By Lucy Harward
For The Courier

news@thepccourier.com

PICKENS — The Pickens Senior Center’s Fiber Arts Center has opened its doors and is now offering activities five days a week.

Activities take place at the Pickens Hagood Community Center at 129 School House St. in Pickens from 9:30-11:30 a.m. and 1:30-3:30 p.m. Monday through Friday and by appointment in the evenings and on weekends.

Groups which meet vary in skill level like those in an old-fashioned, one-room school house — a real mixture of beginner through master levels depending on the activity. But one thing is sure — each of them is interested in passing on the art of handwork, whether with fiber or cane, not only to future generations, but also among themselves. In small groups, they continue to both teach and learn from each other.

In addition to times when people stop by to “work on their own” or with friends (both old and new), there are times when they choose to join special scheduled activities. In the sharing atmosphere of our modern one-room school, it’s a true win-win situation. Everyone wins. No one fails. There are no grades, nor state exams. Hoorah! Here, all experience the freedom to learn for the sake of learning alone — a true “lifetime learning” experience! We are just folks helping folks!

Below is a schedule when some of the activities will occur for both introduction and practice. Other activities will be scheduled throughout the year. Examples of each activity can be found on display in the Fiber Arts Center. Please call (864) 419-1794 to register and get a list of needed supplies no later than one week in advance of the date for which the activity is scheduled. It may be best to register two to three weeks before the class is scheduled is to begin for the Beginners Chair Caning class to learn of chair preparation, which is necessary prior to attending the class.

Students will be accepted on a “first registered, first accepted” basis. Once a class is filled, the remaining students registering will be moved to a waiting list in the order registered and will become the first students registered for any openings which may occur, or they will be contacted and may be grandfathered in as those “first registered” for the next time that particular activity is available if that is preferred. “Grandfathering” will occur only once, however. After that, even if the person has a conflict and, therefore, is not able to attend when the activity is rescheduled, it will be necessary to go through the registration process again.

Activities

Currently Scheduled:

Chicken Scratch Embroidery (Lucy Harward): July 17, 10 a.m. – 11:30 a.m. or July 22, 1:30 p.m. – 3:30 p.m. Dates back to early America. Known by many names. One is Amish embroidery. Chicken Scratch embellishes gingham cloth.

Cathedral Window Quilt (Jacquie Maraska): July 21, 10:30 a.m. – 11:30 p.m. Popular during Victorian times. Made with no batting and no quilting. The effect of brilliant stained-glass windows is achieved by folding squares of fabric and stitching small squares of contrasting fabric into the folds.

Crochet (Denise Blecke): July 31, August 7, and August 14: 10 a.m. – 11:30 a.m. This is a 3-day workshop which is spread over three weeks. During the first session pattern options, thread choice, needle choice, etc., will be discussed. This activity has drawn the greatest number of responders. It will be appropriate for all levels. There will be multiple leaders attending. Once the group assembles, the members may decide to divide into smaller groups to best meet the needs of each person. Crochet has been famous as far back as 1743. Through history it has become one of the graceful accomplishments of well-born ladies.

Cross-Stitch (Marilyn Gromlovits): August 19 and 26: 10:30 a.m. – 11:30 a.m. This is a 2-day workshop which is spread over two weeks. A row of slanted stitches of equal length are evenly spaced in a pattern printed on fabric or by following a “thread count” chart and then, working back over the original stitches with the stitch slanting in the opposite direction, makes a row of crossed stitches. Using variations of these “crossed stitches” creates a picture.

Open-top Big Tote, 16x16x3 inch (Lucy Harward): August 21 and 22: 10:30 a.m. – 3:30 a.m. This is a 2-day workshop. The front, back, and sides of the bag are machine pieced and quilted. The sides may also be appliquéd, either in a simple or needle-turned manner. There is a very limited number of sewing machines in the fiber arts room. None of them have effective decorative stitching. For these reasons, you may wish to bring your own machine. If a machine is needed from the Fiber Arts Center, please check on availability when registering.

Plastic Canvas (Sarah Stukie): September 4: 10:30 a.m. – 11:30 p.m. Kits to make coasters will be available for your class project. The cost will be $1. You will learn the “secret of cutting the plastic” as well as techniques for stitching and assembly.

Braided Rugs (Bonnie Henderson): September 8, 9 a.m. – 10:30 a.m. and October 21, 22, 23, 24: 9 a.m.-11:30 a.m. and 1 p.m. – 3:30 p.m. This is a 5-day workshop spread out over 2 months. The first meeting will be rather short to give an overview of the process and possible sources for wool as well as information about how it should be prepared for braiding. The four full days in October are set aside for braiding and “stitching the rugs as you go.” The month in between is for gathering and processing supplies. This is one of the easiest ways of making rugs and almost any size can be made in a variety of shapes — oval, oblong or round. Wool, cotton, and silk can all be used, but should not be combined in the same rug. It is best to use wool because of its body and wearing quality.

Needlepoint (Lucy Harward): SESSION I: September 11, 10 a.m. – 11:30 a.m. or 1:30 p.m. – 3 p.m. SESSION II: September 16, 10 a.m. – 11:30 p.m. or 1:30 p.m. – 3 p.m. Needlepoint began in the medieval times when queens and court ladies entertained themselves while their lords were away. It was an aristocratic art. It will outlast most other decorative materials. It is a type of embroidery worked on canvas and is a general term used for petit point and gros point, which are one and the same stitch differing only in size. The size of the mesh of the canvas determines the size of the stitch.

UFO WEEK: September 22 – 26, 9:30 a.m. – 11:30 a.m. and 1:30 p.m. – 3:30 p.m. Sit, Share, and Complete UnFinished Objects (UFO’S). Bring any of your unfinished projects (whether begun in the Fiber Arts Center or elsewhere) and work toward completing them. Or you may wish to begin new projects for Christmas or for some other reason. Just come and join in the fellowship of the group as we work together in our “one-room school.”

Beginning Chair Caning (Dale Harward): October 14 and 15: 10 a.m. – 3:30 p.m. This is a 2-day workshop. The class is limited to the first 5 who register. Two days should be enough time to complete two kitchen chair bottoms or one porch rocker with bottom and back cane. Please place order for cane at time of registration to insure delivery. Order 1 hank of cane for each kitchen chair bottom and 2 hanks of cane for each porch rocker (bottom and back). This is a caning class — not a chair refinishing or repairing class. All repairs must be completed before chair comes to class.