Can I Dye Raffia to Weave a Raffia Basket ? A guide to adding colour.
Raffia Baskets dyed with plant dyes Can I dye raffia - this is a question I get asked a lot. In this blog post I will talk about dyeing...
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Ruth Woods
- Jun 15
- 3 min
Which plants can I use for basket making that grow in my area ?
As a basket maker, I understand the excitement and inspiration that comes from seeing a beautiful basket made from a plant fibre that's...
Ruth Woods
- May 31
- 2 min
Basket Care Made Easy: Simple Steps to Ensure Your Baskets Stand the Test of Time
by Ruth Woods - As someone who makes baskets as well as collects them, I know the time consumed in making them - so I want to share some...
Ruth Woods
- Mar 24
- 2 min
The Art and Craft of Nests by Zora Verona
If you have purchased the book Finding Form with Fibre - you might recall reading about and seeing the beautiful images of Zora Verona’s...
Ruth Woods
- Jan 31
- 3 min
Weaving Practice Projects - what are they?
You might wonder what I mean by practice projects. It’s a term I use to describe something that I think all curious crafters and makers...
Ruth Woods
- Apr 25, 2022
- 3 min
How much raffia do I need to make a basket?
When I'm teaching, I'm often asked how much raffia is needed to make a basket. It's a good question, because, I assure you, once you...
Ruth Woods
- Mar 26, 2022
- 6 min
Zak Foster: Artist, quilt master, and purveyor of memories
Ten years ago, if you'd told Zak Foster he'd be making a living as an artist making quilts he probably wouldn't believe you. Fast Forward...
Ruth Woods
- Mar 17, 2022
- 5 min
Natural Dyeing as a sustainable practice with Kate James from Valleymaker
Think exquisite yarns and threads naturally dyed with local plants - and that's only the tip of the iceberg of what Kate James online...
Ruth Woods
- Mar 14, 2022
- 5 min
Sustainable Craft with Raine Owen: knitter, basket maker, and creative business owner
Raine Owen has carved out a slice of the sustainable craft business pie with her successful online store, the Unusual Pear. It's a...
Ruth Woods
- Mar 7, 2022
- 5 min
Permaculture, basket making, and the Urban Nanna
The Urban Nanna, aka Anna, has been crafting since she was 10-years old. Her work in the sustainability space, namely permaculture, came...
Ruth Woods
- Mar 3, 2022
- 3 min
Meet our guest blogger, Retritus: fibre artist, slow crafter, and botanical dye expert
My name is Norton Fredericks and I am a queer First Nations sustainable fibre artist living and working on Bullongin land, Gold Coast, Austr
Ruth Woods
- Feb 28, 2022
- 8 min
A master of slow craft: An interview with Jane Milburn OAM
The first crafter we speak to for Sustainable Craft Month is Jane Milburn. Jane has worked tirelessly in the space, receiving an Order of...
Ruth Woods
- Feb 24, 2022
- 4 min
Sustainable Craft Month - and why it matters
An environmental footprint comes in many forms: what we drive, our devices, electricity consumption, even what we eat. As crafters, we...
Ruth Woods
- Feb 11, 2022
- 3 min
Unlikely plants to use in DIY basket making
There's no doubt that a basket made from plant fibre is a beautiful thing. Making baskets from natural materials is also one of the...
Ruth Woods
- Feb 1, 2022
- 2 min
Growing banana plants for basket making in a cooler climate
Growing your Banana Plant in a cooler climate People often think you need to live in the tropics to grow excellent fibres for basket...
Ruth Woods
- Jan 20, 2022
- 4 min
Meet the Maker with Bindi Browning
It's interesting to see how many wonderful makers we have in our midst that aren't from traditionally creative backgrounds. Over the...
Ruth Woods
- Dec 9, 2021
- 5 min
Meet the Maker with Tanja Gawin
Speaking with felt artist, Tanja Gawin is a vibrant experience - there's a real air of joyfulness and creative play that follows her. She...
Ruth Woods
- Nov 17, 2021
- 5 min
Meet the Makers with Zora Verona
Zora Verona is a fibre artist who focuses on nest-like forms she creates using natural materials.
Ruth Woods
- Oct 25, 2021
- 3 min
Natural dyeing techniques for fabric and raffia
What is Natural Dyeing? Natural dyeing is an extremely old practice. Evidence suggests that extracting pigment from organic materials is...
Ruth Woods
- Aug 21, 2021
- 4 min
Not feeling creative? There's a reason for that: tips for the maker who’s stuck in a rut
Creativity is such a gift. Especially in times like this. The stress of constant lockdowns and covid updates, however, can certainly take...
Ruth Woods
- Jul 26, 2021
- 3 min
Fibre Artists Series: Jessica Leitmanis
In our Fibre Artists Series, we'll shine a spotlight on fibre artists from around the globe. If you're a basket maker like me, you'll...
Ruth Woods
- Jul 8, 2021
- 4 min
Meet the Makers: Barbara van Gool and Kathleen Mason
It's a general rule of thumb that anyone with a creative side is going to be forever searching for ways to satisfy it. I mean, you'd be...
