Bread baskets and trays
WITH annemarie o’sullivan & tom mcwalter
workshop details
beginner basket-making course
designed for 8 students
Working with willow, you’ll learn to make a simple and beautiful bread basket approximately 12” x 9.5”. You’ll also have the opportunity to make at least one or two larger serving trays. This is a great course for beginners or anyone wishing to fine-tune their willow basketmaking skills.
We’ll start the course by learning about the different willows available to us and the most essential tools. You’ll learn about how the willow is prepared and how to select rods for the task at hand. We’ll guide you through weaving a simple serving tray, where you’ll learn the rhythm of the weave and the way to pressure it just in the right place to make an elegant turn around the hoop. This will be a gentle introduction before we learn to make the bread baskets.
This small shallow bread basket was first learnt by Annemarie and Tom on a research trip to Alison Fitzgerald in Armagh, Northern Ireland. This trip to Northern Ireland informed much of the work we have done with frame baskets. It is a pleasure to know that these old ways will be passed along again and again.
To make the bread basket you’ll first learn to cleave or split larger willow rods, initially using a knife and then by simply pressuring the willow with your fingers. There will be plenty of time for trial and error as you begin to get to know how the willow rods respond.
Once the ribs are split and shaved and you’ll learn different methods, depending on your previous experience, to attach the ribs to the basket frame. As soon as these are in place you’ll learn a simple system for weaving into the frame to create a balanced weave. We’ll explore simple methods to stabilise the basket shape. As you near completion of the basket, you’ll also learn to ‘sew’ the central weavers to create a seamless join between one end and the other.
For the trays and basket we will provide pre-made hoops which have already had time to set. We will however guide you through the process of hoop making so you can take home your own hoops to weave at home. Over the course of the retreat, we’ll take time to look at the historical uses of frame baskets, who made them, how they have changed over time. We’ll examine baskets made by travellers or gypsys across Ireland and Europe as well as ‘fancy’ baskets made on jigs by professional basketmakers.
WHAT YOU WILL LEARN:
How to prepare and select willow for weaving
How to split, prepare, and attach ribs
How to weave and wrap a frame basket
How to control the shape of a frame basket
How to weave tray
How to trim and finish willow
How to make a hoop
IN THE WORKSHOP SPACE:
Please wear practical clothes, ideally trousers. Covered shoes, no sandals please.
We ask students to ensure that the willow bundles are tidied regularly as the willow is selected. We need to ensure that the willow is kept in an ambient state throughout the retreat days. Guidance will be given on how we can do this together.
Knives should be sheathed when not in use.
All tools should be put safely away when not in use.
Willow scraps and cuttings must be swept from the floor throughout each day to ensure that the working space is safe.
In an effort to create a sacred space for creativity and for our imaginations to emerge, we are highly encouraging students to leave their mobile phones behind and off during the retreat and to use them at the end of each day to record any parts of the process.
MATERIALS PROVIDED:
All weaving materials provided
Students will take home Annemarie’s favorite basket making tools from England (1 bodkin, 1 side cutter); cows horn, sheep wool and tallow from US; pre-made hoops for basket frames
WHAT TO BRING:
An open mind and heart
ANNEMARIE 0’SULLIVAN & TOM MCWALTER
Studio AMOS is the partnership between Tom McWalter and Annemarie O’Sullivan.
Using weaving and binding techniques, which have been used for thousands of years, Tom and Annemarie make baskets, lighting, and woven objects, which are a response to the materials they gather from the land and waterways. They are passionate about seeing the making through from source to the finished piece. They grow more than twenty varieties of willow which they harvest in January every year.
Their work draws on the curves of the landscape and a deep respect for ancient crafts. They are inspired by the simple connections they have with basket-makers and weavers from the past who grew and harvested their material as they do today.
Their connection with nature draws us to site-specific, beautifully crafted works, which are steeped in history, landscape, and beauty.
They work with a small team of skilled makers in their home studio in East Sussex in the UK.
