Willow weaving club

This 6-week course is designed for absolute beginners, introducing them to the traditional craft of willow weaving. The course will be held at the Fenland Orchard Project on Thursday afternoons through October, November, and December. Comprising of x6 3hr workshops led by local basket maker, Danny Seeley. Starting with some very simple projects and working towards creating a finished basket by the end of the 6 weeks.

Week 1. October 15th Getting to know the material.Understanding the attributes as well as the limitations of the chosen medium.Primarily working on jigs and getting familiar with pairing and track borders.PROJECTS - Small garden features including bird feeders and wind winders.

Week 2. October 29th A strong foundation.Foundational skills for creating a round willow base.Continuing on from what was learnt in week 1, students will focus on pairing weave, symmetry, and equidistant spacing.PROJECT - Sunflower

Week 3. November 12th Starting the basket.Creating a strong round base is essential for a good basket. Applying what was learnt in weeks 1&2, students will be shown how to refine and perfect the basics.PROJECT - Round base

Week 4. November 26th The upset, sides, and border.With a completed base from our previous session, students will insert uprights into their base, learn how to “Three Rod Wale” and “English Rand”. Once the sides are complete, we’ll finish our basket sides with a simple track border which we learnt in week 1.PROJECT - The basket

Week 5. December 10th The handle.With the completed baskets made in week 4, students will be taught how to add a handle, with a number of binding methods to choose from.PROJECT - The handle

Week 6. December 17th Creating a new coppice.To finish the 6-week course, we will be creating a brand-new willow coppice at The Fenland Orchard Project using willow cuttings donated by Danny. We will choose an appropriate site, prepare the ground, prepare and plant the cuttings, discuss potential pests and diseases and how to mitigate them, as well as learning about harvesting, grading, and storing willow for future courses.PROJECT - Creating a coppice

Event venue & nearby stays

Fenland Orchards Project, Fenland Orchards Project, Wisbech, United Kingdom

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