Fiber arts festival held to educate public about different fiber arts

The Silver City Fiber Arts Festival, a two day celebration featuring a variety of fiber arts vendors, exhibits as well as classes in fiber art. The festival includes vendors selling a variety of handmade fiber art and fiber art supplies such as hand-woven shawls, scarves, hand-knitted or crocheted garments, fiber baskets, quilts, dolls, rag rugs, painted silk items, and many more was organized by Southwest Women’s Fiber Arts Collective (SWFAC) began on Friday.

Supplies available for purchase by fiber art enthusiasts from other vendors include fabric, hand-dyed yarn and fibers, rug hooking supplies, beads, boat shuttles and weaving supplies, buttons, cotton and spinning tools, and much more.

The festival features 30 juried vendors of handmade fiber art and fiber art making supplies from all over the West, 17 special exhibits showcasing many different fiber art items, and 13 classes and workshops.

The festival is free, but donations are encouraged at the door to help the Southwest Women’s Fiber Arts Collective. The festival is a celebration of the fiber arts and also a major fundraising event for the nonprofit. The organization provides opportunities for rural women to earn income, provides classes in various fiber arts, and helps educate the public about the many different fiber arts. The collective’s members operate The Common Thread, a fiber art gallery of items made by members, which is located at 107 W. Broadway St.

The Silver City Fiber Arts Festival has Maureen Craig, a certified appraiser of quilted textiles, available during the festival. There is a fee for the appraisal.

Some of the special exhibits include Colcha embroidery, a very New Mexico traditional technique, beautiful quilt exhibits, Navajo weaving done in Amish quilt designs, a sheep to shawl exhibit that explains how raw wool becomes a garment, silk exhibits, wool hooked rugs, and needlework will be on display to inspire all fiber enthusiasts and create a new appreciation of fiber art for the novice.

Classes and workshops include Colcha embroidery, how to dye with natural plants, button making, needle felting, quilting, and even a mini fashion show.

The Fiber Arts Festival is held at the Grant County Business and Conference Center located at 3031 Hwy 180 East open from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.