On Saturday, Oct. 15, Quaker Valley Visual Arts Department conducted "Weaving Together Communities," a fabric arts fair/fund-raiser to benefit the victims of the recent hurricanes. Visitors to the fair, which was held at Osborne Elementary School, were asked to make a donation upon entering the fair in the multi-purpose room.

The event raised $700.20, which will be added to more than $16,000 raised thus far by QV students, staff and families for the American Red Cross and the Salvation Army.

During the fair, visitors were able to see demonstrations of crafts such as weaving, spinning, knitting and batik and participate in hands-on activities, such as weaving, felting, tie-dying and silk screening.

Especially popular was a demonstration on creating the fabric dolls.

Dozens of parents, high school student and QV faculty volunteered for the project.

Members of the QV community offered their fabric arts skills in displays and demonstrations. These included Sandy Smailer, weaving; Katie Dickinson, knitting; Amy Karst, knitting; Lydia Sopp, knitting; Molly Wicker, 4th grade student, knitting; and Gigi Skapik, of Dundee Farms, felting.

Of special interest was a quilt by Mary Ann Klussman, which had been on display in the Gulf Coast area when Hurricane Katrina hit New Orleans and returned undamaged.

"Weaving Communities Together" was conceived and organized by Quaker Valley School District art teachers, Lynn Sopp, Nina Strelec, Jeff Evancho, Robin Russell, Jeremy Pidhirny, Joe Vrbanic and Joanna Abel.