What was your first handspinning experience? Many people are inspired to learn to spin after seeing a demonstration at a museum, festival, or fair. Guilds help make it happen!

The Butler County Spinners and Weavers Guild, of Western Pennsylvania, celebrated their Silver Anniversary in 2007 with a number of tribute events throughout the year. The guild showcased the members’ talents at three local fiber arts shows. Together with the International Fibers Arts Show which visited a number of venues in the Pittsburgh area, in April, the guild sponsored their own show. Members exhibited their wide array of talents in spinning, weaving, knitting and felting in beautiful and creative wall hangings, tapestries, garments, scarves, shawls, skeins, stuffed animals, and more. Displays of fiber processing methods, various weaving looms and spinning demonstrations were also featured. The THREADS show, in August, at the Butler Arts Center, featured selected member hand-made items. Finally, more incredibly creative and skilled members’ handspun, knitted, woven or felted products were showcased during the annual Butler Arts Center holiday show and sale in December.