weaving magic naturally

January Workshops- Come’n Try Basketry

2011-12-29T13:39:00.001+10:30

BASKETRY SA Inc. is pleased to hold another of its Popular Workshops of Basic Fibre Basketry Techniques.

Workshops will be held on three consecutive days so that you may find times and topics to interest you.

Friday 20^th January 2012 at Aldgate Community Hall, Kingsland Rd., Aldgate 10am – 4 pm

AND /OR Minimum numbers (10) are required for these workshops to go ahead.

Saturday 21^st January 2012 at Coventry Library, Mt. Barker Road, Stirling. 10 am – 4 pm

1. MAKE A SMALL FRAMED BASKET IN A DAY (berry basket)

2. PLY AND TWINE A GARLIC BASKET

These two workshops will run concurrently on both days.

You can do one or both (i.e.. One day or two)

All materials supplied, bring your own lunch. Fees $50.00 / day

AND

Sunday 22^nd January 2012 at HandSpinners &Weavers, 196 South Rd, Mile End. 10.30 am – 3.30 pm

1. STITCHES AND STARTS ( learn from a variety of stitches and how to begin a basket or bowl.)

2. WRAPPING TECHNIQUES

This day is a meeting day for Basketry SA Members, so Members rates apply for this workshop only.

$25.00 for existing members / $50.00 non-members.

No minimum number applies for this workshop.

To secure your place,

Phone 0403 897 209 or 0417 828 536 by Fri. 12^th Jan.

Berry Baskets

2011-12-21T23:42:00.001+10:30

Adelaide Royal Show

2011-09-14T17:25:00.001+09:30

Deb’s winning entries

SOME THOUGHTS ON TENSION TRAYS

2011-07-06T17:37:00.001+09:30

After seeing examples of tension trays brought back from the gathering in Tasmania I played around a bit with willow. The longest task was collecting the material despite the fact that I have plenty to choose from around the willow house. I made a few of various sizes taking advantage of all the lengths of willow. These have dried a nice black colour. Then I got carried away and went large and made a coffee table. ( 1100 x 600 x 500 high )

I then collected some plum suckers and found them better than the willow and they display a range of colours from brown through to red. After cutting they were sorted into sizes and bundled each bundled size made a couple of different sized trays .e.g. 100x 150 ,300x 150.

This is extremely beneficial for teaching as students all have individual size preferences and it also takes maximum advantage of collected materials. I plan to use bush sticks next to see what happens.

The next thought was to add a bit of individualization so I wove some iris along the edges – left a handle and wrapped it and it became a serving tray. Plum tension tray with handle 450 x 250 + handle 100 3-

At our last Hills Basket Cases meeting several members made tension trays and by the end of the day they had all decided weaving along the edge was the way to go.

HILLS BASKET CASES

2010-11-13T15:12:00.001+10:30

Basketry SA ‘s arm as now extended into the Adelaide Hills with the first meeting in September held at Nairne.These do not replace the Wednesday & Sunday meetings but are gatherings aimed at offering another option to members.

It was a perfect day as the sky cleared and the sun shone for the first time for weeks encouraging 13 basketry members out for the day. We all created some basketry, shared some yummy soup for lunch, checked out the gardens and of course chatted which resulted in a lovely rounded experience.

In October we enjoyed a sunny Stirling garden ,lots of interesting projects and of course good company and food.

In November we were off to another hills area, Blackwood. The meeting coincided with Melbourne cup day so there was more food than usual along with champagne, lots of sharing as various projects took shape.

Hills Basket Cases meets on the first Tuesday of the month from 11am -3pm. Bring your basketry work, lunch to share( please no more than you can eat yourself !) and if you have finished a project or two recently bring them along for the show and tell.

If forecast temperature is above 35o C or total fire ban then meeting will automatically be cancelled.

All members and new prospective members welcome.

Next meeting is at Bridgewater in December then to Heathfield in February . More information contact Deb 8339 2519

WINTER PROJECTS

2010-08-18T17:52:00.001+09:30

The cold and damp Winter has been quite productive as far as basketry projects go. ( the pruning still awaits a sunny week of two ) Here are a few of the things I’ve made.

Winter Colour Erica Bowl

Base: Erica pruning.

Stakes : Palm inflorescences.

Weavers: palm inflorescences, 2ply iris/sari silk

26 x 23x 18 cm high

August 2010

Full Moon Iris Platter

Frame: pear prunings.

Stakes: willow

Weavers: iris, iris 2ply.

32 x 45 x 31 cm high.

August 2010

Egg Basket

Frame and stakes– willow

Weavers– iris, 2ply iris/sari silk, leather, 2ply iris .

33 x 29 x 40 cm high

August 2010

Lots of New Willow Basketry Projects.

2010-07-24T13:56:00.001+09:30

A hardy group of Basketry SA braved the winter chill to venture to the Adelaide Hills to collect some pieces of French basket willow from

Nirvana’s willow house.With secateurs at hand they collected long straight branches, some coiled into buckets,some bundled up for frames or fences and some to take home to grow. Not all members made it down the valley selecting to sit on our winter sunny veranda and read a book.

