They came together just a year ago, five retired women from Schuylkill and Berks counties who share a love of making clothes from wool.
They named themselves the BAAAhd Girls, a reference to the sheep that supply their source material, and they started working, practicing and creating together during weekly three-hour sessions at the Walk In Art Center in Schuylkill Haven.
Three of the women are former teachers and another a guidance counselor, so it made sense that part of their mission was to educate others on how to turn natural fibers into wearable pieces of art.
But they also wanted to find out just how good they were, so they took their competitive spirit and entered a few regional contests.
That was in preparation, though, for their biggest test — this year’s Pennsylvania Farm Show sheep to shawl competition in Harrisburg.
Margi Wright spins strands together while at the Walk In Art Center in Schuylkill Haven, Wednesday, Jan. 15, 2025. (MATTHEW PERSCHALL/MULTIMEDIA EDITOR)
Squaring off against six teams from across the state that had much more experience together, the rookie BAAAhd Girls took their talents to the farm show arena, where the contest was held Jan. 8.
They had 2. 5 hours from the time their Corriedale sheep was shorn to take that pile of fleece and turn it into a large shawl with specific measurements so judges could examine it for craftmanship, design, artistry, precision and quality.
Sitting in a tight circle with a crowd watching, they focused on using their time most efficiently, having even designed a new plying machine to help save precious minutes.
When the spinning, flicking and weaving was done, the judges made their announcement.
The BAAAhd Girls had finished third in Pennsylvania, quite the accomplishment for the first ever Schuylkill County group to enter the contest.
Mary Seay, Hana Vojtechova, Kim Morgan, Margi Wright and Lorraine Felker (collectively the BAAAhd Girls) stand with their third place shall and ribbon while at the Walk In Art Center in Schuylkill Haven, Wednesday, Jan. 15, 2025. (MATTHEW PERSCHALL/MULTIMEDIA EDITOR)
“Our goal was to finish on time and not finish last, but we did much better than that,” said Lorraine Felker of Walker Township, a retired Schuylkill Haven School District superintendent and one of the BAAAhd Girls.
Considering that the winning team has been together for 30 years, and the second-place team for 20 years, their third-place finish was indeed impressive.
Felker’s teammates are Kim Morgan of Pine Grove, Mary Seay of Kutztown, and Margi Wright of Tilden Township and Hana Vojtechnova of Lenhartsville, along with two alternates.
They all have their specific roles in the shawl-making process, but all are able to do each of the jobs in case they need to jump in.
“It took a lot of teamwork,” Felker said. “It was phenomenal what we accomplished together.”
Wright said the announcement that they’d finished third was a thrill.
“I burst into tears,” she said.
Kim Morgan flicks the fleece fibers, a process done to make the fibers ready for spinning, while at the Walk In Art Center in Schuylkill Haven, Wednesday, Jan. 15, 2025. (MATTHEW PERSCHALL/MULTIMEDIA EDITOR)
Also contributing to the effort was Roger Bowman of Lenhartsville, who raised the award-winning sheep they used for fleece at the farm show, and Chris Stitzel, the shearer.
Their shawl’s design was based on their theme of “Looking Through Nature’s Window,” and resembles a series of windowpanes, each containing a different color produced by natural dyes.
The shawl was auctioned off for $1,000, which the team will spend on materials for next year’s show, since they plan to enter the competition annually.
Mary Seay grabs a handful of fleece to flick, a process done to make the fibers ready for spinning, while at the Walk In Art Center in Schuylkill Haven, Wednesday, Jan. 15, 2025. (MATTHEW PERSCHALL/MULTIMEDIA EDITOR)
The buyer was the Red Lion Cafe & Restaurant near Pine Grove, which will display it and plans to have the team on-hand at 6 p.m. on Jan. 31. They will talk about how others can learn skills in the fiber arts field at the Walk In Art Center, where they give instruction in various specialties.
On a recent day at the Walk In, Morgan was wearing a bucket on her head, a reference to why the competition was so important to her.
It had been on her bucket list to win an award at the farm show, an achievement she was able to cross off this month, but now hopes to repeat.
When the team formed, they all committed to spending at least three years together, but now they’re having so much fun that they anticipate exceeding that timeframe.
Lorraine Felker sits at the loom while at the Walk In Art Center in Schuylkill Haven, Wednesday, Jan. 15, 2025. (MATTHEW PERSCHALL/MULTIMEDIA EDITOR)
“This is a great group of people,” Morgan said. “And we all want to see the fiber arts carry on. We’re looking forward to seeing what the next generation can do.”