Spend the weekend—or spend a day—with fiber artists from around the world at MAFA 2025
MAFA 2025 is not only about the weekend-long workshops and shopping in the Marketplace. Other highlights will include:
- MAFA 2025 Full Schedule
- Opening Session, Fashion Show, and Keynote Address
- Fashion, Functional Textiles, Fiber Art, and Towel Exchange Exhibits
- Special and Interactive Exhibits
- Friday Evening in the Marketplace – Shop ’til you Drop, Book Signing, Spinning Games, Door Prizes
- Makers Meetup in the Marketplace – Friday afternoon and all-day Saturday
- Weekend Classes – Friday afternoon and all-day Saturday.
- Open Studio Tour
- Yoga For Crafters
- Morning Coffee
- Commuters & Informal Get Togethers
- Downtime
For members of the public: The Marketplace, Exhibits, and Makers Meetup are open to the public. In addition, you are welcome to attend the Open Studio Tour on Saturday evening to see examples of the work that has been done over the weekend.
Stay-over option for Overnighters: Visitors not taking workshops who don’t want to drive home after a day of fiber activities, may register to stay on-campus either all four days, or Friday and/or Saturday night stays. Click HERE for detailed information. Those who aren’t taking a workshop are encouraged to volunteer to help in the Marketplace or to monitor the exhibits during open hours.
Weekend classes: Join us for a dozen classes Friday afternoon and all-day Saturday. For more information, visit the Weekend Classes page HERE.
Find the Marketplace vendor list and demonstrations schedule here.
Questions about our events? Email MAFA 2025 Events Coordinator Patty Chrisman at events@mafafiber.org.
MAFA 2025 Schedule
Download the schedule HERE. (We’ll have a downloadable schedule shortly before the conference)
** Open to the public
| Day | Time | Event | Location |
|---|---|---|---|
| Thursday, June 26 | |||
| Noon - 6:00 p.m. | Check-in at Registration, Submissions accepted for fashion, functional textile, fiber art, and towel exhibits, Move in to dorms and classrooms | The Marketplace. 'Ville Courts, Student Memorial Center (SMC) | |
| Noon - 6:00 p.m. | Marketplace and Makers Meetup Open** | The Marketplace, SMC | |
| 5:30 p.m - 7:00 p.m. | Dinner | Upper Deck, Gordinier Hall | |
| 7:15 p.m. - 8:30 p.m. | Opening Session, Keynote Address, and Fashion Show Supported by Heddlecraft | Reighard Multipurpose Room, SMC | |
| 8:30 p.m. - 10:00 p.m. | Dessert Reception | The Galley, SMC | |
| Friday, June 27 | |||
| 6:30 a.m. - 9:00 a.m. | Morning Coffee | West Dorm Lobbies | |
| 7:00 a.m. - 9:00 a.m. | Breakfast | Upper Deck, Gordinier Hall | |
| 8:15 a.m. - 8:45 a.m. | WARP (Weave a Real Peace) meeting** | Atrium, SMC | |
| 9:00 a.m - 12 noon | Workshops | Classroom buildings | |
| Noon - 1:30 p.m. | Lunch | Upper Deck, Gordinier Hall | |
| Noon - 9:00 p.m. Marketplace closed for dinner break 6 - 7 p.m." | Marketplace and Exhibits Open** | The Marketplace, SMC | |
| Noon - 9:00 p.m. Marketplace closed for dinner break 6 - 7 p.m." | Makers Meetup** Supported by Long Thread Media | The Marketplace, SMC | |
| 1:30 p.m. - 4:30 p.m. | Workshops | Classroom buildings | |
