The sun was shining this morning in Sudbury at Simply Handmade. Not that we noticed as we were concentrating very hard weaving bird feeders.

These little baskets are so useful for many indoor and outdoor uses from holding suet balls to fairy lights, lemons to garlic.

Thank you to all the folk that took part. Delightful to meet you. Thanks also to Debbi and Colin for their hospitality at the studio.

The following photos show concentration silence at its best. 😊

I started this sample cane seating weave in March with my basketry group, The Basketry Collective.

Anita Vozik led half the group through rush seating and the other half through this spiderweb weave. It has seven layers which build up quite easily. The hardest part is threading the cane through as the holes become smaller and smaller with increasing layers. Layers six and seven require a certain degree of patience!

Many thanks to Anita for her brilliant tuition and all the preparatory work she did for the group. You can see Anita’s upholstery and seating skills on Instagram @anita_vozik

This ‘little oak’ shoulder bag is the product of four days hard work at the Basketmakers’ Association Spring school in York. The course was taught by the fab Lorna Singleton who lives in the Lake District and is one of the few remaining Basketmakers working with oak in this country making swills and other traditional baskets.

I’ve learnt a huge amount about preparing the oak and how it behaves whilst weaving. It is a beautiful material and although it was difficult at times I thoroughly enjoyed myself. The leather work was also new to me and I hope to put those new skills to good use on my baskets in the future.

Thanks to all those that organised the courses from the BA especially Jill Witham and Nadine Anderson. Thanks to Lorna for sharing her skills with such kindness and patience and thanks to the other lovely basket makers I shared the week with.

The children’s rhyme ‘rain rain go away’ springs to mind today. But the inclement weather has given me an opportunity to practice oval bases.

This basket was made on an English oval base. The difference between English ovals and continental bases is that the base sticks aren’t split. It’s a really simple but clever construction, no tools required.

I also made a French oval, with some cane wrapping around the base sticks.

I bought this chair at Diss auction a couple of years ago. It’s taken me a while, working on it in my spare time, but it’s finally finished. It’s the standard six-way cane pattern.

Its beautiful out this afternoon, what a contrast to last week!

It’s going in the living room by the fire, I just need to cover the seat cushion. I’m thinking something by William Morris. 😊

I spent yesterday afternoon coiling this small basket and lid whilst watching Suffolk thaw. It was a super simple stitch using chunky sash cord for a core and jute twine for stitching.

This morning whilst trying to take a photo of it I realised what I really needed was a light diffusing box. So I cobbled one together from an old cardboard box and tissue paper. After scrambling around for a couple of lamps I don’t think the results are too bad. I would love to get my hands on a third lamp and play about with light coming from above as well.

Just finished this rush tote bag sample. I’m teaching a class in September. Yes I know, it’s February, but I prefer to have lessons planned out well in advance.

After selecting, cleaning and cutting the rushes to the correct length a check weave base is made to fit a pre-prepared mold. This must be tied onto the mold to hold it in place.

The sides were woven with a mixture of pairing, waling and checkweave. At the top of the mold I put on a simple pull down border before adding rope handles.

I worked with a smashing group of people today that belong to the Norfolk Smallholders Training Group. Some of them drove a huge distances to join the workshop. So thank you to you all for being so enthusiastic and working so hard.

We took the basket in stages, one step at a time from the slath to the border and handle. It was wonderful to see some initial skepticism transform into delight with the finished basket.

My next workshop at the Butterfly art and craft studio in Essex is on March 23rd. We will be making hanging platters and bird feeders. You can book to do one or the other or both if the mood takes you.

They are both really good projects for beginners, very simple but effective looking pieces to hang in the garden or the house.

Contact Art and Craft days for more information on http://www.artandcraftdays.co.uk

Or call Brian and Julie on

01245 233459

A St Brigid’s cross made today for a local Irish chap to send home to his nan.

St Brigid is one of Ireland’s patron saints. Her name is apparently derived from the noun ‘brigh’ meaning power, strength, vigour and virtue. She was known for her generosity, a gift I know I could develop.