Foxfire Museum & Heritage Center

Events

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  Broom Making Class

  04/20/2018 - 04/21/2018

  Learn broom making with Foxfire's resident broom artist, Carole Morse. This 2-day course covers the essentials of broom making, including discussions on the materials, processes, and art of crafting different broom varieties. Students participating in the class will complete and take home a cobweb broom and a hearth broom. Class fee includes instructions and all materials (lunch not included).

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  Planting by the Moon

  04/26/2018 - 04/26/2018

  Join Timpson Creek Farm Project Manager, Darby Weaver, as she delves into the biodynamic practice of planting by the moon. While biodynamic growers utilize this technique today, it has been used throughout history by civilizations all over the world as a means of growing the best, most adapted crops capable of resisting weather changes, diseases and pests.

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  Rush Chair Bottoming Class

  04/27/2018 - 04/28/2018

  Taught by Foxfire demonstrator, Kermit Rood, this 2-day class introduces the student to the fundamentals of chair bottoming, with a focus on rush style weaving. For the class, students will need to bring a chair they wish to bottom. All other tools and materials will be supplied in the class (lunch not included).

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  Lye Soap Making

  05/05/2018 - 05/05/2018

  Learn how to make old-fashioned lye soap from three simple ingredients: lard, lye, and water. Lye soap is medically considered a cure for many common skin ailments, including poison ivy and mosquito bites. Lye soap is also effective as a household cleaner, clothes detergent, and is great for personal hygiene. This workshop runs from 9:30 a.m. - 4:00 p.m. Please bring your own lunch.

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  Flint Knapping

  05/05/2018 - 05/05/2018

  Learn the essentials of flint knapping from Foxfire contact Jim Enloe. Class includes basic instruction on how to shape flint and other stones into useful tools such as knives, axe heads, spear heads, and arrow heads using traditional techniques. Students will take home a complete flint knapping kit and tools made during the course. Cost includes all materials but students are encouraged to bring leather gloves.

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  Intro to Organic Gardening

  05/11/2018 - 05/11/2018

  Join Timpson Creek Farm Project Manager, Darby Weaver, for an afternoon of organic gardening guidance. In this workshop, she will outline the key practices that can generate healthy plants without the need for synthetic fertilizers or pesticides. Everything from starting seeds, plant maintenance and organic pest management, to harvest and storage will be explained to get you confidently into your own gardens, growing a bounty of healthful food.

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  Flat Reed Chair Bottoming Class

  05/18/2018 - 05/19/2018

  Taught by Foxfire demonstrator, Kermit Rood, this 2-day class introduces the student to the fundamentals of chair bottoming, with a focus on splint style weaving. Originally, splint was thin strips of white oak, hickory or ash. The wood strips have been replaced with the more economical and easier to work with flat, which can be woven into different patterns.  

  For the class, students will need to bring a chair they wish to bottom. All other tools and materials will be supplied in the... read more

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  Intro to Biodynamics

  05/25/2018 - 05/25/2018

  Join Timpson Creek Farm Manager, Darby Weaver, for an introduction into the art of biodynamic agriculture. In this workshop, learn about the archaic rhythms that guide plants and animals through their life processes, discuss the harmonizing potential of ecosystems, and learn how to align growing practices with the abundant forces of the universe.

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  Intro to Yarn Spinning

  05/26/2018 - 05/26/2018

  This six hour class taught by Foxfire's resident weaver, Sharon Grist, will include instruction on different fibers and their characteristics and practical applications of carding and drafting as well as both spindle and wheel spinning. Students will spin wool and learn several ways to handle fiber to produce varying yarn structures. Class fee includes instruction, use of studio equipment, raw materials, and handouts. Lunch is not included.

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  Castile Soap Making

  06/09/2018 - 06/09/2018

  Learn how to make Castile soap, which is a vegetable-based soap made from a blend of olive and coconut oils similar to soap originating in teh Castile region of Spain. Castile soal is 100% natural and free of toxins and it produces a high-foaming lather. We will be making both liquid and solid soaps. Each two-day session will run from 9:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. each day. Please be sure to bring your lunch!

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  Advanced Organic Gardening

  06/14/2018 - 06/14/2018

  Join Timpson Creek Farm Project Manager, Darby Weaver, for an afternoon of advanced organic gardening instruction. Building on previous experiences, the class will delve into the varied techniques used by professional growers to produce crops without synthetic fertilizers or pesticides, to extend seasons, and to create prosperity within the soil and water table. Topics covered will include soil ecology, planting, crop management, and much more.

