Tuesday, January 3, 2012

Basket Weaving at Oil and Cotton

Basket weaving is the process of weaving unspun vegetable fibers into a basket or other similar form. Traditional basketry is made from a variety of fibrous or pliable materials including pine straw, stems, animal hair, hide, grasses, thread, and wood.

Next Saturday, Jan 11 from 10-3pm, students will learn an open weave pattern and make a functional bulb basket in one class day. The basket is woven in the round in your lap and takes on a beautiful organic shape.  This is a wonderful beginning level basket weaving class, all levels are welcome. Visit our website to preregister online.
The basket begins by making a star pattern of reeds that are held in place with a weight. Then a small thin reed is woven around and around to form the bulbous body of the basket.
A pretty leather strap is added so that the basket can hang from a door knob or hook. The open weave basket ends up looking like this...BEAUTIFUL!
Jan has developed a series of classes for Oil and Cotton that will be taught monthly. Students interested in gaining a deeper understanding of this beautiful craft should consider registering for:

Large Market Basket - Feb 11
Double D Basket - March 25
Bicycle Basket - April 21
New England Tote - May 19
Summer classes coming soon!

1 comment:

  1. So nice to see you teaching my original design Onion Basket from 1985 in the basketry class, but I'm wondering why you didn't call it such? I've been teaching this one and the companion garlic basket for years and selling the patterns. With its twining open weave, garlic and onions keep for weeks, because they get good air circulation. The pattern was published first as a free pattern that I submitted to Basket Bits magazine back in 1988! Great job there gals! The Wicker Woman--Cathryn Peters

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