The Basketmaker’s Month: APRIL
Tuesday April 26th, 6:00 – 7:30 pm EST
Some of the most common questions I get asked as a basketry teacher revolve around which basketry plants are season at any given time. What are the best ways to identify these plants? How are they harvested, processed, and stored? If you do have a basketry plant growing near you how can you tell if it is good quality for weaving? How can we harvest in a way that is respectful of the land? I will be discussing all the ins and outs of which plants are in season for harvest in the northeast/east coast region right now in Spring! The focus for the April/May talk will be on harvesting inner bark from deciduous trees for weaving. In my neck of the woods in upstate new york this includes tulip tree, black walnut, hickory, and more! The material covered will be very applicable to bark harvesting in other parts of the country as well though.
The format of this webinar/online class will be about 1 hour of me talking about spring/early summer basketry plants followed by up to 30 minutes of Q and A. No matter what I know it will be an incredibly educational and helpful experience for those of you who are out there eager to open your hearts and get your hands dirty with harvesting! Hopefully this is a wonderful success and I’ll do them every other month or so throughout the year.
Please note that this is not a “how to make a basket” class. I will definitely be talking about the types of baskets and techniques that each plant is good for, but won’t be getting into details of making each type of basket. Hopefully someday I will have some online classes!!
Also feedback is appreciated! I picked a day and time that I liked, but I don’t know yet what works for the majority of my students. What times of day work for you? Which days of the week? Are you a teacher that has done things like this before and has advice? I am very happy to get feedback as I move forward with this new endeavor 🙂
-Katie
