2024 Special Event
October 12, 2024
Belgrade Community Center for All Seasons
1 Center Drive, Belgrade, Maine
For those who may not already know, a special event is being held in Maine this October 12 in lieu of the New York Open House which was scheduled for this year. The NHA Board thought we should not let a year go by with no events, so the Maine Reps and members volunteered to fill that void and have worked hard to plan a gathering (not THE Gathering) that will hopefully draw NHA members from other New England states as well. The Maine Special Event is being held in the quaint town of Belgrade, Maine, about a half hour outside of Augusta, so hopefully close enough for many to attend. Also, we are very excited to have Linda Cortright as our featured speaker…Linda was the editor of Wild Fiber Magazine, an author, and world wide fiber adventure tour guide.
Download/print the 2024 Special event registration form. Send completed forms with lunch choice (optional) to Nancy Patrick, Secretary NHA Ltd., 395 Village Road, Jackson, ME 04921.
2025 Open House Details Coming Soon! – Rhode Island
The 2023 Open House was in Massachusetts
The Open House was held on November 4, 2023, in Fitchburg, MA at the Fitchburg UU Church. Penny Lacroix was our speaker. Penny is a weaver, spinner, teacher, historian, manager, learner, creator and general lover of all things fiber. When she’s not actively learning something, she’s sharing with others in one way or another – making something by hand, demonstrating at historic events, or teaching a class. With past careers as an engineer, a mom, a museum educator and a museum director, combined with her hobby as a historical reenactor, her worlds interweave in the creation of textiles and the study of historic textile tools. Penny is an active member of the Nashoba Valley Weavers’ Guild, the Weavers’ Guild of Boston and the Boston Area Spinners & Dyers. She lives in Westford, MA with her husband and their furry friends.
Penny presented her Wool bump project: “In 2017, I accepted the offer of a carload of dirty fleeces, for free. With help from friends along the way, the fleeces were sorted, processed commercially into “wool bumps”, and then – in a Covid project – dyed and used as weft, ultimately becoming delightfully cushy area rugs. This talk will explain the entire process, including videos of the commercial processing in a Vermont mini-mill. I’ll also include a summary of the finances, as “free” raw materials is not the same as no-cost. Additionally, I’ll talk about the hot topic of “made locally” and how it relates to this project.”
In the afternoon, there were two workshops:
- Penny ran a Great Wheel Workshop: “Great wheel”, “wool wheel”, “walking wheel” – all names for the same thing. As spinners and fiber artists, we notice them in the corner of every historic museum, but getting to actually try spinning on one remains elusive to most of us. Penny Lacroix will led us through the steps for spinning on a spindle wheel, from fiber preparation to yarn. She also talked about the different variations in original great wheels, maintenance, troubleshooting, and what to look for when purchasing a used one. Penny brought two wheels, and our own members were encouraged to bring theirs, whether working or non-working, so everyone could get a chance to try their hand at spinning. For wheels that are not in working order, Penny imparted what knowledge she had and made suggestions for reviving them if that was the goal.
- The second workshop was mentored by your very own President, Adalberto, on Color Blending Fibers.Color samples and handouts were supplied, as well as a review of carding practices, troubleshooting points and working with the colored fiber you had.
The Open House is free for NHA members, and anyone may join, including on the day of the event.