Bonanzaville hosts Fiber Arts Festival
Learn how to Tie Dye a T-shirt, or brush up on knitting or weaving skills during the annual Fiber Arts Festival on July 25-26 at Bonanzaville. The two-day event will feature over 50 demonstrators, offering opportunities to learn about virtually all facets of fiber arts, all in one place.
Participants can try spinning yarn with a drop spindle, knit their own dishcloth on a knitting machine, or make a knotted bracelet out of nylon cord. Demonstrations will include tatting, bobbin lace, hardanger, machine embroidery, paintstiks, quilting, rug hooking, weaving, knitting, crocheting, spinning, wet felting, needle felting, netting, toothbrush rugs, sheep shearing, and naalbinding.
According to Kim Baird, this year's event coordinator, naalbinding is an ancestor to knitting that is still practiced in Scandinavian countries. Using a bone needle and their thumb, the knitter creates a stretchy fabric that will not ravel when cut.
Lucy Cadwallader, who will be traveling all the way from Pennsylvania for the festival, will have one of the most unusual demonstrations, as she creates jewelry out of human hair. Cadwallader apprenticed in Sweden to learn how to make necklaces, bracelets, brooches, and earrings from human hair. An exhibit of Bonanzaville's antique human hair collection will also be on display.
The Fiber Arts Festival will run from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Saturday, July 25, and from 12 noon to 5 .m. on Sunday, July 26. Bonanzaville is located at 1351 W. Main Ave., West Fargo, next to the Red River Valley Fairgrounds.
For more information call 701-282-2822, or visit www.fiberartsfest.com.