| 1:30 p.m. - 4:30 p.m. | Weekend Classes | The Marketplace, SMC | |
| 5:00 - 5:30 p.m. | Yoga for Crafters - chair yoga | Atrium, SMC | |
| 5:30 p.m. - 6:00 p.m. | MAFA Grants Q&A Session** | Atrium, SMC | |
| 5:30 p.m. - 7:00 p.m. | Dinner | Upper Deck, Gordinier Hall | |
| 7:00 p.m. - 9:00 p.m. | Shop 'til You Drop** - shopping, vendor demos, door prize winners announced | The Marketplace, SMC | |
| 7:00 p.m. - 9:00 p.m. | Fashion Exhibit** Supported by Jockey Hollow Weavers Guild | The Marketplace, SMC | |
| 7:00 p.m. - 9:00 p.m. | The Art of Making: A Continuum Fiber Art Exhibit** Supported by Handweavers of Bucks County | The Marketplace, SMC | |
| 7:00 p.m. - 9:00 p.m. | Functional Textiles Exhibit** | The Marketplace, SMC | |
| 7:00 p.m. - 9:00 p.m. | Kitchen Towel Exhibit** | The Marketplace, SMC | |
| 7:00 p.m. - 9:00 p.m. | Interactive Exhibit** with Theda Sandiford | The Marketplace, SMC | |
| 7:00 p.m. - 8:00 p.m. | Book Signings** | The Marketplace, SMC | |
| 7:30 p.m. - 8:30 p.m. | Spinning Games hosted by Tom Knisely** | The Marketplace, SMC | |
| 8:45 p.m. | Viewers' Choice awards announced for Exhibits; Tuition Door Prize winners announced** | The Marketplace, SMC | |
| Saturday, June 28 | |||
| 6:30 a.m. - 9:00 a.m. | Morning Coffee | West Dorm Lobbies | |
| 7:00 a.m. - 9:00 a.m. | Breakfast | Upper Deck, Gordinier Hall | |
| 7:30 a.m. - 8:30 a.m. | MAFA Representatives Breakfast with the Board | Upper Deck, Gordinier Hall | |
| 9:00 a.m - 12 noon | Workshops | Classroom buildings | |
| 9:00 a.m - 12 noon | Weekend Classes | The Marketplace, SMC | |
| 10:00 a.m. - 6:00 p.m. | Marketplace and Exhibits Open, Vendor Demos** | The Marketplace, SMC | |
| 10:00 a.m. - 6:00 p.m. | Makers Meetup** Supported by Long Thread Media | The Marketplace, SMC | |
| Noon- 1:30 p.m. | Lunch | Upper Deck, Gordinier Hall | |
| 1:30 p.m. - 4:30 p.m. | Workshops | Classroom buildings | |
| 1:30 p.m. - 4:30 p.m. | Weekend Classes | The Marketplace, SMC | |
| 5:00 p.m. | Kitchen Towel Exchange | The Marketplace, SMC | |
| 5:00 - 5:30 p.m. | Yoga for Crafters - chair yoga | Atrium, SMC | |
| 5:00 p.m. - 6:00 p.m. | Pick up fashion, functional textile, and fiber art exhibit items | The Marketplace, SMC | |
| 5:30 p.m. - 7:00 p.m. | Dinner | Upper Deck, Gordinier Hall | |
| 7:00 p.m. - 9:00 p.m. | Open Studio Self-guided Tour ** | Classroom buildings | |
| Sunday, June 29 | |||
| 6:30 a.m. - 9:00 a.m. | Morning Coffee | West Dorm Lobbies | |
| 7:00 a.m. - 9:00 a.m. | Breakfast | Upper Deck, Gordinier Hall | |
| 7:30 a.m - 9:00 a.m. | Early Dorm Checkout | West Village Dorm | |
| 8:00 a.m. - 8:45 a.m. | Pick up Box Lunches | Lobby, Gordinier Hall | |
| 9:00 a.m. - 12 noon | Workshops | ||
| Noon - 2:00 p.m. | Check Out of Dorms & End of Conference | West Village Dorm | |
MAFA 2025 Special Events
Artist: Cameron Taylor-Brown Photo: Andrew Neuhart
Opening Session, Keynote Address with Cameron Taylor-Brown on Thinking Through Touch: Tactile Sensibility in a Digital World, Fashion Show
Join us to kick off the 2025 Conference! We will have the keynote address and a Fashion Show of selected pieces from the Spotlight on Fashion Exhibit.
