Hoosier Hills Fiber Festival
A celebration of fiber arts and old-time artisan skills!
Held in Franklin, Indiana, at the Johnson County 4-H Fairgrounds
250 Fairground St, Franklin, IN 46131
Free Parking & Free Admission
2023 Dates:
Vendor Marketplace:
Friday, June 2nd 10:30 a.m. - 5:30 p.m.
Saturday, June 3rd 9 a.m. - 4 p.m.
Workshops all weekend!
Service animals only, please.
Friday Workshops
Early Bird pricing in effect until May 15th.
Prices increase on May 16th.
Friday 8:30am - 12:30pm
Friday 8:30am - 12:30pm
Name of Workshop: Tiny Freeform Weavings
Workshop Fee: Early Bird $50 / Full Price $60
Instructor’s Name: Christina Coghill
Instructor’s Business: CCspins and Things
Instructor’s Website: https://www.ccspinsandthingsstudio.com
Description:
We all have them, yet sometimes we don't know what to use them to make. We then ask ourselves why did I buy that? What is this? I am talking about those cute tiny looms that I am sure I am not the only person that purchases these and has a "collection" of tiny looms.
As fiber people we all have fiber, yarn, locks, that we think what the heck can I do with this? Or are you the type that can not throw away your thrums from weaving? Or those last few locks from that felting projects.
This workshop will help you open up your mind to new and exciting ways to weave using our left overs, our special yarns, or fibers, and those darn cute little tiny looms.
We can use them to make statement pieces. Buttons, brooches, necklaces, Magnets, etc.
I will show you how to incorporate all of your fiber-y stuff into a work of art. This is an easy way to try to free your mind and open it up to being outside of your box. Tiny weaving is fun, and easy to transport. Depending on what you weave, it can also be a quick process. Almost instant gratification.
This workshop will require some sewing, but it's simple hand sewing. Depending on what you are weaving, you may be able to finish your project in workshop.
Items Included: All tools and materials are provided: kit of yarns, fibers, wool, 2 pin backs, several pieces of felt, several needles used in weaving and sewing, and a tiny loom. I will have assorted add-ins for you to pick too. Silk Cocoons, ribbons, shiny sparkles, and what ever else I can find!
Items participant will need to provide: If you are like me and need extra light, feel free to bring an extension cord and a portable light, If you have any special beads or small lockets or charms, feel free to bring them and we can try to incorporate them into your project
Prerequisites: None
Total Length of time: 4 hours
Minimum Age: 16
Friday 9am - 11am
Friday 9am - 11am
Name of Workshop: Portu-nental Knitting
Workshop Fee: Early Bird $75 / Full Price $85
Instructor’s Name: Kelli Slack
Instructor’s Business: BlackSheep Fiber Emporium
Instructor’s Website: www.blacksheepfiberemporium.com
Description:
Do you love colorwork? Do you hate colorwork, but want to love colorwork? Try this combination of Continental and Portuguese Knitting to take your colorwork game up a notch. Kelli will teach participants: Continental Knitting, Portuguese Knitting, then combining those techniques for Portu-nental Knitting (as she likes to call it), basic colorwork, and needle felted steeking. Try out your newly learned skills with a pair of wrist warmers or mitts designed by Kelli.
Items Included: Workshop includes a wrist warmer/mitt kit with yarn, pattern, stitch markers, cute project bag, needle felting block, needle felting needle.
Items participant will need to provide: Participants should bring a range of needles in sizes from US #2 through #8, scissors, tape measure, writing implement or note taking item(s), 20 yards each of worsted weight yarn in two different colors.
Prerequisites: Participants should know basic knitting skills such as: casting on, binding off, knit stitch, purl stitch, increases, and decreases. Participants should have tried colorwork prior to the workshop.
Total Length of time: 2 hours
Minimum Age: 16
Friday 9am - 12pm
Friday 9am - 12pm
Name of Workshop: Spinning the Herd
Workshop Fee: Early Bird $75 / Full Price $85
Instructor’s Name: Liza Q. Wirtz
Instructor’s Business: The Foldout Cat
Instructor’s Website: http://foldoutcat.com
Description:
Are you a new spinner—or do you want to be? Maybe you’re intrigued by this spinning thing—beautiful fluffy fiber turning into yarn! How cool is that? But you don’t have a spinning wheel in your life?
