The Curious World of Barbara Bean
I am an artist who earned a living as a social worker for 35 years before settling in Brunswick and turning to art full time. My husband, a biologist, taught …
Touring
This category on this website covers places we have visited in Maine or beyond, places that are beyond our town or doorstep and stories here that are primarily based on the traveling experience. It also happens to be our default category so if anyone posting a story forgets to categorize it, Touring will be the category. If you want to find a specific place, searching archives in this category may be too broad to be of help.
Lissa Hunter: materials + meaning
Fibers, Clay, Basketry, Paint, Ideas Lissa Hunter spends her life working in and around fibers. She has worked as a painter, weaver, basketmaker, coiler, papermaker, and assemblage artist. She also …
Maine Quilts 2024
Pine Tree Quilters Guild, operating since 1978 in Maine, is the organizer for the Maine Quilts Show. This event, held annually in July at the Augusta Civic Center features special …
Harpswell Studio Tour I
The inaugural Harpswell Open Studio Tour took place July 13-14, 2024 and included “Open Studios and Display Spaces” in and around Harpswell Neck: Sebascodegan Island, Orrs Island and Bailey Island. …
Harpswell Studio Tour II
Here is a continuation of the Harpswell Studio Tour I took this past July (see Harpswell Studio Tour I) . In these travels, I visited the home and studio of …
Revisiting Rhinebeck 2023
Four of us rented a house near Rhinebeck to visit the New York Sheep and Wool Festival this past October. The area is beautiful at this time of year and …
Stephanie Crossman
Traditional Knotted Netting Stephanie Crossman is one of a handful of artists throughout the U.S. using traditional knotted netting to create art. She learned the technique in 1992, when she …
Rug Braiders Meet in Kennebunkport
During February, Arlene Morris and Christine Macchi from Maine Fiberarts went to visit a gathering of rug braiders who meet each year in Kennebunkport. Many belong to different rug braiding …
Maine Tin Pedlars
Maine Tin Pedlars has been meeting for over 40 years in and around Southern Maine. The Chapter is a member of the national group—Association of Traditional Hooking Artists. Back in …
Waldoboro Historical Society
The images below include Fire engines (one from 1834), quilts, braided rugs, several examples of the well-known Waldoboro hooked rugs, model ships, 1900’s wall calendars, embroidery samplers, military paraphernalia, historical …
Belfast in Springtime
Carolyn Wollen and her great friend Mary Lou Steptoe came together for some fiber explorations in Maine this Spring. They like to peruse Maine Fiberarts’ online Tour Map and publications, and …
Barbara Burns’ Tapestry Studio
Friends Mary Lou Steptoe and Carolyn Wollen truly love to explore fiber art when traveling. Mary Lou found the studio of Barbara Burns in Maine Fiberarts’ “Fiber Art Masters Book”—a …
Summer Travels: Part I
Franklin/Somerset Travels: Traveling North, Hutton Studio, and my campsite Tasked with finding fiber artists, shops and farms in Franklin and Somerset Counties by a grant generously given to Maine Fiberarts through …
Summer Travels: Part II
Franklin/Somerset Travels: South Solon Meeting House, Skowhegan, Maine Grains and Happy Knits Up early the next morning, I settled my camp and took to the road. I had been to the …
Summer Travels: Part III
Franklin/Somerset Travels: Dark Star Fabrics, Anne Walker Studio, Mt. Blue State Park and Farmington On this day, I started off in Strong, gassing up at The White Elephant, a huge catchall …
Summer Travels: Part IV
Franklin/Somerset Travels: Wynmere Farm, Jill Snyder Wallace, Mount Vernon and a loon As luck would have it, Maine Fiberarts’ member Jacqueline Horn of Wynmere Farm in New Vineyard was home. …
Craft Traveling
The maiden voyage of the Craft Traveler Van! Christine has launched her trip to visit and photograph fiber/art/craft in interior Maine, starting in Franklin and Somerset Counties and moving on to …
Common Threads of Maine
Visiting a new learning center in an old mill Maine Fiberarts visited Common Threads of Maine in Westbrook just before the pandemic caused businesses to shut down. A huge room …
Rhinebeck 2019
