friends of the Fair: the flock
Woo Hoo! It's the 5th Anniversary of our membership, The Flock, in 2012.
Many of us begin our journey into fiber arts as children.
Our skills honed over the years, the techniques and materials become
second nature. We lose sight of its value—the art—in
the motion of the creation.
Some
of us begin our journey as fiber artisans later in life.
We are eager for each new drop of learning, each new tactile adventure
into new materials, each new opportunity to share what has sprung
forth—the art—from our hands.
Because we understand so well both of these kindred artisans,
we have made our goal for The Midwest Fiber & Folk Art Fair
about making people feel GOOD about the work of their hands.
The result has been almost magical.
But events like this cannot survive on admissions alone. Help
us keep the magic going. We need supporting members! Membership dollars help us to grow the Fair. We purchase things like easels for classrooms, signage, facility expenses for new features of the Fair. They even help fund awards for new exhibits and features. And, our membership fees have not increased at all in our 5 years! Become a member today and help us grow the Fair (see below
to sign up now!) Click here to see
current member list.

member appreciation: we wanted to show our appreciation
for our Fair members, who have gone above and beyond to invest
in the Fair. Our members are our grass roots sponsors. Membership dollars go toward improving everyone's Fair experience. Things like buying easels for our classrooms, buying exhibit materials for our exhibits (fabric, tables, hangers and pins, white gloves, etc). It even helps to fund some of the awards! We are thankful for all our members. So we create, with the help of Fair vendors, several
membership appreciation totes each year. We cannot afford to give
one to every member, but each year a few receive our tote of appreciation.
Everyone who joined the Fair as a member during the period from
Fair to Fair have an opportunity to participate in the drawing
for the totes. The 2011 recipients, with two exceptions, were at
the Fair on the day they won. The members who won are: Ellen Black,
Janice Clingman, Jody Cull, Ruth Darelius, Bill Dineen, and Karen
Ortland. Congratulations everyone!
Click here to see what our totes may have included (each was different) in 2011
thank
you to ALL our members...you are appreciated!

