NARBERTH, Pembrokeshire – 4-Day Intensive Skills Workshop – Traditional Round Baskets 21-24 November 2024

– 4 days tuition (10am – 4.30pm) from Justine, holder of the UK National Collection of Salix and professional weaver and tutor. Justine has recently been featured in Period Living (October 2024) and on BBC Gardeners World and is a member of The Basketmakers Association, Heritage Crafts, Plant Heritage and Find A Maker.

– Lunch and sweet treats every day as well as access to a coffee/tea station throughout the day

The course will cover:

– Basic willow cultivation, harvesting and storage

– Effective willow preparation

– Introduction to basic weaving tools

– Round bases: how to construct traditional stake and strand bases and things to consider when designing your base.

– You will have time to practice and make 3-5 bases and turn them into baskets (and other items) during the course.

– Sides :Adding uprights and exploring which traditional weaves work best. eg 3-rod wale, French rand and slewing

– Borders : you will spend a day looking at border types, when to choose which border and why. This can include the beautiful Polish asymmetric border designed by Polish basketmaker Stanislaw Dziubak in 1997.

– Handles : we will explore 2/3 types of handles as well as adding a simple leather version

– Optional Homework to help you embed your skills further

– Includes all willow required for the course, use of tools and comprehensive list of willow and tools suppliers

– A dedicated, modern learning space at Ash Farm with a log burner for a cosy environment.

– Sumptuous homemade lunch prepared by Sian , and daily sweet treats with tea and coffee on tap.

– Optional Basketmakers Tool Kit available to pre-order – perfect to store in one of the baskets you will make.

Optional accommodation is also available onsite – please contact Sian directly to book, availability allowing.

https://sianodoherty.co.uk/product-category/accommodation/

– Cosy B&B facilities featuring Sian’s beautifully designed textiles are also available on-site to book.  Why not come a day earlier or stay after the course and explore the beauty of the mountains and coast of West Wales.

– Sian’s Colby Room and Grove room. Both are equipped with a basic kitchenette, tv, ensuite, king bed, wifi, alpaca bedding and rooms range from £70-85 a night dependent on the season.

REFUND AND CANCELLATION POLICY

If you need to cancel the workshop

We try our best to price our workshops fairly and offer good value for money. We therefore have a clear non-refundable policy to ensure that we cover our costs and the ongoing viability of the workshop.

We do appreciate that sometimes-unforeseen circumstances may mean that you can’t attend a workshop so we are happy for you to send along a friend to take your place, we will need their name and contact details prior to the workshop.

If you contact us at least 14 days in advance of the start date of the workshop, then we can offer a transfer to the same workshop on an alternative date, providing there are places available or a workshop is planned. If there are no suitable future dates, we can provide a voucher to be used for a future workshop booking at Ash Farm. 

Please note that there are no make-ups for missed sessions if the workshop is over more than one session.

Our right to cancel a workshop

Should we need to cancel a workshop due to unforeseen circumstances, we will aim to give you as much notice as possible of the cancellation. Unfortunately, we cannot accept any liability for travel or other costs.

Booking this workshop through the West Wales Willows website is acceptance of this cancellation policy.