Discovering hidden basket making treasures of Bowermere Cottage Garden
Explore the beauty of Bowermere Cottage garden & discover the best plants for basket making, plus tips on craft techniques and plant care.
top of page
Ruth Woods
Oct 234 min read
Exploring Japan's textile treasures
Explore Japan's textile treasures! From Tokyo’s fabric districts to shibori dyeing in Arimatsu, get inspired by my craft-filled journey.
Annie Clarke
Jun 244 min read
Fantastic tips for Raffia Basket Making
Explore tips on setting up, working with raffia, and storing it to make the most of your projects with Annie Clarke
Ruth Woods
Jun 64 min read
A Basket Weaver’s Tale: Benita’s Experience with Baskets from the Garden
Benita's journey our Baskets from the Garden course turning plants into art. Get inspired by her story and explore your own creativity!
Ruth Woods
May 75 min read
From garden to basket: using New Zealand Flax for weaving
Explore the beauty and versatility of New Zealand Flax in basket making.
Ruth Woods
Apr 226 min read
Pretty, practical or peaceful: why would you practice visible mending?
Mending a garment is something I get immense satisfaction from. I have always done this from when I started to sew. I would mend jeans,...
Ruth Woods
Apr 107 min read
You want to write a book? My journey of writing Finding Form with Fibre
Finding Form with Fibre was a journey from a dream to self-publishing achievement.
Ruth Woods
Apr 13 min read
Slow stitching ideas!
Discover Slow Stitching Ideas and Inspiration! There are countless projects waiting to be handcrafted through the art of slow stitching.
Ruth Woods
Mar 253 min read
Using Vines and Creeper for Basket Weaving
There is something magical about vines. They defy gravity, winding and twisting creating environmental sculptures, sometimes in the most...
Ruth Woods
Mar 196 min read
Slow stitching: the mindful craft embracing imperfection
Slow Stitching is a relatively new term yet the practice is ancient. Picture an era where every garment, every quilt was meticulously...
Ruth Woods
Mar 115 min read
Fast Fibre - weave without waiting!
I want to weave now! Hands up if you’ve experienced wanting to weave and realising you haven’t the right plant fibre or you have to dry...
Ruth Woods
Feb 215 min read
How to Prepare Plant Fibre for Weaving
It seems to me that the natural world is the greatest source of excitement; the greatest source of visual beauty; the greatest source of...
Ruth Woods
Jan 163 min read
Finding Materials to Create Recycled Fabric Baskets
To create gorgeous functional and decorative baskets you need to find some materials to create them with. This isn’t that difficult but I...
Ruth Woods
Oct 13, 20234 min read
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...
Ruth Woods
Jun 15, 20233 min read
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, 20232 min read
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, 20232 min read
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, 20233 min read
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, 20223 min read
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, 20226 min read
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, 20225 min read
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, 20225 min read
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, 20225 min read
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, 20223 min read
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, 20228 min read
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, 20224 min read
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, 20223 min read
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, 20222 min read
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, 20224 min read
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, 20215 min read
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, 20215 min read
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, 20213 min read
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, 20214 min read
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, 20213 min read
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, 20214 min read
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, 20212 min read
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, 20214 min read
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, 20213 min read
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, 20214 min read
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, 20213 min read
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, 20212 min read
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, 20212 min read
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, 20212 min read
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, 20203 min read
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, 20202 min read
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, 20203 min read
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, 20202 min read
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, 20203 min read
What is raffia? We discuss the material that basket makers love
Raffia is a natural fibre that is perfect for basket weaving; it is strong, holds dye superbly, and is easily malleable. Basketmakers...
Ruth Woods
Jul 13, 20202 min read
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, 20204 min read
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
bottom of page