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  Broom Making Class

  06/15/2018 - 06/16/2018

  Learn broom making with Foxfire's resident broom artist, Carole Morse. This 2-day course covers the essentials of broom making, including discussions on the materials, processes, and art of crafting different broom varieties. Students participating in the class will complete and take home a cobweb broom and a hearth broom. Class fee includes instructions and all materials (lunch not included).

  read more

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  7-Step Chair Bottoming

  06/15/2018 - 06/17/2018

  Taught by Foxfire demonstrator, Kermit Rood, this three day class instructs students in the method of cane weaving. The 7-step process involves weaving the seat bottom into the perimeter of the seat through drilled holes. For the class, students will need to bring a chair they wish to bottom. Class fee includes instruction, tools, and all materials (lunch NOT included).

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  Medicinal Plant Walks

  06/21/2018 - 06/21/2018

  Led by herbalist, Patricia Howell, our nature walks will explore the diversity of herbs and medicines native to the Southern Appalachian region. On this guided walk, you'll hear about the multitude of plants long valued for their healing qualities and as a source of food, and learn about the role they've played in local history. You will also learn about why many are still in use today! Please wear appropriate shoes, as a walk will include a short hike through the property.

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  Beginning Weaving

  06/22/2018 - 06/23/2018

  This two-day introduction to weaving is taught by resident weaver, Sharon Grist. Topics covered will include the mechanics of three different types of floor looms, the process of making a warp, dressing the loom, and many others. Students will weave a twill sample runner on which they will explore numerous treading variations on one basic threading sequence. No experience is necessary. Class fee includes instruction, use of studio equipment, all materials, and hand-outs (lunch NOT included).<... read more

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  Intro to Soils

  07/12/2018 - 07/12/2018

  Join Timpson Creek Farm Manager, Darby Weaver, and learn about the dynamic nature of soil. From particles to micro flora and fauna, to the signs of deficiencies in plants; all will be explored within the context of the natural rhythms that guide soil processes. Bring in a soil sample and examine it under the microscope. Learn what is happening in soils around you and how to support them, as well as the power of soil's ecosystem to save our planet.

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  Intro to Yarn Spinning

  07/14/2018 - 07/14/2018

  This six hour class taught by Foxfire's resident weaver, Sharon Grist, will include instruction on different fibers and their characteristics and practical applications of carding and drafting as well as both spindle and wheel spinning. Students will spin wool and learn several ways to handle fiber to produce varying yarn structures. Class fee includes instruction, use of studio equipment, raw materials, and handouts. Lunch is not included.

  read more

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  Scandinavian Turn Shoe

  07/17/2018 - 07/20/2018

  Learn how to make a Scandinavian Turn Shoe, similar to a moccasin, in this four-day course. This shoe style is made inside-out so that the stitching is hidden on the inside. The upper, made from Bison leather, can be formed in various styles with a recycled rubber sole. Only hand tools are used in the making of this shoe. Class fee includes supplies and instruction (lunch not included).

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  Rush Chair Bottoming Class

  07/20/2018 - 07/21/2018

  Taught by Foxfire demonstrator, Kermit Rood, this 2-day class introduces the student to the fundamentals of chair bottoming, with a focus on rush style weaving. For the class, students will need to bring a chair they wish to bottom. All other tools and materials will be supplied in the class (lunch not included).

  read more

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  Lye Soap Making

  07/28/2018 - 07/28/2018

  Learn how to make old-fashioned lye soap from three simple ingredients: lard, lye, and water. Lye soap is medically considered a cure for many common skin ailments, including poison ivy and mosquito bites. Lye soap is also effective as a household cleaner, clothes detergent, and is great for personal hygiene. This workshop runs from 9:30 a.m. - 4:00 p.m. Please bring your own lunch.

  read more

• 

  Beginning Weaving

  08/03/2018 - 08/04/2018

  This two-day introduction to weaving is taught by resident weaver, Sharon Grist. Topics covered will include the mechanics of three different types of floor looms, the process of making a warp, dressing the loom, and many others. Students will weave a twill sample runner on which they will explore numerous treading variations on one basic threading sequence. No experience is necessary. Class fee includes instruction, use of studio equipment, all materials, and hand-outs (lunch NOT included).<... read more