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Anna is a basketmaker who loves making string, and who works almost entirely with plants local to where she lives in Northumberland. These may be wild or cultivated, from moors and meadows, hedgerows, woods and gardens. They include leaves and stems, grasses, rushes, roots, moss, straw and bark. The plants all have their stories to tell and directions to follow.
Anna has come to basketry after many years of organic gardening. She brings a deep love of plants, and respect for the natural world, to her work, which is rooted in and responsive to the landscape. She is fascinated by the relationships between people and plants and sees basketry as a way of exploring and deepening these connections.
Anna is a member of the Basketmakers’ Association,
Scottish Basketmakers’ Circle and the Northumbria Basketry Group
Workshops with natural plant fibres offer an opportunity to explore some of the traditions of basketry with room to explore creative innovation, and is a chance to become more familiar with the nature of the plants that grow around us.
Twist ~ Twine ~ Loop
exploring plant fibres and basketry with Anna Corbett
Bolton Village Hall, Northumberland, NE66 2EE
January, March, May 2024
Contact Anna for full details
January 27/28, 10am to 4pm both days
Looping structures
Looping is an ancient basketry technique found in different cultures throughout the world. It’s a slow but very satisfying process, and a good way to get to know the feel of different plant fibres. During the weekend we will create soft structures such as bags, bowls or pouches. We will also cover harvesting, processing and preparation of materials which will include rush and an assortment of other plants.
Cost £150 (£125/£175)
March 16/17, 10am- 4pm both days
Random weave baskets
Starting with making string from plants we will create containers using a random weave technique. This is open to individual interpretation and allows lots of different creative approaches, taking inspiration from birds’ nests. There will be a range of plants available to experiment with, as well as decorative threads and yarns.
Cost £150 (£125/£175)
May 25/26, 10am - 4pm both days
Pockets and pouches
Twining is a technique that lends itself to using plant fibres to make pockets and pouches. This workshop will explore different ways of using twining, starting with ‘flat’ structures and then working on a mould to create round ones. Stringmaking is always an option for inclusion, as well as using commercial yarn and thread.
Cost £150 (£125/£175)