Did You Know?
The demand for Parkway services has continued to increase while the Parkway’s budget has decreased in recent years.
Patchwork Folk & Fabric Festival
Jackson County, NC • Near Milepost 428
Dates
June 5, 2010
9 a.m.-5 p.m.
Cost
Free
Contact
Catch the Spirit of Appalachia, Inc.
Amy Ammons-Garza
828.631.4587
.(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address)
http://www.spiritofappalachia.org
Location
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Jackson County Recreation Center
88 Cullowhee Mountain Road
Cullowhee, NC
The traditions of spinning, weaving, quilting, caning, blacksmithing, sewing, hand stitchery, and other folk arts have survived in the Appalachian culture through the generations, kept alive by the hands of those who value these heritage skills passed down to them. At the Patchwork Folk and Fabric Festival presented at the Jackson County Recreation Center in Cullowhee on Saturday, June 5th, these skills are showcased and honored, demonstrated and shared by members of our community. Products will be available for sale.
This year, during the week before the festival, June 1-4, the sponsors of the festival have taken the arts and crafts a step further by offering classes to the public. Not only is this an opportunity for interested people to learn an old-time craft, but also share time and tales with the instructors, for they are part of the essence of a culture that is fast disappearing.
Annie Lee Bryson, age 87, will be teaching corn shuck doll making, Pat Purdy will make available the art of Red Sock monkey dolls, Dot Conner takes you to yesteryear with old-fashioned tin punching, Judy Rhodes will be teaching the skill of ballad singing, Nan Smith shares crocheting, Judy Chliger’s students will quilt a “Rail Fence” wall hanging; Krista Robb will teach cross-stitching from “Seizing the Moment,” (a book of stitchery showcasing wild flowers found on the Blue Ridge Parkway); and in the art department, Betsey Sloan teaches gourd art and Doreyl Ammons Cain will be leading a botanical drawing class, encouraging wildflower art; and Ron Yount will teach wood carving. And then on Saturday morning, during the festival on June 5th, the talented Anne Lough will teach a two hour class on the dulcimer. The students will assemble a sample dulcimer and learn to play (call 828-399-0958 to register for any of these classes). Appalachian Homestead Farm & Preserve will also host an ofter school “Children’s Cultural Activities” class from 3:15 until 5:15 each day June 1-4 (call 828-293-1013 to register).
All products produced during all of the classes will be exhibited during the day long Patchwork Folk & Fabric Festival on June 5th, from 9am-4pm at the Jackson County Recreation Center, 88 Cullowhee Mountain Road, Cullowhee, NC. Call 828-293-3053 for more information.
Presented by Catch the Spirit of Appalachia, Inc. (CSA), the Appalachian Homestead Farm & Preserve, and the Jackson County Parks & Recreational Department, this inside fabric and outside folk festival (with homemade food) has drawn crafters in traditional dress from the region to showcase these old-time traditions. This 5th year of the festival holds excitement in its exhibits, its depth, and its traditional demonstrations. With 2010’s celebration of the Blue Ridge Parkway’s 75th Anniversary, this Patchwork Folk and Fabric Festival exemplifies a culture that has fathered the desire to have a parkway gracing our mountains, grown up alongside it, and persevered throughout the years. Seventy-five years have passed in our continual need to honor our roots, our customs, our love of nature, our love of people ... and our need to share our treasures with those who come to visit by way of our own Blue Ridge Parkway. The ages and lifestyles of some of our demonstrators are such that they can tell their own stories of the Blue Ridge Parkway.
