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Let’s Explore… Basketry techniques
September 25 2022 @ 10:00 AM - 3:00 PM
Like all of our “Let’s Explore…” days, this is a day for us to play and learn from each other. No one person is “the teacher”. The main idea is to have the opportunity to spend time with like-minded people doing the “arty textile things” we all enjoy!
Please feel free to bring whatever you want to work on if you don’t want to play around with basketry techniques.
A day to explore basketry techniques
The traditional art of basketry makes use of natural materials, including young twigs from trees and shrubs like willow, plant roots, grape or honeysuckle vines, and a wide variety of grasses. Various methods include weaving, twining and coiling.
Many textile artists use these techniques to create texture and interest in their work. Come along to explore the options and perhaps make a small coiled and stitched textile vessel!
Your inspiration
- A Google search on textile basketry will reveal great images and inspiration!
- TextileArtist.org is particularly good for ideas of techniques and materials other artists use.
- Interview with Polly Pollock on her unconventional basketry
Coiled baskets
Stitching and Beyond member, Josephine, has kindly offered to share her techniques for coiling with textiles. These are examples of the two styles of basket she has made:
coiled
coiled and stitched
Materials to bring
- Some sort of rope to use as a core – Josephine uses cotton cord, but anything you have available is fine.
- Fabric scraps cut into strips to wind around the core. For stitched baskets woven fabric is better, but old t-shirts can be turned into yarn to make a chunkier basket.
- Scissors
- Embroidery thread, string or yarn for the stitched basket
- Needles:
- For the chunkier basket a blunt-tipped needle like a tapestry needle, with a very large eye to thread the fabric through
- For the stitched basket a sharper needle with a big eye, like a darning needle.
- Josephine will bring along some materials to share!
- $15 fee payable on the day (you can do a direct deposit if you don’t have cash)
- Lunch and tea/coffee makings (there are places to buy food and drink close by)
Have you worked with basketry techniques? For this day to be a success, please bring along previous experiments or samples to share any experience you have.
Haven’t done this before? Come along with what you have to explore. People are always generous and will help fill in the gaps of knowledge or materials.
What more can we say except come along to experiment and play with other members!
Please note: non-members will need to join us to be covered by insurance.