The video footage is still being edited, but in the meantime we thought we’d post a few pictures taken at yesterday’s event.

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If you didn’t make it to Sunday’s Fiber Arts Celebration, you missed seeing some beautiful merchandise offered by our vendors.

Vendor and Exhibitor Gallery

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Here’s how to reach them:

American Textile History Museum, 491 Dutton Street, Lowell, MA.

Charlotte’s Beads, 14 Cedar Street, Amesbury MA.

Cornerstone Books, 45 Lafayette Street, Salem MA.

The Cooperage/Hooking with Yarn, PO Box 193, Ashby, MA.

Crafters Quarters, 36 Main Street, Amesbury, MA.

Crochet Shirret/Lady McCrady, PO Box 1338, Madison, CT.

Dragonfly Handknits, 14 Cedar Street, Amesbury MA.

Follow That Thread, PO Box 192, Hudson, MA.

Jerry’s Ties, 31 Clark Street, Danvers, MA.

Kama Suutra Fiber Arts, 195 Lower Street, Shelburne Falls, MA.

Leslie Wind, Folly Cove, Rockport, MA.

MasterPeace Productions, PO Box 1593, Lawrence, MA.

New England Quilt Museum, 18 Shattuck Street, Lowell, MA.

NOBO Weaving Guild, Newburyport, MA.

Purrfect Pasttimes, 980 West Hollis Street, Nashua, NH.

The back of the car is still loaded with gear and materials from yesterday’s Fiber Arts Celebration at the Wyndham Boston Andover Hotel, but before unpacking a thing we want to extend our warmest thanks to all who were part of the festivities.

What a great time! The room was full of conversation, activity, and great vibes. Brunonia Barry captivated the crowd, the door prizes from our vendors were terrific, and the variety of fiber arts genres represented was truly diverse.

Wait till you see the video! As soon as Don Meskie of Watershed Online Media completes the editing, we’ll post a movie on our site to show all of you how the day unfolded — and show those of you who didn’t make it just how much you missed.

Again, thanks for joining us on our maiden voyage. Stay tuned for details about future Fiber Arts Celebrations, including our spring event at historic Slater Mill in Pawtucket, Rhode Island.

Hard to believe the big day is almost here! We are busily tending to last-minute details, and look forward to seeing everyone on Sunday. Our vendor and exhibitor line-up is particularly impressive. What a colorful and varied assortment! Below is a sneak preview of some of the exhibitors. More are on their way! Check back to see latest additions.

Lady McCrady will be coming from Connecticut to exhibit and demonstrate her unique “shirret” technique…A fabulous way to use scraps and remnants of fabrics.

Jerry Becker of Danvers, with 40+ years in the men’s garment industry, will display a colorful assortment of hand-made, true bias-cut cotton ties for men. (PS – Father’s Day is one week later. This is a perfect gift for the Dads in your life.) Fun, colorful, funky fabrics make these a great summer accessory.

Phyllis Poor and Susan Bates from The Cooperage in Ashby will have hooking with yarn kits, wool yarn, and hand-hooked pocketbooks for sale…and they will be demonstrating at their booth all day. Stop by to see how they create these lovely purses!

Looking for a whimsical or unusual print for your next quilted project? Check out the cotton novelty fabrics (available as fat quarters and kits) at the booth of Purrfect Pastimes of Nashua, NH. Also part of the selection will be original quilting patterns, pillowcase kits, zipper pulls and other notions.

Also from Nashua, Follow That Thread will display a delicious and extensive line of Aurifil and Cucirini Tre Stelle threads in 40 and 28 weight spools, small 50 weight spools, an ever changing selection in 50 weight large spools, and a selection of the 12 weight spools for redwork, buttonhole stitch applique, sashiko, utility quilting, and more. Also Bold Over Batiks, some bag patterns, spray starch, machine needles, and various notions for stitchers and quilters.

Rue Meeks-Johnson of Kama Suutra Fiber Arts in Shelburne Falls will showcase a sumptuous collection of hand-painted skeins of yarn. Wait till you see the depth of shade, the subtle tonal variations. The names of the color-ways alone are enticing (e.g., Twining of a Tree, Chocolate Covered Cherries, Day Lilies, Counting Crows…)

Lace-knitter Kathleen Valentine of Gloucester is bringing her needles and yarn to demonstrate the techniques in her latest book, “The Mermaid Shawl and Other Beauties.” The book features original designs for shawls, shrugs, and capes, with gorgeous photos and terrific instructions. Autographed copies will be available for sale.

