Harvest Baskets in Willow-FULL

Harvest Baskets in Willow: An Introduction to Round Stake and Strand Willow Weaving

Jes Clark

Thursday, September 8th- Friday, September 9th

9:00am – 5:00pm

Workshop Overview

In this workshop, students learn and practice traditional weaving techniques while creating beautiful and functional harvesting baskets. Students will use an innately colorful selection of willows cultivated at Sanborn Mills and Willow Vale Farms. Students will also learn about the cultivation and processing of this historically important natural material. Our baskets will be built from a round base with weaves mostly in the European tradition, including pairing, waling, randing and woven borders. Every student’s basket will be different! This class is suitable for beginners wanting to learn a base of weaving knowledge or intermediate weavers looking to improve skills and control. Care and use of finished pieces will be discussed in class.

Willow is a stronger more tension-y material than many other basketry materials, strong hands are recommended for this course. 

Skills + Techniques

Students will learn:

• An introduction to several weaving techniques/patterns:
  • Pairing/reverse pairing
  • Three-rod wale and four-rod wale
  • A variety of “side weaves” including French randing, English randing, slewing, packing, and zig-zag weave
  • Woven rod borders
• Learning the “feel” of weaving with willow, a unique material in the US
• Learning the use of willow weaving specific tools: Bodkin, Rapping Iron, Fid, Shaping ties and hoops, Clippers in a willow context
• Identifying willow in weaving and learning the growth/processing of willow for weaving
• Creating functional and beautiful 3D shapes

Instructor

Jes Clark

Tools + Materials

Students should bring:

• All materials will be supplied
• Students may bring the following tools if they already have them: bodkin, high-quality sharp pruners (Felco or similar), rapping iron, fid, conditioning tool (a perfect cylinder with no seams, appx 3” in diameter, usually a reusable water bottle/thermos or spray can), 2-4lb weights

Material Fee:

• $25.00 – $50.00 paid at time of workshop

COVID-19 

• Please read our COVID-19 Policy prior to registering
• We are honoring each instructor’s specific COVID-19 safety requests. For this workshop, your instructor requires all students to be vaccinated. Your instructor also reserves the right to require additional safety requirements depending on the state of the pandemic at the time of the workshop.

Housing + Meals

Housing and meals will be available on-site in 2022. Please see our Housing page for options.

175.00 / per student

Address

7097 Sanborn Road
Loudon, New Hampshire 03307

Call Us

(603) 435-7314

Email Us

molly@sanbornmills.org
info@sanbornmills.org