What We Do at Prairie Inspirations
At Prairie Inspirations, our work is inspired by the simple pleasure of prairie living and farm life that surrounds our home in Northeast Kansas.
Hi! My name is Kay McCoy, resident fiber artist and teacher. I love all kinds of fiber and heritage arts including: soapmaking, spinning, weaving, dyeing, felting, knitting, knooking, tunisian crochet, needlework, needle felting, and knitwear design inspired by the
prairie that surrounds us. Because I am passionate about fiber and heritage arts, I look for opportunities to teach what I enjoy.
My husband, David McCoy, is a blacksmith who enjoys sharing and teaching his skills. He also operates a sawmill that he built from scratch and saws logs from the timber on our farm. He builds unique items from the lumber he produces. He is also venturing into repairing and restoring spinning wheels and is an all-around handy person to have in such a venture as Prairie Inspirations.
Welcome to my Studio
(or my mess!)
- Kay A. McCoy
Fiber Arts
Kay McCoy is our resident fiber artist. She loves all things fiber and enjoys Needle Felting, Wet Felting, Spinning, Weaving, Knitting, Knooking, Tunisian Crochet, Dyeing (particularly with prairie plants), Needlework, Locker Hooking and loves learning new fiber arts techniques
Blacksmithing
David McCoy learned blacksmithing from a blacksmith who was still employed in the trade in the mid 1970's where he learned to sharpen plow shares and other farm-related metal work. David makes campfire sets, dinner bells with strikers, fire pokers, forks, fireplace sets and many other items. He taught his two sons, Travis and Tim to blacksmith. Travis makes shawl pins and other intricate items. Tim makes knives and detailed leaves.
Sawmilling and Woodworking
David built his own sawmill and harvest logs from our timber on our farm to saw into lumber for all kinds of projects from shelves to benches and more utilitarian lumber for building.
Workshops and Classes
David and Kay teach workshops and classes in several heritage and fiber arts - Blacksmithing, Soapmaking, Natural Dyeing, Spinning, Weaving, Fiber Preparation, Needle Felting, Knitting, Knooking, and Tunisian Crochet, and many other fiber arts.
Knitwear Design
Kay designs knitwear inspired by the prairie that surrounds her and her family. This design is Baby Begonia, a smaller version of an earlier sweater pattern called Dirt Road Begonia.
Heritage Craft Demonstrations
David and Kay love heritage arts/crafts and do demonstrations in Blacksmithing, Soapmaking, Spinning, Weaving and Natural Dyeing.