Fiber Day

Last Saturday was Fiber Day at the Southern Highlands Craft Guild. During the year, they sponsor educational opportunities at the Folk Art Center in Asheville - one of them being Fiber Day;  Saturday being the demos and Sunday the fashion show featuring garments and accessories made by Southern Highland Guild members. It's always great fun to attend and also be part of.  I try and do marbling with the kids. That weekend is always my daughter's birthday weekend so it involves a bit of juggling. This year I juggled well and did both. 

 The demos at Fiber Day are very varied with lots of hands on - especially for the kids.  Kathy Spencer does wonderful needlefelting, starting with a base fabric, adding rovings and using a felting machine, does some magical and very colorful things.

Georgia Bonesteel was also one of the demonstrators showing her wonderful piecing techniques

Sandra Adair does beautiful tapestries; this is a commissioned piece she is working on.

Martine House, a lady of many talents is doing something with adults. Her beautiful work is hanging behind her.

Laura Spreitzer was most impressive with her knitting skills - making very detailed clothes for Barbie - yup - that Barbie. I've always thought anyone who can make doll clothes that small has the patience of a saint. The little girls thought they were very cool.

Charlie Patricolo is known for her crazy, adorable one of a kind dolls. She was demonstrating some wonderful techniques.

The Blue Ridge Spinners were there with their looms showing how fiber is spun into yarn.

There was some beautiful lacework and tatting being demonstrated.

This picture is blurry but I HAD to include this Monkey Doll. It brings back memories when we used to make them in my Home Ec Classes. There were just so many sewing machines to go around and often students had nothing to do so we had lots of projects to fill in the gap - the most popular was the monkey doll made from Sears Roebuck socks.

Connie Brown had a table of all kinds of buttons, trims and fabrics for kids to stop by and make pictures - they loved the great assortment and an excuse for getting their hands mucky.

Here is the marbling table and my little-est artist.  She's only 4, totally adorable and looking quite serious while waiting for her print to be picked up.

This fun couple stopped and chatted and I noticed all the badges on their fronts and just as many on their back. Everywhere they go they get a badge but the coolest part is they are mounted on his old army shirt from The Korean War -  He made it into a vest and his wifes had to be cut a bit smaller but also from his old shirt. He told me, that's the very last of army gear.

The highlight, without even trying is the animals outside. This baby was so adorable and sweet and let all the children pet her. Some of the animals participated in the sheep sheering.

There were also goats, alpacas and above the fluffy French Angora rabbit.
Just a great day for everyone.