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
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
How String Changed the World: An Exploration of Fiber, Culture and Human Ingenuity
with Cameron Taylor-Brown
Traces of ancient flax - colored, twisted, spun and cut - show that textiles were already an integral part of human life 35,000 years ago. Discover why humans first twisted fibers into thread and how this invention revolutionized early cultures. Track the history of flax, wool, silk and cotton in the ancient world, view textiles through Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs, and explore how string and textiles are woven into language and identity.
Tuesday, September 24, at 7 pm ET | 4 pm 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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