Meanwhile we sniped and coiled away then shared a yummy lunch before the winter cold drove us back up the hill. They bundled their willow collection into the cars and set off dreaming up wonderful new basketry projects.

In the near future I expect to see some willow creations evolve at regular meetings.

A Splash of Colour.

2010-07-20T13:16:00.001+09:30

My aim in basketry was always to make practical things out of plants that grow on my property. Well that went out the window with the Warp on the Wild side exhibition with butterflies, ants and dragonflies. Now well I’ve added a bit of colour via sari silk to my latest basket.

I’m enjoying the challenges that working with natural materials brings. Exciting shapes, forms,textures and colours.

‘Splash of Colour’

Frame and stakes- willow

Weavers-Iris,sari silk, 2ply iris/sari silk

44 x 45 x 14cm

Adelaide Fringe- Visit Urrbrae House This Long Weekend.

2010-03-05T12:19:00.002+10:30

Basketry SA’s exhibition ‘Warp on the Wild Side’. In this inspiring exhibition members have woven,stitched,twined and cobbled a wide variety of ‘wild’ works that showcases the many talents of members.

In addition to the exhibition there is a market stall with yet more (although reducing daily) works all interesting and varied.

While visiting Urrbrae House you can wander around the Waite Arboretum or join a guided tour led by the Friends of the Waite Arboretum on Sunday March 7 at 11 am.

Here is a sneak preview of my work.

Dragonfly

Frame and stakes: willow. Weavers: Twined Iris

Wings: knotless netting poa 2 ply

Eyes: stitched 2 ply chasmanthe. Legs: Fruit tree pruning's.

112 x 145 cm

Designed to hang on the wall.

At Nirvana Farm many springs form the headwaters of Scott Creek. There are a large array of wetland plants and ponds forming an ideal habitat for dragonflies. Dragonflies need fresh water to hatch their eggs and for the developing nymphs. The nymphs spend their lives in the water, forming an important part of the fresh water food chain before emerging as adult dragonflies to dance in the air and consume an array of other insects aiding in the overall balance of our farm.

At the Bottom of the Garden

Gnome Summer House

Frame: plum pruning’s. Stakes: plum ,willow

Weavers: twined spear lily, pale rush, NZ flax, Watsonia, bulrush, leather, banana, palm stems, 2ply- spear lily, iris, chasmanthe, Watsonia, seagrass.

Height :120cm Width: 82 cm circumference: 250 cm

Butterfly

Frames: willow

Body: twined banana ,wings: stitched banana and philodendron

Height: 42 cm Length :46cm

Ant

Frame: willow. Weavers: twined Watsonia.

Legs: fence wire.

Height:25cm Length: 50cm

Gardens can house many secret lives if we take the time to look.

Gnomes are the elemental being connected with all that is below in the earth, and the fertility of the soil. Since the soil is more active and alive in winter, I like to think that in summer they emerge from deep within the earth to frolic in the summer sunshine, revitalizing themselves like the sun trapped in quartz crystals. If you venture to the bottom of my garden you may find their summer house amongst the grasses and faded flowers along with a few other seasonal visitors.

Like the common brown butterfly you’ll find resting amongst dead leaves and grasses. They are masters of camouflage even reducing their shadow by leaning to one side. They fly in waves amongst the orchard trees emerging from the dry summer grass.

Ants are also connected with the earth and like gnomes most of their activities are underground, they also like undisturbed areas. Their nests within the soil creating tunnels and spaces that help water infiltrate the soil while the ants busy themselves foraging, thus keeping the place tidy.

‘At the Bottom of the Garden’ consists of 3 pieces plus a ‘mat’ area to tie it into its garden space. The Gnome Summer House started out as an interesting piece of plum pruning, few additional willow stakes were added. The shape developed with the twining. I added in materials to see how they worked as I had not used many of them before. I was just having fun with the shape. I added a few holes and visitors thought they were windows so I hung a few gnomes out the windows so it developed into a into a house, and since gnomes live at the bottom of my garden it became their summer house. There is much life in the garden so when it was suggested at basketry we make animals I decided to make a few insects that you will find in the garden.

When collecting pruning's, each offers a unique shape and basketry opportunity. It is fun to shape a branch and reveal a new shape that develops when weaving. The Autumn Harvest Platter and Out on the Bay are examples of this.

Autumn Harvest Platter

Frame: Pear pruning’s, Stakes: willow.

Weavers: Twined Watsonia and iris. Snail shell.

57 x 43 x 32 cm.

The colours of autumn in the Adelaide Hills always inspire. Autumn Harvest Platter suggests a leaf form and the colours in this platter reflect our chestnut harvest, the dark brown of the chestnuts while the surrounding burrs are lighter along with the drier outer landscape of early autumn. The snail signifies my belief in the Slow Food Movement- the pleasure of food with the responsibility of how it is grown: GOOD- food should taste great. CLEAN: Food should be grown in an environmental responsible way. FAIR-The farmers and farm workers should be paid a fair price for their efforts.

