The skill of the shearer was evident at the shearing demonstration at the Sheep to Shawl event at the Willamette Heritage Center on May 6, 2023. (Laura Tesler/Special to Salem Reporter)
There was a warm welcoming crescendo on entering the Dye House at Willamette Heritage Center at the Sheep to Shawl event on Saturday, May 6. This was the sound of weavers, sewers, lacemakers, knitters, carders, and the fiber arts community working together in a happy wave of creative energy that was on display for the public.
A historical actor spins wool at the Willamette Heritage Center during the Sheep to Shawl event on May 6, 2023. (Laura Tesler/Special to Salem Reporter)
Outside the Dye House there were toy duck races, baby goats and lambs, madrigal singers, folk music, storytelling, delicious treats from Dutch oven cooking to sample, old cars, a sheep shearing demonstration, and other live demonstration for visitors to enjoy at the annual celebration of fiber arts. Excitement was particularly high for the toy duck races on Mill Creek where everyone hoped their duck was the one that finished first.
An added attraction was volunteers dressed in period costume from the old Aurora colony for visitors to interact with in the various historic buildings on the Willamette Heritage Center campus.
Visitors were especially drawn into the live sheep shearing demonstrations where the skill of the shearer was especially apparent when presented with different breeds of sheep that have different lengths of wool and body size.
Su Fennem of the Salem Millstream Knitting Guild shows what sweater every well-dressed doll will be wearing this fall at the Willamette Heritage Center on May 6, 2023. (Laura Tesler/Special to Salem Reporter) A historical actor knits at the Willamette Heritage Center during the Sheep to Shawl event on May 6, 2023. (Laura Tesler/Special to Salem Reporter) A lamb at the Sheep to Shawl event at the Willamette Heritage Center on May 6, 2023. (Laura Tesler/Special to Salem Reporter) A member of the Trails End Dutch Oven Society shows off what’s for lunch later during the Sheep to Shawl event at the Willamette Heritage Center on May 6, 2023. (Laura Tesler/Special to Salem Reporter)Jim Crabtree from Spin 2 Weave studio weaves at the Sheep to Shawl event at the Willamette Heritage Center on May 6, 2023. (Laura Tesler/Special to Salem Reporter) The results are worth it, but tatting (lacemaking) is not for the faint of heart as seen by this example at the Sheep to Shawl event at the Willamette Heritage Center on May 6, 2023. (Laura Tesler/Special to Salem Reporter)Careful exacting work is the nature of hand sewing for these wool pieces for an appliqué piece during the Sheep to Shawl at the Willamette Heritage Center event on May 6, 2023. (Laura Tesler/Special to Salem Reporter) Visitors look at the many fiber arts exhibits inside the Dye House during the Sheep to Shawl event at the Willamette Heritage Center on May 6, 2023. (Laura Tesler/Special to Salem Reporter) Entrants in the rubber duck race cheer on their entries in the race during the Sheep to Shawl event at the Willamette Heritage Center on May 6, 2023. (Laura Tesler/Special to Salem Reporter) Picking the right rubber duck was an essential choice during the Sheep to Shawl event at the Willamette Heritage Center on May 6, 2023. (Laura Tesler/Special to Salem Reporter) Petting a lamb was a special pleasure for visitors at the Sheep to Shawl event at the Willamette Heritage Center on May 6, 2023. (Laura Tesler/Special to Salem Reporter)A nanny goat and her two kids were popular with visitors at the Sheep to Shawl event at the Willamette Heritage Center on May 6, 2023. (Laura Tesler/Special to Salem Reporter) Clearing the wool away after the sheep were shown at Sheep to Shawl event at the Willamette Heritage Center on May 6, 2023. (Laura Tesler/Special to Salem Reporter) Watching sheep get sheared was of interest for visitors at the Sheep to Shawl event at the Willamette Heritage Center on May 6, 2023. (Laura Tesler/Special to Salem Reporter)Sheep at Willamette Heritage Center’s Sheep to Shawl event on Saturday, May 6 (Laura Tesler/Special to Salem Reporter)
Correction: This article initially referred to Willamette Heritage Center incorrectly as Willamette Mission in multiple photo captions. Salem Reporter apologizes for the error.
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Laura Tesler has lived in Salem, Oregon for 20 years and is originally from Flint, MI. Laura has been an underwater photographer for 15 years, and is an avid scuba diver. Topside, she has been taking photographs since age 12, and currently works on assignment for the Salem Reporter, and full time purchasing land for fish and wildlife habitat in the Willamette Valley. Laura attended Oregon State University, and has traveled extensively all over the world and the United States.