The Opening Session will be followed by a dessert reception in The Galley.
Fashion, Functional Textiles, Fiber Art, and Towel Exchange Exhibits
Join us for the fashion show and exhibit, NEW functional textiles exhibit, fiber art exhibit, and our ever-popular kitchen towel exchange. Exhibits will be open all day Friday and Saturday. Find info about all the exhibits and the towel exchange on the Exhibits and Exchange page.
Interactive Exhibit
We will be joined once again by multi-media artist Theda Sandiford for an interactive exhibit. Find the exhibit on Friday and Saturday in the Marketplace. Details will be posted later in Fall 2024 here.
Makers Meetup
NEW for 2025 – Join us in the Marketplace Friday afternoon and all-day Saturday to relax, meet fiber friends, work on projects, and join in make-and-take demos. Details and the meetup schedule are HERE.
Friday Evening in the Marketplace – Shop ’til you Drop, Book Signing, and Spinning Games
Shop ’til you Drop
On Friday evening the Marketplace is the place to be! Join us to visit your favorite vendors, see vendor demonstrations, and check out the exhibits while you shop. We will announce the winners of door prizes, including gift certificates from MAFA 2025 vendors, and other fiber businesses, craft school tuition winners, as well as exhibit Viewers’ Choice awards. Visit the Marketplace page for details.
Book Signing
Many of our instructors are authors! Have your favorite books signed in the Marketplace.
Spinning Games with Tom Knisely
These games are purely for fun – but they require spinning expertise, too! Competitors will gather in our Marketplace to test their spinning skills by spinning blindfolded, wearing gloves, using unusual ‘fibers,’ or working in teams.
Find Spinning Game details and the signup form HERE.
Open Studio Tour, Saturday Evening
The self-guided Open Studio Tour takes place on Saturday evening and is an opportunity to see what has been happening in the other classes over the weekend. You can chat with the instructors, and get lots of great ideas for workshops for your guilds. In the past, many participants have been able to visit every studio, but as the conference has grown in size, it has become necessary to plan visits more carefully, recognizing that there simply won’t be time to see every single classroom. This event is open to the public as well as to members who can’t attend the full weekend. We plan to Zoom and record a tour of all the classrooms, and post it on our YouTube channel.
To organize your walkabout, check your conference tote for for a handy guide to workshop locations and room numbers and a campus map. Daytrippers, pick up a list and map at the Info Desk in the Marketplace.
Check out the videos from our Open Studio Tour at MAFA 2023.
Yoga For Crafters, Friday and Saturday afternoons
No downward dog here! Craftsperson and yoga instructor (and MAFA instructor) Gigi Matthews will lead us through a gentle style of yoga where breathing is the foundation and the movements can be done from a seated position. Gigi will help us relax those tired muscles through movements that reduce the effects of prolonged sitting and neck stress, in late-afternoon sessions. Learn more about Gigi on her website. And here’s a teaser video from Gigi:
Morning Coffee in the Dorm, starting at 6:30 a.m.
Morning coffee will be an open, informal gathering time before classes. Grab your favorite cuppa in the West Dorm lobbies, and catch up with old friends and new.
Informal Get Togethers
Commuters and daytrippers will find a lounge located in the SMC Atrium adjacent to the Student Information Desk and convenient to the Marketplace vendors and activities. There are also other meeting areas, including seating to the left of the Student Information Desk; and the large Galley area. And NEW for 2025, there will be the Makers Meetup in the Marketplace for relaxing, chatting and spinning.
Yikes! There’s no downtime in the schedule!
There’s lots to do at the conference, so pace yourself. You may not be able to attend every gathering. That’s OK. Save some time for shopping, for sitting and chatting with old friends and new. This year we are adding a few special interest group gatherings. We wouldn’t expect anyone to attend them all!