From Amesbury, two talented artisans will also be part of our vendor lineup. Constance Strychalski of Dragonfly Handknits will dazzle you with her hand-knit fashions, featuring luxury yarns and intriguing shapes. Charlotte Sorsen, who recently traded her retail store location for a stylish studio in the Cedar Street creative compound, will be bringing a brand new collection of lamp-worked glass buttons — the perfect way to finish an art-to-wear creation.

For other stunning accessories to compliment fiber art works, don’t miss Leslie Wind’s booth. Wind, of Rockport, creates fine hand-crafted jewelry in gold, sterling silver, and bronze — including elegant light-weight shawl pins, and a new line of jewelry that doubles as actual tools for knitters and other fiber artists. Her cable needle necklace is getting rave reviews from the blogosphere. Stop by the booth to see how this gorgeous, swirling contemporary pendant actually assists knitters who are working on cable-knit projects.

More info to come…

Members of the NOBO Handweavers Guild (based in Newburyport) will be at the Fiber Arts Celebration, working on their portion of “The World’s Longest Scarf,” which is part of a national initiative to raise $250,000 for Heiffer International.

NOBO member Margaret Russell notes that each team’s scarf section will be attached and displayed at this year’s NYS Sheep and Wool Festival in Rhinebeck, NY. “Our scarf depicts the colors of our coastal area: tan, blue, and green linen warp, and naturally colored cotton twill tape for weft which allows each donor to write their name, a message, or just a squiggle for the cost of 25 cents per inch of tape,” says Russell. “People may purchase one inch or several. This will give us the equivalent of $10 per woven inch when the tape is woven into the scarf. We also have an accompanying journal so the story of the scarf is recorded. Donors may date, sign, and even include a special message in the journal.”

As far as most of us are concerned, ANY time is a good time to get together and shmooze about our favorite topic (knitting, weaving, spinning, embroidery…). But when we heard that 2009 had been proclaimed the International Year of Natural Fibers, we got to thinking that it was high time for members of the fiber arts community residing here in the historic Merrimack Valley (and Greater Boston, Seacoast NH, etc) to hold a special gathering. After all, despite the fact that needlework guilds abound in our region, many of them fly under the radar (and off-line), and are virtually unknown to unconnected hobbyists. Time to beat the bushes and flush all these creative individuals into the open!

Just imagine the conversations that could take place at such an event, we thought: spinners and weavers talking to quilters and rug hookers … silk screeners and shibori dyers chatting with tatters and knitters … experts and novices comparing notes and showing their latest work in progress. Magic!

We believe we have found the ideal location for this special event. The Wyndham Boston-Andover Hotel is easily accessible to everyone in the Valley, and is a short drive from Boston and the New Hampshire seacoast area as well. The ballroom at the Wyndham is elegant and spacious: the perfect place to set up vendor spaces, work tables, displays, and plenty of chairs for impromptu conversations and creative exchanges.

If you share our enthusiasm for the fiber arts, please join us on June 14. Tell your friends, and be sure to register online asap to qualify for the maximum number of complimentary raffle tickets. Door prizes will be announced every hour, which means that the more tickets you have, the greater your chances of winning something special.

See you soon!

Your hosts…
Kate Broughton and Rose Ann Hunter

Who better to have as the featured attraction at our fiber arts celebration than Brunonia Barry? The Salem, MA, resident’s spell-binding novel, The Lace Reader, has been riding high on the New York Times best-seller list, is being translated into 34+ languages, and is now on its way to becoming a major motion picture. With reviews like the ones below (and a peek at her fabulous website), it’s easy to understand why we’re thrilled to having her join us on June 14!

Brunonia Barry has pulled off a major feat with her debut, The Lace Reader: It’s a gorgeously written literary novel that’s also a doozy of a thriller, capped with a jaw-dropping denouement that will leave even the most careful reader gasping. – Dallas Morning News

Drawing comparisons to memorable gothic novels, including Rebecca and The Thirteenth Tale, Barry’s modern-day story of Towner Whitney, who has the psychic gift to read the future in lace patterns, is equally complex but darker in subject matter…Repressed memories emerge. Violent confrontations, reminiscent of the hysteria of the witch trials, explode in this complex novel…The novel’s gripping and shocking conclusion is a testament to Barry’s creativity. – USA Today

In honor of Barry and her book, we’ll be showcasing a variety of lace-making techniques during our Fiber Arts celebration at the Wyndham Boston Andover Hotel. Come dressed in something lacy (umm…we might draw the line at peignoirs), or bring a sample of your favorite lacework project, and you’ll get an extra ticket to drop into the door prize raffle basket. Great prizes … including, of course, an autographed copy of The Lace Reader.