Bead Weaving Loom

Midwest Fiber and Folk Art Fair set for June 24-26 in Grayslake

Learning to knit as a child inspired a lifetime love and involvement with the fiber arts for Carol Cassidy-Fayer, of Crystal Lake.

“I was seven when my grandmother taught me how to knit,” she said. “Her parents were French Canadian and she taught me the French knitting terms.”

By age 12, Cassidy-Faver was making sweaters and sewing. She continued to develop her interest and skills, and her adult years have seen successful involvement in several fiber arts businesses — and the growth and success of a prominent fiber fair.

Five years ago, she launched the Midwest Fiber and Folk Art Fair. This year’s event will be held June 24-26 at the Expo Center on the Lake County Fairgrounds in Grayslake.

“I kind of fell into it,” she said. “I started with what I knew, which was fiber arts. I quilt, I sew, I knit, I crochet. We didn’t have a big fiber event in Illinois. So I didn’t ‘specialize’ with the fair. We include as many fiber arts as we can attract.”

The fair offers everything from sales of finished works of art, fabric, supplies, equipment and tools, to demonstrations, workshops, exhibits, contests, live folk music and food vendors. Knitting, weaving, crocheting, quilting, felting, beading, and more, are all included in this expansive fiber event. There are three kinds of workshops — all day and half day (advance registration recommended), and the one-hour “mini’s” (no registration required). The fair website, www.fiberandfolk.com, provides complete information on the workshops.

New features this year include a fleece competition, which will appeal to fiber artists who create their own yarns and fabrics, and some casual fashion modeling.

“The fleece is sent in and then judged on its quality. There are so many different breeds of sheep and the wool can be so different. For example, Navaho wool is good for rugs, but not for sweaters,” explained Cassidy-Faver. “For the modeling, we’re working with some community theater actresses, having them model some designs, encouraging them to do some improv, sing a song, recite a monologue, or strike a pose.”

The Expo Center will host 115 booths, a market and ongoing workshops. Acoustic music will be featured in the background. Food vendors and a music stage will be featured outside the building.

Sewing and Crafting with Sarah: Made by Me Wooden Beading Loom Review

Recently, I created a woven beaded bracelet using Darice's Beading Loom.  I had so much fun using the beading loom!  You can see my finished bracelet along with read my experiences of beading weaving, for the first time, at: Crafts Unleashed .  I had so much fun weaving that I thought if I could find a children's beading loom kit that my 8yr old daughter would really enjoy it, as well. I loved the concept of using the springs as spacers for the thread, I also loved that the wooden dowels on the end could make the thread tighter as you went.  The hardest part for me when I was weaving is that eventually your thread loses tension and weaving becomes difficult.  This kit allows you to move the dowels on the end to keep tension on the thread at all times; making weaving so much easier!

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