Workshops

Workshops for 2019 Fiber Fair

Saturday - June 1st

DIY Dryer Balls with Bridget Kavanagh

Saturday, June 1st

10am to 11:30 am

Dryer balls are a great introduction to the world of natural fiber. This class talks about the properties of wool and the use of dryer balls. Students will learn how to make dryer balls and make some to take home.

$25 fee includes all materials.

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Silk Painting with Shelia Robbins

Saturday, June 1st

12pm - 2pm

Do you love color and silk? Well, here is your chance to put both together and make a silk scarf! You will learn painting techniques with dyes and in the end you will have a beautiful, colorful scarf to wear. All materials are provided.

$40 fee includes all materials.

Fiber Basics with Charli Rovenko

Saturday, June 1st

2pm - 3:30pm

Ever wonder about the difference between fleece, roving, and yarn? Puzzled about the difference between wool, mohair, and angora? Wonder no longer! You can learn about all of the different forms and nuances of natural fibers from a professional fiber processor in this Fiber Basics workshop.

$25 fee includes all materials.

Sunday - June 2nd

Hand Sew an Organic T-shirt with Tina Bury

Sunday, June 2nd

10am - 1pm

Do you wish you could sew your own clothes, perfectly fitted to your body and style, but it seems too daunting?

Let’s slow the process down, learn the construction, work on fit and sew by hand…no machines required.

In this class we’ll sew a perfectly fitted Tee Shirt, altering the pattern with your unique measurements and style. Then we’ll learn and practice the hand stitches needed for construction.

We’ll make our t-shirt out of natural organic cotton. After the class there is a community indigo dye vat at the fiber fair where you can dye your shirt, if desired. ($5 per project)

All Materials are provided. You may want to bring your hand sewing kit, but it’s not necessary.

$55 fee includes all materials.

Tiny Tapestry Weaving with Jasmine Petrie

Sunday, June 2nd

1pm - 4pm

Weave a tiny tapestry on a mini frame loom! Students will learn to warp, use weaving techniques, and how to finish pieces. We will discuss types of yarn and fiber and how to use them in weaving. Students will take home their finished projects.

$50 fee includes all materials.

Meet the Instructors

Jasmine Petrie

A proponent of sustainability and all things DIY, fiber artist and owner of Howl at the Loom, Jasmine Lace Petrie is from East Jordan, Michigan. She has been weaving for eight years, dyeing fiber for ten, and earned Associates of Art and a Certificate in Textiles from North Central Michigan College in 2010 and 2011. She is an organizer for the Tip of the Mitt Fiber Fair and board member of the Wagbo Farm and Education Center. She resides in the Northern Michigan countryside with her husband, children, dogs, goats, chickens, cats, and turtle.

Visit Her on Instagram

Charli Rovenko

Windy Acres Fiber Mill:

In 2012, we purchased 7 fiber male alpacas and Windy Acres Farm was started. We sheared our boys and after skirting their fleeces, we sent them off to the mill we used to be processed into yarn and rovings. After 7 months of waiting, we finally received our first order from the mill. We sold our yarn and rovings at the nearest farmer's market. Everything was a HUGE hit. In the fall of 2013, we discovered that the mill we had used for our fiber processing was for sale. So we bought it! Windy Acres Fiber Mill opened in November of 2014 is able to process fiber into yarn, rovings, batts and felt. Windy Acres Fiber Mill prefers processing alpaca fiber but will process all types of fiber.

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Tina Bury

Making feeds my soul. I love working with natural materials to create things of beauty and utility. 12 years ago, I taught myself to sew clothing and fell in love. Today, I make most of my own clothes, drafting many of the patterns from scratch and have begun to learn the art of knitting! Creating is an empowering act, it allows you to take back your body, your style, your home and where you spend your money. It also allows us to connect...with our heritage, ourselves and to our community. Handwork carries your story and your love. It’s all of this magic that I want to share with folks.

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Shelia Robbins

Shelia Robbins is the owner of Spruce Shadow Farm Yarn Shop in Alpena, MI. She has been knitting from the age of 9, spinning for the last 29 years. and yarn farming for the last 20 years with a spinners flock of 40. She loves all of the fiber arts.

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Bridget Kavanagh

Bridget has a 70 head flock of merino sheep near Mason, MI. She’s been a shepherdess since 1987 and has grown her business into the foundation and inspiration of fine-wool growers in the upper-Midwest. Bridget coordinates yarn and dock production with members of a small Michigan fiber cooperative.