Fiber Day at the Dana Meeting House

The Dana Meeting House Association will host “Fiber Day,” a day of Wool, Quilts and more at the historic Meeting House in New Hampton on July 9 th from 10-3. This family event is free and open to the public. There will be many different displays, informal talks and demonstrations as well as a corner for kids to draw and make squares for a “paper quilt.” Last summer, the “Quilts of Dana Hill exhibit” was so well attended that the volunteers decided to bring it back again but expand it to include other important fibers that were used in 1800 when the Dana Meeting House was built. Fiber Day will not only include traditional and contemporary quilts but also displays about wool, spinning, carding, dyeing and even an antique sock making machine and demonstration. This event is being hosted by the Dana Meeting House Association and co-curated by guest quilt artist Eileen Lovett from Holderness, board member, Lucienne Brown of Three Creeks Farm NH and artist and board member, Blair Folts. “The Meeting House is a perfect venue for displaying quilts and this year we will also have woolen displays under the tent outside. Quilting has always been about community and it is doubly special to display the quilts in a meeting house built in 1800 and harken back and think about “how things used to be,” said Eileen Lovett, co-curator. Featured quilter this year will be contemporary artist Holly Pope from Boston. Holly graduated from Cornell University with a degree in Political Science but after her path took her on a solo journey to Central and South America, she realized that art was her passion. She moved to Boston in the early 1980s where she attended the Boston Museum School to study, painting, sculpture and metalsmithing. “Serendipity is how I work. I may work on several different things and have fluctuated from wood to metal to canvas to fiber. The path is never known to me, but I am always open to follow it,” Holly said, when asked how she has found quilting now. “I think the one consistent thing about my work is that is has always been about arranging things whether through woodworking or collage or my jewelry. As a child I was always drawn to fabric stores and working with pieces of cloth or yarn. There always was a comfort there and also in building forts from blankets. During the pandemic I was drawn to go through boxes of my scraps and just start to assemble them into ‘blankets.’ I have always also been drawn to the community aspect of quilting as well. It is a laborious process and even if the pieces are assembled by individuals, most quilts were quilted by groups of women helping each other. Unlike the other arts, this form of art, quilting, requires one to let go of one’s individualism and embrace help from fellow quilters. Making these quilts during the pandemic offered a way for me to be home alone surrounded by colour and texture and to create comforting blankets. If these creations live the life they were meant to live when created, they will bring comfort to all who hold them.” Holly and fellow quilter and co-curator, Eileen Lovett will speak informally about their work from 10:30-11:15. Outside and under the tent, Lucienne Brown of Three Creeks Farm NH will be available to talk to about her Dorset Sheep, different wool fibers and how wool is processed. Lucy is dedicated to raising the amiable and prolific Horned Dorset Sheep at her local Dana Hill farm. She welcomes and teaches student groups about animal behavior and wool processing. Joining her will be Elizabeth Humphrey of Temple who will demonstrate how to spin fiber into yarn as well as different dyeing techniques and Margaret Hoyle of Bristol will bring her antique sock machine and demonstrate how that was used to make socks. There will also be informal discussions by all three of these presenters inside the Meeting House on the hour following Holly and Eileen’s talk. The Dana Meeting House was built in 1800 and it was first used in 1802 by the Freewill Baptist movement. It is a fine example of 19th century architecture and the only one of its kind in New Hampshire. It was included in the National Register of Historic Places in 2000. Dana Meeting House Association is a 501c3 formed in 2019 to protect and preserve the historic Dana Meeting House in New Hampton, New Hampshire. A dedicated group of volunteers oversees the building and programs and they are always looking for new volunteers. To learn more about this unique building and upcoming events, please visit the website at danameetinghouse.org or to see more photos from past events please visit the Facebook page at Dana Meeting House Association.