MAFAThe MidAtlantic Fiber Association
Welcome to the MAFA page on Lessonface.
About MAFA
The MidAtlantic Fiber Association (MAFA) represents and supports a community of fiber arts guilds in the greater Mid-Atlantic region. Although MAFA is best known for its biennial conference - and now for virtual programs - the all-volunteer, not-for-profit organization also provides ongoing financial grants, fellowships and scholarships to promote education, development and public outreach in the fiber arts.
For more information on registration access and closure, class cancellations, refund policy & more, please visit the MAFA FAQS page. Also check out MAFA's virtual landing page: mafafiber.org/virtual
If you are a member of a fiber arts guild in the Mid-Atlantic region, check the Find a Guild page to see if your guild is a MAFA member (which makes you a member). If not, or if you live out of the area, please consider joining MAFA as an Associate member here.
Upcoming MAFA Classes and Lectures
Cell Weaves on 8 Shafts
with Martha Town
A simple repeat threading on paired shafts creates 4 “cells” which can be woven as Lace, Deflected Double Weave, Honeycomb, and Monks Belt! Weave a unique sampler that includes all these structures; play with bold color effects, and gain confidence in fabric design.
Starts Thursday, May 9, at 7 pm ET | 4 pm PT - Learn More and Sign Up
Let's Look at Long Draw Spinning Part 1 - Fiber Prep
with Michelle Boyd
The key to stress-free long draw spinning is preparing your fibres for effortless drafting. There are several ways we can prepare fibres for this style of spinning and this lecture/demonstration session will explain the pros and cons of each style of preparation.
Saturday, May 18, at 1 pm ET | 10 am PT - Learn More and Sign Up
Let's Look at Long Draw Spinning Part 2 - Drafting
with Michelle Boyd
The key to stress-free long draw spinning is preparing your fibres for effortless drafting. There are several ways we can prepare fibres for this style of spinning and this lecture/demonstration session will explain the pros and cons of each style of preparation.
Sunday, May 19, at 1 pm ET | 10 am PT - Learn More and Sign Up
Thinking With Their Hands – Changing The World Of Children With Yarn
with Elizabeth Okeyele-Olatunji
Known for her support and encouragement of children by teaching them to turn their yarn dreams into reality, Elizabeth Okeyele-Olatunji started her organization “Tunnizze Creation” in Lagos, Nigeria with the goal of teaching children to think with their hands!
Tuesday, May 21, at 7 pm ET | 4 pm PT - Learn More and Sign Up
The Art of Plying: From Basic Foundations to Beautiful Yarns
with Alanna Wilcox
Are you a new or self-taught spinner curious about plying? Dive into how it can elevate your yarn game in this workshop led by Alanna Wilcox. Moving from "How do I do this?" to "I've got this!" is our goal. Alanna will demystify the basics of plying, explaining why it's crucial and how it enhances both the look and functionality of your yarns.
Saturday, June 1, at 10 am ET | 7 am PT - Learn More and Sign Up
Here Comes the Sun - Cyanotype Printing
with David Heustess
Have fun in the sun and create art work as well with this fun and versatile photography technique cyanotype. Discovered in 1842, cyanotype is a slow-reacting, economical photographic printing process that produces a cyan-blue print on paper, fabric and other prepared surfaces.
Starts Saturday, June 1, at 2 pm ET | 11 am PT - Learn More and Sign Up
Incredible Ice Dye
with Jessica Kaufman
Explore an incredibly easy and effective way to use fiber reactive dyes that result in gorgeous pieces–you won't believe what the ice can do! Even the simplest patterns are captivating in ice dyeing. Results are ephemeral, reminiscent of watercolors on cloth.
Sunday, June 9, at 2 pm ET | 11 am PT - Learn More and Sign Up
Summer and Winter in Fiberworks
with Maryse Giroux
Summer and Winter is a block method of designing and weaving, and the basics of it will be explained to you so that you can work out your drawdowns on four shafts in Fiberworks.
Starts Saturday, June 15, at 2 pm ET | 11 am PT - Learn More and Sign Up
Colors in Fiberworks for Mac
with Maryse Giroux
Fiberworks for Mac has several ways of drawing color into your weave layouts and contains several color palettes and gradients. Learn how to use these wonderful colors in this class.
Tuesday, June 25, at 7 pm ET | 4 pm PT - Learn More and Sign Up
The Business Side of Fiber Arts
with Margery Erickson
Fiber artists who decide to sell their work face unique challenges - pricing, creating good images, shows, and websites/social media. Join this class to learn more about resources that fit your needs.
