Textile Arts Instruction Programs

At the Guild's June meeting, programs that offer instruction in fiber arts were discussed. Below is contact info for a whole slew of programs around the country and beyond.

Maryland Shores Rug-hooking Workshops
304-9 33rd Street
Ocean City, MD 21842
www.marylandshores.blogspot.com
Classes held each spring at the Dunes Manor Hotel in OC.

Sanguine Gryphon
Easton, MD
www.sanguinegryphon.com
Opportunities to learn spinning and dyeing.

Stitches East
Baltimore Convention Center
November 6-9, 2008

Maryland Sheep and Wool Festival
Howard County Fairgrounds
West Friendship, MD
www.sheepandwool.org
The first full weekend in May. Courses are available the Wednesday, Thursday and Friday before the festival.

Lahara Textiles
PO Box 315
Barnesville, MD 20838
301-349-0056
www.laharagallery.com
Saturday courses in knitting, rug-hooking, weaving and design.

Springwater Fiber Workshop
808 North Fairfax Street
Alexandria, VA 22314
703-549-3634
www.springwaterfiber.org
Spinning, weaving, knitting, crocheting, felting and more.

Joan Griffin Tapestry
1800 Yorktown Drive
Charlottesville, VA 22901
434-979-4402
www.joangriffintapestry.com

The Mannings
1132 Green Ridge Road
PO Box 687
East Berlin, PA 17316
1-800-233-7166
www.the-mannings.com
Weaving, spinning and knitting classes.

Spin Off Autumn Retreat (SOAR)
Pocono Manor, PA
October 5-12, 2008
Register through www.interweave.com
Scholarships available.

John C. Campbell Folk School
1 Folk School Road
Brasstown, NC 28904
1-800-FOLK-SCH
www.folkschool.org
Courses in all types of fiber art, plus tons of other things. Also programs for school age kids and teens.

Penland School of Crafts
PO Box 37
Penland, NC 28765
828-765-2359
www.penland.org
Many textile courses including knitting, weaving, textile sculpture, design, screen-printing, dyeing, millinery and more.

That Hat!
Wilmington, NC
910-397-9099
www.hatshatshats.com
Millinery workshops around the USA and at the studio in North Carolina.

Peters Valley Craft Center
19 Kuhn Road
Layton, NJ
973-948-5200
www.petersvalley.org
Fiber art courses include spinning, weaving, knitting, crochet, color & design, needle felting and more.

Arrowmont School of Arts & Crafts
PO Box 567
Gatlinburg, TN 37738
865-436-5860
www.arrowmont.org
Fiber art courses including dyeing and weaving. Scholarship and work study opportunities.

Rhode Island School of Design
2 College Street
Providence, RI 02903
401-454-6100
www.risd.edu
Summer and special programs in fiber art for continuing education.

Quilt Surface Design Symposium
464 Vermont Place
Columbus, Ohio 43201
www.qsds.com
Symposium focusing on non-traditional and art quilts with instructors and attendees from around the world.

Haystack
PO Box 518
Deer Isle, ME 04627
207-348-2306
www.haystack-mtn.org
Quilting, knitting, dyeing and more. Scholarship opportunities.

Knitting Cruises on the Schooner Isaac H. Evans
Captain Brenda Walker
PO Box 791
Rockland, ME 04841
1-877-238-1325
www.midcoast.com/~evans/

Sievers School of Fiber Art
Jackson Harbor Road
Washington Island, WI 54246
920-847-2264
www.sieversschool.com
Courses on knitting, spinning, weaving, dyeing, felting, stitchery and design.

North House Folk School
PO Box 759
Grand Marias, Minnesota 55604
218-387-9762
www.northhousefolkschool.com
Courses on knitting, embroidery, spinning, felting, weaving, and dyeing.

Sharon Alderman
734 South 500 East
Salt Lake City, Utah 84102
801-355-0215
www.sharonalderman.com
Weaving courses.

Sarah Natani Navajo Weaving Workshops
PO Box 2270
Shiprock, NM 87420
505-368-4906
www.navajovalues.com

Idyllwild
PO Box 38
Idyllwild, CA 92546
www.idyllwildarts.org
Summer programs in Navajo weaving. Also family camp and children's programs.

Weaver's School
Madelyn van der Hoogt
PO Box 1228
Coupeville, WA 98239
300-678-6225
www.weaversschool.com

Craft Cruises
craftcruises.com
Cruises with knitting, crochet, beading classes.
Destinations in US, Caribbean, Europe, Asia, Central & South America.

Traditions Mexico
01152-951-571-3695
www.traditionsmexico.com
Fiber art tours to Mexico.

Weaving Course in Norway
contact: Dr. Carol Colburn, carolcolburn@cfu.net
Focuses on weaving and design in vadmal.

Textile Study Tours to Norway
Vesterheim Norwegian American Museum
PO Box 379
Decorah, IA 52101
563-382-9681 www.vesterheim.org

World Wide Knit in Public Day Event in Snow Hill

World Wide Knit in Public (WWKiP) Day was started in 2005 by knitter Danielle Landes as a way for knitters to come together and enjoy each other's company. Knitting is such a solitary act that it's easy to knit alone somewhere and sink into your own work without thinking about all the other knitters out there. Neighbors can spend their entire lives never knowing that the other knits. This is a specific day for knitters (and those who want to learn) to get out of the house and go to a local event (with knitting in tow). WWKiP Day is the largest knitter-run event in the world, and each local event is organized by volunteers.