Maybe you’ve seen other people spin and thought it looked like fun, but found the whole business of choosing one wheel from all those options confusing. Or maybe you’ve tried out a drop spindle and feel like you’re ready to give a wheel a shot, but have no idea which wheel is for you. Maybe you have a project in mind but can’t seem to find the right yarn for what you want to make.
If any of these descriptions sound like you, try this experiential workshop! You’ll get some exposure to the basics of spinning, including fundamental terminology and concepts, as you practice the basic spinning skills of drafting and treadling on multiple different spinning wheels. By the end of the workshop new spinners should have a sense of whether spinning on a wheel is for them and know a bit more about how various wheels work and how they compare with one another.
Items Included: Shared use of a portion of instructor’s "herd of spinning wheels", including models by Ashford, Lendrum, Majacraft, Schacht, Woolmakers, and more; up to 2 oz 100% wool roving from various breeds (Bluefaced Leicester, Cheviot, Corriedale, Falkland, Merino) for use in experimenting with provided wheels.
Items participant will need to provide: Participants just need to bring their curiosity and willingness to learn--and their patience with the process and with themselves.
Prerequisites: No previous experience required. Participants must be able to treadle with both feet, to maintain a firm hold on wool roving, and to focus for the duration of the workshop.
Total Length of time: 3 hours
Minimum Age: 16
Friday 9am - 12pm
Name of Workshop: Angora Rabbit Care and Fiber Harvesting
Workshop Fee: Early Bird $45 / Full Price $55
Instructor’s Name: Claudia Brefeld
Instructor’s Business: Cedar Hill Fiber Farm
Instructor’s Website: www.CedarHillFiberFarm.com
Description:
A hands-on approach to all aspects of Angora rabbit care including selecting a rabbit, feeding, housing, handling, fiber harvesting and processing. The instructor will supply rabbits for the workshop to give participants rabbit handling experience, or participants may bring their own rabbit.
Items Included: Angora rabbit care information sheets, rabbit for handling experience in workshop.
Items participant will need to provide: Optional: Participants may bring their own Angora rabbit for handling practice if desired.
Prerequisites: None
Total Length of time: 3 hours
Minimum Age: 12
Additional Info: Workshop can be attended as a lecture if you are interested in learning about rabbits and do not currently own any.
Friday 9am - 12pm
Name of Workshop: Spindles of the World
Workshop Fee: Early Bird $65 / Full Price $75
Instructor’s Name: Robin Goatey
Instructor’s Business: The Dancing Goats
Instructor’s Website: www.TheDancingGoats.com
Description:
Learn three different Support Spindles of the World and keep the one you like the best to take home. We will practice the Navajo inspired Southwest Spindle, The Tibetan Spindle, and the Compromise Russian Spindle. All of the Spindles have a non-traditional hook on the end with a consequent result: They are easy to learn and utilize. The participants will get to pick their favorite spindle to take home. Additional spindles and bowls will be available for purchase.
Items Included: Use of three different spindles during the workshop, fiber for testing them out. Participants will get to take home one of the three spindles they use (their preferred one).
Items participant will need to provide: None
Prerequisites: None
Total Length of time: 3 hours
Minimum Age: 15
Friday 12pm - 2pm
Friday 12pm - 2pm
Name of Workshop: Beginning Estonian Lace
Workshop Fee: Early Bird $60 / Full Price $70
Instructor’s Name: Kelli Slack
Instructor’s Business: BlackSheep Fiber Emporium
Instructor’s Website: blacksheepfiberemporium.com
Tackle the basics of Estonian Lace with this workshop. Explore nupps, twisted ground stitches, delayed decreases, gathers and cables in lace. We will make practice swatches with four different stitch patterns to execute these fun lace stitches and practice making these specialized stitches. Plus take home an intermediate or advanced Estonian Lace pattern designed by Kelli.
Items Included: Booklet with beginning Estonian lace information, charts, and helpful tips from Kelli. Choice of patterns by Kelli.
Items participant will need to provide: Participants should bring a range of needles in sizes from US 2-6, scissors, tape measure, highlighter tape or post-it notes or magnetic chart, writing implement or note taking item(s), yarn in both lace and fingering weight for making lace swatches.
Prerequisites: Participants should know basic knitting skills such as: casting on, binding off, knit stitch, purl stitch, increases, and decreases. Participants should have beginning lace knowledge and be ready to tackle intermediate lace knowledge. Participants should be able to read written knitting instructions and be open to charted instructions.
