Conference 2010 was a wonderful four days and 3 nights of learning and laughter.
Although our attendance was lower than some past years, primarily due to the economy, those who chose to attend had a wonderful experience
We started the weekend with Thursday afternoon mini workshops with 70 students in 11 different classes.
Berna Lowenstein did a great job organizing the classes and most members arrived early so they could take one of these popular short sessions.
Judi Jetson introduced the instructors on Thursday evening with a great power point presentation and instructor interviews. Her questions brought out all sorts of "who knew?" insights and made us appreciated the talented leaders were going to be working with.
Irene Munroe and crew had planned an exciting Parade of Flags to round out the evening entertainment. They had us all dancing and marching outside waving flags and glow sticks. A wonderland of lights and flags greeted us in the dark along with refreshments
Workshops began in earnest Friday morning. Thanks to Betty Wyman who worked all year to plan the workshops and get the instructors to Florida. While most of us were in class, Penny Hunter was hanging the fiber exhibit and working with the judge, Laura Bryant. When the exhibit opened Friday evening we were all impressed with the beautiful display she created and with the wonderful work of the 27 members who participated. Then we all gathered to marvel at the fashion show. Linda Bowden and commentator Mimi Smith helped 11 members show off their creations including one that we hope will grace the runway at Convergence this summer!
We did not shop till we dropped….the classes had already managed to wear us out..…but we did have lots of opportunities. Thanks to Carol Turner, six vendors of yarn, equipment, fibers and beads set up shop in the auditorium. Our own outreach committee, chaired by Sandy Carr, sold lovely Mayan handcrafts plus wonderful things from Alternatives, a fair trade shop in Gainesville. Members Market gave our members the opportunity to sell their creations…and of course we all had to get something from the silent auction. …which raised $517 thanks to everyone's generous spring cleaning. Kat Callaghan made sure we each got a goodie bag and so many door prizes that most people went home with a gift!
Saturday night awards ceremony was held at the fiber exhibit. Congratulations to all the winners …and thanks to those who made the beautiful handmade award ribbons! We rounded out the evening with workshop open house where we got to see what everyone was doing in the classes we didn't get to take….as always too many good choices.
Add to that the guild displays, Jody Cosby's wonderful felted name tags, the scholarship display, communal meals, dorm room fun, walking under the majestic oaks, sunrise over the lake…..well it was a wonderful weekend
I can't possibly name everyone who helped make the conference a success but a special thank you to Susan Kurcbart and her able assistants Meryl Warner and Penny Morgan who handled registration and lodging. They were assisting members with changes until the day before the conference began, and always with a willing and helping heart.
I hope to see you all back in Lake Yale March 16-20, 2011 and hope that if you missed the fun in 2010 you'll be back with us next year
Join us as we return to our Annual Conference campus on the shores of Lake Yale. Relax under the beautiful oaks as we leave the cares of the world behind for 4 days of fiber fun and fellowship.
Located near Eustis, Florida, an hour north of Orlando, your hotel room is right here along with a cafeteria where all meals are provided. We offer a full schedule of activities including your choice of a 3 day workshop with an outstanding instructor, a juried fiber exhibit, fashion show, guild exhibits, commercial vendors and more.
Come visit old friends, make some new friends and spend 4 days in a relaxed, old Florida setting.
For more information contact: Ann Welly Revels, Conference Coordinator
To learn more about the workshops, please click here or download this AdobeTM .PDF file
Accommodations at Lake Yale Baptist Conference Center Lodging is in motel-type rooms with two beds and a bath, TV and phone, in 1 and 2 story buildings. You can request first floor. Handicapped rooms and rooms with king-sixed beds are available.
Campsites are available for RV’s. Campers and commuters can purchase cafeteria meals (see registration form). Cooking is allowed in RV’s but not in any rooms and pets are not allowed. Wireless internet is available in the meeting rooms and Fellowship hall.
Facilities Fee – all attendees to Lake Yale are charged a $10 per day, included in your lodging fee. If you are in an RV, stay off campus, commute from home, or come to visit the exhibits you will be charged this fee separately.
Meals are served cafeteria style: Breakfast 7:30 – 8:30 am, Lunch 12 noon – 1:00 pm, Dinner 5:30 – 6:30 pm. If you have special dietary needs, please contact the host committee. A snack bar with snacks and coffee is open throughout the day and includes a comfortable fellowship area for relaxing with friends.
Lake Yale is an ALCOHOL FREE AND SMOKE FREE CAMPUS.Please scroll further down to see pictures of the 2009 Conference, and read comments.
Layna Bentley's class on Wright Style was a non-stress, round robin
filled with inspiration from her garments and slides of buildings and
their decorations. The drafts, though relatively easy to warp and
weave, could be modified in many ways to reflect various building
styles and abstractions. The steps on how to get from a great
architectural photo to your own weaving project were well explained
and illustrated.
Sonja H.
I've taken new fiber workshops before, but the industry is always
coming up with something new and improving something old. Paula Vester
brought had the old fluffy style I'd seen before plus the newer top,
latte which is made from milk, Ecospun which is made from old plastic
bottles, Seacell made from seaweed, soy silk from tofu, and viscose
and tencel from trees. The most unusual fiber we got to sample was
recycled prison uniforms. While I won't be going out of my way to find
recycled prison uniforms any time in the future, the point was to
expand our horizons and to be open to trying new fibers when we see
them.
Berna L.
Fonda Haddad was an excellent teacher and it was exciting to learn a
new skill and I am very fond of my pretty gourds. It pays to try
something totally different sometimes. Thank you for a great
Conference.
Veronica H.