Workshops

Willow Day Workshops are suitable for beginners and those with existing willow weaving experience.  Just bring along lots of enthusiasm and by the end of the day you will be taking home your basket or animal sculpture!

TIME:

9.15 arrival for 9.30am start. 5.45pm finish (approximately)

VENUE:

Chevithorne Village Hall, Chevithorne, Tiverton, Devon, EX16 7PU. (15 minutes from M5, junction 27. Just 30 minutes westwards from my previous main venue!)

DETAILS:

Maximum of 8 participants per day.  Price includes refreshments and all materials.  Tools provided.

LUNCH:

I’ve teamed up with the nearby amazing Lost Kitchen restaurant (www.lostkitchen.co.uk) who have created a special lunch menu for you of mezze salad, freshly baked Focaccia, homemade cake and a Luscombe drink. Lunch £12.50 payable on the day by card or cash.

TO BOOK:

Click on a ‘Make a Booking Enquiry’ button.  This will take you through to the booking form.  Once your completed booking enquiry form is received I will reply via email within 4 working days with current availability and full payment instructions.  Payment is accepted by electronic transfer, cheque or Paypal.

GIFT VOUCHERS:

Ideal birthday, anniversary or Christmas gift for family, friends or colleagues.  Gift voucher recipients have priority booking and the chance to book before anyone else (including those on my MailChimp list).  Valid for 2 years, a gift voucher enables your lucky recipient to experience a day basket or sculpture making at a workshop of their choice in a lovely Devon venue.  To arrange your gift voucher please complete my booking enquiry form or email willow@sarahlebreton.co.uk.  A £105 gift voucher enables your gift recipient a place at one of my Willow Day Workshops.  I also offer a £55 voucher that enables part payment towards a workshop.  Once purchased, you will receive via email your electronic gift voucher ready for emailing or printing.

JOIN MY MAILING LIST:

Head to my Contact Page, fill out the quick form and tick the box next to ‘SIGN UP TO OUR MAILING LIST!’ You will be joining my MailChimp newsletter and receive Willow Day Workshop dates prior to their general public release.  I will be releasing my September – December ’24 workshop dates in late May.

2024 © sarahlebretonwillow

Berry Basket

Description

My take on a traditional English Berry Basket, brought up to date with a leather handle.  This lovely neat basket is perfect for foraging seasonal fruits or even as a casual handbag!  Great for both adventurous beginners and those with some previous basket weaving experience.  Dates fully booked but please email me if you wish to be on the waiting list for these dates.

Dates & Availability

Thu 25 Apr 2024 Fully Booked
Fri 28 Jun 2024 Fully Booked
Cost: £105

2 Day English Round Basket

Description

Over 2 days you will be immersed in creating an English stake-and-strand round basket.  This will be either a decent size willow shopper or a medium log basket. Methods and traditional techniques will include an underfoot tied slath base, English rand weave and a Somerset handle. You will also learn how to grow, harvest and prepare your willow ready for weaving. Suitable for beginners and those with willow weaving experience. Wednesday 17th & Thursday 18th July.

Dates & Availability

Wed 17 Jul 2024 4 Places Available
Cost: £175

Beginners Round Basket

Description

If you’ve ever wanted to make a willow basket but not known how to start, this lovely round basket is perfect for a small shopping trip!  Created by me especially for beginners, whilst making this basket you will learn some traditional English techniques and use willow grown on the Somerset Levels.

Dates & Availability

Thu 9 May 2024 2 Places Available
Sat 29 Jun 2024 Fully Booked
Cost: £105

Ose Basket

Description

Practical and beautiful, make a lovely Ose basket.  Using locally sourced willow, over a two day workshop you will be able to make with me this heritage basket.  Also known as a Gathering, Hen or Skye basket, I have developed the size and shape of this frame basket so that we can successfully achieve this advanced basket within 2 days.  Only for those with existing basketmaking experience. Thursday 13th & Friday 14th June.

Dates & Availability

Thu 13 Jun 2024 4 Places Available
Cost: £175

Garden Basket

Description

Ever popular, choose to make either a lovely oblong or oval willow basket.  Perfect for gathering vegetables and foraging.  I designed and developed both of these baskets so that you get to learn some English Willow techniques and achieve a decent size basket in a day.  Oblong garden basket is ideal for beginners and oval basket is best for those with a little more basket weaving experience!

Dates & Availability

Wed 22 May 2024 Fully Booked
Cost: £105

2 Day English Oval Basket

Description

Create a lovely oval English technique stake-and-strand willow basket. This 2 day workshop will enable you to make your perfect shopping basket with methods including an underfoot tied slath base and a traditional Somerset handle. You will also learn how to grow, harvest and prepare your willow ready for weaving.  Ideal for those with a little more basket weaving experience or for adventurous beginners! Email me to register interest for this workshop.

Cost: £175

Flower Basket

Description

Having experienced a number of requests for a lovely cut flower basket, I have designed and created this new basket that you can now make with me at a one day workshop.  Suitable for adventurous beginners.  Also great for those with existing basket weaving experience as you’ll be able to learn tips and tricks on how to hone your square work bases. Willow sourced locally from the Somerset Levels.

Dates & Availability

Fri 10 May 2024 3 Places Available
Cost: £105

Deer Sculpture

Description

Create your very own characterful 4ft deer in day.  Whilst making your 3D sculpture you will learn various willow weaving and sculpting techniques.  Due to such a demand for me to teach willow animals again I’m now teaching an extra date of 23rd May!

Dates & Availability

Wed 24 Apr 2024 Fully Booked
Thu 23 May 2024 1 Place Available
Cost: £105

Organic Basket

Description

Explore making a simple version of this contemporary and ever increasingly fashionable willow basket.  Playing with colourful willow and developing from a Catalan base, your characterful basket will grow and flow organically into a small – medium size basket. Suitable for adventurous beginners and those with existing willow weaving experience. (Postponed from 23/5) Email me to register interest for this workshop.

