Discover the meditative pleasure of working with a versatile natural material in this half day willow weaving workshop. With the expert guidance of designer Juliette Hamilton you’ll weave a striking dragonfly to grace your garden.
Willow weaving can be a very therapeutic experience. The process of working with your hands takes a concentration that is not common in today’s hectic lifestyle. Willow is such a lovely, pliable and user-friendly material to use.
Manchester-based willow sculptor Juliette will guide you through the course by breaking it down into small manageable steps, and full instructions on paper will mean you can take your new skill home to put into practice.
The workshop will cover:
- Where to source willow
- What varieties to use
- How to prepare the willow
- Different techniques that can be used in sculpture.
Using a number of sculptural techniques will ensure you master the basics of this rewarding craft. So as well as a large dragonfly and a great sense of achievement, you’ll take home the skills to make other sculptures. It can be quite addictive – be warned that this might be just the start of your journey with willow!
The workshop is suitable for beginners, and all materials are provided.
You will use dried willow which has been re-soaked to make it soft, but please note that the workshop can be hard on your hands and does require some strength in your fingers.
Juliette Hamilton trained at MMU in Textile Design, specialising in weave. She worked as an embroidery designer, trained as a garden designer and now creates large willow animal sculptures. She has been making willow sculptures for 10 years and teaching the techniques for 8. Her workshops are fun and sometimes full-on, but her calm approach puts you at ease.
This event is part of Manchester Folk Festival – an urban folk festival. It takes place from 15-20 October 2019, in and around HOME and the city centre. Over the autumn weekend, they present an exhilarating range of events, with the spotlight on contemporary and traditional English folk music.
