Course Description
Coiling, a unique basketry technique that’s stitched not woven, can be used for making anything from beautifully simple basketry forms through to free-form experimental structures - there are very few rules, just some basic techniques.
Many materials can be used and very little equipment is needed for exploring materials, textures, colour, pattern, form, surface; coiling can be worked on a scale of tiny to huge.
You’ll be introduced to the basics : ways of starting, stitches which produce different textures, creating form, and approaches to finishing. You’ll make a few samples to get a feel for material(s) you like working with, moving on to making a collection of exploratory samples or small baskets which relate to each other to form a group, or cluster, of objects.
Coiling is a slow technique, so possibly you might not complete your work, but you will go away with enough materials and knowledge and ideas of how to finish it.
Polly Pollock
My work combines basketry and stitched textile techniques which explores themes of homemaking and nurture, damage, protection and repair.
I work mostly with paper yarns which I dye using gentle eco-dyes, often produced from my vegetable peelings, tea leaves, etc, to give soft and gentle colour palettes. I try to ensure my work, albeit in small ways avoids contributing to the mounting levels of waste in the world today.