2012 Letter to the Vendors

The vendors are a very important part of Fiber College.  This note was e-mailed earlier in the week but we’re posting it here too in case it didn’t find it’s way into your e-mail box…just covering all of the bases

We hope all is well in your world and that you’re enjoying a perfect summer month…we’ve certainly earned it and look forward to a long, Indian summer.  The planning for Fiber College has been going smoothly and if you haven’t had the opportunity to visit the blog lately, check it out for updated details on all that we’re expecting this year.   Class sign ups have been very encouraging…every day registrations have been coming in and some of the classes are already full with a waiting list established…and general wisdom promises a flurry of last minute sign-ups.  That said, please spread the word in any venue you have because even now, many of the most interesting classes have yet to be filled.

With a month to go, this is the final push for media exposure.  You can help.  If you are a member of Ravelry (there are several threads already started that would benefit from your energetic comments) or any fiber related on-line groups, would you give your group a shout about the College?  Send them to the website at www.FiberCollege.org and tell them about the dates (September 6-9).  Fan us on Facebook too…that way we cover all of the bases.    If these forums allow you to post more than dates or times, tell them about your booth and/or class because you are what makes the College so different from all of the other great fiber venues through out the year.

This year’s Shopper’s Boulevard Hours have been set for:

Friday – Noon to 5:30

Saturday – 10 – 5:30

Sunday – 10 – 3

Set up will be from 4:00PM- 8:00 PM on Thursday and 8:00 AM to 11:30 AM on Friday…all vehicles must be in the vendors parking area (or campsite) by 11:30 Friday…no exceptions. These hours were chosen to give everyone a chance to enjoy being on the coast and concentrate the shoppers into spending their time on the Boulevard before and after their classes.

When you come to set up, come directly to the information desk with your proper proof of insurance.  To obtain this paper, call your insurance agent for a certificate of liability for the Fiber College on Penobscot Bay and Searsport Shores Ocean Camping September 6-9, 2012.  Farm Family and Countryway Insurance companies provide these.  Many homeowner/business policies will also cover occasional off-premise events.

Thursday night there will be a Fiber Maine-ia Fashion Show to benefit New Hope for Women, followed by a cocktail reception, the opening of the Instructors Gallery Exhibit and a Hootenanny.

We will host a potluck supper on Friday night followed by a Fiber Potluck and craft book Swap.  For dinner, we’ll roast two turkeys and provide the plates, utensils and ice water…you bring a side dish or dessert to share and any other beverages you might prefer after a long day in the booth.  For the swap, go through your stash, your studio or under your bed to find treasures that you’ve long moved away from but that will inspire others to new artistic heights.  Don’t forget to look through your bookshelves and your drawers for books and fiber tools you no longer need.  During the swap you’ll be able to barter and trade with everyone present…if there’s nothing you like better than your own stuff, you can always pack your things away for another day or offer them as door prizes at the Saturday night celebration.

Speaking of Saturday night, this year’s dinner will again be held at the First Congregational Church Vestry in the middle of the Penobscot Marine Museum in Searsport…before dinner there will be a cocktail reception and show and tell on the lawn.  In appreciation of your support as a vendor, you are eligible for reduced rate dinner/evening tickets…$10/person.  Simply let us know by September 5th the number of tickets you’ll need so that we can order the right amount of lasagna.

In recognition of the economic conditions you’ve been facing this year, we’d also like to offer you some discounted camping.  We have set aside the group tenting area for anyone who would like to pitch a tent for $12/night/person (hot showers are included!)…you can take care of that reservation when you check in on Thursday or Friday.

We’re so excited about the College!  Thanks for making it wonderful and unique!

