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Eastern Great Lakes Fiber Conference & Retreat Weekend!

Chautauqua Institution, Chautauqua, NY

October 6 – 9, 2023

Fiber Workshops by Zoom? A great alternative at times.
Workshops Up Close and Personal? Beyond compare!

The opportunity to be inspired and in-person with world class instructors and your fellow
students is at the heart of a great fiber conference! Color, texture, and weaving our lives
together in actual — not virtual — community. That’s what is at the heart of the Eastern
Great Lakes Fiber Conference!

Our small size and intimate setting provide opportunities to make fiber friends from other guilds, especially around New York, Pennsylvania, Ohio and Ontario, Canada as well as with participants who haven’t yet joined a guild. Instructors and students share meals together in the dining room of our lodging, with classes a short walk (or drive) away.

There are six, 2.5 day workshops to choose from in weaving, felting, spinning and sewing with hand-wovens, beginning Saturday morning to lunch on Monday (Indigenous/Columbus Day). See our exciting lineup of instructors and class descriptions on our Classes page.

The weekend also includes:

  • Friday evening Meet & Greet slide presentations by our instructors, following a box dinner once you arrive and settle in.
  • Saturday after class Walking Tour of the Chautauqua campus.
  • Saturday evening Classroom Walkabout to see what others are doing in their workshops; time to relax with others around the dorm, as you work on a handproject and sip a beverage.
  • Sunday night Banquet and Fashion Show. Don’t be shy! It’s a low-key time for participants of all levels to show off wearables (from scarves to full garments) on our “runway” following dinner.
  • All weekend Exhibit Hall featuring work from volunteer participants – let’s see what you’ve been working on!
  • All weekend Stash Exchange. Bring stash you’re wanting to part with and take desired items from other people’s stashes. (No sales)

Unlike other fiber conferences, there are NO extra fees for these additional events.

Held on the grounds of the acclaimed Chautauqua Institution, there will be opportunities to take a guided tour and learn about the unique history of this “community of artists, educators, thinkers and spiritual leaders” of all faiths . . . Walk the grounds on your own . . . Shop the boutiques, bookstore, cafes and . . . Relax by the lake while taking in the gorgeous fall foliage of western New York!

It’s all part of a terrific time, and it only happens once every two years! Registration begins April 1st.