Cabby’s Beard Oils and Balms are fantastic, well researched, and offer a variety of beard and skincare benefits. One of their more popular balms, deservedly so, is the Egyptian Goddess, made from bergamot, myrrh, and oud.
Lauren Monica | Anson Record
Emily Simon of J and E Homestead gave a lesson in sheering to onlookers. Emily and her husband Joel are Marine Corps veterans that now own and operate the only mini mill in South Carolina.
Lauren Monica | Anson Record
Bridget Prikker of Knitting Owls displayed her whimsical designs at the 2023 Fiber Arts Festival.
Lauren Monica | Anson Record
Spin Up Girl Crystal Hesser, assures no one will fall asleep if they prick their finger on her spindle wheel! Hesser started out knitting but found her niche in spinning.
Lauren Monica | Anson Record
Representing Be “ewe” tiful Fiber Designs, was mother-daughter duo, Dakota Bratcher and Raelyn Bratcher.
Lauren Monica | Anson Record
Lauren Monica | Anson Record
A very impressive young lady, Mikayla Simon, ran the J and E Homestead booth, along with her mother, Emily Simon. A family operation, their farm is located in Heath Springs, SC. They are open M-F from 9-4 and more information on the services they provide can be found on their Facebook page.
Lauren Monica | Anson Record
Owner of NickleMadigan, Erin Elledge, proudly showcases her colorful wares at the 2023 Fiber Arts Festival.
Lauren Monica | Anson Record
Owner of Handwork’s by Shakeeka, Shakeeka Brooks, exhibits her delicately crafted baskets. Brooks started learning how to make baskets while at Wingate University. It came naturally to her and she now offers classes for groups and ladies night out.
Lauren Monica | Anson Record
Crediting her Irish Mother-in-Law as her inspiration, Sheena O’ Shae, showed off several Irish inspired creations as well as reconizable characters like monsters from Where the Wild Things Are.
Lauren Monica | Anson Record
Susan Hallman and Caroline Goins welcomed attendees as they entered the festival.
Lauren Monica | Anson Record
Tammy Diener and Pam Durrett represented PFG, the Piedmont Fiber Guild at the 2023 Fiber Arts Festival.
Lauren Monica | Anson Record
Emily Simon’s, of J and E homestead, farm animal sheering lessons drew crowds both Friday and Saturday.
Lauren Monica | Anson Record
WADESBORO — The first ever Fiber Arts Festival kicked off Friday, September 22, though events ran through Saturday with Heather Edwards, of Studio 256, planning the event.
Crafters from all over proudly displayed their creative wares at the various booths set up for attendees to peruse at their leisure. Crafts even reached far away shores with Shae’s Craic N’ Crafts, inspired by the Irish, and Knitting Owls, whose owner, Bridget Prikker, is originally from Germany.
Sheena O’ Shae, co-owner of Shae’s Craic N’ Crafts, credits her mother-in-law, who is Irish, with the ideas for their crafts. In fact, her mother-in-law was not on hand to show her support as she is currently in Ireland.
A little closer to home, Shakeeka Brooks, who studied at Wingate College, came to show off and sell her beautiful hand-made baskets. She calls her business, Hand Works by Shakeeka, and offers hand woven basketry, children’s books, prints, quilts, jewelry and more.
“I learned in college and it just came naturally to me,” Brooks said of her craft.
Brooks offers weaving classes where students learn the basic steps of making a coiled basket, how to create a basic stitch, and shape your basket. All materials are supplied; the course cost is $40 and lasts for three hours. Lessons are a great idea for group events and ladies nights.
Spin Up Girl Fibers owner Crystal Hesser says she first learned about spinning through watching a video online.
“I started out knitting. It took too long and I hated everything I made,” Hesser states modestly. Finding luck with non-traditional techniques, Hesser started spinning, and never looked back.
“It is so fun and easy… anyone can do it,” shares Hesser.
Michelle Cabrera and her father, Mike Cabrera, teamed up to start Cabby’s Beard Oil and Balm.
“I got started because of my brother… everything he tried for his beard was too oily or too drying. I got to work researching different essential oils, their benefits, and how they interact with each other,” explained Michelle Cabrera.
In addition to their beard oil, Michelle Cabrera, who has eczema, started developing balms to aid other sufferers of dry skin. The father-daughter duo, out of Huntersville, has been entrepreneurs of beard oils and balms for three years now.
J & E Homestead, who specializes in farm to wheel fibers, involves the whole family in their operation. Owners and veterans, Emily and Joel Simon, provided one of the main attractions, sheering some of their farm animals live at the event. During the informative sheering process, the Simons left their booth in the capable, polite hands of their daughter, Mikayla Simon.
“We are the only mini mill in South Carolina,” states Mikayla proudly. “My parents raise, sheer, and process all in the mill.”
Flush from the success of the event, Heather Edwards, is considering hosting a similar event during the holiday season. The Fiber Arts Festival, now annual, will be held next year September 20-21, 2024.
Reach Lauren Monica at (704) 994-5471 or lmonica@ansonrecord.com