Exploring Textile structures

String making and looping have been used for over 20.000 years to make a wide variety of bags, baskets, traps and garments in many cultures around the world.

 In this workshop you will explore these ancient technologies learning the processes of fibre harvesting and preparation, cordage making and creating your own looped bags, baskets and wall hangings with plant materials such as rush, esparto grass, reedmace and cyperus. With the same materials the special techniques of ply-split darning and ply-split braiding where elements pass through the ply spaces of neighbouring elements offer a wide variety of creative possibilities and structures in contrast to looping structures.
The workshop will combine a good foundation in traditional techniques with freedom to experiment, combine and explore new ideas. The course instructor will bring along part of his collection of flexible basketry including examples from Australia, Papua New Guinea, Brazil, Mexico and Cambodia. Handling these original artefacts will encourage both the close analysis of structure and further experimentation with material and structure combinations.