Ruth Woods
- Jun 19, 2021
- 2 min
Exhibition Alert: Robyn Norris
From the Earth, Fire and Fibre Yarra Sculpture Gallery 117 Vere St. Abbotsford, Melbourne, Australia Open until July 4th Artist Story:...
Ruth Woods
- May 25, 2021
- 4 min
Meet the Makers We Love!
Meet Louise Freckelton Louise lives on a small-scale alternative farm and conservation area named Highfield Farm and Woodland. It's a...
Ruth Woods
- May 4, 2021
- 3 min
Celebrating all crafty Mothers this Mother's Day
My mother was a brilliant seamstress. I remember the whirring sound of her sewing room. She would sit behind her industrial sewing...
Ruth Woods
- Apr 29, 2021
- 4 min
Exhibition Alert: Nicole Robins, Sydney basketry and fibre artist
Nicole Robins is a prolific fiber and basketry artist with a wonderfully unique, contemporary style. Her latest exhibition When Nayure Moves
Ruth Woods
- Mar 10, 2021
- 3 min
Meet the Makers: Lee Atkinson
I’ve always enjoyed working with fibres, and love the tactile nature of the basketry, and the organic shapes and forms of baskets.
Ruth Woods
- Feb 16, 2021
- 2 min
Meet the Makers: Lisa McClure
I’m new at making baskets but I'm just loving the creative outlet. I enjoy the natural colour palette that creating them brings.
Ruth Woods
- Jan 27, 2021
- 2 min
Creative Mending - renew your wardrobe with these fun mending techniques!
Creative Mending adds a fun twist to traditional mending techniques. It allows you to use a garment’s flaws – a tear, a rip, or a lost...
Ruth Woods
- Jan 2, 2021
- 2 min
Where to find recycled materials for basket making
Crafting doesn't need to be a trip to the store for lots of new packaged items. That's the beauty of this craft - you can use mostly...
Ruth Woods
- Dec 10, 2020
- 3 min
Basket Making in Brazil
Ellen enrolled in our Baskets from the Garden online workshop last month. She asked me about plants she could use, and I was curious to...
Ruth Woods
- Nov 12, 2020
- 2 min
My favourite plants to use in basketry
Making baskets using plants is all dependant on where you live. The climate will have a huge bearing on what you will find growing...
Ruth Woods
- Oct 4, 2020
- 3 min
Meet the Makers: Kerrie Bowles
Kerrie is a basket maker, hand-dyer and painter amongst other things. She learnt to make baskets with us a few years ago.
Ruth Woods
- Aug 1, 2020
- 2 min
How to make a raffia basket
I often feel a tiny bit of jealousy when someone tells me they've just learned to basket weave. I remember the feeling of discovering...
Ruth Woods
- Jul 30, 2020
- 3 min
What is raffia? We discuss the material that basket makers love
Raffia is a natural fiber that is perfect for basket weaving; it is strong, holds dye superbly, and is easily malleable. Basketmakers...
Ruth Woods
- Jul 13, 2020
- 2 min
Meet the Makers within our craft community. Be inspired. Get making!
Meet the makers from the Craft School Oz community! We meet basket maker, Catriona who has gone from beginner to basket weaving superstar.
Ruth Woods
- Jun 24, 2020
- 4 min
Meet the basket makers we love
The latest edition of Meet the Makers talks to two talented basket weavers who learnt their craft later in life. Both make stunning baskets
Ruth Woods
- May 19, 2020
- 4 min
Need some craft inspiration? Meet the makers we love!
Need some craft inspiration? Meet the Makers we love from the Craft School Oz community.
Ruth Woods
- May 4, 2020
- 6 min
Some craft inspiration from the makers we love!
Connective stories across our Craft School Oz community. Seeing what inspires others, what gets them making baskets, is what inspires me!
Ruth Woods
- Mar 31, 2020
- 2 min
Confessions of a serial crafter: I am a hoarder of unfinished objects (UFOs)
When we craft, we are mostly about the end result: that beautiful piece you get to put your name to, the woven basket, or the intricate stit
Ruth Woods
- Mar 19, 2020
- 4 min
What is slow stitching? The mindful DIY craft you need to try.
To save you from a creative lull, I'll show you two fibre art exhibitions you can currently view online.
Ruth Woods
- Mar 5, 2020
- 3 min
Why is craft so good for you? Here's my experience.
For many of us, modern life is hectic. A chaotic place where we are at the center of our own little doing cyclones. It’s very easy, in...
Ruth Woods
- Jan 18, 2020
- 2 min
Two great online fibre exhibitions to inspire you while social-distancing
To save you from a creative lull, I'll show you two fibre art exhibitions you can currently view online.
Ruth Woods
- Dec 15, 2019
- 2 min
A crafters journey: it began with a Singer!
Everyone of us has a starting point: the beginning of their craft journey. If you can remember, what was yours!?
Ruth Woods
- Nov 10, 2019
- 3 min
Recycle Fabrics: using thrift shops to make recycled textile baskets
because recycled textile baskets can be made from pretty much any fabric you can think of! In each creative workshop, we talk about fabric
Ruth Woods
- Oct 31, 2019
- 3 min
Running a creative business: what I've learnt along the way
If you're thinking of starting a creative business, you most certainly can. Just be prepared to work work work, and always have a plan....
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