Hoosier Hills Fiberarts Festival
A creation today is a family heirloom tomorrow!
6340 North C.R. 75 West, Whiteland, IN 46184
317.535.2525 hoosierhillsfiberartsfestival@comcast.net
April 12, 2010
For immediate release
The Sixth Annual Hoosier Hills Fiberarts Festival
An experience in the fiber arts
Friday, June 4, 12:00pm to 8:00pm and Saturday, June 5, 9:00am to 5:00pm
The FiberAntics Fiberarts Guild is pleased to announce that the Sixth Annual Hoosier Hills Fiberarts Festival will be held again this year at the Johnson County Fairgrounds, 250 Fairgrounds Street, Franklin, Indiana. Admission and parking are free. Festival hours are Friday from 12pm – 8pm, Saturday 9am - 5pm. There will be workshops, door prizes, demonstrations, historical re-enactors, a fiber art gallery, silent auction, raffle, competitions and more than 80 booths bursting with fiber, yarns, kits, finished items, equipment and supplies for all of the fiber arts. To register for a class, participate in the competitions, see a list of our vendors and find out more about the festival, visit the Hoosier Hills Fiberarts Festival website: www.hoosierhillsfiberartsfestival.com. Come for the day! You’ll find fun for the whole family! For more information about the vendors, the festival and driving directions, visit the festival website.
Location: Franklin, Indiana is located 8 minutes south of Greenwood [South Indianapolis, Johnson County] on Indiana State Highway 31. For a map and hotel information, see www.hoosierhillsfiberartsfestival.com.
NEW for 2010, we are adding a sheep show! Fiber breeders work hard to establish the right genetics in their flocks to produce healthy animals with the right conformity and fabulous fiber. Come see the incredible animals being bred for fiber.
Follow the thread, connect and make a memory. In an era when much of what we do is instantaneous and pre-made, a time when much of our “grass-roots” heritage is swallowed and lost by concrete and progress, the Hoosier Hills Fiberarts Festival steps back in time to celebrate much of what would be lost without groups of fiber artists and artisans. Spinners, weavers, felters, lacemakers, and needle artists of all kinds gather here to demonstrate what they know and share their skills and goods with the public. The FiberAntics Fiber Arts Guild from Whiteland, Indiana sponsors this event and is proud to say that although the event is only 6 years old, it continues to grow and draw interest. People of all ages and backgrounds come from Indiana, Ohio, Michigan, Tennessee, Kentucky, Illinois, Pennsylvania, Wisconsin, Georgia, Iowa and the Carolinas to attend this event.
Renewable resources. Fiber is a renewable resource, as animals eat grass, which is then converted into protein fibers. After shearing, the fibers are processed by hand or send to a fiber mill for processing. Each year, the animals grow new fleeces to be gathered and processed anew. Plant fibers such as cotton and flax can be planted and harvested each year. Spinners make yarn; weavers, knitters and needle artists of all kinds turn that yarn into clothing, rugs, blankets, towels and countless other household and personal goods.
Other attractions: In addition to the fabulous shopping in our three vendor buildings, Hoosier Hills Fiberarts Festival offers other activities for your family. Check these out:
· The Society for Creative Anachronism - the SCA is returning for the 5th year. The SCA is an international organization dedicated to researching and re-creating the arts and skills of pre-17th-century Europe.
· Book Signings: Andrea Wong, who specializes in Portuguese style knitting, will be signing copies of her books including her new one. Take a class from this innovative knitter or look for her in her booth between sessions. Also, Galina Khmeleva, an expert in Orenburg style lace spinning and knitting will be available for book signing. Take one of her amazing classes or catch her between sessions.
· Demonstrations: Stephen Bowman of the Bedford College of Lacemaking will demonstrate bobbin lace making techniques. In addition, many of our vendors will be demonstrating weaving and spinning in their booths. If you see something that you like, don’t be afraid to ask questions. We’re happy to answer.
Local fiber producers and fiber artists. The majority of our vendors are hoosiers, working hard to create beautiful things from renewable resources. They love their farms, their animals, their customers and their work. Many of them have turned their passion for fiber into full time businesses.
2010 Workshop Schedule: Visitors who want to know more about fiber arts are encouraged to sign up for a workshop. This year we are offering classes in kumihimo, rug hooking, knitting, dyeing, spinning, felting and color harmonies. Sixteen workshops will be offered at Hoosier Hills Fiberarts Festival:
Friday, June 4
· Cotton – The last great frontier [Spinning] (All day: 9-12, 1-4)
· Braided Shepherd’s Rug (All day: 9-12, 1-4)
· Introduction to Natural Dyes: (All day: 9-12, 1-4)
· Kumihimo (Morning: 9-12)
· Rug hooking (Morning: 9-12)
· Handspinning Orenburg-style (Morning: 9-12)
· Continental Knitting (Afternoon: 1-4)
· Spinning woolen or worsted (Afternoon: 1-4)
Saturday, June 5
· Portuguese Style Knitting (All day: 9-12, 1-4)
· Orenburg Knitted Lace (All day: 9-12, 1-4)
· Handspinning boucle yarns (All day: 9-12, 1-4)
· Four Felted Yarns (All day: 9-12, 1-4)
· Color Harmonies (Morning: 9-12)
· Wet felted Hat on a ball (Morning: 9-12)
· Variations and Techniques in 2D needle felting (Afternoon: 1-4)
· Wet Felted Scarf (Afternoon: 1-4)
For more information about the classes and their teachers, and for a registration form, see the Hoosier Hills Fiberarts Festival website: www.hoosierhillsfiberartsfestival.com
Competitions: Competitions are a great way for fiber producers and artists to show the quality of their work. Hoosier Hills Fiberarts Festival has three major competitions: Spinning, Fleece, and Fiber Art. We encourage the public to come and see what our artists and growers have been doing this year. All exhibits may be viewed by the public and folks will be on hand to answer your questions.
NEW for 2010, we are adding a sheep show! Fiber breeders work hard to establish the right genetics in their flocks to produce healthy animals with the right conformity and fabulous fiber. Come see the incredible animals being bred for fiber. See the website www.hoosierhillsfiberartsfestival.com for a full schedule and details on how to enter your animals. Please note – animals without the right paperwork and vet certification will not be allowed to unload into the fairgrounds.
The Skein Competition has a category for beginning/new spinners and a category for experienced spinners. Skeins are spun on either a spinning wheel or a drop spindle. Entrants spin a two ounce skein of yarn, either singles or plied, to demonstrate their hand spinning skills. Among other things, skeins are judged on consistency, balance, suitability for intended purpose and overall beauty. Entries will be collected on Saturday from 9am-noon and can be viewed by the public. A full description of the competition categories and guidelines is available on the website: www.hoosierhillsfiberartsfestival.com
The Fleece Competition allows fiber producers to show off the quality of the fleeces of individual animals. Many growers spend years implementing breeding programs that allow them to produce the finest quality fleeces. This year fleeces from llamas, alpacas, angora goats and sheep will be judged and ranked according to the quality of their fiber. Entries will be collected Thursday, 3pm- 7pm or Friday, 8am - 1pm. Judging will be Saturday at 1pm. Following the judging, fleeces will be offered for sale to the public. Come see what makes a truly great fleece!
The Fiber Arts Competition will exhibit fiber artists who work in the following techniques: Knitting, Weaving, Crochet, Needle Felting, Wet Felting [not knit or crochet], Knit/Crochet and Fulled. All fiber artists are encouraged to enter this competition. We encourage the public to come and view these amazing works of art. All entries must be received by 12pm, Saturday. Judging will be at 4pm Saturday.