All About the Fiber+Fabric Craft Festival
I was so honored to be asked to teach at the Fiber+Fabric Craft Festival in Chicago. The festival was May 1-3, 2026, with classes starting on April 30. This was the first year for the festival and I have a feeling it is only going to get better every year. What is really unique about this festival is that it is for all the fiber arts. Quilting was well-represented, but there was also so much to see with costuming, garment making, knitting, crochet, and embroidery of all types. The yarns were so yummy it made me want to take up another hobby. I also really enjoyed the Trashy Market exhbits and booths. It was really cool to see what people made with what many would consider trash.
My classes were both on Thursday, April 30 and I taught Souvenir Stitching and Ozzie Cardinal.
With over 200 classes to choose from, I was so grateful for the students who chose my classes. We had a blast learning about how travels can inspire quilt designs and making collage cardinals.
On Friday May 1st, the exhibition hall opened and it was so much fun! I visited the BadAss Quilter's Pavillion and demonstrated my Wooly Flourishes and then browsed several booths. I also spent some time demonstating at the Oliso booth. It was a great three days of learning and shopping.
One cool feature at the show is the Craft Talks stage. For three days, you can watch any of the Craft Talks for free. They cover a wide range of topics and I attended the talks by Lisa Shepard Stewart of Cultural Appropriation and Elizabeth Okeyele-Olatunji on Creating Community. They were both fabulous.
One rule that I have is that I can't buy anything at the show that I can get locally, so that always makes it a fun challenge to look for things that are new and unique. This is what I bought and I can't wait to try it all out.
Lessons Learned:
As a teacher - Keep all classes and demonstrations in the same genre. It was a lot to pack for four different types of classes. I had 5 different packing lists and my luggage ended up being 5 pounds too heavy, so my clothes became a carry-on.
As an attendee - Take breaks. Even just sitting to watch the Craft Talks was a nice break. But the sheer number of booths and events can feel overwhelming, so it's good to find a quiet place every now and then to decompress.
Overall, attending the FFCF was a great experience and I can't wait to go back next year!