Blue Ridge Fiber Show 2010

The official opening of the Blue Ridge Fiber Show was last Tuesday. I was on hand, with my camera, and wanted to share a few shots with you.

The show is being held in the Gallery of the Educational Center at the North Carolina Arboretum.

There was a really good turn out for this event.

With about 170 entries, I wasn't able to get photos of it all, nor take very good notes about the shots I did get.

Photos of the individual pieces as well as the prize winners, will be posted on the BRFS website in the near future.

The pieces were fantastic, as you can see. The show was hung by a member of the Arboretum staff and Western North Carolina Fibers/Handweavers Guild members.

The educational component of the show features spinning by one of the Guild's study groups, The Blue Ridge Spinners.

Spinners always attract interested folks.

The other thing being featured, is weaving demonstrations on an old barn loom.

This loom has been fully repaired and restored by the gentleman on the right, weaver and WNCF/HG member Mikkel Hansen.

A few more shots of the entries.

Some of the prize winners. I wasn't able to get individual shots of these, unfortunately.

I did get photos of entries by fellow bloggers though. The ones I knew about at least! The book in the back left of this display is by Alice Schlein.

This is the back of the book (best shot I could get). It's actually a collaborative piece between Alice and Barbara Walker combining Jacquard weaving with ply-split braiding and book binding. It won Honorable Mention in one of the professional categories.

Another Jacquard entry by Alice, entitled "Hosta Mutabilis."

Another winner was by blogger Tien Chiu, (middle).

It's entitled "Eternal Love Wedding Ensemble." She won second place in the amateur constructed clothing division.

Blogger Sandra Rude entered two Jacquard pieces. The first is shown above and as an individual shot below.

"Oak at Sunrise"

Sandra's second entry, "Sunflower" ...

There was also an opening reception, for which my photos didn't turn out as well as I'd hoped.

The show runs through the end of November.  If you are in the western Carolina or eastern Tennessee area, plan to stop by!

Blue Ridge Fiber Show 2010, text and photos, © October 2010 by Leigh at Leigh's Fiber Journal

Behind the Scenes: BRFS Judging

We're in the final countdown to the opening of the Blue Ridge Fiber Show! The Western North Carolina Fibers/Handweavers Guild BRFS committee has worked hard for two years to make this happen. As Guild president, I had the opportunity to preview the entries and get a behind the scenes peek at judging.

The 2011 show is being held at the North Carolina Arboretum. It will hang in the gallery of their Education Center from October 2 through November 28. This venue offers participants a much wider audience than in the past and we are delighted with this partnership with the Arboretum. Judging for the show took place in the Education Center library.

This year we have three outstanding judges: (from left) Tina Feir for handspinning; Lisa Klakulak for felting, and Daryl Lancaster for weaving.

They collaborated on quite a few awards, and it was so interesting to hear their discussions on several of the pieces.

Judging for handspinning and felting reflects the first expansion of the Show since its conception.  Prior to 2011, it was known as the Blue Ridge Handweaving Show, and focused solely on weaving.  This year the name was changed to the Blue Ridge Fiber Show, reflecting the commitment to include a broader range of fiber arts.

WNCF/HG members from the Guild's Fiber Show committee, were on hand to help as needed. Volunteers for judging included BRFS committee chair Amy Putansu, Charlene St. John, Jean McGrew, Betty Blackerby, Vicki Henson, and Susan Vezina.

The prize winning pieces were then taken to be photographed by Larry Crabtree. Guild members on hand to help with photography were Nancy Crabtree, Mary Nichols, Eileen Hallman, Sharon Horne, Lynda Feldman, and Bonnie Kelly.

If you're going to be in the Asheville area on Tuesday, October 5, do come to the show's opening reception. It will be held from 2 to 5 at the Education Center. That particular Tuesday is the Arboretum's free day, so it would be a great day to visit the many gardens there as well. I will be there, so please come introduce yourself.  I'd love to meet some of my readers!

If you can't make it for the opening, do come by another day. The Guild will be holding weaving, spinning, and felting demonstrations at the Arboretum for the duration of the show.

If you can't visit at all, the Blue Ridge Fiber Show website will have photos and more information soon.

If you entered something, let me know and I'll be sure to get a photo or two of your piece(s) at the opening reception. I'll be happy to email them to you and post them on my blog as well.

Behind the Scenes: BRFS Judging © September 2010 by Leigh at Leigh's Fiber Journal