The first ever celebration of local fibre – Borderland Fibre Shindig – was a great success. This event took place on January 31 at the Tolstoi Community Centre and was organized by the Stuartburn Emerson-Franklin Local Food Initiative.
Featuring local fibre based vendors, demonstrations and workshops, as well as a canteen featuring local food, the event drew a small crowd of both local residents, and attendees who came from further away - Grunthal, Morris, Winnipeg, and even Kenora - for a day of comradery, learning, and fibre-themed fun.
As the Local Food Initiative, our goal was to raise awareness of the fibre produced and crafted within our region, including wool, wood, leather, and wild plant fibres. Demonstrations and workshops covered a wide range of topics, from wet felting wool to making oak gall ink to wild plant basket weaving to leatherwork. We also had three workshops that covered topics such as needle felting with wool, building a swallow birdhouse, and weaving a mug rug. All of the workshop and demonstration facilitators were local artisans who were keen to share their craft with the community.
The goal of the Borderland Fibre Shindig was not to bring something new into the community, but rather to highlight what is already here. There are many passionate producers and makers in our region who keep traditional skills alive and make beautiful art with local materials. As organizers, we aimed to give them a voice and connect them with interested community members. People can learn almost everything at home online these days. Yet, from our perspective, there really is nothing as meaningful and valuable as learning and growth in community. From the feedback we received, both from vendors and attendees, that sense of community was highlighted at the shindig. It was wonderful to see people make connections, share ideas, and learn new skills together. We also ensured that the canteen (run by Uptown Bakery and Café) was able to use locally produced ingredients such as turkey, cream, pumpkin and tea. Local community was celebrated in more ways than one during the event.
The day was not without flaws. We realize some parts of the event may need some tweaks for the future. We have a strong organizing committee, and we’re currently compiling all the days feedback to plan improvements for a similar event next year.
Local and natural fibre is a topic that many people find really interesting, and we are hopeful to see a fibre community grow in our area. To stay updated on future events being planned, join our Facebook group and sign up for our email list.
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