Basket Making Intermediate with Katie Warner will run on Wednesdays from 10am to 4:30pm on the following dates: TBC
Classes will run from the second floor of the Poldrate Mill Building.
In the intermediate class, we will aim to build on the techniques learnt in the beginners class and begin to explore design and shape, looking at techniques to enable us to bring these elements into our baskets. We will continue to explore different side weaves and introduce more willows to bring colour and texture into our baskets. To get the most from the intermediate class, students should have attended at least three terms of the beginners’ class or have gained basketry experience to enable them to create simple baskets independently.
Students in the intermediate class will be encouraged towards learning to prepare their own willow but this is by no means compulsory, as prepared basketry willow will be provided for the class. A note of materials used will be kept towards the end of each class and students will be charged for this at the end of the term, with an approximate cost of £40-£50 depending on projects undertaken.
All the basic basketry tools are available to use in the classroom, but students are welcome to bring their own secateurs and/or other basketry tools, if they would like.
Katie is a professional basket maker and teacher based in Edinburgh. She uses traditional skills to create functional, decorative and characterful willow baskets. Following a career as a designer for the museums and heritage industry, Katie was inspired to take up basket weaving full-time. She works on commission as well as selling her work locally through shops, art galleries and craft markets. Katie particularly enjoys the meditative process of weaving and was drawn to willow basketry as an inherently sustainable art form. A basket can be made with just a few tools and a pair of hands. There are hundreds of willow varieties providing a vast array of natural colours without the need for chemicals. And with the right care, a basket could last for many generations.
Katie is a member of the Basketmakers’ Association and the Northumbria Basketry Group. See some examples of Katie’s work on her Instagram and website.
Pictures of students enjoying their weaving in class:
To join this class please click HERE which will take you to enrolments on the main PACC website