Basketry Classes with Margaret Mathewson
Ancient Arts Center 16140 Lobster Valley Road Alsea, OR 97324
(541) 486-4311 margaret@peak.org
Call or e-mail for current class schedule
Ancient Arts Center offers a series of classes in traditional and contemporary basketry and other textile arts. Classes focus mainly on the process of materials preparation and technique in traditional Western North American native basketry and European willow techniques. Textile related classes include traditional basketry tool kit (see traditional skills program), Ukrainian easter eggs in small baskets, cordage and netting techniques, woven fish traps and arrow quivers, and willow fencing and furniture. Weavers of all skill levels are welcome in all classes. Beginners may work on the easiest processes and projects, and advanced weavers may hone their skills and work on tighter, more elaborate techniques and designs.
Weekend and Long Weekend Seminars
Willow Basketry and Garden Art
Introduction to Willow- basics to advanced split willow work
Come explore the wonders of the willow tree in a setting of rural winter beauty. Participants will learn about the harvesting and maintenance of wild and garden willows and other shoot producing basketry materials such as dogwood, hazel and maple. We will also be using bark strips and curly roots in our production of a European wicker basket with a variety of colorful willow wythes, seasoned and fresh. Participants will learn basic techniques of twining, French and English spiral randing, and three or more rod weaves. European Wicker is also becoming a very popular medium for the production of beautiful and functional garden art. Participants will learn about fencing styles, arbors, trellises, pea cages, tables, chairs, and ....whatever. Living rooted works are possible with live materials and we will collect enough for whatever you wish to create in your own backyards. We will also learn basic Native American and European methods for splitting willow into thin strips or skeins for finer weaving. Fee- $90
Ongoing Willow Harvesting is a part of winter life here. Participants in any of the classes are welcome to stay until Monday and gather more willow. If you wish to come gather during the week, please call and make an appointment in advance. Self-gathered willow is $1 per pound.
Whole Willow Wicker Basket with embellishment
A basket in the European tradition of pairing and randing with a rolled or folded border. We will use a variety of willows and dogwoods for the basket and curly willow, hazel, and twisty roots to embellish the outer surface. You may add a handle or two as well. Students with extra time will make a diagonal woven vine trellis or a circular woven vine tower for the garden. Or you can start another basket...Students may also view living willow structures in the winter garden and collect living willow withes to make fences and structures of their own at home. Fee- $90 includes seasoned materials and harvesting
Miniature Whole Willow Burden Basket- willow peeling
Native Peoples of the West coast make beautiful and durable baskets out of willow and hazel for carrying heavy loads. Students will use peeled and unpeeled willow to produce a miniature bell-shaped burden basket in an open-twined technique with a braided rim. Other types of open twined baskets, such as traps and trays, and alternative materials will be discussed. Students may choose to start a larger basket. A slide show will feature burden baskets from the Pomo in California north to the Siletz and Grande Ronde peoples of Oregon. This is also the time of year to peel willows, large and small, and we will! Bring your own and join the party or peel some of mine. Class Fee- $90, Non-class Peeling Fee- $ 15 plus willow @ $2 per pound pre-peeled
Whole Willow Cross-warp -Twined Clam Basket or Salmon Tray
In the style practiced on the West Coast by Native peoples from Northern California to Central Oregon. We will use willow to create either a round basket with a double-braided handle used for gathering wet sea foods or as a shopping basket or a flat disc-shaped tray used for serving salmon and drying seaweed. Plain and crossed warps will be used to create texture. The rim is braided. We will learn about willow and hazel gathering techniques. A slide show of native baskets in whole shoot twining will be shown on Sat. night. Fee- $90 includes seasoned materials
Basic Cedar Basketry- Bark, Roots and Shoots
The cedar tree is one of the most important and sacred trees in the Pacific Northwest. Basket weavers from northern California to Alaska are familiar with its smooth wood, flexible bark and strong roots. This class will introduce students to the tree's basketry materials including basic bark preparation, root gathering nearby, and splitting of boughs. We will make a small bark plaited and chase twined basket including white beargrass and red cherry bark. Students may also start a small tight coiled or twined basket in cedar root. Fee- $90
Cordage and Netting
