International Fiber Collaborative

When I was taking a Quilt University class, my instructor Marjie
Mc Williams was creating a piece for the gas station project through the International Fiber Collaborative. She has a post on her blog February 11, 2008 regarding her piece.She has mucho good stuff on her blog. I'm sure she would love for you all to take a look at her website and blog. I have bought fabric from Marjie and it is great - and at a fair price. She ships very quickly. No affiliation, just a satisfied customer and student. Did I mention I have taken all of Marjie's dyeing classes that have been offered? Great instructor. If you want to learn to dye - I recommend her and Quilt University.

I quote from the International Fiber Collaborative website for this project
"The Gas Station Project

The first project of the International Fiber Collaborative was to provide an opportunity for people who enjoyed working with fiber arts, whether professional artists, hobbyists or students, to come together from all over the world to express their concern about the worlds extreme dependency on oil. The project was called the World Reclamation Art Project (W.R.A.P.), otherwise known as the Gas Station Project. Participants crocheted, knitted, stitched, patched, or collaged 3 foot square fiber panels that expressed each participants concern about the topic. Simply by designing and creating these panels and participating in this project, they were expressing their concern about this important subject to all nations. All of the panels were then sewn together to completely cover an abandoned gas station in central New York State."

There is now a new project for fiber artists.

Again quoted from the website "The Tree Project

The International Fiber Collaborative announces its 2008–2009 project, Interdependence. Participants will create a full-sized tree for display in April 2009 at Big Springs International Park in Huntsville, Alabama. Much like a live tree is interdependent on its leaves and roots for survival, societies are interdependent on the greater whole, family units, communities, and countries.

Participants from around the world are invited to create leaves to contribute to the creation of the tree. In total, up to 30,000 leaves may be used.

How to Participate

* Leaves should be created using fiber or fiber techniques.
* Entrants are encouraged to be creative in deciding on materials and techniques, and may paint, stitch, crochet, patch, quilt, knit, or glue (water resistant glue).
* Each leaf should measure roughly 5 in. wide (at its thickest) x 7 in. long.
* Leaves may also have shape and dimension.
* Submissions may relate to interdependence in a social, economical, political, ecological, or geographical way.

The tree’s trunk and branches will all be wrapped with handmade fiber sleeves.

The application deadline is March 15, 2009."
I will have to think about this - I may just enter.

I hope you and yours have a Merry Christmas, or whatever holiday you celebrate.