🌸🧺🫛 Step away from the busyness, and create a truly special basket for yourself. Imagine how it will feel to gather your produce in something you made yourself. Quality takes time.

This is a two-part course where we will sit together in circle - enjoying our connection to Mother Earth, the plants we use and each other - while learning to make a harvest basket using either a twined weave or a random weave. The first workshop will find us creating the structure of the basket, and in the second we will use using twined or random weave to complete the basket.

The course is held over two Sunday mornings from 9.30am -1.30pm:

Sunday, 21st April, 2024

Sunday 28th April, 2024

What you will learn:

Consider collecting plants respectfully and sustainably
Discover the properties of plant materials chosen for weaving.
Create the structure of the basket.
Weave using a twined weave.

What to bring:

Unbreakable bowl to shape your basket around.
Useful tools if you have them – long nosed pliers, sturdy scissors or secateurs, peg, large eyed blunt needle (bodkin)
If you feel you would like to collect materials, suitable weaving materials for the frame include vines such as monkey vine, cats claw, jasmine, wisteria, Palm inflorescence (flower stalks) – that can be bent into a circle without breaking.

Experience level:

This is a safe space for beginners or those who are after a novelty experience as there are no prior skills are needed.

About Betsy Mills:

Betsy spent her early life raising a family, studying, teaching, counselling, learning Shamanic Practice. Leaving the working world has allowed her time and space to do what inspires her; creating from her heart – especially using nature’s bounty to create baskets and other things.

When I began to weave, I was given fibre and shown how to begin. From here a whole new world opened for me and my journey of discovery began. At first, I wasn't aware of this happening .... a bit of a struggle with fibre breaking ... not knowing what to use when I ran out of fibre. I am drawn to find plants that live close to me and lend themselves to be used effectively for weaving. I want to discover the gifts they offer - how pliable they are, how long should I soak the dried ones, which part is best to use? the leaf? the flower stalk?

The best part of what I have learnt is how much I enjoy sharing my discoveries with others - in Library Presentations and Workshops. I’m excited to bring you this workshop and share with you as we journey and learn together.