Wandering through the New York Sheep and Wool Festival A group of friends traveled to Rhinebeck, New York last Fall to attend this grand event of all things fiber! Animals, …
Harvest Hook-In
A World of Wool at The Harvest Hook-In In September, I was invited to give a slide talk about Maine’s fiber community at The Harvest Hook-In held in Brewer. The …
Altered Couture Fashion Contest – 2019
The 9th Annual Mid-Coast Altered Couture Contest was held May 4th at Fort Andross in Brunswick. This is a unique creative fashion show event—headed each year by director/producer Christine deTroy—that …
Kuhn/Walls Studio: A Love of Color
Two artists in the family. Allegra Kuhn has a long history with fibers and textiles tackling weaving, hooking, knitting, crochet, sewing, and quilting. These days, she is focused on hooking. …
In and Around Eastport
Eastport, Maine is located right on the ocean and next to Canada. I stayed in a beautiful condo at The Commons, and co-owner Linda Godfrey offered an insider’s tips to …
Traveling to Eastport
In October, I traveled to Eastport, Maine in search of fiber art teachers to be profiled in our 2019 publication, “Learning Fiber Art: A Guide to Maine Teaching Resources.” Foliage …
A Fully Braided Home
Nancy Young lives in both Maine and Pennsylvania and has been braiding rugs for over sixty years. She and her husband ran Waters Edge Braiding Camp in Winthrop for many …
Fiber in Western Maine – Part II
Continuing our journey through Western Maine to learn of teaching resources for our new Learning Guide, we left Rangeley and made our way back towards Maine Fiberarts in Topsham with …
Fiber in Western Maine – Part I
Maine Fiberarts is working on a new publication. “Learning Fiber Arts: A Guide to Maine Teaching Resources” will be an online and printed directory of the people and places throughout …
About The Fiber Art Mini Tour
It’s a select group of sites including top artists’ studios, fiber farms, shops and galleries and a locally-owned restaurant and fiber-friendly inn. Plan your own mini tour and then keep …
Traveling our Fiber Arts Mini Tour
In August, several of us spent three days traveling along Maine’s midcoast using Maine Fiberarts’ newly-printed Fiber Arts Mini Tour. This is what we saw and did: First, we toured …
Maine Woolens: American Textile Manufacturing
As part of our programming about Maine textile history this past summer, we hosted an exhibition; a series of lectures about silk and textile mills; a walk along Main Street, …
Fiber in New York City
We took a four-day trip to New York City at the tail end of winter. First stop, Loop of the Loom uptown to do some Saori weaving. The shop is filled …
Teapots and Textiles at Meryl Ruth’s Studio
Arlene and I visited the studio of Cumberland artist Meryl Ruth in September to prepare for her solo show at Maine Fiberarts. We were able to walk through her home, see her …
Anne Cox: Artwork and Gardens
This place is fun! Hedgerow is owned and operated by Anne Cox and her partner Julie Wortman near the tip of the St. George Peninsula in Tenants Harbor situated between Thomaston …
Susie Stephenson’s New Studio
Susie Stephenson is into fibers whole hog. She has been a rug hooker over many years known for her playful original designs, wild use of color, and reuse of woolen garments …
Elizabeth Busch: Architect, Artist, Painter, Quilter, Knitter
For Elizabeth, art is a way of life. You see it in her surroundings, in the attention to detail in her gardens, in the collections within her antique home, in …
Hillary Hutton: Master Rug Weaver
Hillary learned to weave at the Massachusetts College of Art and has stayed with it for over 30 years. She is known for her exquisitely-crafted handwoven rag rugs, but also …
Carlson’s Collaged Crocodile
To prepare for a Summer exhibition of members’ work at Maine Fiberarts, we have been visiting artists’ studios. It had been a while since I visited the studio of Susan …
Shearing Day at Hatchtown Farm
Hatchtown Farm in Bristol, Maine, held its shearing early in April and several stalwart friends braved a very cold day to help with the harvest of wool. Farm owners Pam …
Fiber Marketplace and Yarn Sellar
It was off to the town of York this Spring to take in a special event and a yarn shop. Carrie McKie, owner of The Yarn Sellar in York, Maine …
