profile

Craftfolk Collective

Week of August 3rd: Classes and Events at Craftfolk

Published 28 days ago • 3 min read

As we take a break from workshops this month, I wanted to share some community events and organizations that are bringing craft and music to our area.

Foothill Fibers Guild and the Nevada County Fair

My husband and I moved to Colfax in 2019 and because of the pandemic, it took us a really long time to find our people here. One of the first groups I connected with was the Foothill Fibers Guild, which offered monthly weaving "meetups" during the pandemic via Zoom. I met some of my first local friends through this group, although it took a few years before I ever met them in person. They helped me locate a free loom that someone was giving away, learn how to get started warping, and complete my first project: a series of dish towels I gave as gifts for Christmas. I didn't know it at the time just how deeply I would get involved with this group and I just recently finished my term as Board President. The guild is composed of fiber artists in Placer and Nevada County who gather to share their love and knowledge of all things fiber. We have artists who are weavers, knitters, spinners, felters, basket weavers, and more.

Our big event of the year is hosting the wool room at the Nevada County Fair, which will run from August 12-16 this year at the Nevada County Fairgrounds in Grass Valley. We'll have guild members demonstrating spinning, felting, and different types of weaving, as well as a display of hand crafted items and fleeces to view. We hope you will stop by to say hello and see what our local fiber artists are working on. It's also worth a visit to the adjacent Quilt Room where locally sewn quilts and garments are displayed. The sweater above is one of my fair entries, which I worked on for months at Craft Club. The pattern is the Heirloom Quilt Cardigan by Katryn Seeburger.

Below is another of my fair entries, my very first hand woven basket. I learned to weave this Cherokee Wheel basket from a fellow fiber guild member, Jane Milner. Jane is a talented weaver and generously shares her knowledge with guild members through reasonably priced workshops she teaches in Nevada City. You may consider joining the guild to access these types of opportunities and to learn from some of our talented local fiber artists! More info on guild membership>>​

Live in Colfax - Free Concert Series

When I'm not working or planning programs for Craftfolk, I enjoy playing music with my bluegrass band, The Breakovers. We play all over Placer and Nevada counties and are thrilled to be included in Colfax's free outdoor concert series, Live in Colfax. We will be opening for Late for the Train on Saturday, August 15th at 6pm right on Main Street. We hope you will join us for this fun, free concert and help support downtown Colfax and our local community.

This Week

Join us for Craft Club (4-6pm) Bluegrass & Old-Time Jam (6-7:30pm) this Thursday, August 6th at the Colfax Farmer's Market. Bring any craft project you want to work on and a chair. We provide the space and sweet treats to enjoy. RSVPs are helpful so we know how many cookies to bake, but walk-ins are also welcome. Anyone is welcome to come by to listen to the music and crafters are welcome to stay through the jam to listen and continue working on their projects.

We'll be taking a break from workshops in August and will resume in the fall. Craft Club and the Bluegrass & Old-Time Jam will keep going all summer long. Hope to see you there!

Wishing you a creative week and hope to see you soon,
Gretchen

Gretchen Boyce
Founder, Craftfolk Collective

Craftfolk Update:

As a reminder, we are looking for a new space for Craftfolk. We're on the look-out for a space (or series of spaces) where we can host workshops starting in September. We're looking for a mostly turn-key space with a kitchen, bathroom, large unfurnished room to hold workshops and events, and easy parking. We're open to sharing space with another business or having our own dedicated space. Ideally we'd like to start with a month-to-month lease, but are open to a longer commitment depending on the space. We'd like to stay in or near Colfax to keep the momentum going here. I am calling on this community to send me your ideas! Please hit reply to this email if you know of a space we should consider. Stay tuned via these weekly emails for general updates and announcements once we have our workshops back up and running. Email us at hello@craftfolkcollective.com if you have an idea for a space.

Weekly Events:

Thursdays, 4-6pm:
Community Craft Club (FREE!)

Join us for an informal gathering of makers, neighbors, and friends. Bring your own project and work in the company of community. We offer the space and light snacks to enjoy.

Free! Bring a chair and your own materials/projects.

Location: Colfax Farmers Market, South Main Street, Colfax.

Thursdays, 6-7:30pm:
Craftfolk Bluegrass & Old-Time Jam (FREE!)

Join us each week for an informal gathering of pickers and singers and share your favorite bluegrass songs and fiddle tunes. Everyone is welcome.

Free! Bring your instrument and a chair.

Location: Colfax Farmers Market, South Main Street, Colfax.

38 N. Main Street (rear unit), Colfax, CA 95713

​UNSUBSCRIBE​

Craftfolk Collective

a gathering place for creative community in the Sierra Foothills.

Join our mailing list to learn about upcoming workshops and events at Craftfolk Collective. We offer free and paid in-person experiences at our schoolhouse in Colfax, CA. We also share stories about makers and craft traditions across the globe through our semi-monthly newsletters.

Read more from Craftfolk Collective

I've been scoping out temporary venues for our upcoming workshops and am so thrilled to offer a selection of classes this fall in partnership with some trusted friends of Craftfolk. 9/29 Community Fire Cider Workshop The picturesque landscape above will be our setting for the September 29th Community Fire Cider Making Workshop. We will be hosting this workshop in partnership with Siren Song Fleece Works, located on the grounds of the beautiful Luchessi Vineyard property in Grass Valley. This...

about 5 hours ago • 3 min read

It was inspiring to attend the Nevada County Fair a few weeks back. Pictured above is the all star winning quilt, "Un Common Bride", by Mariah Bath of Grass Valley. I can't even begin to comprehend the amount of work that went into this detailed project (check out that tiny patchwork border!). I also enjoyed seeing artwork by our craft club regulars, including these beautiful ornaments created by Victoria and a series of epic crocheted doilies by Simona. There are so many talented artists and...

7 days ago • 2 min read

I'm in the process of planning fall workshops and a special event in partnership with our friends at Siren Song Fleece Works in Grass Valley. We will be hosting our popular Community Fire Cider workshop there on Tuesday, September 29th and registration is now open! Stay tuned for other workshops and let me know if there is a specific class you'd like to see. We will be outdoors on their beautiful and shaded lawn, so I'm dreaming of more seasonal wellness classes, block printing, watercolors,...

14 days ago • 2 min read