the flock: Our membership is called "The Flock",
and we are the best of the best - we are "Merino"!
Because incentives don't appeal to all, we've put
together two levels for each kind of member - a nurturing
level,
which includes all the incentives, and a "green" level,
which is "no frills"—just pure support! All members
deserve our thanks and recognition, so all members will
be listed and acknowleged on our web site; (click
here to see current
members) members who sign up or renew before MARCH 15,
2012 will
be listed in our program book, AND will be given
early registration privileges on our Workshops!
To download
our Membership Flyer to print and share with others, or to sign
up through the mail and pay by check, click here. To sign
up online or to use a credit card—see below.
|
Individual Memberships:
|
|
Level/Amt
|
Benefits |
|
Nurturing Members - $50
New and Renewal |
-One Weekend Pass
-Workshop Pre-Registration (if
before March 12, 2012)
-10% Off Fair Wear
-Yearly Commemorative Pin
|
|
"Green" Members - $25
New & Renewal |
-Workshop Pre-Registration (if
before March 12, 2012)
-"No Frills Support"
|
|
| Business Memberships: |
|
Level/Amt
|
Benefits |
|
Nurturing Members - $100
New & Renewal |
-Link on Web Site
-Workshop Pre-Registration (if
before March 12, 2012)
-One Weekend Pass
-10% Off Fair Wear
-Yearly Commemorative Pin
|
|
"Green" Members - $50
New & Renewal |
-Workshop Pre-Registration (if
before March 12, 2012)
-"No Frills Support" (includes
link) |
|
guild memberships
An amazing number of fiber arts guilds share teaching
and talent with artists and hobbyists throughout the Midwest. Their
presence allows the beauty of fiber work to endure across ages,
genders, and cultures.
In order for our fiber arts guilds and the Fair to
create the most advantageous partnerships we offer a Guild level
of sponsorship for those who wish to participate in the Fair and
a level that is a supporting membership for those guilds who
wish to support, but not participate. All member guilds are invited
to have information at the Fair Info Booth and will have a link
on the Fair’s web site as well and a listing in the Program
Book.
| Guild Memberships: |
|
Level/Amt
|
Benefits |
|
Nurturing Guilds - $200
New & Renewal |
-3 Day Participation
-Reserve space (@ 10x10 space) for demonstrations, raffle sales (with
valid Grayslake/Lake County Raffle License) and guild membership information
-Receive 3 3-day passes to the Fair for guild demonstrators (9 single
day admission passes - 3 each day)*
|
|
"Green" Guilds - $50
New & Renewal |
"No Frills Support" (includes
link) |
|
thank you for your support!!!
2011
Member Appreciation Totes May have included:
~3 skeins Recyled Cotton from Lion
Brand Yarns
~3 skeins Superwash Merino Cashmere from Lion Brand
Yarns
~3 skeins Angora Merino from Lion
Brand Yarns
~3 skeins 100% Baby Alpaca from Lion
Brand Yarns
~5th Year Anniversary Commemorative Pin from the Fair
~Yummy 2-ply sock yarn from MissBabs Hand Dyed
Fiber, booth
208-209E
~Bags & buttons from Bergschultz
Studios, booth 101E
~Fleur de Fiber and Tough Love sock yarn from Windy
Knitty,
booth 135I
~Fiber books & notions from Windy
City Knitting Guild, booth 219-221F
~Handpainted yarn & knit kit from Weaver's
Loft, booth 204,
205E
~Louet drop spindle & fiber from Vintage
Fibers, booth 113G
~Handmade basket from Village Crafters, booth 120G
~15% Off coupons from Sun
Valley Fibers, booth 237, 238H
~Original vase from Stoneware Pottery, booth 114F
~2 bars of handmade soap in pretty bags from Simple
Soapworks, booth 125H
~Shawl Pin from Purdy
Thangz, booth 250I
~Merino and silk felted artwork from Spectral
Glass and Artworx,
booth 127H
~Oddest Goddess Pincushion Doll from Oddest
Goddess, booth
213F
~Egyptian, Green, Brown and Upland cotton seeds from MRC
Seeds
~Poster of "Ground Zero" quilt & cd of Rust Tex Collection
from Rust Tex, 214-216F
~Merino superwash sock yarn from Knitting
Notions, booth 102, 103E
~2 Schacht drop spindles from Karen
Poulakos Fiber Arts, booth
217F
~Round original stoneware container with stamp from Nanten
Pottery, booth 202E
~Calendar of Patterns & Notecards from Helen
Hamann, booth
322, 323H
~Handmade felted pins from Hardcastle
Folk Art, booth 324I
~Merino combed top and "Moxie" sock yarn from Fiberstory, booth
252I
~Porcelain buttons, necklace and vase from Claymates
Pottery,
booth 319H
~Nuno Scarf Kits from All
Sewn Up, booth 249I
~"Cia" pattern & yarn
to make it from Louet, NA
~$100 gift card from WEBS
~3 pins and 1 earrings set from Gita Maria,
booth 206E
~Felting set from Beyond Basics Bears

sign
up for our email list and we'll keep you up to
date with Fair plans. PLUS, your demographic information is
helpful to us as we gain sponsorship. You'd be helping the
Fair grow and we PROMISE that your information will be kept
private. Click here to read our privacy
policy.
" thoroughly enjoyed the show, spent
enough grocery monies to go on a diet "
comment from member
|

merino
Wool from the Merino sheep is the
most prized wool in the world. The Phoenicians introduced sheep
into Asia Minor and North Africa. They reached Spain in the 12th
century. Spain began breeding sheep for wool quality and softness
- resulting in the Merino sometime in the 14th century. Fine
wool became a source of income for the Castile in the late Middle
Ages. Exportation of a Merino sheep was a crime punishable by
death until 1723, when the first Merino flock was exported to
Sweden. In 1765, a large Merino flock was given to Saxony. A
small flock of Merino sheep was the prize possession of Thomas
Jefferson. Merino prices vary according to the fineness
of the wool. Our "flock" is the finest of the fine!













|