Tuesday, July 6, 2010

Rib Style Basket Making

I was fortunate to attend four days of willow weaving classes last month - my first in Rib Style basket making (so for those who have followed my blog, yes it was my second willow weaving class ever) - and we were going to make four different baskets.
The classes were taught by Jo Campbell Amsler of Willow Ridge Basketry who specializes in Rib Style baskets woven with willow and other natural weaving materials. Above is a selection of some of the beautiful baskets made by Jo which she brought to the classes. For information about Willow Ridge Basketry, the accomplishments of Jo, and upcoming classes, click on the link above.
On the first day we were taught a traditional "Gypsy Melon Basket" using some of the techniques the traveling Gypsies used when traveling from community to community selling their baskets. Most of us didn't quite finish our baskets during class and as we didn't want to go home with unfinished baskets, four of us (staying at the same inn) worked on finishing it in one of our rooms that night.

My "Gypsy Melon Basket" made with rods from Salix koriyanagi 'Rubykins' from my field. I have decided that this is going to be my "tool basket". Not too big, but big enough - and very cute.

My "Wisteria Bowl" made over a rim created by twisting wisteria wines into a circle (holding it in place till it has dried). I chose to make it rather shallow, almost tray-like. The weaving material is a combination of various willow weavers and thinner wisteria wines. It was fun to "feel" the nature of the different materials as I don't have any former experience weaving with natural materials.                                                                   
My favourite basket was the "Willow Ridge Herb Basket", taught on the third day. For this basket I decided to try using "fresh, frozen, thawed" willow rods for weaving. I had (naturally, with my lack of experience) never tried that, but Jo uses fresh (or fresh, frozen) willow for most of her baskets and told me that for the rib style baskets it doesn't make much of a difference and you don't have to worry about drying and soaking the rods - you always have weavers ready to go. That is, of course, if you have lots of freezer room for willows. It definitely had another feel to it.
Our last basket - the "Charm Basket" - was a smaller basket, thus much less room to work the weavers and because of that it was not - as I had expected - the easiest of the baskets to make. It is called "Charm Basket" as small charms are attached to the ends of the handle, dangling. I didn't attach any yet, but in the top collage - middle, right - you can see one of Jo's baskets with charms of tiny pieces of driftwood, willow beads, acorn "tops" etc.
Very few willow classes are offered in North America and none here in Ontario (not that I have been able to find) and am so happy that I found the Southwestern Ontario Basketry Guild who sponsored these classes with Jo Campbell Amsler. I hope that the interest in willow weaving will increase so that we will have an opportunity to attract other instructors to teach us their willow weaving techniques.




Words and photos by Lene Rasmussen,Willows.

14 comments:

  1. Love the baskets and the fact they are created from what you have grown, wish I could come to the classe :0(
    Great job.

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  2. Thank you, Sue
    Only one of my baskets is made from willow from my field as I was fortunate to provide a small amount of the willow needed for the classes.
    The majority of the willow used for the classes was grown by another member of the guild.

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  3. Lene, de er intet mindre end fantastiske og utroligt smukke. Jeg tror, at jeg er mest vild med Gypsy Melon Basket og Charm Basket.
    Siden jeg har læst om kurvemageri (hedder det sådan?) hos dig og Folehaves univers har jeg søgt efter et kursus rundt i Holland, indtil nu er det ikke lykkes at finde et i rimelig afstand af hjemmet, men det lykkes nok engang, lysten til at deltage er i hvert fald stor. Min viden begrænser sig til produktion af en lille kurv helt tilbage til begyndelsen af 60´erne, så jeg er helt på barn bund ☺.

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  4. Hvor inspirende , får helt lyst til at flette selv om vi har det så varm, ( 28 gradere )
    men må nok heller blive færdig med mit filter først

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  5. Hej Lene
    Sikke mange fine kurve du nåede. Jeg kan specielt godt lide den med blåregnskanten. Har desværre ingen blåregn, men måske troldpil kan bruges i stedet.

    Ja her er svedende varmt i Danmark, og det endda selv om der har været overskyet næsten hele dagen.

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  6. Vi har haft alvorlige computer prolemer - men i dag ser det ud til, at vi er kørende igen.
    Tak Annette, jeg er altså MEGET beæret over, at du nævner mig sammen med Anne Folehave - men helt ærligt, så er jeg jo lige taget mine første baby skridt og Anne er nærmest en olding udi kurvemageri, hvis du forstår!

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  7. Annette, undskyld jeg glemte: måske du skulle tage et week-end kursus engang i Danmark. Det gjorde jeg for to år siden hos Anne Folehave og det var skønt. Det var min allerførste erfaring med pil - jeg havde ikke engang noget fra min egen mark på det tidspunkt.

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  8. Hej Birgitte
    Ja, jeg hører, at I har det varmt i Danmark også. Her har det været uudholdeligt nogle dage/nætter idet vi ikke har air-conditioning, som de fleste har.
    Hvad er det for noget filter, som du er i gang med?

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  9. Hej Vivian
    Ja, jeg synes også, at de er blevet ret gode, men mangler selvfølgelig noget mere erfaring. Blåregnen var dejlig at arbejde med, både den tykke ramme og de lange, tynde "grene", som vi flettede ind i pileflettet.
    Jeg tror også, at troldpil kan bruges - hvis du bruger ikke alt for tykke grene. Jeg fik fortalt på kurset, at de ikke er fleksible nok, men nogle af mine har jeg let kunnet lave kranse af, når bare de ikke er for tykke. Der er måske også troldpil, som er mere fleksibelt and andet troldpil?

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  10. Hej Lene
    Nu har jeg set dine kommentarer et par steder og blev nysgerrig... heldigvis gik jeg ind og kiggede hos dig.
    Og nej, hvor var det hyggeligt - jeg har nu forstået, hvorfor du kalder din blog for Salix :-)
    Jeg har læst lidt tilbage hos dig, men ikke nær langt nok endnu, og der er meget, jeg mangler at finde ud af, men det kommer, det kommer.
    Jeg er meget imponeret over dine kurve og ikke mindst alle de farver, der er i dem, når man først får set nærmere efter.
    Nogle af faconerne er perfekte til svampekurve - det må I også kunne indsamle i det område, du bor i?
    Jeg glæder mig til at følge din blog :-)

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  11. Hej Ellen
    Hvor var det godt, at du blev nysgerrig. Jeg har lige vaeret et hurtigt smut forbi "Mommer" og bliver noedt til at vende tilbage igen.
    Du er blevet tilfoejet til min liste af blogs, og jeg (i lige maade) glaeder mig til at foelge din blog.
    Svampe - ja, de kan sikkert indsamles her ogsaa - det er dog noget, som jeg ikke har spor erfaring med.
    Lene

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  12. These baskets are so beautiful Lene! I really wish I was close enough to take these classes!!
    What a talent you have!

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  13. Thank you, Eve - great to hear from you!
    Would be wonderful if you one day took the "bike" for an Ontario visit.
    Lene

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