The Oxford Fiber Festival offered the perfect opportunity for those who were looking to grab hand-made, cold-weather gear before the storm. Originally set to feature vendors Jan. 24 and Jan. 25 from 9 a.m. until 5 p.m., vendors opened from 3 p.m. to 5 p.m. on Jan. 22 and from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Jan. 23 due to the forecasted icy weather.
The annual festival, held in January at the Powerhouse in Oxford, offers a place for people who enjoy fiber arts to learn, connect and expand their knowledge of the craft with like-minded individuals. Vendors, classes, bingo cards and events were featured to create an immersive experience for attendees of all skill levels.
Stacy Stanford, the director of the Oxford Fiber Festival, has led the event for the last five years, but her involvement dates back to 2010 when Knit1 created the festival. Over the years, Stanford has experienced the festival from the perspectives of both a buyer and a director.
Stanford’s varied involvement has developed her understanding of the needs of all participants in the festival, helping her to improve the experience for attendees and vendors
“I think the true value of the Oxford Fiber Festival is the people who attend,” Stanford said. “I want to publicize for them and push for them and promote them and encourage them to make new classes and encourage them to try new products.”
Beyond supporting local businesses, Stanford hopes the festival can be an entry point for those unfamiliar with fiber arts.
“We have free workshops and demos,” Stanford said. “If you just wanna play for a minute, we have people that come and do workshops, offer free classes, let you touch the wool, let you try it out and let you get your feet wet.”
As mass production becomes more prevalent, Stanford believes preserving traditional fiber arts is more important than ever.
“We love young people,” Stanford said. “The reason we have the fiber arts festival is to conserve those traditional fibercrafts.”
That mission resonates with students like Jessica Johns, a second-year master’s student in geology at the University of Mississippi who appreciates the annual event.
“I like that (the event has) a lot of local places because here in Oxford we don’t have a yarn store or really any craft shops, so if I want something quick, I have to go to Walmart, which I don’t love doing,” Johns said. “But here it’s nice because we can shop local and help people and local stores.”
Angel Morgan, the creator of Garden Gallery, was among the local artists who participated in this year’s festival. A botanical artist specializing in natural dyes, embroidery, mixed media and prints, Morgan saw the festival from a customer’s perspective before applying to be a vendor.
“I’ve been just a customer for the past few years and I love the community aspect of it, so I applied this year,” Morgan said.
Morgan completed her BFA in printmaking and photography at UM, where her exposure to mixed media meshed with her lifelong love for gardening to inspire her business.
“There’s a lot of strong women here, and I just feel the presence of getting together and crafting, hearing everyone’s stories and how they got connected through fiber arts because it’s a pretty big world,” Morgan said. “There’s a lot more under the umbrella of fiber arts that people normally don’t think of, like they might start off with crocheting or knitting, but really, you can use plants, paper and fibers in a lot of different ways.”
Lauren Phelps, a second-year master’s student in geology, found her way into fiber arts through the festival. She began crocheting last year after being influenced by one of her professors.
“I came last year and I didn’t know anything,” Phelps said. “Now I know a little more this year, so it’s fun to see it after you know some things.”
For Phelps, the festival is more than just a hobby. It provides a chance to explore traditional crafts and connect with others who share the same interests.
“It’s fun seeing other things that are not just knitting and crocheting, like embroidery and quilting and stuff like that as well,” Phelps said. “It’s harder with people our age to meet people who just like to crochet and knit, so it’s fun to have a place for everyone to come together and talk (about) crocheting.”
The festival’s continued success is also credited to former directors like Andi Bedsworth, who was a vendor at this year’s festival. The former Oxford Fiber Festival director created her business Art To Go in 2011 as a teaching business before expanding into handmade products.
In 2016, Knit1 announced they would no longer host the festival, Bedsworth stepped up to ensure the beloved event would continue.
“I’d be willing to take this on if the job is available because no one is ready to let this go,” Bedsworth said.
Bedsworth emphasized the importance of education and exposure within the fiber arts community.
“The fiber arts are really important and I want the community to be exposed to all there is in fiber art,” Bedsworth said. “I think the educational part of it and exposing people to all the different types of fiber art is really interesting to me and I really like that part.”
Students have remained an important and enthusiastic part of the festival’s audience.
“Students are interested,” Bedsworth said. “They are always interested in knitting, crocheting, sewing, that sort of thing, so they are always delighted it’s here.”
