October 2023 Virginia and New York Events

My new book, Homegrown Flax and Cotton: DIY Guide to Growing, Processing, Spinning & Weaving Fiber to Cloth is off to a good start and I’ve enjoyed meeting people who are excited it is finally out. My last scheduled events for 2023 are very soon. I will be processing flax (breaking, scutching, and hackling) and signing books on Saturday, Oct 7 at Scotchtown, home of Patrick Henry, in Hanover County, VA from 10am-4pm. The next day, Sunday Oct. 8, I will be at the Fall Fiber Festival in Orange County, VA doing the same thing from 11am-4pm. This is a great time to see how flax straw is processed to line flax that you spin. Once flax is spun it is called linen.

Cindy at the Virginia State Fair 2023

Then on to New York. On October 21-22 I will be at the New York Sheep and Wool Festival, otherwise known as Rhinebeck. Merritt Bookstore has a large book signing area in Building B where I will be, along with many other authors. Their schedule will show the times I will be there on both days. It will be my first time at Rhinebeck and I am excited to be going. I will travel by train, which I can catch a few miles from my home, and meet up with friends from Indiana. That alone will make for a fun time, but I am looking forward to meeting folks who are interested in the possibilities of growing their own clothes and hope I can be of help.

If you can’t make it to these events and want a signed copy of my book, you can order it from me at www.HomeplaceEarth.com. If you live far from these events, check out fiber festivals in your area by doing an internet search. When you go, be sure to engage in conversation with the vendors and demonstrators and learn what they have to share. Inquire about fiber groups near you. Immerse yourself in all that is going on. You never know what you will take away from that experience. Look for me in 2024 at the Carolina Fiberfest in March and the Maryland Sheep and Wool Festival in May.

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Fall Fiber Festival Winner

I entered my homegrown handspun cotton vest in the Fall Fiber Festival that was to be held at Montpelier Station, VA on October 3-4, but because of impending weather conditions, it was cancelled. However, the judging for the Skein and Garment Competition had already taken place the week before. In order to show off the wonderful entries, Clothos, the handspinning group sponsoring the competition, decided to display them at their already scheduled meeting on October 10. It was an opportunity for everyone to come and see the exhibit and for the exhibitors to pick up their entries. As you can see from the photo, my vest was a big winner!

My vest won its class of Handspun Handmade-wearable, Best in Division, and Best in Show. It also won the Gladys Strong Memorial Award for Handweaving. I was thrilled! There were so many wonderful entries. As you know from previous posts, this vest has been a long time coming. I began learning to spin in 2011 and joined Clothos in November that year. I was definitely a newbie at this. It seemed to be slow going for quite awhile, especially since I became sidetracked writing two books. But I kept at it.

This vest was a personal challenge. I wanted to see what I could do with my own homegrown cotton. The festival was not even on my mind when I completed it in June. It was at the urging of Clothos members that I entered it in the competition. On Saturday several of them expressed their pleasure at how well my vest had done—to the extent that they felt that they had won also, and rightly so. They remembered me coming that first time with my spindle and cotton in hand. Month after month, they would be working on all sorts of projects and there I was, still with my spindle and homegrown cotton. I had so much to learn and the Clothos members were very giving with their knowledge and skills. Each month I gained just by watching and listening. The chairs are set up in a circle in the large room at the fire station where we meet and I make a point of going around the circle to find out what each one is doing. Many use spinning wheels, which I’m learning about now. There is always someone ready to answer any questions I have.

If you have wanted to learn something, be it spinning and weaving, playing a musical instrument, fixing your car, gardening, or some other skill, it is not too late. Find people who know about that and jump right in. Take classes or join a group. You will meet new people and make new friends along the way. It is nice to know that my interest in homegrown cotton is valued by others and is not just a quirk that I have. I will never top my winnings of this year in the competition. Nevertheless, I am excited to try new things and keep pushing the limits of what I can do. Maybe one year there will be a division or a class in the competition requiring the fiber used, whether animal or plant, to be grown by the artist. That would be fun.

It you want to see my vest, I’ll be wearing it at the Mother Earth News Fair in Topeka, Kansas on October 24-25. Come and see me there!

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