Discovering Fiber Arts at the Chattanooga Creative Discovery Museum

The Chattanooga Creative Discovery Museum hosted demonstrations on textile arts this past Saturday, September 18. Members of the Riverbend Fiber Arts Guild were on site with fibers, yarn, spindles, felting tools, a spinning wheel and a loom to demonstrate spinning, needle felting and weaving. Children interacted with the textile artists and got first-hand experience working with fibers and using various techniques.

A drop spindle (shown at right) can be made with simple materials such as a CD, a wooden dowel and a small eye hook.

Needle felting with alpaca fibers.

Weaving (above) and spinning (below).

May Day Alpaca Shearing

The thunderstorms passed north of our area and cool, mild weather prevailed for the annual alpaca shearing. Under slightly overcast skies, Riverbend Fiber Arts Guild members were on hand for demonstrations at the event where 55-60 alpacas were scheduled for their "annual clipping" at My Little Darlings Alpaca Farm in Chickamauga, Georgia.

The animals were quite friendly and not "camera shy" in the least.

When spun into yarn or used in other applications, alpaca fibers are soft and durable with a silky quality. Alpaca is naturally water-repellent and resistant to solar radiation. These characteristics offer protection against fluctuations in temperature for both the animals and for humans wearing clothes made from the fiber. Unlike wool from sheep, alpaca has no lanolin which also makes it hypoallergenic.

Throughout the day, visitors enjoyed demonstrations on needle felting...

while Riverbend Fiber Arts guild members took to their spinning wheels, crochet hooks and knitting needles to demonstrate other fiber and needle arts techniques.

It was a fiber-filled afternoon for one and all!

Needle Felting with Alpaca

What do cookie cutters and alpacas have in common? Riverbend Fiber Arts Guild members found the answer to this question at the April program on Needle Felting.
Using the needle felting technique, a variety of items can be created including two-dimensional appliqués and surface design elements to 3-dimensional pins, buttons, beads, refrigerator magnets and figurines. You could even create a whole farmyard of needle-felted critters and pets!The guild program started with a discussion on safety precautions regarding the barbed needles that are used for needle felting. Cookie cutters served as the molds for creating the initial shape.
A demonstration was given on how the cutters were layered with alpaca fibers over a foam base. Using the barbed needles, the fibers were punched and felted together. Additional layers of fibers were added and needled to build and strengthen the base figure. Smaller wisps of fibers in contrasting colored were added to create the details.

These colorful needle-felted pieces using alpaca fibers were fun and easy to make. Oooh, the felting, sculpting and embellishing possibilities!Doggies, and kitties, and alpacas... oh my!