Starts Monday, September 9, at 7 pm ET | 4 pm PT - Learn More and Sign Up
Learn to Weave on a Rigid Heddle Loom and Make a Tote Bag
with Deborah Jarchow
Build your skills as you weave this good-looking and useful market tote. If you’re just learning weaving basics on your rigid heddle loom or want to strengthen your basic skills, join us for a fun and productive class!
Starts Thursday, September 12, at 7 pm ET | 4 pm PT - Learn More and Sign Up
The Magic of Illumination Paste
with David Heustess
Join us in an exploration into the magic of “illumination paste”. It’s a bit of chemistry, a magical twist at times and a lot of fun as we discover different methods to apply illumination paste to various fabrics using an array of application techniques.
Saturday, September 14, at 2 pm ET | 11 am PT - Learn More and Sign Up
Blending and Spinning for Super Socks
with Michelle Boyd
The key to stress-free long draw spinning is preparing your fibres for effortless drafting. There are several ways we can prepare fibres for this style of spinning and this lecture/demonstration session will explain the pros and cons of each style of preparation.
Starts Thursday, September 26, at 7 pm ET | 4 pm PT - Learn More and Sign Up
Four-Shaft Double Weave - Part 1
with Lisa Graves
Learn the basics of 4-shaft double weave in this 4-part class. This workshop will cover: two separate layers, double width, tubular and colour and weave techniques.
Starts Tuesday, October 1, at 7 pm ET | 4 pm PT - Learn More and Sign Up
Using Pick Up Sticks
with Deborah Jarchow
Take it to the next level! If you already know the basics on your rigid heddle loom, create beautiful patterns while learning to use pick-up sticks.
Starts Wednesday, October 23, at 7 pm ET | 4 pm PT - Learn More and Sign Up
Introduction to Sprang: Part 1 Flat Warp
with Carol James
Explore an ancient technique to make a stretchy fabric. There is no weft. Your fingers manipulate the threads to create the structure. Receive expert assistance to explore the basic stitch and some of its many variations for surface designs.
Starts Wednesday, October 30, at 7 pm ET | 4 pm PT - Learn More and Sign Up
Creating Carded Blends
with Alanna Wilcox
Explore best practices of fiber blending for spinning using hand carders and drum carders. Whether you're a novice looking to understand the full potential of your hand carders or drum carder, or an experienced spinner aiming to refine your skills, this workshop is designed to reveal all the necessary tips and tricks.
Starts Saturday, November 2, at 10 am ET | 7 am PT - Learn More and Sign Up
Square, Triangle and Rectangle Bias Weaving
with Florencia Campos
Learn this fun and fast bias weaving technique on a pin loom, and gain inspiration for how to use your woven shapes.
Starts Saturday, November 9, at 2 pm ET | 11 am PT - Learn More and Sign Up
Four-Shaft Double Weave - Part 2
with Lisa Graves
Continue on from Part 1 or join in for our second double weave series exploring 4-shaft double weave. This workshop will cover: lace techniques (Leno and Brook's bouquet), quilting and pick-up.
Starts Tuesday, November 12, at 7 pm ET | 4 pm PT - Learn More and Sign Up
Batiking with Beeswax & Fiber Reactive Dyes
with Jessica Kaufman
Join a professional batik artist in her studio to learn the basics of beeswax batik, including an overview of the tools & materials needed for this type of batik practice, applying beeswax to cloth, tools, stamps, dyeing with fiber reactive dyes, and removing wax using the boil-out method.
Starts Saturday, November 16, at 3 pm ET | 12 pm PT - Learn More and Sign Up
More End Finishing Techniques and Edge Treatments
with Deborah Jarchow
In this lecture/demo class, learn several ways to finish the ends of woven pieces, including: picking up edges to knit or crochet and edge trim, felted edges, decorative (netted) fringes, wrapped edges, looped fringe, and double row figure-8 stitch.
Thursday, November 21, at 7 pm ET | 4 pm PT - Learn More and Sign Up
Introduction to Sprang: Part 2 Circular Warp
with Carol James
In flat warp sprang, cloth grows from the outer edges to a place at the center, and the maximum length of the cloth is limited by the length of the frame. Another way to work is circular warp sprang which allows you to create a piece of cloth that is almost twice the length of the frame.
Starts Wednesday, December 4, at 7 pm ET | 4 pm PT - Learn More and Sign Up
A Block for Every Structure
with Marcy Petrini
Some weaving structures are naturally organized into blocks, but their characteristics vary. We can develop blocks for other structures as well. We will discuss the major structures that we can weave into blocks.
Thursday, December 5, at 7 pm ET | 4 pm PT - Learn More and Sign Up
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