See below for the full schedule of our 2023 Fall Fiber Festival events! We are excited to include several book signings this year on the schedule. See below the schedule for more information on authors and their publications.
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Saturday, October 7th
| Time | Description | Tent |
|---|---|---|
| All Day | VBCA Sheep Dog Trials Begin, Starting with the Open Class and Closing with the Novice Class. | Dog Demonstration Area |
| All Day | Fiber Animal Exhibits | Animals Tent & Llama Tent |
| 9 am - Noon | Adult Workshop: Introduction to Drop Spindle | Adult Workshop Tent, Register Online |
| 9 am - Noon | Adult Workshop: Create a Felted Pumpkin | Adult Workshop Tent, Register Online |
| 10 am - Noon | Kids Workshop: Felt a Hat | Children's Tent. Register by emailing [email protected] |
| 10 am - Noon | Book Signing: Pat Brodowski, author of Gardening & Foraging Natural Dyes | Demos Tent |
| 10 am - Noon | Book Signing: Dr. Melinda McCall will be signing copies of her new book Driving Home Naked: And Other Misadventures of a Country Veterinarian | Animal Exhibit Tent |
| 10 am - 1pm | Various Fiber Craft Demonstrations: Knitting, Spinning, Weaving, Fiber Prep, and More! Featured Demo: Triangle Loom Weaving | Demos Tent |
| 11 am | Sheep Shearing | Animal Exhibit Tent |
| 1 pm - 4 pm | Adult Workshop: Introduction to Wheel Spinning | Adult Workshop Tent, Register Online |
| 1 pm - 4 pm | Adult Workshop: Create Felted Dryer Balls | Adult Workshop Tent, Register Online |
| 2 pm | Sheep Shearing | Animal Exhibit Tent |
| 1pm – 5pm | Various Fiber Craft Demonstrations: Knitting, Spinning, Weaving, Fiber Prep, and More! | Demos Tent |
Sunday, October 8th
| Time | Description | Tent |
|---|---|---|
| All Day | VBCA Sheep Dog Trials Begin, Starting with the Open Class | Dog Demonstration Area |
| All Day | Fiber Animal Exhibits | Animals Tent & Llama Tent |
| 9 am - Noon | Adult Workshop: Introduction to Wheel Spinning | Adult Workshop Tent, Register Online |
| 9 am - Noon | Adult Workshop: Learn Rug Weaving | Adult Workshop Tent, Register Online |
| 10 am - Noon | Book Signing: Pat Brodowski, author of Gardening & Foraging Natural Dyes | Demos Tent |
| 10 am - 1pm | Various Fiber Craft Demonstrations: Knitting, Spinning, Weaving, Fiber Prep, and More! Featured Demo: From Seed to Garment with Cotton and Flax/Linen | Demos Tent |
| 11 am-Noon | Kids Workshop: Needle-Felt a Sheep Ornament | Children's Tent. Register by emailing [email protected] |
| Noon | Sheep Shearing | Animal Exhibit Tent |
| 1 pm - 4 pm | Book Signing: Cindy Conner, author of Homegrown Flax and Cotton: DIY Guide to Growing, Processing, Spinning & Weaving Fiber to Cloth | Demos Tent |
| 1 pm - 4 pm | Various Fiber Craft Demonstrations: Knitting, Spinning, Weaving, Fiber Prep, and More! | Demos Tent |
| 1 pm - 4 pm | Adult Workshop: Wheel Spinning Next Steps | Adult Workshop Tent, Register Online |
| 1 pm - 4 pm | Adult Workshop: Learn Basket Weaving | Adult Workshop Tent, Register Online |
| 2 pm | Sheep Shearing | Animal Exhibit Tent |
Book Signing with Pat Brodowski
Pat Brodowski, well-known as the Vegetable Gardener at Thomas Jefferson’s Monticello in Charlottesville, grows and finds dye plants within view of the Blue Ridge Mountains of Virginia. She has offered natural dye workshops at museums and fiber arts guilds in the Mid-Atlantic region for two decades. Check out her classes on Friday, October 6th!
Pat will also sign copies of her new book, Gardening & Foraging Natural Dyes from 10am to noon on Saturday, October 7th and Sunday, October 8th in the Demonstrations Tent.
Book Signing and Demonstration by Cindy Conner
Cindy Conner will demonstrate flax processing and answer your questions about two homegrown products: flax-to-linen and cotton, from planting the seeds to constructing a
garment. She will also be signing her new book Homegrown Flax and Cotton: DIY Guide to Growing, Processing, Spinning & Weaving Fiber to Cloth! Cindy’s demonstration and book signing are featured on Sunday, October 8 th from 11am to 4pm at the Demonstrations Tent.
Book Signing by Melinda McCall
Have you ever driven home from work wearing nothing but a pair of rubber boots? For Dr. Melinda McCall, a large animal veterinarian in rural Virginia, this is living the
dream. Dr. Melinda will be signing copies of her new book Driving Home Naked: And Other Misadventures of a Country Veterinarian at the Animal Exhibit Tent from 10am to noon on Saturday.