Evelyn Ajelabi of Madison is wapped in wearable art of the woven variety. The berry-colored "Mobius" silk shawl by weaver Marcy Petrini forms a soft and rich wrap, tilting saucily off one shoulder.
"I love the color combination. I think you can tell it's nature-inspired," says Ajelabi.
It's also warm. "I keep wanting to snuggle in," Ajelabi says, chuckling as she tucks her hands underneath its cozy folds.
Fine handmade crafts on display and sale at this weekend's Chimneyville Crafts Festival don't just go on a shelf, in the yard, on the wall or in a window. A sizeable amount will go on a person. Scarves, hats, shawls, handbags, earrings, bracelets and necklaces deliver an artisanal touch of the portable and personal sort.
The 32nd annual holiday market for the Craftsmen's Guild of Mississippi is Friday through Sunday at the Mississippi Trade Mart in Jackson. About 10,000 people come to shop over the festival's three days.
This year marks the largest market to date, with 190 booths. Leather, glass, fiber, ceramics, wood, stone, metal and more are honed by craftsmen's skill, passion and imagination into an enticing and eclectic array of fine crafts.
Forty new guild members will be among the exhibitors. "It adds new blood," says Julia Daily, the guild's executive director. "People from all over the country want to be part of this guild." While 19 states are represented in the guild, 80 percent of its members come from Mississippi.
A special silent auction this year accepts sealed bids for a new Caterpillar lift truck donated by Daily Equipment Company, valued at $50,000. Bids (submitted at the festival, by e-mail to julia@mscrafts.org or by calling (601) 856-7546) will be opened at 4 p.m. Sunday. Patrons also can buy chances for a Greg Harkins chair ($1,500 value) for $5 each.
For the second year, Cellular South will present the Excellence in Crafts Awards - recognizing three fine craftsmen with $4,500 total in cash awards.
For the first time, a food court will be available for the public at the festival Saturday and Sunday, with Fresh Cut by Wendy Putt as caterer.
Shuttles will run from the Jackson festival to the Mississippi Craft Center in Ridgeland at 30-minute intervals all day on Saturday.
For fine craft aficionados, the works at Chimneyville and the craft center shop represent a creative vision, an individual touch and a connection to the craftsman or craftswoman.
"The first thing that attracts me usually is the color, and the second thing is the texture. And when you get those two together, it really makes a statement and pulls me right to it," says Gwendolyn Magee of Jackson, a textile artist.
Magee's hand stretches out to feel an ivory wool and linen shawl made by Jean Sparkes, her fingers investigating its soft checkerboard of plain and puckered texture.
"There's something about something that's handmade," Magee says. "You're not going to find it replicated over and over and over again."
Angela Goodman of Brandon is also drawn to the feel of fiber, admiring the skill and patience that go into the crafts. "We all like to touch stuff," she says, donning a newsboy cap made by Marva Goodman.
"I do like to wear my mother-in-law's hats," she says with a grin. "I have animals that live outside. We go walkin' in the wintertime and the hats come in handy."
Paige Holliday of Jackson makes brightly colored, handpainted canvas purses and reversible cuffs. Customers can get in on the creative end, selecting the style and colors they want in a "What's Your Pursenality?" process.
Such items suit individuals who don't want a cookie-cutter, assembly-line look.
"It's something they have that not everybody can pick up at a store," Holliday says.
That's a big part of the charm. "It's difficult to believe that these days that you can walk in some place and everything there is handmade," says Daily, who'd rather see the brown box signifying a Craftsmen's Guild gift than the signature blue of Tiffany under the tree.
"We've gotten so used to so many imports and big box stores. ... Here, you know it's made by the craftsmen. You see them standing there in the booth.
"I think that makes it much more special."
