MAFA 2019 Highlights

One conference attendee dubbed the MAFA 2019 conference a summer camp for fiber folks. It was a respite from everyday  chores and routines and offered attendees the opportunity to immerse themselves in a community focused on fiber. They learned new skills in one of the 36 workshops. They were inspired. They made new friends. They laughed a lot. And when the weekend ended, they took home ideas, sharpened skills and good memories. 

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Kathleen Remsa with her entry, which won the Viewers’ Choice award in the Artist Exhibit

In addition to workshops, there were many activities and plenty of highlights this year. The Marketplace was the hub of all activities outside of workshops. In addition to 26 vendors with lots of yarn and equipment, the common space  hosted the art, fashion, skein, and towel exhibits, spinning games, and book signings. 

Many attendees participated in one or more of exhibits and fun events. The Towel Exchange was the largest interactive event with 77 participants. the Fashion, Art and Handspun Skein exhibits showcased a range of stunning fiber arts. 

Thanks to Gigi Matthews, who captured the weekend in a short video.

MAFA runs on volunteers—and that includes its biennial conference. Nearly one in four of the 423 attendees stepped up to make the conference a possibility from planning through to execution. Most impressive, too, are those who volunteered even though they were unable to attend the weekend workshops. A special thanks to each and every one of them. They made the conference possible.

Thanks go to the generosity of donors who provided door prizes for the Friday night’s fun in the Marketplace. Donations ranged from ranged from one week’s tuition at a craft school to garments and accessories to fiber to gift certificates—and odds were good for attendees: Nearly one in four conference won a prize! See the full list of donors here.