Morning (11AM): “Weaving with Willow- from farm to basket”

Willows are most often used for strong functional baskets, but creative and decorative pieces can also be woven from willow bark.  Basket weaver Katherine Lewis will tell you the story of how willow took over her life, from growing the material to weaving baskets from both withies and bark.

About Katherine:

Katherine is a full time basket maker, working on her farm near Mount Vernon, Washington where she and her husband Steve grow many varieties of willow. Growing the willows allows Katherine to choose from a wide selection of bark colors and weaving qualities for her work. Katherine’s baskets are woven from willow and willow bark using traditional and contemporary basketry techniques and the traditional hand tools of the craft.

Katherine has traveled to Europe several times to study with master basketmakers. In 2011 several of her baskets were acquired by the Renwick Gallery at the Smithsonian American Art Museum as part of the Cole Ware Collection. In 2016 she worked with Peter Juriga on the English translation of his book, “ Basketry- The Art of Willowcraft”. One of her bark baskets “Daphnoides Box” is currently included in the joint NBO/SAQA traveling exhibit “Art Evolved: Intertwined” which will be at the Quilt and Fiber Art Museum in La Conner from Dec. 1 2023 thru Feb. 29, 2024. 

 You can see more of Katherine’s work at www.dunbargardens.com.