Southwestern Ontario Basketry Guild

Guild member and very busy programming co-ordinator, Martha Sands, taught this beautiful woven ornament. Everyone in attendance created a finished star to take home! The Annual General Meeting and potluck lunch is a lovely way to celebrate the end of the basketmaking year and work to organize the new one! The Guild membership fee will remain the same, so please re-new to allow us the continue to teach basketmaking techniques. The 2024 Guild executive was elected at the meeting and includes the following: Will Elliott, president; Jane Elliott, treasurer/membership; Martha Sands, programming; Ina Guran, secretary; Martina Obersat, blog and archivist. See you all next year!    

Nancy Hager, Guild member and excellent basketmaker and teacher, taught students how to weave a small rib basket using materials from the garden--honeysuckle vines and iris leaves. Students also learned how to make cordage. A fun day for all making a beautiful basket!  

Guild member Martina Obersat brought a variety of rib baskets to the workshop and students could choose to weave a very personal colourful, unique basket. All baskets had three equal central ribs that needed to be lashed in place. To add interest to the basket, a random weave rim was woven in place at the end. All the woven creations were beautiful and no two were alike! Fun!  

Guild member Martha Sands taught students this beautiful twill basket in bright colours. The star-pattern base took a while to weave but the sides went up quite quickly. We all had a great day and had a basket to take home.  

It was a special weekend of basketweaving with long-time guild member and basketmaker extraordinaire Karen Kotecki. She taught a full-day workshop in Chatham on Saturday and another full-day workshop on Sunday. She taught two lovely patterns--the Flower Knots Basket and the beautiful twill Stylish Trash. We all had a great time, learned new techniques and took a completed basket home. Thank you Karen for your energy! The photos below are from Saturday.   These are from the Sunday workshop in Windsor at Nancy's house. Thanks Nancy for making us feel welcome in your home for this special workshop!

The long-time Guild member and master basketmaker Louise MacDougall taught her lovely Spring Garden Tote. It was a beautiful spring day to weave a beautiful spring basket. Student learned how to incorporate colourful overlays and insert and secure a wooden swing handle to the body of a basket. A very successful workshop!          

The first workshop of the year was taught by long-time Guild member Louise MacDougall--the beautiful Winter Twill Basket. Student learned how to twill on a wooden base and create this lovely rim. A very successful workshop! Louise MacDougall showing a student how to set up the rim.   Completed baskets: all in a day’s work!

  The Southwestern Ontario Basketry Guild is proud to present the basketry workshop schedule for 2023. We have a great lineup of instructors this year that will teach students of all skill levels new materials, processes and techniques. The blog will be updated as teachers, descriptions and photos become available. The workshops are help every third Saturday of the year (except January, February and December) at the Chatham Cultural Centre. All workshops require pre-registration. If you are interested in attending, please e-mail ( SWOBG.TREASURER@gmail.com ) or message us through Facebook.  Saturday, January 21, 2023 No workshop this month. Saturday, February 18, 2023 No workshop this month. Saturday, March 18, 2023 - Louise MacDougall - Winter Twill Basket (beginner/intermediate level)     Guild member Louise MacDougall will teach her beautiful Winter Twill Basket. Learn how to weave a twill basket on a solid wood base using 7 mm spokes and flat oval weavers. The