The Fiber Center at Fryeburg Fair - 2013

The 2013 Fiber Center Schedule is now available. As always we have LOTS going on and something for everyone to enjoy!

click on the schedule tab at the top of the blog

This year you are getting a 2nd chance to see the Maine Crochet Reef Project which last year was a huge success! With more than 900 pieces created by more than 150 people it seemed well worth showing one more time before it comes down.

Whatever you do BE SURE TO LOOK UP when you enter The Fiber Center or you will miss some amazing stuff!

In addition to the Maine Reef Exhibition we will be featuring our collection of hand made hats mittens and scarves donated to the Maine Mitten Project. A project encouraging Kind Souls to make Mittens, Hats, and Scarves to benefit Maine's homeless.

This community project was more successful that I could have imagined and so we will be repeating it as our 2014 community project. Please visit the Maine Mitten Project blog or see us at teh Fiber Center during fair week for more information, free patterns, and to learn how you can participate next year!

If you have some hand-mades that you would like to donate for this year's distribution, you can bring them to The Fiber Center during fair week.

We look forward to seeing you all soon!

The Fiber Center's Maine Crochet Reef Project Receives Award

Fryeburg Fair President accepting the Award

Each year the Maine Agricultural Fair Association presents the 'Outstanding Large Fair Award' and this year it went to Fyeburg Fairs' Fiber Center for "their unique Coral Reef Exhibit". 

WOOHOOOO!!!!

Fryeburg Fair President Roy Andrews accepted the award on our behalf and called me with the news. Needless to say I was thrilled to hear that all of the time and effort that the 150 plus people put into creating the more than 900 pieces that make up the reef have been recognized for all of the hard work!.

Mr. Andrews remarked that this is a prestigious award and one to be proud of. He thanked us for our efforts and job well done adding that some important people in the Maine Agricultural scene took notice of what we had done!

It should be noted that Roy Andrews deserves credit for having the foresight long ago that Fiber is an integral part of Maine agricultural and should be properly represented at Maine's largest agricultural fair. It is because of him that we enjoy the largest Fiber specific exhibition hall in New England!

THANK YOU ROY, for believing in us and supporting us all along the way. This award would not have been possible without your confidence and support, for building our Fiber Center all those years ago, and the continued support from the fair which made creating the Maine Reef possible. 

If you missed the Maine Reef Exhibition at the fair last year, fear not! It will be on exhibit through this year's fair from September 29 - October 6, 2013.

Maine & Northern New England Fiber Arts Event Calendar 2013

I'm excited to roll out our new addition of a Fiber Event Calendar! It focuses on Maine & New Hampshire but also has some events being presented in other areas of northern New England. Find the link on the left column of our blog.

Should you learn of an event, exhibition,workshop or fiber art gathering that you think we should add, please contact us!

Fiber Center to Exhibit Maine Mitten Project During 2013 Fryeburg Fair

The Fiber Center's 2013 Community project called the Maine Mitten Project is described as "kind souls making mittens, hats & scarves to help keep Maine's homeless children and adults warm".

These are donations being collected at Close Knit Sisters Yarn shop in N Conway, NH

Contributions are being collected at Heart of Biddeford, Scarborough, Library, REMAX/Country Living Realty in Fryeburg,  and Close Knit Sisters Yarn shop in N Conway. Thanks to all of our supporters! Items will be collected throughout the year, displayed during fair week from September 29th through October 6th and then distributed to recipient organizations.

Organizations who will be receiving the hand made gifts are New Beginnings in Lewiston, Preble Street in Portland, York County Shelters in Alfred, and Shaw House in Bangor.

For more information about how to participate or where to drop off donations, please visit the Maine Mitten Project blog. 

The Fiber Center To Exhibit the Maine Crochet Coral Reef Again in 2013

DID YOU HEAR ABOUT IT? DID YOU SEE IT? DID YOU MISS IT?

Well have no fear you haven't lost the opportunity to see the most amazing fiber art exhibition that Maine has ever seen! After nearly two years in the making the Fiber Center debuted the Maine Reef exhibition to rave reviews. After all of that hard work and effort it seemed sacrilege to take the exhibit down having only shown it for 8 days. It was unanimously decided by the powers that be to show it again during the 2013 fair from September 29th through October 6th.

Mark your calendars!

Your Old Wool Sweaters Wanted!

Bring your old wool sweaters in to the Fiber Center during the fair and someone from the Maine Mitten Project will turn them into Mittens, Hats and Scarfs for Maine's Homeless! 

Sweaters made of wool or other natural animal fibers including, cashmere, mohair, angora, wool and alpaca.

We'll felt them and stitch them together to re-purpose and recycle these unwanted items into useful and warm stuff for Maine's homeless.

Any size and some holes are Ok :-) As long as we can salvage  a piece large enough to cut out a pattern piece, it will be useful!

Author Of Maine Mitten Folklore and Pattern Books Robin Hansen To Demonstrate Knitting At Fryeburg Fair

The Fiber Center at Fryeburg Fair is pleased to have Maine author, knitter and folklorist Robin Hansen appearing to demonstrate mitten knitting using patterns included in her many books on Wednesday October 3^rd from 11am to 4pm. Hansen is participating in support of The Maine Mitten Project, a new Fiber Center community project to benefit Maine’s Homeless children, families, and adults. The Maine Mitten Project intends to link community with the Traditional Fiber Arts for a good cause. Hand made mittens hats and scarves created by anyone wishing to participate will be collected throughout the next year and donated to Maine’s homeless shelters. At this time Preble Street in Portland and York County Shelter in Alfred have been named as recipients but others are being approached to participate.

Hansen with degrees in Folklore and Folk Life will have copies of her fifth mitten book released last November titled Ultimate Mittens: 28 Classic Patterns to keep You Warm.

 And the rest of her books.....