Fiber Arts February has arrived

Fiber Arts February has arrived and we have some fantastic things for you to enjoy all month at your Washington Public Library. This annual celebration is possible with the help of those in the community who have a love and appreciation for fiber and textiles and are willing to share their talents and pieces. This year we are offering a large number of exhibits and several workshops that are all free and open to the public. We kick off the month with Sticks & Strings at noon on Friday, February 6. Participants can bring their own crochet, knitting, and sewing projects, etc. to work on and enjoy fellowship with other fiber artists. Also, on Feb. 6 we will be featuring Grace Tully in a Living Window. Grace is a spinner and weaver and will be demonstrating spinning yarn in the front windows of the library from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. She is also planning two other dates for the Living Window, which includes Feb. 21 from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. and Feb. 26 from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m., so you will have lots of opportunities to see her spin. For workshops, we are hosting two, 3-part sessions of Sewing a Foundation Piecing Quilt Block with Jean Frazer in the Make IT Place. The first session is already full, but we still have spots available on Feb. 17-19 at 5 p.m. for learning how to sew a “Candy Heart Box” quilt block using a foundation piecing technique. Register on our February events calendar. There are 6 spots available and you need to be certified on our machines to take this class. If you are not yet certified, participants can simply come at 4:30 p.m. on the first day of class for a lesson in threading our machines and winding the bobbin

On Saturday, Feb. 21 at 9:30 a.m. we will offer Clever Little Books with Mary Patterson. Participant will each make a small, hardbound, blank book from start to finish, with your choice of cover designs and page color. Free and all materials will be provided, but if you have paste papers or scrapbook papers you’d like to use for your cover, bring it. Actual examples of this book form are on display at GunnySac Designs on the north side of the square in Washington. There are 12 spots available for this workshop and you can register on our February events on the website at www.washington.lib.ia.us.

The library is excited to be focusing this year on a large variety of fiber arts exhibits during the month. Artist Erik Jon Olson returns to the Helen Wilson Gallery on the second level of the library with a new exhibit, From Refuse to Resource. Using quilted plastic waste, Olson merges environmental advocacy with contemporary art. His work challenges viewers to reconsider not only their relationship to plastic, but also to consumerism, mass consumption, and capitalism. His entire process follows a practice of minimal waste. Using secondhand sewing machines, each piece is assembled entirely from discarded plastics and overstock or leftover thread. He even saves every bit of scrap for incorporation into future works, reinforcing the message of sustainability in the art itself. The results are amazingly beautiful “quilts.” We are fortunate to have this exhibit from February-March of 2026.

In our lower level gallery, Art Underground, we are featuring Grace Tully and Leslie Bruch. Both artists are weavers and also practice other fiber arts. Beauty/Useful by Grace Tully will showcase everyday objects such as rugs, towels, shawls, and scarves that are handmade at a slow pace that allows her to have joy in the fibers and tools she uses to knit, sew, spin, and weave. She is also displaying some of her gorgeous homespun yarn.

Leslie Bruch is primarily a weaver and her exhibit is titled The Curious Weaver: a Journey in Tapestry. She will display handwoven tapestry created on traditional looms, incorporating non-traditional and castoff materials. Her intricate pieces will showcase beauty in the overlooked. Both Tully and Bruch’s exhibits will be up during the month of February.

Our foyer display, The Possibility of Beads by Sandy Lnenicka, will overflow into our second level Siegle cabinet. This exhibit will present mind-boggling pieces in bead weaving and design, including not only jewelry but also sculptures. Every piece is made from simple fishing line, beads, needle and thread, but the results are far from simple. They are extravagant and elegant.

The WPL continues its partnership with Art Domestique during Fiber Arts February. Mary Kay Hymes returns to show off another quilt exhibit, but this time they are wearable! Stop by the Art Domestique Gallery during the month to view Artistically Created Quilted Wearable Jackets. You will be amazed at her creativity and artistry.

Last year I began the tradition of a Community Fiber Art Project with Hoopla, and this year we have created a new project with the Bubbleverse! Early in the summer of 2025, we put out a call for fiber artists to create “bubbles, orbs, globes, spheres” etc. from fiber. We received more than 36 fun and colorful “bubbles” that were recently assembled into one gigantic art piece hanging in the skylight shaft at the library. Patrons can view it from the first level looking up or the second level looking down It is a dreamy, bold and vibrant exhibit. Stop by and get lost in the Bubbleverse!

Also every year, the regular group of Sticks and Stringers unveil a whimsical exhibit for children and adults alike to enjoy. We have been hard at work over the past months creating Fantazmo, a magical world complete with a castle, dragons, fairies, imps, and unicorns. Make sure to bring your kids and enter in the drawing to win some of those fun fiber pieces.

Stop by the Washington Public Library or call 653-2726 if you have any questions about the upcoming events and exhibits and celebrate Fiber Arts February 2026 with us!