Terry McNamee
For the Beaver
It was the perfect weekend to shop early for gifts at the 15th annual Fall Fibre Affair, which this year was held Oct. 19-20 at Bath’s historic Fairfield-Gutzeit House.
There were some famous folks in attendance, too, including Prime Minister Trudeau — though not the one that was up for re-election on Monday.
The event was organized by Susan Farber of Moscow and Tracy Asselstine of Enterprise and featured 13 artisans over the course of the weekend.
“The weather cooperated, and we had amazing crowds,” Farber said. “People are happy about what they’re seeing and interested in what we’re doing.”
The event has grown a lot since its first show.
“We started at Macpherson House (in Napanee) in 2004,” she said. “When we started, there were four of us. We always try to make it new and fresh every year.”
The vendors included potters, weavers, yarn makers and sellers, crocheters, hat makers, jewellery makers and needle felters.
As for the famous people, they were the work of needle felter/fabric sculptor Gesina Laird-Buchanan of Napanee. Pierre Elliott Trudeau was looking very dapper in his trademark waistcoat, while Group of Seven artist Tom Thompson held a watercolour sketch as he gazed pensively past visitors. Artist Emily Carr sat with her beloved pet monkey beside her. Laird-Buchanan said Trudeau’s son Justin has met his father’s doppelganger, and, said the artist, “He just loved him.”
Laird-Buchanan was celebrating a milestone at this year’s Fall Fibre Affair.
“It’s exactly 10 years ago that I saw my first needle felting, so it’s really nice to be here,” she said. “It’s the first time I’ve been involved in Fall Fibre Affair.”
Another vendor here for the first time was Marga Vanderwal of Kingston. While she has been a potter for many years, this time she was exhibiting her newest endeavour: needle-felted scarves.
“This is my very first fibre show, and it’s been absolutely wonderful,” she said. “I’ve had a lot of sales.”
Meanwhile, Farber was trying something new with her needle felting. She demonstrated the use of a machine called an embellisher to add fibre to commercial scarves. She has been felting the usual way by hand for about 12 years, but decided to try the machine, which uses multiple needles to do the same job much faster.
Amherstview potter Ann Maclellan had a good selection of her hand-made pottery dishes, bowls and mugs on display. She has a large amount of experience, 54 years in fact, and it shows in her beautiful shapes and glazes.
“It’s just my identity now,” she said. “I like everything handmade. This is my second year (at Fibre Affair) and I hope I come next year.”
People who are interested in the possibility of being a vendor at the 2020 Fall Fibre Affair can fill out an application on-line at www.fallfibreaffair.ca/show/show/vendor-registration.