See you soon,

Astrig and the Entire Fiber College planning committee

 

Demonstration Schedule 2012

Day/Time	Skill/Topic	Demonstrator	Special Notes
Friday
11:00-12:00	Wood Burning 101	Tom Cote
12:15-1:15	Color Theory: Layers upon Layers	Susan Tobey White
1:30-2:30	Recognizing Valuable Buttons	Mary Gray	Bring your buttons for show and tell
2:45-3:45	Care and Love of Vintage Quilts	Susan Schreurs	Bring your quilts for show and tell
4:00-5:00	Yoga for Fiber Artists	Sarah Brand New	Wear appropriate clothing
Saturday
10:00-11:00	Brooms…aren’t you curious?	Karen Koch
11:15-12:15	Exploring Color Combinations with Fabric	Mary Ellen Kranz
12:30-1:30	Macramé Revival	Steven Schreurs
1:45-2:45	Sharpening Fiber Tools	Tom Cote	Bring your tools
3:00-4:00	Navajo Plying Technique	Alice Seeger	Bring a wheel or a spindle if you’d like
:15-5:15	Quaker Balls	Mary Ann Hall	Hand sewing and 3 D Construction
Sunday
10:00-11:00	Yoga Stretches for Fiber Artists	Sarah Brand New	Wear comfortable clothing
11:15-12:15	Spinning on a Spinning Wheel 101	Betty Hauger	Locks, batts and roving
12:30-1:30	waiting to confirm
1:45-2:45	Moravian Stars	Jen Appleby	Make your own precious ornament

The schedule may be tweaked and changed if necessary.  All of the demonstrations are free and will be found at the Demo Tent.

Thursday night at the Cocktail reception and Saturday night at the Show and Tell, Dinner and Gale Zucker presentation, there will be a book signing with some of our wonderful teachers who have published books.

Karen Koch Clears our Cobwebs

 

Karen Koch came into our world like a gentle whisper.  First there was the inquiry of our interest in adding broom making to the line up of FC classes.  For one reason or another we couldn’t “jump” on it until this year…but it’s wonderful to be able to add two classes of a different sort of fiber interest to this year’s line up.  Students will be using bundles of sweetly scented broom corn and sturdy alder handles, learning to transform them into a tool that’s been in the hands of humans for 1000′s of years…actually that would be a good trivia question…how long have humans been pushing a broom?

Karen will be teaching two classes this year…Traditional Cobweb Chasers Saturday 1:00-4:00 and Sunday Making a Whisk Broom 12:30-3:30.

In response to our questions, Karen tells us this about herself:

When I was 16, I wasn’t interested in getting my driver’s license! I had to be pushed.

My favorite time of the day is early morning.

My proudest career moment was being accepted to my first juried show in Camden, Maine in the late 80’s.

The book that changed my life was LOVE by Leo Buscaglia.  It set the tone for my special education career of 36 years.

My guiltiest pleasure is watching Doc Martin with Martin Clunes.

My favorite item of clothing is fleece pajamas.

I get nervous when I have to climb uphill.

The tool I couldn’t live without is my late father’s fishing knife.

Words to live by: It is more important to be kind than to be right.

I am happy in my garden, at the end of a broom class(seeing happy sweepers!),in or on the water and on my bike.

Favorite spots on the planet: Derwent Water in the Lake District(England), Cameron Mountain(Camden Hills) and Golden Hills State Park in Barker,NY.

I keep learning about different learning styles through my students.

I learned to make brooms from Carlson Tuttle at the Augusta Heritage Center at Davis-Elkins College in Elkins, West Virginia.

Maryly Matthewman

I know that I tend to fall in love with the majority of our instructors…and fervently hope that our relationships will strengthen over the years because the greatest thing about Fiber College are the souls that participate…either by teaching or as students (not that this doesn’t overlap ALL the time).  Maryly is the banner example of a woman who I hope will stay in my life until I’m old and gray and don’t care about the hairs sprouting on my chin.

Maryly lives on Lake Winnipesaukee in New Hampshire and since she retired from her “day job” she’s devoted her talents to making colorful stitches, exploring her Latvian heritage through wool and teaching prison inmates (and others) how to knit and listen.

Last year her Latvian Braid class was a runaway hit and this year she’ll be teaching a full day session on mini-mittens…a way of cramming lots of techniques into the single Thursday class.  Her lucky students will walk away with colorful images dancing in their heads and fingers itching to continue techniques that look complicated but are really simple when you know the tricks.