Total Length of time: 2 hours
Minimum Age: 16
Friday 1pm - 3pm
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Friday 1pm - 3pm
Name of Workshop: Warping a Floor Loom - Friday
Workshop Fee: Early Bird $35 / Full Price $45
Instructor’s Name: Thelma Goulet
Thelma will help you demystify how a floor loom is prepared for weaving. Participants will learn how to:
--Calculate yarn needed for a warp
--Measure yarn on a warping board
--Place the warp you make onto a floor loom
While there will not be any weaving in this workshop, participants will put a warp on a floor loom provided by Thelma.
Items Included: For use in workshop: Floor looms will be provided as well as warping board, yarn, and instructional handout.
Items participant will need to provide: Note taking items.
Prerequisites: None
Total Length of time: 2 hours
Minimum Age: 16
Friday 1pm - 3pm
Name of Workshop: Barn to Yarn: Build the Fiber Farm of Your Dreams
Workshop Fee: Early Bird $50 / Full Price $60
Instructor’s Name: Claudia Brefeld
Instructor's Business: Cedar Hill Fiber Farm
Instructor’s Website: CedarHillFiberFarm.com
For hand-spinners or anyone dreaming of growing their own fiber, this workshop will lead you step-by-step to finding the perfect fiber animal to meet your needs. Fiber farming on all scales, including sheep, Angora rabbits, Angora goats, alpacas, and more will be discussed, covering their care, personalities, harvesting, processing, and using their fleeces. Participants will take a hands-on look at fleeces in various stages of processing and will leave with sampler pack of several of the fibers discussed in the workshop.
Items Included: Participants will receive a sampler pack of fibers as well as printed materials used in the workshop.
Items participant will need to provide: None
Prerequisites: None
Total Length of time: 2 hours
Minimum Age: 12
Friday 1pm - 4pm
Friday 1pm - 4pm
Name of Workshop: Gettin’ Batty with It: Art-Batt Tools and Techniques
Workshop Fee: Early Bird $80 / Full Price $90
Instructor’s Name: Liza Q. Wirtz
Instructor’s Business: The Foldout Cat
Instructor’s Website: http://foldoutcat.com/
What is an art batt? How might you make one? What can you do with it - and why would you want to? Learn the answers to those questions - and more! Workshop participants will come away with the basic skills needed to create art batts, knowledge of what tools can be useful for that creative process (and a pet-comb hand card to keep), and three variously sized batts they've designed using ingredients from the one-of-a-kind Foldout Cat Batt Buffet and created using hand cards, blending boards, and drum carders. Yes, we ARE batty for batts - and we think you will be as well!
Items Included: Fiber for use in workshop to learn how to use the instructor's hand cards and blending boards. Use of instructor's "Batt Buffet" and drum carders to design and create your own art batt to take home. The Foldout Cat Batt Buffet offers a variety of fibers for carding, including Merino and other wools, silk and sari silk, bamboo, Angelina, firestar, and more.
Items participant will need to provide: Participants just need to bring their willingness to experiment and explore!
Prerequisites: No prior knowledge of fiber prep in general or carding in particular needed to take this workshop, which is geared towards the beginner.
Total Length of time: 3 hours
Minimum Age: 13
Friday 1pm - 4pm
Name of Workshop: Appalachian Hearth Broom (Besom) Making
Workshop Fee: Early Bird $55 / Full Price $65
Instructor’s Name: Robin Goatey
Instructor’s Business: The Dancing Goats
Instructor’s Website: www.TheDancingGoats.com
The original brooms were not flat nor made with wire. We will craft a Hearth Besom in the old way with twine, a stick, Broom Corn, some grown at Oak Knoll Farm & Basket. A finished broom will be taken home.
Items Included: All materials for making a broom.
Items participant will need to provide: None
Prerequisites: None
Total Length of time: 3 hours
Minimum Age: 15
Friday 1pm - 4pm
Name of Workshop: Wet Felting 3 Different Flowers
Workshop Fee: Early Bird $50 / Full Price $60
Instructor’s Name: Patti Hodge
In this workshop you will craft three different wet felted flowers, learning the techniques to create different looks and how to use different fabrics/materials. You will have a choice of 3 colors to pick from for each flower: pink, purple, red, and green for leaf. The process involves mostly physical use of your arms and hands to apply agitation to the fibers.
Flowers created will be:
Flower 1 - a single layered Hibiscus-type flower, using merino wool fiber with some accents like viscose to give dimension and shine
Flower 2 - a multi layered somewhat like a gardenia only in colors
Flower 3 - a silk rose flower, using silk gauze and wool fiber
These finished flowers are wonderful adornments to hats, scarves, head bands, or as a broach pin for your coat/sweater. You can even put stiff stems on them to display in a small vase.
