohio 4-H — Nora Dellifield

Nora Dellifield

Each month, we highlight an Ohio 4-H alum who has an amazing story to share—from their personal experience in 4-H, to how they have given back to the program. This month, we feature Nora Dellifield, a proud alumna of Hardin County 4-H who currently works as a costume crafts artisan for the Steppenwolf Theatre Company in Chicago.

At the age of nine Dellifield joined the Liberty Belles & Boys 4-H Club and quickly discovered her passion for sewing projects. “My mom was in 4-H when she was a kid, and she made it a priority to get my Dellifield wearing the first 4-H project she completed.brother and me involved,” said Dellifield.

At 15, she joined the newly founded Sew What 4-H Club and continued experimenting with sewing projects. “I took all sorts of sewing projects over the years, but the Sew for Others project was one of my favorites because I loved making things for other people.”

Dellifield also volunteered as a 4-H camp counselor and was a member of the State Fashion Board during her time as a 4-H’er. “I loved going to camp, especially because I got to teach kids sewing skills and do lots of crafty things with the campers,” she said. “Serving on the State Fashion Board was another great experience. I enjoyed being behind the scenes for the Dellifield made the Red Dress from the movie "White Christmas" as part of a "Sew for Others" project.Fashion Revue and volunteering throughout the day made it really fun and a lot less nerve wracking.”

After aging out of the 4-H program, Dellifield attended The Theatre School at DePaul University where she earned her Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in costume technology.

“My 4-H experiences definitely set me up for success in college. Not only did my 4-H projects serve as an excellent portfolio of my past work for my entrance interviews, but I had also already participated in judging for each project and was well-prepared to answer questions about my work,” said Dellifield. “Thanks Dellifield making a pair of shoes for a show.to 4-H I also went into college with a great base of knowledge when it came to sewing techniques, terminology, and reading patterns.”

After graduating in June, Dellifield pursued freelance costuming work for a short time before accepting a position as a costume crafts artisan and stitcher with Steppenwolf Theatre Company. She is responsible for making costume accessories like hats, jewelry, and shoes, as well as weathering or distressing costumes as a scene demands it.

Despite only recently graduating college, Dellifield is already discussing ways she can bring the knowledge she’s gained back to her county. “When I was a 4-H’er, I felt like I always had to know the answers to everything when I was completing my projects. At college I had the opportunity to ask my professors as many Dellifield smiling with some pieces she's created.questions as I wanted, and it made me wonder how much more I could’ve learned in 4-H if I’d had these resources then.”

In the future, Dellifield would like to offer sewing workshops for youth in Hardin County so she can help them integrate new skills and techniques into their own project work. She also encourages young 4-H’ers to reach out to the master clothing educators in their county, as they are great resources for anyone who has questions about sewing projects.

“The skills I learned in 4-H gave me a fantastic base of knowledge for my current career. I developed important sewing skills that I still use today and got to have fun while I was doing it,” said Dellifield. “Now, I want to be a resource for current 4-H members so they can achieve their dreams too.”