The Ailsa Craig Arts Centre is thrilled to welcome Johnny Suderman to teach at our site this January!
In this class we will be making Oval Shopping Baskets. This is a two day class that is open to experienced begginers/intermediate level weavers. If you have made some baskets with willow, and are feeling comfortable with basic concepts of stake and strand willow weaving, this class is open to you. This will be an opportunity to gain some experience working with willow, try out a more complex shape, build on your current experience, and develop your methods with some room for exploration with guidance from an experienced basket weaver.
We will start by making a french oval base, inserting our stakes and filling out our bases to the final size (9”x12” approx.) with three rod waling, before upsetting our stakes. We will be setting our stakes securely upright with another set of three rod waling. We can then untie and explore different options for side filling techniques, determined by materials we have available, and desired finished height etc. The intention is to finish the basket with a four behind two border or similar, add in our handle cores, wrap the handle cores and secure firmly with a herringbone finish.
Time permitting we can learn how to add on a removable/replaceable foot, which is a great option to add serviceability to a basket that can be quite functional and handy to use.
This is a fairly condensed class, and participants can expect to put in a lot of focused energy in order to finish the basket in the two days allotted (weaving is 9-5 both days, with an hour or so pause for lunch, and breaks of course as needed to be determined by individuals present). Although the expectation is for participants to finish within class hours, the instructor can be available after class for an opportunity to catch up. If needed other arrangements can be made to ensure participants can finish their baskets, either with in person guidance, or from a distance.
Materials List:
Students are encouraged to bring their own carving knife, bodkin, wrapping iron, secateurs and/or sidecutters if they have them, but the instructor can provide extra if needed)
Kit Costs:
There is a $50 materials fee payable to the instructor at the beginning of class. This may be payable by cash or e transfer
Accessibility:
This is a fairly large and potentially taxing project unless you are an experienced weaver or are regularly doing physically demanding tasts. Although the average person would not likely be pressed to finish, during the weaving process there is a lot being asked of hands and fingers specifically and if participants have medical conditions involving their hand/arms or wrists, this project could prove to be extra challenging, and may aggravate, or worsen these conditions.
Past participants have often commented that weaving was much more strenuous than expected both physically/cardiovascularly, on a few occasions there have been people who have gotten blisters. Until experience is gained, some amount of discomfort can be considered normal, and the instructor encourages open communication regarding any difficulties that are encountered so that alternative methods and techniques can be explored.