John C. Campbell Folk School Campus Photos

Greetings!  Happy Fall!

The following photos, taken in late May/early June of this year, will give you an idea of what the Folk School campus is like!  Enjoy!

The Louise Pitman Fiber Arts building is home to the weaving,sewing, and quilting workshops.  The workshops I taught were held in this building.

 

Photos below show students, and their creations, done in the two classes I taught this year.  I had wonderful, generous students in both classes.  The "Vintage Denim Jacket with Boho Flair" class was a weekend session.  "Brasstown Boho Skirt" was a week long workshop.  I'll be teaching that workshop again in 2023.  Registration is open now!

“Brasstown Boho Skirt”, May - June 2022

I’m looking forward to teaching my “Brasstown Boho Skirt” workshop in 2022!  This one week class takes place May 29 - June 4, 2022 at the John C. Campbell Folk School in Brasstown, NC.  This class immediately follows my weekend class, "Vintage Denim Jacket with Boho Flair". 

This easy-going class is just right for those who know the basics of operating a sewing machine.  Ideally, you can bring your own sewing machine.  If not, the school has machines available.  Some rotary cutting experience is recommended.  You may or may not finish your patchwork skirt in class.  If you do finish it, you can choose to model it at the week’s end student exhibit!   If you don’t complete the skirt, you’ll leave with instructions for finishing it.  Send me an email if you have any questions about the workshop:  fiberotto <at> gmail <dot> com.  Somewhat cryptic to keep spammers at bay.  Registrations and general questions are handled by the Folk School (1-800-365-5724).

I do a lot of garment sewing and I often use cotton batiks for clothing.  I've made outfits out of many of the fabrics shown below.  You'll see some of them in Brasstown.  I used batiks exclusively for my first skirt.  

Early stages of the Brasstown Boho Skirt:

Finished skirt is featured below!  It's colorful and fancy free . . . as Boho should be!

With the amount of sewing I do, I often have leftover scraps.  Once in awhile I'll buy small lengths of fabric solely to use in one of these skirts! 

Photo: starting a skirt made with cotton prints:

I used an orange/white origami print for the border at the bottom.  I love this print.  I purchased it at Bless My Stitches Quilt Shop in Murphy, NC on a previous trip to Brasstown.

The mostly pink skirt shown below is a slightly less full version of the Boho Brasstown Skirt.  Generally my Brasstown Boho skirts are comprised of a spontaneous and random collection of fabrics. In this case, I opted to use mostly pink fabrics.

Relive your hippie days and wear your skirt with a denim jacket, denim shirt, or a T-shirt!  Add a beaded necklace or a macrame bag to complete the look.  Once you finish your skirt, wear it as you tiptoe through the tulips, enroute to a Folk School dance!

 

You can choose to pair your skirt with a T-shirt, blouse, or jacket.  And of course, you can tuck the top in if you so choose.  The elastic waist makes this a comfortable skirt to wear!

Photos:  Fun ways to wear your Brasstown Boho Skirt:

Projects Completed in a Strange Year

Like many others, I've spent a lot of time at home this year due to the COVID pandemic. 

I’ve finished a number of projects this year and I continue to work on others.  

Shown below:  Fleece throws made for two friends.  Our belated holiday lunch

was postponed first, due to bad weather, then, due to COVID.  I STILL haven't

given these to the friends.  Maybe next year!

Brasstown Boho Skirt.  My own design and a prototype for a possible

future class.

I was attracted to these wood/metal containers at Marshall's due to the Double

Wedding Ring pattern of the metal panels.  I decided that paint was in order.

I like how the boxes turned out!





A few of the masks I’ve made.  Many were distributed to friends and

neighbors.  No pattern.


This was made from a pattern called “Floor Tote”.  The outer fabric (roosters)

is perhaps, my favorite Home Dec fabric ever.  I've made a number of

accessories from this fabric purchased at Joann Fabrics.

Batik carryalls, from an out-of-print pattern, "Great Big Bags".




I used up some extra fabric to make slipcases for the two matching rugs I purchased

from the Agrace Thrift Home Store here in Madison.  I bought the smaller rug first, 

then decided I couldn’t live without matching, larger rug a week later.  You'll have to 

wait to see the rugs.

This is my submission to the 25 Million Stitches Project, a worldwide effort

to bring attention to the plight of migrants.  My piece has been sent to the project

headquarters in California.  The opening exhibit date was moved back a year.

It will take place in the summer of 2021.

Beautiful Batiks

Batik fabrics make wonderful garments!  Tightly woven, batiks come in an endless
variety of colors.  The color lover in me enjoys combining different batiks in a single
garment.

"Regal Batik" is a 2009 creation.  The two

main fabrics in this outfit were purchased at
Mill House Quilts, Waunakee, WI

Below:  "Autumn Allure" (detail).
Vest, made in 2009.

Below:  Not yet named skirt-in-progress.  February, 2020

Update: later named "Brasstown Boho Skirt".