Southwestern Ontario Basketry Guild

Art & Soul Basketry Retreat September 30 - October 2, 2016 The Art & Soul Basketry Retreat was a great success! Master weavers Jo Campbell-Amsler (Iowa) and Joan Carrigan (British Columbia) shared their new techniques and designs using home-grown Ontario willow and Pacific Northwest cedar. We received 14 hours of instruction, plus friendship building and good food in a beautiful setting with members and friends from far and wide. We are looking forward to the next retreat. All retreat participants posing with finished (or mostly finished) baskets. Joan Carrigan teaching her York Basket using a variety of barks, grasses and sedges.    The willow weavers group with teacher Jo Campbell-Amsler. Jo Campbell-Amsler teaching her Shadow Basket using Ontario-grown willow. A bonus weaving session was organized for Saturday evening. Karen Kotecki  (above) and Debbie Mroczenski (below) taught us ...

September workshop with Dale Adamson Instructor Dale Adamson taught students how to make a potato basket, a ribbed basket using one oak round handle. The sturdy structure allows for different shapes and sizes to create a basket for a variety of uses. Dale brought some of her beautifully hand-dyed reed to allow students to really customize the design. Dale Adamson's hand-dyed reed added lovely colour to the potato baskets.

August workshop with Wanda Haydt Wanda Haydt taught the Southwestern Ontario Basketry Guild students how to make a Step Basket using flat reed. Most of us were able to complete the basket during Saturday's workshop. This durable and practical basket will be very useful.

June workshop with Nancy Hager Guild member Nancy Hager taught the beautiful double-walled cats' head basket with a rolled border. The natural reed inner basket came together fairly quickly and the outer basket was then woven on top of it. The Guild had a very productive workshop. The baskets will be completed in July.

May workshop with Karen Kotecki Guild member Karen Kotecki introduced workshop participants to black ash as a weaving material. Many of us had never woven with black ash before and we discovered that it is smooth and silky to weave and very strong. We created a hand-shaped bowl with curled feet and ornamentation.   Black ash splints (foreground) and antique black ash baskets. Catherine completed her black ask bowl. 

Art & Soul Basketry Retreat September 30 - October 2, 2016 Sponsored by  Southwestern Ontario Basketry Guild Been weaving on your own? Ever been to that Canadian peninsula south of the Michigan thumb? Try something new with master American and Canadian teachers,  Jo Campbell Amsler and Joan Carrigan. Break bread and share ideas with compatible, friendly weavers in a beautiful peaceful setting for a retreat weekend on September 30 - October 2, 2016. Our basketry retreat takes place on the peaceful bank of Lake Erie at the  Holy Family Retreat House in lovely Harrow, Ontario, Canada . There are two work rooms for the classes. Each participant will have a bedroom with a sink; bathrooms/showers are shared. Food is prepared on the property. (If you have any dietary restrictions, please let us know and every effort will be made to meet your needs.) Weavers will meet at 5:30 pm Friday evening for registration and a meet-and-greet. Sandwich makings will be avai...

March workshop with Catherine Devine and Lorna Garton Guild members and instructors Catherine Devine and Lorna Garton taught us Flo Hoppe's Octogonal Flower Basket made with round reed. The beautiful and challenging base pattern took some time but all of our bases turned out nicely. We'll finish the basket next month.