Oxford Historical Society Holds 'Spring Fiber Fest'

From the Oxford Historical Society:

The Oxford Historical Society will hold a Spring Fiber Fest on Saturday, April 16, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. and on Sunday, April 17, from 2 to 4 p.m. The festival will feature wool preparation, including shearing, spinning, weaving and felting demonstrations. The event at the Twitchell-Rowland Homestead at 60 Towner Lane will be free to the public.

There will be a variety of demonstrators to show the varied preparation and use of natural fibers. Ron East, Alpacaboose.com, will demonstrate sheep shearing Saturday at 11:30 a.m. and Sunday at 2:30 p.m. Once the fleece is off the sheep, Pam Blasko, of Dream Come True Farm, will demonstrate preparing it for spinning. Rose and Jennifer East will demonstrate their fiber skills with the spinning wheel, the drop spindle and a triangular loom.

Visitors may see the Twitchell-Rowland Homestead’s great or walking wheel demonstrated for the first time by Fiona Fine. Also, dressed in period costume, Ophelia Scruggs of Windsor will spin on a Saxony wheel.

Recently, Michael Green of Oxford built a reproduction tape loom for the Oxford Historical Society. Jodie Bishol of the Derby Historical Society will inaugurate its use during the Fiber Fest.

Leslie Alexander of Oxford, Christine Wilkinson of Southbury and Jan Galloway of Newtown will demonstrate the use of Colonial Period Jensen Farm barn frame loom that they restored for the Historical Society.

Other volunteers will work at needle felting, peg loom weaving, the art and craft of coloring fibers with natural dyes, and other traditional crafts. Also appearing in period costume will be Oxford resident Chris Lesko.

Many of the volunteer demonstrators will offer their hand-made crafts for sale. Visitors may buy yarns and woven, knit, crocheted and felted items.

The event will feature the Society's rigid heddle “Cricket” looms, enabling guests to try hand weaving. The portable looms were recently purchased through support from the Valley Community Foundation, Oxford Quarry Walk, the Oxford Lions Club, the Seymour-Oxford Rotary Club and the Newtown Savings Bank. The portable looms will be used to present weaving demonstrations and workshops at the Homestead and for community groups, Scouts and other interested organizations.

Admission to the event for both children and adults is free. Tours of the historic house will also be given. The Oxford LIONS Club will provide refreshments on Saturday. More information may be obtained here or by calling (203) 910-4574.

Picture Information:

Leslie Alexander on Historic Jensen Farm Loom:

Leslie Alexander works on the historic Jensen Farm Loom at the Twitchell-Rowland Homestead. The restoration and preservation of the 1700's loom will be celebrated at the Spring Fiber Fest on April 16 and 17 at the Historical Society Museum on Towner Lane in Oxford.

Ron East Shearing:

Ron East, Alpacaboose.com, will demonstrate sheep shearing at the Oxford Historical Society's Spring Fiber Fest on April 16 & 17 at the Twitchell-Rowland Homestead. Alpacaboose Farm in Oxford raises alpacas. After learning to shear their alpacas, Ron has developed a growing business shearing alpacas, llamas, sheep and goats for area farmers.

Mike Green and Tape Loom:

Mike Green made this tape loom from a pattern in Early American Life Crafts. The magazine said: "Tape looms were in use as early as the eighteenth century and probably earlier. These practical devices produced tapes or ribbons to tie up a sack, keep a hat on a head, hold up stockings, tie back curtains, or anything else you wanted them for. Most likely made at home, tape looms have been found in a wide assortment of sizes... Our loom is patterned after one (c. 1780) in the Hershey Museum of American Life, Hershey, Pennsylvania."