Here’s her interview…just a glimpse into this energetic, wonderful woman’s life…

When I was 16 I thought 60 years old was ancient and I knew alot more than any 60 year old!

My favorite time of day is the time I can knit, listen to an audiobook and drink a glass of Cabernet. Have you heard Sarah’s Key?

Book that changed my life was Siddhartha by Herman Hesse. Age 19, second year of college in Boston, January, 1973.

Guiltiest pleasure- well I do not accept guilt anymore but my pleasure is ice cream in downtown Meredith, NH., by Lake Winnipesaukee.

My very favorite item of clothing are my old ragged cotton sweatshirts, dried on the line so they are scratchy and smell that fresh smell.

I still get nervous when I make a phone call. I am phone phobic. Love email

I have a daily practice of honoring my very first sip of coffee. My favorite coffee now is from Cafe Du Monde in New Orleans, made with chicory.

Art tool I can not live without is knitting needles.

Words I live by? “There is a road no simple highway between the dawn and the dark of night. And if you go no one may follow, that path is for your steps alone.” From my favorite song for years, Ripple by The Grateful Dead

Can’t get cold enough

What makes me happy? Many things but for one, COLD and SNOW!!

The lesson I keep learning is that Karma is real.

You can never have enough blue, green, purple yarn.

My yard and house is my favorite spot on the planet. Right in the middle of NH. Privacy, quiet, open space, beautiful views and safe.

At this point Whole living means giving back to my community. I have been volunteering knitting time at our local jail once or twice a week for about 18 months. I learn alot from these girls and they love telling me their stories. I also mentor an underserved young girl in our community through The Circle Program. WE meet twice a month and just chat and do things she would like to do.

Mary Lou Egan

I haven’t had the pleasure of meeting Mary Lou in person, but I’m REALLY looking forward to it…her knitting has energy and precision that appeals to “that half” of my Gemini nature.  I love that when she sent this interview along, she wrote “I found it challenging to answer these questions in a way that would ‘live on for years’” I get that…now that the internet is 20+ years old, I’m surprised every time I see a reference to myself from years ago…who’s preparing us for this?  But I digress…Mary Lou will be teaching Introduction to Japanese Patterns on Saturday from 9:00AM – 12:00PM and Knitting Short Rows on Saturday from 1:00 PM-4:00 PM

Mary Lou answered our questions:

When I was 16 I thought…that life would only get better. I don’t know if it does get better exactly, it certainly doesn’t let up, but you learn to be less afraid of adversity and to welcome challenges.

My favorite time of the day is…early morning, before I leave for work. I like to have a pot of Assam tea, nice and strong, and sit quietly with my knitting.

Proudest career moment… Perhaps proudest isn’t really accurate, but I was certainly thrilled when I started getting requests from people in other countries to translate Coquille, a shawl pattern that appeared in Knitty. I love the international connections that fiberarts and the internet weave together, and especially enjoy seeing how people have altered the pattern to suit their yarn or mood.

coquille mini mochi back

The song/book/movie that changed my life…Jean Cocteau’s Beauty and the Beast. I saw this French film on public television one night when I was babysitting. I was about 13. The magical images opened my eyes to a wider world outside of suburban New Jersey. When the narrator says “Open Sesame” I went through that door and never looked back.

Guiltiest pleasure…I hate feeling guilty about pleasure. Bring on the chocolate, guilt free. My most embarrassing pleasure? Knitting through Big Bang Theory marathons.

My favorite item of clothing sweatpants. I love being comfortable. Sweats and a cozy handknit sweater are my idea of comfort.

I still get nervous when…I have to speak to a large crowd. I was the emcee for a Yarn Harlot event with an audience of 600 or so and was really nervous. Then I got up to the podium and looked out at the crowd and laughed. It was all knitters, so I felt right at home and we had a blast.

Daily practice…A little stretching, a little mediation, a little knitting. A lot of tea.

