Flax & Linen 2026 Symposium - Event Recordings

About the Flax & Linen 2026 Symposium

Attention linen enthusiasts! Join us at the National Museum of the American Coverlet in Bedford, PA for a 3-day exploration of flax and linen. The symposium will offer workshops, demonstrations and presentations with participation from flax & linen experts including Cassie Dickson, Andrea Myklebust, Cindy Conner, Brenda Page, Michelle Parrish, Gina Gerhard, Ron Walter, and museum director Melinda Zongor.

• The symposium starts on Friday with an optional day of hands-on workshops, such as flax processing, distaff dressing, flax spinning methods, tape loom weaving, natural dyeing for cellulose fibers, and guided tour of the museum's gallery exhibits.

• Saturday and Sunday will feature presentations and rotating hands-on sessions covering: preparing for planting, flax seed varieties, retting methods, sustainable fiber movements & hemp initiatives, expert linen weaving techniques and tips for success, how to use your handspun, flax papermaking, warp-weighted loom demo with linen sailcloth, and making your own flax tools.

• Friday and Saturday evenings will feature a social gathering with group spin-in, meet the experts, textile identification, resources table, and ample time to shop our Marketplace featuring linen-related items, such as spinning wheels, tools, supplies, books and more.

We can only accommodate 80 in-person registrants -- so the event will fill up quickly! If registration is full or you are unable to attend in person, we are offering a 'virtual' option with recordings from all 3 days available for viewing after the event. We are grateful to our sponsor, the Southeast Arts Alliance, for providing technical services and support to make this virtual option available.

We hope you join us - either in person or virtually!
For full details on the Symposium, visit flaxandlinen2026.org.