2011 Vendors	Schedule of Events

Instructor's Bio

Suzanne Baker and her husband George Sanford raise alpacas in the Texas Hill Country near Boerne, Texas.  Shortly after purchasing their first animals, Suzanne began participating in fiber competitions and spin-off competitions.   She has become skilled at preparing, picking, skirting and cleaning blanket fiber for alpaca fiber competition.  She has accumulated many first place ribbons and some coveted “highest score in class” ribbons.  She is very happy to share what she has learned over the past years.

Mary Berry is an accomplished knitter, weaver, spinner, and dyer.  When she's not vending at fiber festivals, she's at the Fancy Fibers Farm in Farmersville, Texas, taking care of her 85+ spoiled fiber animals and a whole bunch of chickens!  She teaches classes at the Farm, at festivals, and at locations around the Dallas metroplex, and travels around the country promoting her home-grown fiber and hand spun yarns. There's lots of fun to be had in her classes and at her Fiber Farm! To learn more, visit her website at www.FancyFibers.com.

Lyn Christoph   With 25 alpacas living at her Corpus Christi ranch, Lyn works full time as a rancher while remotely managing their insurance business.  With no prior experience in raising livestock, Lyn and her husband, Mark, spent many hours studying and attending classes in herd health management,  including classes in reproductive health and parasite control.  They also do their own shearing.  Lyn processes her own herd's fiber into roving and batts, and spins and knits.

Cyndi Daugherty has bred farm stock since the 1990s, beginning with Rocky Mountain Horses, and then adding alpacas in 2002.  A proven leader, Cyndi has served in senior leadership and administrative positions with state and regional alpaca associations, schools, and civic organizations.  She brings years of successful business experience to share with class participants.

Hanane ElMoumi considers herself to be a mostly self taught fiber freak. She has previously taught, knitting, crochet, and tatting classes.

BJ Heeke has been spinning on spindles for over 15 years and has the collection to prove it! A native Washingtonian, she moved to Texas in 2000, and the first contacts she made were for spinners in the Waco area. She has taught many 'spindlers' over the years, 2005 CHT in Austin added a few more. Loving spindles so much, she created 'spindlepins' and 'spindlebobs' so everyone can proudly proclaim their spindle love, too! You can see these as well as Moonspinners, a unique CD spindle that she also makes on her website http://www.bluemoonfibers.com.

Midge Jackson is an experienced knitter, spinner and jewelry designer.  She has been knitting and spinning for over 20 years.  Midge lives in Tyler, Texas, is active in the local guild and a cofounder of the Wildflower Fiber Retreat and Wildflower Knitting Camp.  Over the years, she has taught many classes in the community, at various retreats, Kid N Ewe and at Comtemporary Handweavers of Texas conferences.  She especially loves knitting lace, spinning luxury fibers and making dichroic glass and enameled jewelry. She began weaving recently and is interested in weaving for apparel as she has lifelong experience in designing and making fine clothing.

Cheryl McWilliams has been involved in fiber activities since early 1970’s as weaver, spinner and dyer. Her passion lies in natural and chemical dyes. She served on Handweaver Guild of America Board of Directors as Educational Services Chair as well as Volunteer Coordinator for 2004 Denver Convergence, 2006 Grand Rapids, and 2010 Albuquerque Convergence.  She served as president of Contemporary Handweavers of Texas, 1997-99. Presently, Cheryl is coordinator of January Spin-in Conference, Destin, FL.  She has authored several articles on various fiber techniques, has conducted regional & national lectures and workshops as well as exhibited her work in different venues.

Christine O'Hara, of Spinning Straw into Gold, LLC, is a spinner with 15 + years  experience working with a large variety of raw fleeces and processed fibers  resourced locally and around the globe; specializing in pet hair spinning services.  And excels at dyeing natural fibers using procion dyes, organic acid dyes, and natural indigo.    Living in north Texas, Christine maintains a small herd of Satin Angora rabbits for fun and fiber.

Laurie Schlitter has been spinning and weaving for nearly thirty years and never has seen a fiber she doesn't like.  She has raised her own sheep, rabbits, flax, and cotton. She retired from university teaching (botany and training elementary teachers to teach biology).  She is a member of the Brazos Weavers and Spinners guild.

Louise Schubert has been sewing since she was 13.  She studied Clothing and Textiles at the University of North Texas and worked as a professional stock pattern maker for several years.  She is a Trained Sewing Instructor through the Sewing and Craft Alliance, an officer in the DFW (Texas) Chapter of the American Sewing Guild, and an active member of the Dallas Area Fiber Artists.  She constantly strives to hone her sewing skills, and loves to learn new techniques. Skills in patternmaking and design have allowed her to assist others in wardrobe planning, figure analysis, and fashion styling.  Her passion for custom accessories has led her to explore and develop skills in machine embroidery, needle felting, Nuno felting, beading and jewelry making, polymer clay, and other Fiber Arts.  Classes in felting and other embellishment techniques are in her portfolio, as well as classes in pattern making, pattern alterations, and sewing techniques.  She says “Clothes are fun!  Learn to fit your body and your lifestyle while creating garments and accessories that reflect who you are. Don’t be afraid to let your light shine!”

Beth Seguin  is a self-professed fiber geek.  She starting crafting at the age of 6, and now particularly enjoys the history of the fiber crafts and their tools.  She enjoys making primitive tools for use in fiber art projects, and is always fascinated by the process of making something from nothing.

Kay Slaughter has been a successful entreprenuer in a wide variety of businesses, and has a long history in the fiber arts as a weaver, spinner, dyer, and teacher.  Her Etsy shop, Cordova Studios, is both her current creative outlet and her successful, ongoing business enterprise.  Kay’s great sense of color, vast knowledge of fiber characteristics, and general good business sense made her a success in the Etsy fiber world and beyond. Visit her shop at cordovastudios.etsy.com.

Cindy Telisak has marketed her various businesses for over twenty years, learning from some of the best entrepreneurs around.  Compiling and amalgamating volumes of information, she has boiled down some of the most effective tips and systems to help young businesses get a good start in the digital age.  She currently focuses her energy on marketing her fiber farm (Jacob’s Reward Farm, established in 2005) and fiber CSA program, the first of its kind in the southwest. To learn more about her fiber farm, visit her website at www.jacobsreward.com.

Pat Tittizer has been knitting all her life.  After high school, she taught herself crochet and tatting.  She has been teaching classes around the Austin area for 15 years. Pat is a lifetime member of the Austin Knitter's and Crocheter's Guild, and currently serves as their program director.

Sara Tittizer has been doing crafty-type things all her life.  She especially loves anything having to do with fibers and strings. Her passions include spinning and lace knitting.  She also likes to work with paper and has recently tried her hand at wood carving (after all, paper and wood are fibers too!).  Sara is a lifetime member of the Austin Knitter's and Crocheter's Guild.

Gail White has 30+ years in the fiber industry. 15 years as co-owner operator with husband Jim, in Ozark Carding Mill. Prior to the mill Gail was a fiberholic, knitting, hand and machine, some weaving, dyeing, hand spinning. Gail and Jim raised Targhee sheep for 15 yrs in Warsaw, MO before selling the farm and moving the mill to Durant, OK.  To learn more about her fiber mill, visit www.ozarkcarding.com.