Fiber arts expo returns to Elkhart
Jun. 4—GOSHEN — The Elkhart County Quilt Expo returns to the Northern Indiana Event Center at the RV/MH Hall of Fame for a three-day run beginning Thursday.
This year all demonstrations are free, however, entry is still charged at the door, and workshops have additional fees.
The three-day event will provide seven hands-on half-day and full-day workshops, nine presentations, 12 demonstrations, a quilt and fiber show, exhibits, and over 20 vendors.
Judging of the more than100 quilts and 35 fiber exhibitions has already taken place and the exhibit will be on display at Ingram Hall in the Northern Indiana Event Center, near vendor show and educational demonstration area.
Workshops are:
English Paper Piecing with Saloma Slabaugh from 9:30 a.m.-4 p.m. Thursday. Cost is $85; supplies needed. Kits available for purchase include paper pieces and fabric.
Strip Club Chasing Windmills Table Runner Or Quilt with Pat Barnes from 9:30 a.m.-4 p.m. Thursday. Cost is $85; supplies needed. Patterns are available for $9. Kits are available for $20.
Colorful Woven Biscuit Basket with Wendy Cassady from 1-4 p.m. Thursday. Cost is $45;, supplies needed. Pattern and Craf-tex available for purchase at $25.
Stripology Ruler lap size quilt with Becky Fenton 9:30 a.m.-4 p.m. Friday. Cost is $85; supplies needed. Kit available for $75.
Knitting Gnomes with Jamie Anthony from 9:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m. Friday. Cost is $45; supplies needed. Cost of pattern, stuffing and poly pellets are available is $10.
Love Swirls Revised with Sharon Martin from 9:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m. Friday. Cost is $45; supplies needed. Pattern is available for $5.
Domestic Machine Quilting with Vicki Gibson from 1-4 p.m. Friday. Cost is $45. Packs are available for $20 including handouts, quilt sandwiches, and notions.
Folded Flower Wall Hanging with CJ Spensley from 9:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m. Saturday. Cost is $45; supplies needed.
Needle Felted Birds with Maggie Schnaars from 9:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m. Saturday. Cost is $45; supplies needed. Kits are available for purchase for $10.
Cork Crossbody Bag & Phone Wallet Workshop with Lynn Gerard from 9:30 a.m.- 3:30 p.m. Saturday. Cost is $85; supplies needed. Kit available for purchase at $59.
Pillowcase For Children with Pat Barnes from 1-4 p.m. Saturday. Open to youth ages 8-14. Cost is $5. Class is designed for youth.
Counted Cross Stitch with Ingrid Simmons from 1-4 p.m. Saturday. Cost is $45. Kit available for purchase at $7.50.
Free presentations and demonstrations are:
Quilters Seeking Blue Ribbons with Doris Goins from 10:30-11:30 a.m. Thursday. Goins will share what quilt show judges look for in award-winning quilts. She will discuss information about how design, color, and workmanship are all criteria included in the judging.
Cross Stitch Samplers with Annie Fuller from 12:30-1:30 p.m. Thursday. Cost is free. Fuller will be sharing her passion for over the 100 samplers she has stitched, answering questions and encouraging you to pick up your needle and floss.
Making Loved Clothing And Home Furnishings Into Lasting Memories with Pat Rathbun and Mary Ann Leinhart Cross from 2:30-3:30 p.m. Thursday. Educators will share ideas, techniques, suggestions, and more for transforming loved ones' clothing and home furnishings into memory bears, pillows, wall hangings, jackets, comforters, quilts and other keepsakes.
Sharing My Adventures In Quilting with Cheryl Baker from 10:30-11:30 a.m. Friday. Baker will be telling the stories and talking about the lessons and tips she has learned along the way as she shares her favorite quilts.
Quilt Embellishment With Beads & Buttons with Claudia Lash from 12:30-1:30 p.m. Friday. Lash will show quilts can be embellished in many ways. She will show and discuss ways of decorating quilts and the products and tools that can be used.
Recycle, Renew, Reuse: Textiles In Quilt Making with Penny Sempert from 2:30-3:30 p.m. Friday. Sempert will share the how-tos of using hankies, embroidery pieces, chenille, tea towels, table cloths, dollies, wall hanging, and home furnishing items.
It's Just Beads and Thread with Sue Martin from 10:30-11:30 a.m. Saturday. Students will explore supplies and techniques needed to produce various types of beadwork, from simple stringing to complex 3D-shaped pieces.
Sewing Fashion That Is Fun! with Jackie Watkins from 12:30-1:30 p.m. Saturday. Watkins will share how to be creative in making new items as well as reclaiming clothing and home furnishings.
In Depth Of Knitting To Felting with Diane Wise from 2:30-3:30 p.m. Saturday. Cost is free. Wise will explain what felting is and how to accomplish the desired felted project.
Entry is $15 for all three days and includes free demonstrations and presentations. Hands-on workshops have additional cost.
Doors are open from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Thursday and Friday, and 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday. The Northern Indiana Event Center at the RV/MH Hall of Fame is located off of C.R. 17 at 21565 Executive Parkway, Elkhart.
Visit www.elkhartcountyquiltfiberexpo.com or check out ECQFE on Facebook for more information.
Dani Messick is the education and entertainment reporter for The Goshen News. She can be reached at [email protected] or at 574-538-2065.