Whether you’re a beginner or an experienced maker, this is a perfect opportunity to slow down, and enjoy a mindful making experience using naturally found materials woven with raffia grass, hand-dyed with local flora.

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In your workshop you will learn about the art of raffia grass basket weaving, creating a small basket to hold in the palm of your hands to take home with you. I will provide various tones of hand-dyed raffia to choose from and offer you a selection of natural materials to weave into your basket. 

 

I was first introduced to the art of raffia basket weaving by traditional Aboriginal elders from the Central Desert regions of Australia. My experience involved working closely with the Tjanpi Desert Weavers, where I took on the responsibility of dyeing and preparing the raffia grass that is essential for the weaving process.

 

It sparked a lasting passion for the craft of weaving with raffia, which is notably softer than the willow traditionally used in British basket weaving, allowing for different aesthetic and tactile qualities in the finished piece.

 

I like to adapt the skills learnt in Australia to my local Suffolk environment. For my weaving projects, I use Suffolk flora such as willow catkins to create dyes for the raffia and weave naturally-found objects within or around the baskets.