The SFFA is a loosely connected group of individuals and guilds in the Southeast that is the umbrella organization for the conference which is called "the Southeast Fiber Forum".
The Fiber Forum is a conference offering educational workshops and seminars to fiber artists throughout the Southeastern Region of the United States. The first Fiber Forum was held in Aiken, South Carolina in 1986. The formal organization of the SFFA did not take place until after the 1991 Fiber Forum hosted by the Yonah Mountain Guild in Helen, GA.
The association was established to foster cooperation among individuals and organized guilds in the fiber arts in the Southeast region and to encourage creativity and excellence of craftsmanship in the Fiber Arts. It obtained its not-for-profit, 501 c3, status in 1994 and is an educational, no-profit, non-commercial and non-political association. The states that comprise the area of SFFA are: Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maryland, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee and Virginia. Membership for individuals is $5.00/lifetime membership; and for guilds - $25.00/lifetime membership.
The present board is made up of six people: Five "at-large" members, one of whom is elected treasurer, and another is secretary, and a Fiber Forum chairman, representing the previous hosting guild.
Marjorie L. Warren, a native of Cambuslang, Scotland, studied art at Hamilton Academy and worked as a carpet designer before coming to the United States where she studied weaving with Catherine Ellis. Specializing in tartan design and weaving, she has designed and woven tartans for colleges, golf clubs, pipe bands and individuals. She is a member of the Southern Highland Crafts Guild, the Western North Carolina Fibers/Handweavers Guild, and the Southeastern Fiber Forum. She has been honored for her work by the Scottish Heritage Center at St. Andrews College in North Carolina and by the Scottish Society of Antiquaries. Marjorie is a frequent teacher and demonstrator on Scottish culture, weaving, and cooking at Scottish Highland Games, public schools and colleges, and at John C. Campbell Folk School. She lives in Lake Junaluska, NC where she designs and weaves for her company, Thistle Studio. When not weaving you will find her on the tennis courts where she plays on three USTA tennis leagues! Marjorie can be reached at 1mwarren@bellsouth.net.
Susan Vezina has been a fiber junkie since childhood. She knitted and sewed through high school, college and beyond. She always wanted to weave and got her first floor loom in 1996. She's still trying out weave structures but keeps returning to twills for household textiles, accessories and liturgical items. Memberships include WNC Handweavers, Weavers of Orlando, Florida Tropical Weavers, HGA, WARP, Complex Weavers and of course SFFA. Susan can be reached at sffatreasurer@gmail.com
Dee Medley grew up in Wisconsin and Illinois where she learned to knit very young (and used up every bit of her cold-tolerance). She spent her early adulthood as an art major, then converted to become a computer science professor. But she has returned to her fiber roots and now is a confirmed spin- and knit-aholic living in Augusta, Georgia. Dee can be reached at dmedley@aug.edu
Kim Wall is from Atlanta and has been involved with various crafts (crocheting, knitting, embroidery, needlepoint and tatting) since she was a child. She learned to spin and joined the Peachtree Handspinners Guild in 1988. A few years later she added weaving to her list of crafts (and started adding even more stuff to her extensive stash). Her first fiber forum was in 1989 in Atlanta. She has missed only a few forums since then. She loves taking workshops and reading books about various crafts, even though she already has enough projects to keep her busy for the next 100 years! Kim can be reached at klmwall@bellsouth.net.
Jan Quarles learned to knit at age six and the fiber fever never went away. She's been weaving, spinning and knitting on and off since the 70s and recently opened her small fiber dyeing business, Daily Fibers. In another life, she's a professor and writer. She spins with an informal guild and works on Middle Tennessee's fiber events. Jan can be reached at jquarles@mtsu.org. Send large files or photos for the newsletter to Jan37129@yahoo.com
Judi Jetson weaves, spins, dyes, knits, makes paper, prints, paints and embellishes fabric for fun and also loves to teach all these things. Judi recruited Convergence to Tampa in 2008, organized the community exhibits and co-owned a fine craft gallery with her husband in Ybor City. Her day job is at the University of South Florida where she creates research partnerships with the community. Judi can be reached at judi@judijetson.com
For additional information about SFFA, write