The art tool I couldn’t live without…I don’t think of myself as an artist. I’m more of a creative problem solver that hates to follow directions and likes to share what I’ve learned with others. Perhaps the tool I couldn’t live without are stitch dictionaries for inspiration.

Words I live by…I have no idea where this came from, but it applies to many situations, especially design and knitting: “I have often wondered if a good problem solver simply hangs her many experiences, like chimes, in the breeze of the problem at hand and then listens ever so carefully for a sound…what causes a particular set of chimes to ring remains a mystery to me.”

What makes me happy…Being with friends and family, being outdoors, reading a good book and knitting, of course.

The lesson I keep learning…How important it is to be able to laugh at yourself.

You can never have too many…Knitting needles. I have so many, but I always end up needing just one more. I’m currently working with lace weight linen, and couldn’t get consistent gauge on my favorite needles, so had to go buy some bamboo needles in that size.

Favorite spot on the planet…on the back of my horse.

Whole living means…to have body and mind in balance, and to appreciate all those whose labor allows us to live our day to day lives.

Ms. Egan’s book Wearwithall was recently reviewed in Knitter’s Review: “Designs that work, are easy to customize and complete, in a collection you’ll keep coming back to again and again. Does this book live up to those lofty ambitions? My answer is an emphatic yes.”

Cynthia McGuirl…Dancing in Swirls of Color

Cynthia first came to our attention as a serious artist a few years ago when we stumbled upon her weavings which combine fibers that shrink at different rates causing the fabric to shimmer and drape in a 3-D texture that stands out from the crowd.  And then we started appreciating her sense of color…and the way she moves it across the surface of the fabric.

Last year she taught a sold out class in painting on silk, this year she will again teach a full day class on silk painting (Thursday 9 AM-4 PM) and she has added much sought after Marbling sessions on Saturday afternoon.

In typical Cindy fashion, she responded to our questions with lovely simplicity:

When I was 16 I thought… I would go to Art School to study painting.  I did, but ended up in sculpture, then fiber.  Now I pretty much combine them all!

My favorite time of the day is… late morning.

Proudest career moment… my gallery show of etchings: Armenia: A Remembrance.

The song/book/movie that changed my life… too many to list! I am a bookaholic.

Guiltiest pleasure… wearing the coat below.

My favorite item of clothing… a fake fur jacket made in Iran that I purchased at a yard sale.  It is amazing silk pile made to look like a white tiger skin.

I still get nervous when… speaking in public.

Daily practice… tai chi.

The art tool I couldn’t live without… my brain.

Words I live by… I think I can make that.

What makes me happy… having time with nothing I HAVE to do.

The lesson I keep learning… everything worth doing takes dedication, practice, and a fearlessness of mistakes.

You can never have too many… tools…

Favorite spot on the planet… my home in Thomaston!

Whole living means… a balance of time for family, art, chores and work.

To see more of Cindy’s work visit her website and pssst, Cindy…we’re hoping you’ll be adding a creation or two to the KnitMaine~ia Fashion Show on Thursday night

Bob Nichols…sculpter of wool

I’m always fascinated about how creative people move around the planet and find their niche in a passion that hasn’t even entered most people’s minds.  Take Bob Nichols for instance…here’s a man who grew up on a dairy farm in Alaska and found his way to Maine…and now he’s well-known in our region for the art he creates by stabbing colored wool fluff until it becomes a painting or a sculpture.  Once again…life simply happens!

Bob sent us these answers to our interview questions:

When I was 16, I imagined that my most exciting and satisfying means of creative expression would be a form of fiber arts. In particular, I never could have imagined that it would be needle felting, which was first discovered 20 years I was 16, and which I first discovered for myself in 2001

My favorite time of day is whatever time I am fully engaged in being happily creative, in the broadest sense (making art, cooking, teaching, singing, gardening, house projects, etc)

I imagine that my proudest career moment is yet to happen, and will not occur in the narrow realm of a “job.”

I still get nervous when I reach that typical point in creating a piece of art where it seems to be hopelessly doomed, but then the nervousness and frustration usually drive me through it to a satisfactory conclusion (though never “perfect”).

