Weaving the reeds

On Sunday I joined a sustainable art  workshop sponsored by the Riverina Highlands Landcare Network and Tumut Council and utilised the skills and contacts of the Kosciuszko National Parks staff and local arty women. It was a great opportunity to learn a new skill or two, meet some locals and spend a day sitting in the dirt making things.

There were three sessions covering different art /craft practices but the one that a most enjoyed was the Aboriginal Weaving session led by the Indigenous Cultural Tour leader and expert weaver from Tumut National Parks office.

We used needle reed gathered from the local area. It had been dried and soaked  and kept wet to make it pliable. The reeds came in a range of different widths and colours.

We had examples of weaving to admire.

Example of a wrap and stitch method weaving

After a short intro on how to work our own basket we got down to starting off with making a circle.

Starting off with blanket stitch

We learnt a blanket stitch method and a wrap and stitch method and were gently encouraged all the way through our bungles and mistakes. As we sat outside under a tree working our little beginner's baskets and compared our workings with each other we could all imagine Wiradjuri women sitting by a creek lined with the needle reed chatting and doing much the same. The hours passed quickly.

Gradually our circles got bigger and bigger,

Loren's beautiful example of the blanket stitch method

Nikki's stunning first go at wrap and stitch Aboriginal Basket weaving with the blanket stitch method in the middle

My own attempt was quite mutant in the beginning,

but things got more regular as I went on and changed to the wrap and stitch method,

I love the colours of the reeds.

Eventually I finished the little sampler basket off.

I am quite pleased with my first attempt, imperfect as it is and can't wait to use the remaining reeds to make a bigger basket from scratch now that I have made this little sampler as a practice basket.

The sessions were held in the grounds of the beautiful Gilmore Hall.

All micro orb corrugated iron and wood - a stunning little piece of  simple rural architecture.

Thank you tutors and organisers for a fabulous day. Thank you all the women who took part - what a pleasant, quiet day of fiddling and chatting.