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Making Willow Baskets - Jenny Pearce

Hello everybody,

I am back online and so I've been catching up on lots of internetty stuff. It's raining too so I don't feel too bad about it!

We are settled into our new house and as usual we have more 'stuff' then I am willing to accept. So I am going to open an Ebay shop and flog it all!

Since being offline I have been on a basketry course with Jenny Pearce. I have been wanting to do a course with her for ages and finally managed it! I love her style of basketry, beautiful and practical. Not overly fussy. Well, she was a great teacher and the group on the course were a lovely bunch of women.

The course was held at Canon Frome Court, a community I looked into moving to when I finished school. I didn't have enough money to at the time and so did 'other' things instead!



I didn't get any photos of the actual course unfortunately but here are some pictures of the baskets I made while I was there...




These aren't the most complicated baskets in the world, but they are a joy to make and solid too.


This little shopping basket is so strong! I am chuffed to bits at making my first ever handle and I'm quietly pleased at how tidy it all is!


This knot holds the handle in place and is made from the ends of the withies that are wrapping the handle bow.


There were four of us women sitting in a vague circle making these herb baskets. It felt so wonderful! A feeling of solid calm and industry descended on us. We mostly talked about the importance of outdoor experience for children.


This is the herb baskets bum. ***blush***


This is a platter, but really it is a stick basket without it's handle. A joy to make as it was so simple. I'm not sure about my finishing on the sides (a wee bit flouncy!) so might do what I was supposed to do and cut all the rods flush to the hoop! I love the curvyness of the six rods in the middle of the platter, so much so that I sneaked in a couple of pegs either end to make them more curvy making the triangle shape at the ends.


I am desperate to make another basket. This is what I was made for! It makes me so happy to have found my job in life! Making baskets! Even if there isn't much money to made from it!

Unfortunately I went and left my bodkin (a pointy tool for making spaces between a weave) mixed up in Jenny's course tools! Cripes knows when I'll get that back!

So, that's that then!

Good to be settled.

14 comments:

  1. A good surprise to find you returned in cyberspace before expected! I so envy you taking that course, something I'd love to do and may be will have an opportunity for. If you go into production Hen I'll be a customer. Glad for you that you've had a heartfelt time doing what you love. May you feel happy & settled in your new home for as long as you want to be there. liZZie x

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  2. Wow! They're lovely Hen, you must be so proud - I know i would be. You'll have to post the link to your eBay shop - I suspect I, too, shall be a customer. I love willow baskets.

    Happy new home to you - I hope you settle and that it is a good place to be. xx

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  3. They are brilliant - that little shopping basket is adorable! Funnily enough I was thinking about basket making the other day (not to do, just thinking how sustainable it would be to make your own if you had space to grow the right wood)

    I know what you mean about finding the 'right' thing - it is a mixture of joy, wonder and relief; imagine if you had never found it...

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  4. Beautiful work, hen, lovely. Nice to see you back too.

    ps - you've been tagged, see my blog.....

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  5. Hello Hen,, I have tagged you, check it out here: http://www.shepton-witch.co.uk/2008/10/six-things-about-me.html#links. Cheers, Sarah :-)

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  6. Hello,
    I did a course with Jenny a couple of years ago and it was fantastic - you're right, she's a wonderful teacher - although your baskets do look a million times better than mine did! :)

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  7. hen they are lovely, well done you, glad your move went well too :) always wanted to learn to weave baskets, must put it on the to learn list.

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  8. helloooo and thanks everybody!

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  9. Simply amazing. Really Hen.

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  10. Hi Hen, your baskets are good. Well done. Good luck with your future as a basket maker.
    Be seeing you over on FRUK.

    All the best,

    Basketbob

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  11. So are you going to sell these? It's not really sustainable to ship them halfway across the world, I guess, but I would love to buy one.

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  12. Sarah,

    LOL! Thanks for the boost! Next week the willow I've been soaking will be mellowed and ready to weave with. I'd love to make you something and will happily send you a basket - even though your miles away!!

    hen
    xx

    It might be small and a bit 'rustic' though! :)

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  13. ooh, i love small and rustic!!! .... in baskets.

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