The art tool I couldn’t live without is definitely the felting needle.

Some words I live by are “simplicity, creativity, kindness, love, and curiosity.” Two phrases I live by are “Actions speak louder than words,” and “Practice makes better.”

One lesson I keep learning is that real pleasure is best shared, rather than hoarded.

You can never have too many fascinated admirers of your work.

Whole living means achieving security beyond the basic struggle for survival, appreciating the gifts and lessons of existence, and giving back something meaningful to life (human, animal, and/or plant). 

Needle felting has always seemed magical to me. With such simple materials as a hand-held needle, wool fiber, and a foam work surface, you can create either 3-dimensional or 2-dimensional artwork, manipulating the fiber like clay or paint, respectively. I think the warm, fuzzy tactile appeal of the material also opens up my imagination to the warmth and appeal in my subjects.

Bob will be teaching intermediate Needle felting on Sunday afternoon from 1:30-3:30

Jackie Ottino Graf…colors with twigs and leaves and flowers and such

We’re lucky to have Jackie living on the coast of Maine.  She came by way of Western Massachusetts and is raising her family of three young children in the next town over from Searsport.  Jackie understands dyeing with natural colors as a professional…she ought to, she’s the head of the color division of Swan’s Island Blankets (where hand woven, naturally dyed twin blankets sell for $600 ).  When she’s spinning for fun her skeins are filled with color, texture and laughter…next year maybe she’ll teach us that too.

When I was 16 I thought about getting a Phish tattoo….and we’ll just leave it at that. Maybe I did, maybe I didn’t.

Indigo Skeins

 My favorite time of day is when I am lucky enough to be the first one up, drinking coffee on my porch with my spinning wheel. I also enjoy winter evenings when no one has to go anywhere and my family is home together.

Proudest career moment… I have been introduced as one of the most preeminent natural dyers in the country. I don’t know if this is true, but maybe it is….I love coaxing color out of nature. But before I became a full time fiber devotee, I was heavily involved in homebirth midwifery, which is the best thing in the world. The first baby I caught was born in a tub in a yurt on a late summer night, and was the baby of a dear longtime friend. Doesn’t get much better than that.

The song/book/movie that changed my life… So many books….I really can’t choose.

Guiltiest pleasure… I love Easter candy. That gleaming aisle in Rite Aid full of Jelly Beans…..

My favorite item of clothing… I received as a gift this past Christmas a hand knit hat from a beautiful old friend….my first knitted gift ever.

I still get nervous when… There are airplanes involved. I hate to fly.

My daily practice is spinning….I wish I could say I did tons of yoga of something.

The art tool I couldn’t live without… I couldn’t live without my drum carder.

Words I live by… Beware of all enterprises that require a new set of clothes. ~Henry David Thoreau

What makes me happy… Kids in Nature, Unlocking the potential of a raw greasy fleece, Coffee, Executing a perfect 300 gallon indigo vat, Eating good food that I didn’t have to cook, Spinning, Cello music, Being at Births.

The lesson that I keep learning (because I live with 3 kids) is that it doesn’t matter if my house is clean. I can create, cook, teach, listen, make music, be present and joyful or…….clean. no brainer.

You can never have too many… Fleeces. I’ve already bought 30 this season.

Favorite spot on the planet… I don’t know yet! So far it’s right at home.

 Whole living means… slow food, honest textiles, local economies, nature, healthy babies.

Jackie’s going to be teaching a full day class on Thursday and an Indigo dye class on Friday.

Borrowing from the Pickled Hedgehog Blog

We all know that artists have the ability to push the world into better directions.  Crochet is an art that is coming back into vogue (did you see the great crocheted shawl designing classes offered this year at FC?   But any way, I digress.

I couldn’t have written this post better myself…so with all due credit to a yet to be known friend in the marine biology field, I’d like to send you to her blog…click here: http://thepickledhedgehog.com/2012/07/17/crocheting-to-change-the-planet/

Now that you know about project, you should become familiar with Daina Taimina’s book and lectures on hyperbolic crochet.  We’re excited to have her with us this fall…teaching and conversing with artists, mathematicians and those who fall in the middle of the spectrum.