Out on the Bay’

Frame: pear pruning’s. Stakes: willow.

Weavers: iris and Watsonia.

34 x 15 x 32 cm high

This piece is a favourite because it demonstrates a simple shape created out of one pruned off branch of the pear tree.

An exhibition to inspire you!

2010-01-26T14:09:00.002+10:30

The Friends of the Waite Arboretum Inc and members of BASKETRY SA Inc

Invite you to

Warp on the Wild Side

An exhibition ofcontempory basketry .

Exibition open daily from 11am to 4pm

27 Feb- 8 March 2010

Urrbrae House, University of Adelaide,Waite Campus

Weaving Workshop

2009-11-16T17:46:00.005+10:30

The annual weaving workshop at Nirvana Farm again proved popular with an keen group of gardeners ready to turn their weeds and garden wastes into baskets and more. Despite the hot weather everyone seemed to enjoy the experience.

The first task was to make 2ply ‘string’ from iris leaves. Soon lengths of string appeared and it continued to be made at every break or opportunity.

Next the ribbed basket was started and the tricky (at first) god’s eye that holds the ribs in place was mastered. The baskets began to take shape as the ribs where inserted.

Quentin served lunch in the garden. The sun proved a little too warm but the Nirvana lunch was as excellent as usual.

After lunch the task of twining began and the baskets began to develop their own character.

There was a short break from twining to explore the possibilities of fence building. The heat soon drove everyone back to their baskets.

As the day drew to an end the baskets where all progressing well. Materials to finish them off were shared out and everyone went home with new skills and knowledge of some of the many materials they could source from their gardens and roadsides.

Flutter-by Experiment

2009-08-30T10:24:00.004+09:30

It was suggested at Basketry SA we make animals for an exhibition next year. Mostly this idea was dismissed as being too difficult, I also thought this but decided to give it a go . Here is the resulting 'common brown butterfly.' These form waves of fluttering wings as they rise from the grass and then settle again from December through to early Autumn here at Nirvana Farm.
'Common Brown Butterfly' 46 cm wide X 38 cm high. Frames:willow Body:twined banana Wings: banana & philodendron, linen thread, wire.

Rain creates another project.

2009-08-09T10:26:00.003+09:30

NUT BOWL

Stand:Erica offcut, Stakes: Palm flower stalks, Weavers: pine roots, 2ply iris, 2ply arum lily
21 x 21 cm

Amulet Workshop

2009-07-17T15:52:00.005+09:30

Last weekend I attended a Basketry SA workshop with Gem Congdon to learn some new techniques by making a amulet.
An amulet is a small decorated pouch traditionally worn as a charm against evil.

We also experimented with knot less netting which I could see lots of applications for future projects.

It was a good learning fun day as are all the workshops run by Basketry SA.

A New Shopping Basket.

2009-07-17T15:40:00.003+09:30

Over the last couple of rainy weeks I've been inspired to make a large melon basket.

Its 45 cm wide and 45 cm high.
Frame: Willow, Stakes : apple prunings, Weavers 2 ply watsonias and watsonia. Trimmed with beads.

Creations from the Garden -A Beginning.

2009-07-01T17:40:00.005+09:30

My interest in basketry started a long time ago.

Over the years I’ve done bits and pieces . The first basket I made about 30 years

ago I still use most days to collect fruit and vegetables from the garden. It is made of cane with a leather handle made from a bit of my horse gear. It a good size and very durable.

In 1980’s Graham and Annemarie Brookman from the Food Forest at Gawler gave us some cutting of a French osier willow which was planted as a copes in a wet area down the back of our property and I started dreaming of retiring to the veranda to make baskets.

I then saw a wonderful exhibition of natural fibre basketry that was extremely inspiring at the Adelaide Botanic Gardens and signed up to learn how to make a melon basket back in August 1992( I remember this date because we had 74mm of rain on the second workshop weekend , 30th August) with the Fibre Basket Weavers of South Australia (now Basketry SA) Their book ‘Fibre Basketry Homegrown and Handmade’ is my main reference book still.

Over the years I made a few things mainly from fresh materials as I had little time to plan ahead or shed space to store them as all our sheds seemed unsuitable. Every time pruning came around I’d get inspired and make a few things and by now the willows were producing lots of materials. I started making fences and gardens ‘art’ around the place.

Evette Sunset than turned the copes of willows into a Living Yurt We held a few basket making days in the willow house and I started teaching others how to make fences and melon baskets.

Last year I was re inspired by a Basketry SA display at the Stirling Autumn Garden Festival and started going along to their meeting and learning new techniques. I’ve been busy collecting materials (I cleared out a part of a shed although not ideal its fine for now) I've also started a basketry garden to make collecting easier and I’m always on the lookout for suitable materials and now its pruning time I can be inspired by the shapes of the prunings.