A WWKiP Day event is being held at Sturgis Park in Snow Hill on June 14 from 10am to 3pm. Knitters can stop by any time to network with other area knitters and check out each others' current projects. Knitters should bring a chair and their knitting (and snacks if they'd like). Stacy Mitchell, owner of the Fine Needle quilt and yarn shop in Snow Hill, is offering free goody bags to those who register ahead of time by calling the shop at (410) 632-0772. Visitors can pick up the bags from Stacy at the event.

The Julia A. Purnell Museum in Snow Hill is offering free admission coupons to participants in WWKiP Day. They can be picked up all day at the event. “Knitters can knit at the KIP, have lunch in town, and then walk a few blocks to the Purnell Museum. It's a great way for visitors to Snow Hill, and locals, to spend the day,” said Julia A. Purnell Museum Executive Director Mary St. Hippolyte.

There were nearly 200 event for last year's WWKiP Day, and the number will probably be even higher for 2008. Events are being held in the USA, Canada, Denmark, Norway, Germany, Switzerland, France, Australia, Netherlands, Finland, the UK, Portugal, Austria, New Zealand, Belgium, Iceland, Czech Republic, and Mexico.

Knitters can stop by the Snow Hill event any time from 10am-3pm. Those who are interested in learning to knit—including kids and teens—are encouraged to join in too.

For more information on the event contact Stacy Mitchell at the Fine Needle at (410) 632-0772. To find out more about WWKiP events around the globe, visit www.wwkipday.com.

Craft Yard Sale at Fine Needle

On Saturday, May 31 we're having a CRAFT YARD SALE at The Fine Needle. The sale begins at 9 a.m. and will go to about noon or so. You can shop for crafty items (supplies and [un]finished items) and/or set up your own table of craftly goodies. If you'd like to set up a table just drop me (Stacy) an email. You supply your own table/chair. Any type of craft stuff - supplies, tools, finished projects, unfinished projects! - are welcome.

I've been cleaning out my craft bins (and I did a lot of crafting before "concentrating" on quilting and knitting!) and will also have oodles of stuff from the shop that just needs to find a new home.

If you are part of - or know of - an organization that will accept craft items for donation, please contact me. We will be happy to place boxes with signs (designating organization and types of items accepted) at the sale for collection. The only catch is that we won't deliver - someone will have to pick up the box for the group/organization.

"Back to School" Program--June 9, 2008

The Central Delmarva Fibers Guild is offering a program for fiber artists wanting to upgrade their skills, from beginners looking to get started, to those would like to learn a specific new technique. The “Back to School” program will take place on Monday, June 9 at 6pm at the Snow Hill Library meeting room.

Participants can learn about instructional fiber art programs--teaching weaving, knitting, dyeing, spinning, quilting and more--in our region and beyond in a round-table discussion. This will include information on several east coast arts and crafts schools, knitting cruises, and opportunities in Maryland. Visitors are also encouraged to share their experiences of instructional programs.

The “Back to School” program is free and open to the public. Light refreshments will be served.

The Central Delmarva Fibers Guild supports promotion and education of the fiber arts, and holds frequent public programs for adults and children. Members include those of all skill levels, from beginners to professionals,and new members are welcomed. New and prospective members are welcome to attend. For a full list of the Guild’s activities, or for information about becoming a member, contact Stacy at (410) 632-0772.

FiberFest 2008

Plans are already in the works for the annual FiberFest at the Julia A. Purnell Museum in Snow Hill. This year's Fest is on Saturday, October 11. Several vendors are already on board. The Sanguine Gryphon will be there once again selling beautiful handspun and hand-dyed yarns. You can visit Gryphon's own blog at www.sanguinegryphon.blogspot.com. Several area Etsy vendors are planning to be there as well: Crash into Ewe, Kelly's Creations and Yarnigans.

For those of you who haven't been to the FiberFest before, it's a small--but growing--textile arts festival with demos, vendors, activities for kids, live animals and food. The Central Delmarva Fibers Guild has been very involved with the festival since its beginning. Festival admission is free. As in past years, there is no charge to vendors, since we want to encourage as many fiber artists as possible to participate. So if you're interested, let us know! You can call the Julia A. Purnell Museum at (410) 632-0515, or leave a comment.

Maryland Sheep & Wool Festival

Last weekend was the annual Maryland Sheep & Wool Festival and it was pretty great. My group included my two year-old niece B., so this year our visit was all about the animals. We got in plenty of face-time with the baa-baas, and visited the llamas, alpacas, rabbits, and those precious mini angora goats. I have been told there is talk of eliminating the non-sheep animals at future festivals, and I think I speak for toddlers (and their handlers) everywhere when I say this would be tragic. Perhaps we could mount some act of civil disobedience; species-discrimination will not be tolerated!

Here is the wrap-up of the event according to B.:

Best part of the festival: 3 pavilions of wall-to-wall sheep

Worst part of the festival: not being able to "hold the baa-baa in my arms"

Yummiest food: sugary pecans

Ickiest food: lamb (also most traumatic food)

Best vendors: Anything with needle felted animals

Most mesmerizing demonstration: spinning wheels go round and round

Be sure to bring: your own potty. The bathroom lines can be long.

Sit and Sew or Knit or...

Need a few uninterrupted hours of crafting time? Join the Central Delmarva Fiber Guild for a Sit and Sew (or Knit, or Crochet, or Cross Stitch, or...) on Saturday, May 3, 2008 at the Snow Hill Library in Snow Hill, Maryland. The cost is FREE! We'll be meeting from 10 a.m. until 4 p.m. - you can stay the whole time or just for a few hours. Stacy Mitchell, owner of The Fine Needle, will be on hand to help with quilting or knitting questions. You will need to call ahead or e-mail to reserve your spot.