Offered: April 3, 10am-4pm
Location: Commonweal Garden
Instructor: Edward Willie

Suitable for beginner and intermediate weavers, this class will guide you in crafting a beautiful traditional berry-picking basket.

Two parts of a redbud shoot are used. First, the shoot is split in half and then the inner edge of the first split is split from the bark side (this is the cull), leaving a little bit of the wood with the bark side. These two separate parts of the shoot are then used to make the basket. The basket is finished off with a dogbane string strap.

Basketweaving is more than just a practical skill. This class gives you the skills and opportunity to engage directly with the natural world, to slow down, and to enjoy the meditative experience of a basketweaving circle.

You'll leave class with:
-a traditional berry-picking basket you crafted yourself
-knowledge of sustainable cultivation, propagation and harvest
-increased confidence in working with natural materials

Bring a sharp knife and or Exacto blade, a large bowl, and a bag lunch.

Workshop Fees

$95 tuition
$85 a person when you bring a friend

Instructor:  Edward Willie

Edward majored in Native American Studies at UC Berkeley. He is a teacher to both children and adults. He teaches life skills to preschoolers and basket weaving and other land-based skills to adults. He is an artist, herbalist and native ecologist currently furthering his education in permaculture. He has four grown children and is a long-time participant in native California traditional activities.

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