New festive weaving courses now being advertised on the courses page…

Just finished this little bird house as an example for a class next week. The tear drop shape is really elegant, but the design is also clever, using the integral stakes to bind off at the top and to make the handle.

It’s a design that can be found in Jonathan Ridgeons book, ’10 Bird Feeder Projects’.

Lovely group of people on this mornings plant support course. They came from all over Norfolk, part of the Norfolk Smallholders training group.

They all got the hang of the lobster pot  weave quickly and created lovely forms finished at the top with a binding knot. They all took pieces home to be proud of.

My husband bought two fairly dilapidated chairs from an auction. I’ve been re-doing the cane for a while in between other jobs. But they are nearly done. It’s the standard six-way pattern.

I also covered the seats concealing a lurid green velvet with a nice tartan. Altogether they are looking distinctly more loved.

Just finished this little lopsided number this morning. I’ve been working along side a student who always comes to the workshop with great ideas.

This shape is achieved by ‘packing’ the weaving on one side to force the stakes over and ‘grow’ one side more than the other.

To do this you can use one weaver, going in front and behind one stake and turning before you get all the way around the basket. By going back on yourself you build up one side more than the other. That’s a bit of a simple description! But hopefully makes some sense. I finished the basket with a 5 rod border. Now just to decide what to put in it…

John Keats wrote ‘Season of mist and mellow fruitfulness’. It has certainly been feeling very autumnal this week. We have been the happy recipients of lots of vegetables from friends allotments.

My days have been occupied with 2 chairs that I am re-caning. They take a while, in fact I have these chairs in my workshop for over a year. They are to go to my husbands brewery and I’ve been putting them off in favour of other jobs. Anyway in the evenings I’ve been twining this little pumpkin like basket using nutscene twine. I find it very relaxing to keep my hands busy. It helps clear my head!

The summer holidays are almost over. I love having my children at home and will be sad to see them return to school. However I am looking forward to getting back in the workshop.

Today I gave my willow soaking tank a jolly good scrub. It was long overdue and smelt like a medieval  harbour but now it is clean and ready to welcome willow again!  I have lots of ideas, jobs that need to be finished and a few commissions to get started.

I’m feeling pretty excited about it. 😊