A One-Day Workshop with Hilary Burns
Rooted in years of exploring techniques, experimenting with materials, and working closely with what grows around her, this workshop is a chance to share what Hilary has learned through making.
You’ll work with willow grown and harvested from Hilary’s own crop. Willow that comes in subtle colours depending on the variety, each with its own qualities: pliable, rough, tapered. Once you start working with them, you’ll begin to notice and enjoy their differences. You'll also use materials gathered from local hedgerows, fields, and woodland, each with its own character, texture, and colour.
You’ll make your own woven platters, ideal for serving fruit, cheese, bread, or displaying the treasures you’ve collected. The basic form is easy to learn, but as you explore variations, the possibilities start to open up. There may be time to make more than one, especially for the speedy makers, and there’ll be hoops available to try a related but different weaving technique.
What You’ll Do:
- Split and shave willow using a traditional shave horse, a satisfying process that reveals the inner grain and beauty of the wood.
- Make your own cord from rush or bast to pull your weaving into an oval shape.
- Experiment with variations - try hoops, explore different forms, and play with alternative materials.
Where You’ll Be:
The workshop takes place at Oare House, a working regenerative farm nestled in the heart of Exmoor’s Lorna Doone Valley. With views across rolling hills, free-roaming sheep, donkeys, and the occasional visiting deer, it’s a peaceful and inspiring place to learn and make.
We’ll welcome you with tea or coffee on arrival, share a seasonal homemade lunch at the table, and finish the day with cake and more tea.
(Please let us know about any allergies when booking.)
Whether you're completely new to basketry or just curious to try a different approach, this is a day to focus, work with your hands, and get to know the materials through doing.