Cordage, or string making, is the fundamental technology for many other textile arts. Learn basic 2-ply finger twisted and leg-rolled string making using traditional Western materials including Indian hemp, Nettle, Milkweed, Tule and cattail, Willow and Cedar bark, Iris, Yucca and Agave, Evening Primrose and Hair. Bring along anything you may have found to experiment on. We will learn knotted netting for fishing and carrying nets, using a shuttle and measure; and knotless or looped netting for bags and pouches. Decorative techniques such as Central California pattern netting, Panamanian color switching and wrapping from New Guinea will be discussed. A collection of netted items from around the world is available for study. Students may start a small soft twined basket with natural materials from Klamath Lake and Columbia Plateau traditions. Students should bring a pocket knife, a large awl and a water spray bottle Fee - $90
Knotless Netting Neck Pouch
Cordage, or string making, is the fundamental technology for many other textile arts. Learn basic 2-ply finger twisted and leg-rolled string making using traditional Western materials including Indian hemp, Nettle, Milkweed, and Hair. We will use either your own cordage or manufactured colorful linens to make a knotless or looped net pouch in a figure 8 weave from New Guinea or a double twist from the Northern California Pomo. Decorative techniques such as Central California pattern netting, Panamanian color switching and wrapping will be discussed. A collection of netted items from around the world is available for study. Fee - $90
Cordage Warp Basketry in Natural Materials
Cordage warped basketry is one of the most ancient and wide spread techniques in the world. This class will explore soft twined basketry in North America with an emphasis on the west. All natural materials will be used including tule, tule root, cattail, dogbane, milkweed, yucca, agave, sagebrush, cliff rose and willow bark. Designs will be added in beargrass, corn husk and porcupine quill. We will begin by preparing fibers and rolling our own warp strands. Fee $75.
Klamath/Modoc Soft Twined Tule Basketry
Peoples of Klamath Lake and the Modoc Plateau use tule, cattail and stinging nettle to produce beautiful soft flexible baskets with cordage warps. We will use twining, wrapped twining and overlay in tule, cattail, tule root (reddish), water grass (shiny gold), porcupine quills dyed with wolf lichen (yellow) and black dyed cattail to produce this beautiful basket. Gathering and storing of materials for soft twining will be discussed. Pre rolled cordage warps will be provided. A slide show will feature the soft twined baskets of many western tribes. Fee $120.
Skokomish/Chehalis Cattail Basket
The versatile cattail as well as tule and sweet grass sedge are used by many people in the Puget Sound to produce soft twined basketry. We will use plaiting, twining and wrapped twining in cattail, sea grass (black), alder dyed cedar bark (red), beargrass (white) and black dyed cattail to produce this beautiful basket. Gathering and storing of materials for soft twining will be discussed. A slide show will feature the soft twined baskets of many western tribes as well as some collected by the Wilkes expedition from the mouth of the Columbia in 1841. Fee- $90
Tule Technology
People around the world have used tules or bulrushes to create a variety of tools. Participants will use native round tule to produce a small sleeping mat, a twined gathering basket, a Paiute style duck decoy, a Klamath style sun shade hat and several games and toys. More advanced basket makers may start a Klamath style cordage warp basket with porcupine quill decoration. Bring a pocket knife, scissors and a spray bottle. Fee- $ 75. Beginning skill level.
Diagonal Twined Split Willow Winnowing Tray
Native peoples of California, the Great Basin, and the Southwest use willow to produce a variety of basketry shapes in several techniques including single and three rod coiling, and twining techniques. These include trays, burden baskets, water bottles, cooking bowls and fancy basketry. Participants will learn the native techniques of splitting and trimming willow for weaving strands and will make a small twined oval dish shaped winnowing style basket. Other materials will also be available for designs including western redbud. A slide show will feature Western skeined basketry. Fee- $115 Class size limited to 10
Split Willow Paiute-style Burden Basket with a design in western redbud or bark-on willow
A basket in the technique of diagonal or twilled twining with split white willow wefts. The design is executed in a flipping technique in split red-brown Redbud branches. Red Willow warps provide a textured background. Students may make a native Dogbane string hanging strap if time permits. You may also harvest fresh willow if you wish to learn the technique of splitting and preparing the willow in the native way, but this is not required for the weaving. We will have a slide show of native baskets on Saturday night. Fee- $145 includes all materials prepared
Split Willow Water Bottle
