Free Event Offers Shopping, Classes, De-Stash/Swap for Crafters
by Sarabeth Parido
The Kentucky Natural Fiber Center’s inaugural Fall Craft and Fiber Faire will take place from 10 a.m. – 5 p.m. on Saturday, September 24th in Millersburg, Kentucky. The event will be held both inside the Millersburg City Building (formerly the elementary school) and directly across the street at the KNFC classroom and studios in McIntyre Hall at Mustard Seed Hill.
This free event offers a little something for everyone, including the opportunity to do a little early Christmas shopping with the fiber and craft vendors offering a variety of hand-made items.
Two fiber arts classes—one a beginner needle felting option available to all ages and the other a chance to learn to work with various fiber equipment—will be offered during the day. In our Fiber Tool Tasting Workshop, under the expert tutelage of renown fiber artisan and shepherd, Susan McFarland, you will gain hands-on experience with fiber tools. What is a diz? What is a hackle? Well this is your chance to experience the fun you can have playing with fiber prep tools of the fiber artist: Electric spinning wheel, drum carders, hackles, hand carders, pickers, wool combs and more! Stations will be set up featuring the various tools. Susan will use her experience to teach you how to work the tools. Bring your wheel or drop spindle to get more instruction on how to make your tools work for you! Would you like a workshop where you can make something fun to take home with you? Our Spheres of Whimsy class taught by Kristy Sturgill and open to ages 8-98, offering a great opportunity to spend time with kids or grand kids! Kristy is a former shepherdess that fell in love with working with natural, locally sourced wool. She loves to share her passion with others by teaching the art of needle felting. Students will apply colorful wool on a Styrofoam ball using a barbed felting needle to create their first masterpiece. Felting on Styrofoam allows beginners to safely get the feel for the needle as they apply hand dyed-locks. The class fee includes all materials. Registration prior to September 24th is required.
Crafters, makers and hobbyists of all sorts are invited to participate in the De-Stash/Swap event where they can declutter and/or re-load their crafting supplies while mingling with other area makers. We all have well meaning, craft supplies that have collected dust waiting for us to use them. We want to give those items new life, give you a space to find a new project that captures your imagination and find homes for all those wayward projects that just need someone new to work on them! *No finished items please!
For fiber producers- this is an excellent time to sell the fleeces you still have taking up space in your barn! Bring your skirted, but unwashed fleeces to sell in our Fleece Sale! To enter the sale, bring your fleece to the designated area at in the building from 9-noon on Saturday September 24. An entry form is available on the Center website. The entry form must be filled out prior to arrival, as there is limited space and extra forms will NOT be available. The sale will begin at 1 pm. The fleece is to be unwashed but skirted and presented in a clear plastic bag. Fleeces not properly skirted will not be sold and will be returned to owner.
The KNFC exists to both connect fiber artisans with producers who provide the raw materials for their works as well as to promote and support the fiber arts and artisans. To that end, the Fall Craft and Fiber Faire will provide local and regional shepherds, farmers and other fiber producers a chance to sell their 2022 shorn wool fleeces, mohair or alpaca fiber directly to hand-spinners, felters and other artists and craftspeople.
Participating vendors, fleece sale forms, De-Stash event details and class costs and registration can be found at www.kentuckysheepandfiber.com/fallfaire.
Sarabeth Parido, is the Director of the Kentucky Sheep and Fiber Festival and The Kentucky Fiber Trail. She raises her own small flock of sheep in Clark County, Kentucky along with her husband and four sons.
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