Instructor: Dianne Stanton
Materials Fee: $155
Explore the interplay of form, material and the method of making baskets with elm bark and sweetgrass. Start by learning to clean, divide and cut elm bark from harvested strips, while discussing the harvest and preparation of both sweet grass and elm bark. Using the bark that you have prepared, the basket starts with a simple twill base and moves up the sides using a Native American technique called “between-weave twining”. The finishing technique of adding a collar will be done with a choice of t-twining several rows of fragrant sweetgrass or an elm bark rim.
Additionally, a second basket using sweetgrass can be created, using coiling techniques incorporating purchased or found pieces of wood and stitched with waxed linen. Open to all levels. Previous knowledge of twining is helpful, but not necessary.
In this workshop, students will learn
- Weaving a 2/2 twill base
- Twining
- Between-weave twining
- Preparation of elm bark for weaving from raw bark off the tree
- Ti-twining and doing a rim
- Thinking about the properties of a material both wet and dry
- Maximizing technique to use those properties by altering technique for maximum strength of desired product
- Coiling a small basket with straight stitch while learning a simple coiling technique
- How to make a very supple material stronger by how it is manipulated
Materials Fee: $155
Materials included in materials fee:
- Elm bark to be prepared
- Elm bark already prepared
- Sweetgrass
- Waxed linen
- Wood bases (pre-drilled)
- Printed directions
Tools that will be provided for you:
- Soaking tubs
- Towels
- Rug hooking cutters
- Drill and bits
Tools you will need to bring:
- Awl
- Scissors
- Diagonal cutting pliers
- Pencil(s)
- Tape measure
- Small towel
- Apron