Barbara Schutzgruber – Storyteller & Weaver

Day 3 Wednesday
Today we moved onto weaving with rush.

Averil brought both chair rush and Portuguese salt rush.  I’ve worked with the chair rush before so gave the salt rush a go in making a three strand braid Perigord basket. I have to say learning how to braid sideways took me MULTIPLE tries before I could get the hang of it!!

Wednesday is a half day in the workrooms to give everyone a mid week break. I chose to spend the afternoon on the two stop ‘field trip’.

The first stop was the Bombay Sapphire Distillery in Laverstoke. I have been on brewery tours before but this was the first distillery tour and found the process very interesting.  The green/glass houses are a work of art as well as the distilling chambers.

Plus we got a cocktail at the end of the tour!

The second stop was the Whitchurch Silk Mill. It is still a working mill and produces exquisite silk cloth

and the AGWSD currently has an exhibit there.

The evening was the informal Fashion Show/Tell where anyone who wishes can ‘strut their stuff and  walk the cat walk’.

I brought my felt apron and a felt parasol

and closed out the evening with a storytelling performance. This group is one of THE BEST audiences a storyteller could ask for!!

Day 4
Today we tackled weaving a lace basket made with Japanese Shifu which is woven over a block.  Most of the morning was spent drawing the grid on our blocks of wood.

Getting base started took several tries as the actual weaving pattern made sense to me but it took me forever to figure out how to add in each new weaver. FINALLY I got it then it’s on to weaving the sides.

Late afternoon and evening I helped with the Silent Auction which raises funds for the Association’s different programs.  With 75 minutes to place bids on the different items it’s a bit of a madhouse!

Before

During

After

Then it was back to my room to continue working on my lace basket.  Because we have to continually add nails this is not a fast process so it was in the wee hours that my head finally hit the pillow but I am very pleased with how the basket has come along!