LOGANSPORT — Kierra Mersch sat nervously Tuesday waiting for the final results of the beginner cake decorating competition for the Cass County 4-H fair.

Nearby, Jane DeCamp, cake decorating judge from White County, stood in front of six cakes, looking over each one and picking up several.

Mersch, who just finished fifth grade, walked away as grand champion.

“It’s my third year and my first year winning,” she said. “I feel really good about myself. I worked really, really hard.”

Even though the Cass County 4-H Fair doesn’t start until next week, many projects have already been completed and judged. According to Lynn Korniak, Cass County Extension youth educator, there is not enough space during fair week for all the projects and judging.

Twelve judges looked over projects in 10 categories Tuesday morning at Fairview Elementary School. Project categories included sewing, foods, food preservation, microwave, cake decorating, 4-H memory book, theme scrapbook and bake with a mix.

Mersch became interested in cake decorating after watching her grandmother, Sandi Schmaltz, decorate cakes. Her grandmother owns the Sycamore in Monticello and spends time decorating cakes.

“I thought it was interesting, and I started to help her,” Mersch said.

Mersch had several ideas for her design this year before she found one that would work. She decided on a round cake decorated with two small handprints for her almost 2-year-old twin cousins, Mia and Alex. She used pink and pastel green frosting to color the handprints, one color for each child.

During the past two years, Mersch has come close to winning. Her first year, she earned a blue star after her cake was chosen for review of a top spot. Last year, she was up for reserve grand champion.

Next year, Mersch will move up to intermediate class, where she hopes to stay in blue star range or even win reserve grand champion.

“I’ll work with it all winter long with buttercream and royal icing,” she said.

 DeCamp has judged beginner, intermediate and advanced levels of cake decorating for 30 years. She pointed out the quality of competition, especially with the advanced grades.

“Sometimes, it comes down to a couple flaws,” she said.

When it comes to judging, she said, she pretty much knows who the overall winners will be in the beginner and intermediate levels while judging. As for the advanced level, DeCamp said, she has to be more picky since the participants have been in cake decorating for at least five years.

DeCamp said she feels cake decorating is a beneficial life skill for students to learn.

“It teaches you patience, responsibility and time adjustment,” she said.

Lori Overman, advanced sewing judge from Miami County, has been judging projects for about 26 years.

This was her first year in Cass County, and Overman said she was impressed with the quality of work presented. While judging, she said, it’s important to look over each article.

“I just want to make sure they’ve not forgotten what they learned in the lower division,” she said. “I want to make sure they use the techniques they’ve learned and refined them.”

Participants in the sewing category can do many things to add additional skills into their projects. Overman offered the example of putting in a zipper if the participant hadn’t tried it in previous competition.

On Tuesday, Overman judged several advanced categories, including free choice, casual wear, formal, dress ups, suits and coats, and separates.

“Sometimes it can be really difficult,” she said about picking the winners. “I get down to the real nitpicky things.”

This year, one grade level was especially competitive. A few others didn’t have much competition, but Overman said even with one or two entrants, she doesn’t have to award a champion if she didn’t feel the project was worth it.

“They were deserving, though,” she said.

She also told the seventh grade student level that “competition is good because it refines your skills.”

Overman feels it’s important for young people to continue participating in sewing. She said it could help them alter clothing and make items exactly the way they want.

The competitions use an open judging concept, allowig the participants to sit with the judge and learn what they could do better next time and what they did well.

Overall, Korniak said she thought all of the projects turned out well. A tough lesson, though, is that not everyone can win.

“Even when they do their best, things don’t always work out to the best,” Korniak said.

• Denise Massie is a staff writer at the Pharos-Tribune. She can be reached at 574-732-5151 or denise.massie@pharostribune.com.