The Great Basin Paiute, Washo and Shoshoni peoples use willow to produce a variety of basketry shapes including trays, burden baskets, water bottles and cooking bowls in diagonal or twill twining. Participants will learn the technique of splitting and trimming willow for weaving strands on Friday and will make a miniature water bottle on Saturday and Sunday. You may use pre-trimmed material and come late on Friday. We will have a slide show on Great Basin basketry techniques, materials and history on Friday evening. The finishing and the preparation and application of pine pitch will be done on Monday. Materials prep begins Fri 10 am. Students should bring a pocket knife, awl, garden clippers, a water spray bottle and a soaking bucket. Fee- $ 120; with pre-trimmed materials $150. (Prerequisite- Basic twining) Class size limited to 10
Willow Christmas Tree Ornaments
Your tree is up and the time is drawing near. You need more ornaments and you want to express your passion for basketry at this festive time of the year. Weave a variety of ornaments for the home and tree in colorful miniature willow and dogwood twigs. We will make star shapes, a tiny wicker basket, a teardrop shape in corn dolly weaving, a random weave sphere to fit over a tiny light, and split twig deer figurines in an ancient technique from the Great Basin native peoples. Fee- $60
Spruce Root Medallion
This is a style practiced on the West coast by Native peoples from Northern California to Central Oregon. This is a plain twined basketry medallion with single face overlay. We will use spruce roots and peeled willow warps with a star design in Woodwardia fern dyed with alder bark, beargrass, maiden hair fern and other traditional materials. The small medallion will be finished with a hide backing and strung with natural beads and shells. A slide show will feature basketry from many tribes in this region. Fee- $150- includes all materials prepared (Prerequisite- twining) Class size limited to 8
Twined Overlayed Spruce Root Basket
in the style practiced on the West Coast by Native peoples from Northern California to Central Oregon. A miniature basket in split spruce root overlayed in white beargrass, orange woodwardia fern filaments and black horsetail root and maidenhair fern. Warp material is peeled willow or hazel sticks. Students may make a very small lidded basket to hang as a necklace with native Dogbane string, or a larger basket to hold special small trinkets. We will have a slide show of native baskets on Saturday night. Fee- $150 includes all materials prepared Class size limited to 8
Spruce Root Basketry of the Oregon Coast
Native peoples of the Oregon coast from the Columbia River to Cape Mendocino in California use the roots of spruce, pine and cedar to create watertight baskets. Learn the technique of plain twining with a variety of decorative overlays including beargrass, maidenhair and chain ferns, cedar and redbud bark, sea grass and porcupine quills. We will be focusing our attention on the basketry of the Coos Bay area. Participants will make a miniature basket or flat round medallion necklace. Fee- $150 includes all materials prepared
Spruce Root Covered Bottle- Quinault/Chinook style
Native peoples from central California to Alaska use the roots of spruce, pine and cedar to produce tight twined baskets often intricately decorated. We will use prepared spruce roots in a Quinault/Quileute style to cover a small glass bottle suitable for a necklace or needle case with a lid. Decoration of overlaid beargrass (white), fern stems (red and black) and yellow dyed quills may be used. Gathering and preparation of materials will be discussed. A slide show will feature western spruce root basketry. Cost- $135 all materials prepared
Introduction to Coiled Basketry of California and the Southwest: Coiled Medallion Necklace
Traditional basketry in the Southwestern corner of North America is famous for its fine, tight coiling. We will explore the different native materials from the Pomo in Central California to the Apache groups in Arizona and New Mexico. Students will learn to split and trim many materials including white willow, sedge root, western redbud, maple, black braken fern root, glossy tan rush, sumac, cottonwood, red yucca roots and black Devil's claw seed pods. A slide show will highlight different techniques and regions. Pre-trimmed willow and redbud will be provided for a coiled medallion necklace in one rod coiling. Cost- $150 all materials prepared (Cost $110- trim your own materials) Class size limited to 10.
Grass-bundle Coiled Basketry
This basketry is one of the oldest forms of coiling, found in Ancient Egypt and Mesopotamia. Cultures all over the world have adapted their local plants to this versatile technique, from African halfa grass wrapped with palm strips, to Scottish chair backs of wheat straw and split willow, to Western American Indian basketry of deer grass and rush stems. Examples from around the world will be exhibited. We will make an open low basket in an open coiling technique using field grasses and split willow or rush stems. Colorful designs may be added in dyed or natural bark and texture may be added by incorporating grass heads, seed pods and feathers. Participants may bring bundles of their own grass or other long fine materials if they wish, for a personal touch.