Fiber and Fitness

Jennifer Appleby is beautiful, graceful and generous of spirit.  Her fingers are nimble and her joyful take on life comes through in her handwork…whether she’s making puppets or Christmas ornaments.

Fiber arts brought her into our world and now she’s offering the world of dance to all of us.  A couple of years ago Jenn brought the hooping craze to Fiber College and we’ve asked her to teach again…all of us could use a bit more stretching and laughing…it makes the colors brighter!

We answered our interview questions:

When I was 16 I thought…I would never meet the man of my dreams; I would be a natural blonde forever; I would move to the city and become a ballerina; and the nickname my theater teacher gave me was insulting (“homespun”). I’ve been happily attached to my husband for almost 20 years; I am no longer a natural blonde; I can’t stand the city; I eventually realized that ballet wasn’t how my body wanted to move; and I am now honored to remember that someone once saw me as “homespun”.

My favorite time of the day is…the golden hour. I love that time when the sun is low in the sky and shadows are deep. Things are edged in gold and the colors are subtle and saturated.

Proudest career moment…My day job as a clinical social worker allows me the opportunity to bring my love of hoop dance to traumatized children living in residential treatment. I am the most proud when I see the process that the kids go through using the medium of movement. We are born loving to move in expressive ways. As we age, the world dictates what our movement should and should not look like. When people are given the chance to move freely, shifts in their emotional, mental and spiritual lives occur. And I am particularly honored when someone who has had physical damage done to them, and is profoundly shut off from their body, trusts me enough as a teacher to explore a fuller range of movement and freedom.  I recently ended a successful six week session and am looking forward to resuming in the fall.

The song/book/movie that changed my life…As a twenty something (twenty something years ago), I was moved by the book Zen and The Art of Motorcycle Maintenance. It was the first time I felt that someone knew what the hell was going on and could explain it to me in a way that was easy enough to digest, and difficult enough to give it some credibility.

Guiltiest pleasure…the TV show “So You Think You Can Dance?”. I love the auditions, the cuts, rooting for my favorites……

My favorite item of clothing…My handspun mohaired hoop of course.  I also am quite fond of unique scarves.

I still get nervous when…It might be easier to answer the question: I am not nervous when…..

Daily practice…is essential, particularly for movement or physically oriented goals. Without it, real slippage occurs that can set you back. The difficulty with daily practice is that whatever it is that you are practicing can easily become rote. You lose your ‘beginner’s mind’ and forget to be explorative. You become habituated and that can be deadly to the creative process. It is important to dance the line between discipline and play.

The art tool I couldn’t live without…I think while I’m fond of so many of my art and crafting tools, I could live without any of them as the creative process seems to always find a way to express itself, if not with one tool then with another. I am not an expert in any one medium; but I am usually confident in my vision and in my expression regardless of the vehicle.

Words I live by…“You can’t stop the waves, but you can learn to surf”

What makes me happy…the people I love; my pets; plants; projects; my hammock; poetry; relaxation; helping others; healthy, tasty food.

The lesson I keep learning…many kinds of strength come from many kinds of surrender.

You can never have too many…pillows. Pillows are an excellent use for relatively small swatches of knitting, fabric, felt, etc. They are friendly and comforting; they provide splashes of color and extravagance.

Favorite spot on the planet…Moosehead Lake. There is a campground at the end of a seven mile logging road that my family has gone to for generations. It is right on the lake and there is a specific pebbled cove that is always bright and windy. The water is pristine and the mountains are in the background. Typically you will see no other humans or signs of civilization. It is really blissful.

Whole living means…not compartmentalizing yourself. It is important that who you are is always who you are, and elements of that person shine through whether you are working or making art, or making friends or washing the dishes. It means giving yourself wholly to every endeavor. It means making authentic connections between your self, your actions, and your beliefs. It is being, regardless of what you are doing.