Marlene Ekola Gerberick: Great Gifts Come
Marlene Ekola Gerberick [4/29/1935-5/21/2018] Birds’ nests, feathers, bones. Paintings, artists’ books, assemblages. The work in the studio of Marlene Gerberick is both nature-based and eclectic. The overall colors are soothing …
The Knitting Sculpture Studio of Katharine Cobey
Katharine Cobey [1/8/1938-12/5/2020]. The studio of artist Katharine Cobey is located on a cove off Muscongus Bay in Cushing, Maine. Katharine was one of the founding trustees of Maine Fiberarts, …
Anne Walker’s Studio in Rangeley
While touring Rangeley, Arlene and I visited the studio of art quilter Anne Walker. Anne and her husband Rick built the house several years ago and included space for a …
Travels to Rangeley
We’ve just returned from a trip to Rangeley, Maine, an area of lakes, mountains, moose and big skies. We visited Threads Galore Quilting Shop and toured the studio of Maine …
Textile Fashions at Rhinebeck 2015
This October, I traveled with a group of friends to the New York Sheep and Wool Festival at Rhinebeck, New York. Gorgeous trees, weather, foliage and a landscape of rolling hills, …
The Colorful World of Natasha Kempers-Cullen
Natasha Kempers-Cullen is an artist whose work features her hand painted and printed fabric. These fabrics are cut and torn into pieces she incorporates into collage compositions which become art …
Biddeford Field Trip
Our Field Trip to Biddeford in late August was very fun. We started at Saco River Dyehouse, then visited Suger across the street, Biscuits & Company, and Angelrox. Read on …
Susan Mills’ Studio
This weekend, I ventured out to an Open Studio held by Susan Mills in Bowdoin. Susan is a mixed media artist using felt, photography, found objects, natural materials, metal and more combined …
Vinalhaven Dye Day
This July, a few friends from our spinning group headed for an all-fiber retreat on the island of Vinalhaven. It was a beautiful summer weekend full of the greens and …
A visit to South Street Linen
Have you been? South Street Linen, located in Portland, is run by three artists who came together around a love of painting, printmaking and designing—Lynn Krauss, Mary Ruth Hedstrom, and …
You know you want one…
Meeting the HansenCrafts miniSpinner™ I always intended to learn to spin, especially with the fleece so handy during my 35 years raising sheep, but never took the time. Now that …
A Trip to Rhinebeck
Six spinning friends rented a house in Rhinebeck, NY this October to tour the New York Sheep & Wool Festival. Thousands upon thousands of people attended and we saw some …
Fiber at Common Ground Fair
There is so much fiber at the Common Ground Fair held in Unity each September and sponsored by the Maine Organic Farmers & Gardeners Association. Fleece Tent, Wednesday Spinners, vendors …
Knitting and Sunning at Haystack
This summer, I had the great fortune to serve as the Technical Assistant to Katharine Cobey’s knitting class. We were a group of about 16 intrepid knitters out to create …
Visiting a Washington Lavender Farm
What is this fascination with Lavender so many people have? I remember the soap from my high school days, what was it called…Yardley English Lavender. And it is still for …
Touring Norway, Maine
This Spring, we headed out to Norway to visit some Golden Retriever puppies, but also to see fiber! We stopped at Quiltessentials in Auburn along the way—a treasure trove of …
Spa Knit & Spin 2014
In February, to kick the New Year off, fiber lovers from all over New England converged at Spa, the New England Textile Association’s spinning, knitting and fiber retreat held each …
Hooked Rugs at Savory Maine
This past March, students and friends of Diane Langley showed their work at the bright sunny Savory Maine Restaurant in Damariscotta. Owner Grace Goldberg shows artwork regularly and has a fondness for …
Book Arts Bazaar
On the first truly warm day of this Spring, I headed for the Book Arts Bazaar at USM in Portland and found an explosion of goodness! Handmade papers, eco-dyed linens, …
Spring Shearing at Ruit Farm
Several friends gathered at Ruit Farm in Bristol, home of Nina and John Ruit and their herd of goats, several sheep, watchful llama, loud donkey, and whomever else wandered by. …