A Fibre Frenzy

Who said arts and crafts are only for school holidays! Southeast Queensland is home to a colourful community of handmakers and fibre artists who practice year round, and on February 27, many of them will be out in full force for the Queensland Spinners, Weavers and Fibre Artists‘ annual celebration of local makers. Fibre Fest 2015 will showcase the very best of the State’s textile makers, exhibiting and selling all kinds of handmade goods – from felting to weaving to embroidery – at Brisbane’s Mt Cootha Botanic Gardens. If you’re after a hands-on experience, the State Library of Queensland‘s latest program of adult workshops, A Thousand Fibres, is now in full swing, with monthly meet-ups at SLQ’s dedicated indigenous space, kuril dhagun. Bookings are still open for the final sessions of the series, including brooch making with Sonja Carmichael (March 7), jewellery making with Delvene Cockatoo-Collins (April 11) and weaving with Chantal Cook (May 9). All workshops are led by artisans from Aboriginal and Torres Strait communities and make clever use of upcycled materials, provided by our waste-warrior friends at Reverse Garbage Queensland. Head to the SLQ website to book your workshop ticket or visit the Fibre Fest page for more information about next Friday’s free event. Weave on!