Items Included: Included in workshop is bubble wrap, plastic sheeting, sponge, soap, water, use of tray to work on, all supplies to complete the flowers: fine Merino Wool, dyed viscose fibers, felted balls, accent fibers, some fiber beads for centers, also accent fibers to enhance colors. For use in workshop: felting tray, sander.
Items participant will need to provide: Old bath size towel, scissors. Optional: apron, dishwashing gloves. Wear clothing that the sleeves can roll up to prevent getting wet.
Prerequisites: None. Beginner and experienced felters welcome.
Total Length of time: 3 hours
Minimum Age: 15
Friday 1pm - 5pm
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Friday 1pm - 5pm
Name of Workshop: Rainbow Dye Pot, Redding Method Style
Workshop Fee: Early Bird $55 / Full Price $65
Instructor’s Name: Christina Coghill
Instructor’s Business: CCspins and Things
Instructor’s Website: www.ccspinsandthingsstudio.com
Get ready to learn how to dye BRIGHT, BRILLANT, VIBRANT, AND SATURATED COLORS. Using the Redding Method methodology, you will learn how to dye a rainbow in 1 pot with acid dyes. In the workshop, you will be dyeing a variety of raw protein fibers and you will be amazed at how easy it is to use just five different colors to create a rainbow. Participants will receive over 4 oz. of various fibers, and all supplies needed to dye.
Not necessary but, if wanted, participants can bring an apron and gloves.
Items Included: Over 4 ounces of protein fibers, some will be washed and others will be raw. All dyes and dyeing supplies will be provided. Handouts for participants to bring home.
Items participant will need to provide: Participants need to provide a medium sized pot, around 12 inches across. No glass pots can be used. VERY IMPORTANT: Once the pot is used for dyeing you can not use it for food. Participants need to bring a face masks for protection from dry powder dyes that are harmful if breathed-in. Bring a pen or pencil to take notes. Wear clothes that you do not mind getting wet or stained, and wear comfortable shoes as we will be standing for most of the workshop time
Prerequisites: None. Willingness to learn a new skill and to have fun while doing it.
Total Length of time: 4 hours
Minimum Age: 16
Friday 3pm - 5pm
Friday 3pm - 5pm
Name of Workshop: Beginning Bibilla (Mediterranean Knotted Lace)
Workshop Fee: Early Bird $60 / Full Price $70
Instructor’s Name: Kelli Slack
Instructor’s Business: BlackSheep Fiber Emporium
Instructor’s Website: blacksheepfiberemporium.com
This lace goes by many names: Turkish oya, Bebilla, Armenian lace, Nazareth lace, and many others. In this workshop we’ll learn the basics of making loops, making knots, reading patterns, and creating this ancient lace with nothing but a needle and thread. Our workshop time will focus on creating flowers and leaves. Project will be made with size 40 thread.
Items Included: Workshop includes booklet, project bag, needle, and thread.
Items participant will need to provide: Participants should bring scissors, tape measure, highlighter tape or post-it notes or magnetic chart, writing implement or note taking item(s)
Prerequisites: This is a beginning workshop. Participants need not have any prior experience with knotted lace to take this workshop.
Total Length of time: 2 hours
Minimum Age: 14
Full Day Workshop:
Friday 9am - 12pm & 1pm - 4pm (1 hour lunch break)
Name of Workshop: Beginning Chair Caning
Workshop Fee: Early Bird $80 / Full Price $90
Instructor’s Name: Mary Jo Harris
Instructor’s Business: Harris Caning and Knitting
Description:
Ever wonder how a caned chair seat is made? Do you have one (or more) caned chair seats to replace? Then this is the workshop for you. In this workshop, participants will learn the chair caning process by hand caning a wooden trivet using natural strand cane.
Other topics that will be discussed include:
- The difference between the various types of caning
- The different types of caning materials
- The 7-step method of hand caning
- How to care for caned furniture
- Chair caning resources
Items Included: Trivet kit includes: trivet frame, caning pegs, natural strand cane, binder cane, and instruction booklet.
Items participant will need to provide: small hand clippers or shears, small rag, spray bottle, bucket or tub (in addition to spray bottle), paper for notes, pen or pencil, an awl or ice pick.
Prerequisites: no prior knowledge of caning or caning skills needed
Total Length of time: 6 hours
Minimum Age: 12