Wednesday 11 February 2009

I'm a Basket Case

Thursday 12 February 2009





These fantastic baskets by the Danish artist Lise Bech just make me go weak at the knees! I love everything about them, the cuddly pod shape, the fact that they are asymmetrical, the dark colour of the willow. Lise grows her own willow at her home in the southern uplands of her adopted Scotland and exhibits her work all over the world.

In the dim and distant past I did some basket-weaving, and have even planted some varieties of willow as a hedge in my garden (not enough to make a basket yet!). A year ago, I saw a photograph in a magazine of a pod-shaped shopping basket that Lise had made, fell in love and nagged the ranger at the local country park to set up a workshop so that I could be supervised trying to make one! He graciously gave in, cut some willow from the banks of the lake in the park, and on Saturday I will be sitting on the floor willow-wrangling for 8 hours!

Now, haha, I have a head-start in the race to create anything asymmetrical. I am confident that whatever kind of basket I set out to make, my innate ability to end up with something lopsided will stand me in good stead. It will be 'organic', as we crafters say!

5 comments:

Nuvofelt said...

LOL, Chrissie. I can't wait to see it. Just make sure you take your camera with you. Have a great day.

Hmm, long felted ropes woven into baskets.... Is that what we'll see next?

Anonymous said...

Sounds wonderful ! Have a great time. Looking forward to seeing the
results.

Zuda Gay Pease said...

I haven't done basket weaving in years, but I remember that it was great fun! I LOVE the pod baskets! I can't wait to see your basket...have a wonderful time!

Chauncey said...

lol chrissie, so what you are saying is our next team challenge should be *make something asymmetrical*.

Have fun learning! And let us see the results.

Chrissie said...

No, Chaunce, that would give me an unfair advantage! I might, just might, post some pics!