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2011 Press Release
Hoosier Hills Fiberarts Festival
A creation today is a family heirloom tomorrow!
6340 North C.R. 75 West, Whiteland, IN 46184
April 7, 2011
For immediate release
The Seventh Annual Hoosier Hills Fiberarts Festival
An experience in the fiber arts
Friday, June 3, 12:00pm to 8:00pm and Saturday, June 4, 9:00am to 5:00pm
The FiberAntics Fiberarts Guild is pleased to announce that the Seventh Annual Hoosier Hills Fiberarts Festival will be held again this year at the Johnson County Fairgrounds, 100 Fairgrounds Street, Franklin, Indiana. Admission and parking are free. Festival hours are Friday from 12pm – 8pm, Saturday 9am - 5pm. There will be animals to see and pet, workshops, door prizes, demonstrations, historical re-enactors, a fiber art gallery, competitions and more than 80 booths bursting with fiber, yarns, kits, equipment and supplies for all of the fiber arts as well as finished items such as children's clothing and accessories, hand woven clothing, handmade hats, scarves etc. 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.
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, needle artists and fiber animal breeders of alpacas, llamas, sheep, goats and rabbits 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 7 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.
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 6th year. The SCA is an international organization dedicated to researching and re-creating the arts and skills of pre-17th-century Europe.
· Book Signings: 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.
· Music: The Dulcimer Society, Red Bird Studio and the Henrichsen Family, Heart and Home will provide musical entertainment during the festival.
· Fiber art demonstrations: Many vendors demonstrate in their booths. You can watch spinning, weaving, needle felting and bobbin lace demonstrations all day long. Feel free to ask questions!
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. Every purchase you make helps support a family farm or business and ensures that these skills stay in our communities.
2011 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, crocheting, dyeing, carding, spinning, weaving, and wet felting. This year, we are offering twenty-two workshops at Hoosier Hills Fiberarts Festival:
Friday, June 3
- Introduction to Natural Dyes - Stefania Isaacson [All day]
- A Spinner’s Study of Sheep Breeds and Wool Types - Kandy Schwandt [All day]
- Tapestry Bookmark Sampler - Barb Gallagher [Morning]
- Grafting with a Russian Twist & More - Galina Khmeleva [Morning]
- Kumihimo and Beads - Earlynn Collier [Morning]
- Drumcarding: Beyond the basics - Carol Wagner [Morning]
- Wet Felt Techniques - Nancy Talley [Afternoon]
- Continental Knitting, Russian Style - Galina Khmeleva [Afternoon]
- Tunisian Crochet - Robin Edmundson [Afternoon]
Saturday, June 4
- Divided Basket Project - Bev Larson [All day]
- Broomstick Lace - Mary Scott [All day]
- Beginning Rigid Heddle Weaving - John Salamone [All day]
- Knitted Lace Embellishments - Galina Khmeleva [Morning]
- Beginning Rug Hooking - Jill Carnell [Morning]
- Spinning Novelty Yarns: Unusual and Found Materials - Kandy Schwandt [Morning]
- Playing with Plying - Stefania Isaacson [Morning]
- Weaving on hooked loom - Patricia Hokenson [Morning]
- Painted Skeins: Wild & crazy color - Carol Wagner [Morning]
- Spinning Novelty Yarns: Corkscrews and Coils - Kandy Schwandt [Afternoon]
- Mooshky Madness—Dimensional Knitting, Russian Style - Galina Khmeleva
- Beginning Spinning on a Drop Spindle - Robin Edmundson [Afternoon]
- Felting a Vessel - Patti Hodge [Afternoon]
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.
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.
Supporting Hoosier Hills Fiberarts Festival helps support 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. Everyone benefits.