Native Coiled Basketry of Southern California
Traditional basketry in coastal Southern Alta California and Northern Baja California is made from the stems of a beautiful glossy rush in warm natural tones of tan, gold, russet and black coiled over a base of bunch grass or shredded rush. In the desert regions to the east a variety of split shoots are used including sumac, cottonwood and willow. Yucca roots (red) and Devil's claw (black) seed pods are also be used in this region. Students will focus on the coastal regions on Fiday and Saturday, and the inland regions on Sunday and Monday to produce two small sampler baskets or medallions with a spiral ant trail design. Fee- $150 (No experience necessary) Class size limited to 10.
Beaded Coiled Basketry Medallion
in a style produced by Native peoples in Central California including the Pomo, Wappo, Patwin, Paiute, Maidu, Salinan and Ohlone groups. We will use prepared strands of split willow or sedge root and a one-rod construction technique. Each skein must be able to fit through the hole of a seed bead. Students may bring their favorite seed beads (size 10) with them or use beads in the colors provided (mostly opaque, non-sparkly available). Shell disc beads will also be available. We will have time to make a medallion, brooch or very tiny basket. Fee- $150 - includes all materials prepared (No experience necessary) Class size limited to 10
Feathered Baskets in Central California
Native peoples in Central California use bird feathers in basketry to produce exquisite works of art. We will see slides of baskets from the Yokuts, Mono, Miwok, Costanoan, Maidu, Pomo and Patwin people and make a miniature basket with split willow and pheasant feathers. Types of one, two and three rod coiling will be discussed as well as feathering twined baskets. Materials will be prepared. Fee- $150.
Watertight Basketry Technologies
Native peoples in Western North America have used basketry for carrying water and cooking foods for thousands of years. We will explore several traditions including spruce root twining of the Oregon and Northern California coast; cedar root coiling of the Washington and BC Plateau; split shoot coiling of the Central California foothills; and pine pitch water jars of the Great Basin. Participants will choose one of these and make a miniature. Decorative techniques to be introduced include imbrication, overlays and false embroidery. Weather permitting, we will cook acorn soup California style with hot rocks in a basket. Slide show of Western native basketry, uses, materials and history Fri. 8 pm. Fee $ 150, includes materials. Prepared materials will be used. Participants wishing to prepare their own weavers must attend the Friday class.
Traditional Ukrainian Easter Eggs and a One-Egg Basket
Learn the exacting art of wax resist dying on eggshells to produce an exquisite symbol of rebirth in Springtide. These eggs are also considered to be powerful talismans against harm in the home. Blowing eggs with a syringe and hanging them will also be taught. We will also make a small handled basket of honeysuckle, willow, dogwood and wool to hold your egg safely. Fee- $50 includes eggs, take home kit with dyes and basket material
Week Long Retreats
Fiber Arts of Western North America- Intensive Seminar
This course involves a week long immersion in the basketry and related textiles of Western North America. In a series of evening slide shows, we will cover differences and similarities in the basketry styles, materials and techniques of the Southwest, California, the Great Basin, the Plateau and the Northwest Coast. During the day, we will work on a number of basketry projects ranging from simple unprepared materials and basic techniques to very finely trimmed wefts for complex coiling and twining techniques. Students may sign up for all or part of the seminar Friday evening introduction and orientation. Saturday- Sunday - Tule and soft rush technology, Pomo, Paiute, Klamath, Puget sound, Aleut. Monday- Cordage preparation, spinning, dyes, Southwest, California, Northwest Coast. Tuesday- Netting, looping, soft weaving, soft twining of the Plateau and Great Basin, finger woven belts of California. Wednesday- Bark Preparation and Plaiting- Northwest Coast and Southwest, Cedar, Maple, Willow, Yucca. Thursday- Willow and Hazel work, California, Great Basin and Northwest Coast, whole shoot and splitting willow basics. Friday- Root Digging Expedition, California, Plateau and Northwest Coast, Cedar, Spruce, Willow root preparation, watertight basketry discussion. Saturday- Fine Twined Basketry in split willow and/or various roots, Intro to decorative techniques, overlays, California, Northwest Coast. Sunday- Fine Coiled Basketry in split willow and/or various roots, decorative techniques, beading, imbrication, California, Plateau, Southwest. Monday- Stay and Weave, Clean up, Leave. The final days will be focused on the production of small medallion necklaces or samplers. Scheduling is flexible and depends upon the interest of the participants. We may choose to focus more intensely on some activities and skip others entirely. Cost- Full Course- $350 Separate weekend- $120 (plus materials)