Cost: £105

Bird Sculpture

Description

Spend a day creating a willow bird of prey, coastal, woodland or moorland bird of your choice. Due to such a demand for me to teach willow animals again this popular workshop is back!

Email me to register interest for this workshop.

Cost: £105

Zarzo Basket

Description

Great for beginners, choose to make either an incredibly sculptural round Zarzo or still striking but more practical rectangular Zarzo basket.  Due to demand, for several years now I’ve been teaching these wonderful baskets that were developed by Danish basketmaker Ulla Misser. EMAIL ME TO REGISTER YOUR INTEREST FOR THIS WORKSHOP.

Cost: £105

Lampshade - Zigzag Weave

Description

Make your very own large feature willow lampshade for your home.  Using the popular ‘zigzag’ weave and assorted willow colours you will create a medium size drum or cylinder shaped shade.  Ideal for those with existing weaving experience or adventurous beginners! Email me to register interest for this workshop.

Cost: £105

FURTHER WORKSHOP DETAILS:

Venue – Chevithorne Village Hall.  Idyllic Mid Devon setting with full facilities. Parking outside the hall. 15 minutes from Junction 27 of the M5, and 5 minutes from either Tiverton junction off of the A361.  (Venue is just 30 minutes westwards from my previous Somerset teaching base.)

Accessibility – If you have accessibility needs please contact me before booking your workshop.

Dietary Requirements – If you have any dietary requirements please do let me when you book your place/s.

Tools & Clothing – All tools are provided, though you are more than welcome to bring your favourite pair of secateurs and you may wish to bring along light duty gardening gloves.  Please wear clothing that you don’t mind getting a little mucky!

Willow – Due to availability and willow preparation, the types and colours of the willow that you will be weaving with at the workshop may differ to those shown on publicity photos.

FURTHER BOOKING DETAILS:

Demand – Due to the level of demand for Willow Day Workshops places are only allocated on a ‘first come, first serve’ basis on receipt of both your completed Booking Enquiry Form / Phone Call and your full payment.  I work through bookings on a strict date and time basis, (I have to do this for my own conscience!)  To secure your place/s, when you receive my email reply please do get back to me with payment asap.

Group Bookings & Date Choices – For the best chance of securing your Willow Day Workshop place/s I strongly advise you to offer me a 1st and 2nd choice of date and if attending with friends / family please make one group booking.

Terms & Conditions – It is your responsibility to read the workshop t&c’s at the time of booking, these include the cancellation and change of date policy.  Click on this link for terms and conditions or access them on my website Footer page.

Availability – Please note that  I try my upmost to update availability for each Willow Day Workshop on my webpage as regularly as possible.  However, due to the amount of bookings that I receive after a publicity mail out there can occasionally be a delay between places being allocated and my manual updating.

STAYING IN DEVON:

Being in a beautiful area of Devon, with access to the moors, beaches and the close by cathedral city of Exeter, why not make your workshop into a mini holiday and stay with friends or family nearby? I’ve a great list of recommended local accommodation and lovely eateries for you to enjoy.  Please request!

FURTHER GIFT VOUCHER INFORMATION:

I publicise my workshops 3-4 times per year and although I send out a priority publicity email to gift voucher recipients, it is the responsibility of the recipient to check for workshop availability and book their place.  Once a workshop date has been arranged by a gift voucher recipient all normal terms and conditions, including my cancellation and change of date policy apply.

WAITING LIST FOR CANCELLATION PLACES:

Very occasionally, due to the way the world is at the moment, I do get cancellation places.  These are usually at very short notice.  If a cancellation occurs I email the workshop waiting list, update availability on my courses webpage and advertise the place on my news webpage.  If you wish to attend a Willow Day Workshop that is already fully booked it is well worth either filling out the booking form or emailing me so that you can go on the waiting list.  Please do let me know if you are interested in all workshop cancellation places or for a specific workshop date.

OTHER WORKSHOPS:

I’m delighted to announce that I will also be teaching for the following organisations in ’24

RHS Rosemoor  Beginners Round Basket Friday 19th & Saturday 20th April. Willow Cut Flower Basket Friday 12th July.  Willow Tray Platter (1/2 day) & Willow Foraging Basket (1/2 Day) Saturday 9th September. Autumn Gardener’s Trug Friday 11th & Saturday 12th October.  For details and to book please head to RHS website

Somerset Rural Life Museum Beginners Round Basket –  Saturday 2nd March & Sunday 6th October.  For details and to book head to SMRL website

BESPOKE COURSES:

As well as having the extensive experience of teaching and organising my own Willow Day Workshops for over a decade, I run bespoke basketmaking workshops and courses for a wide variety of clients.  These regularly include the RHS, River Cottage HQ, Somerset Rural Life Museum.  Previous clients include Linley of London, the Soho House Group, CoLab Exeter and The Garden House.

 

WORKSHOP TESTIMONIALS:

Just a few of the many wonderful testimonials that I gratefully receive!

“Dear Sarah, A few twinges & creaks are a small price to pay for yesterday’s achievements. Thank you for your hospitality, tuition and guidance, as well as your seemingly endless and cheerful patience, encouragement and support for us all.  A great day, tiring but so rewarding. Kind regards.” John January ’24 Deer Sculpture.

“Hi Sarah, Just wanted to say thank you so so much from me and my Mum for such a wonderful workshop.  Every detail was thought through, and your joy and passion for weaving was infectious and inspiring. We thought your teaching style was so impressive too and worked so well in the group.
It really was such a brilliant day. Thank you so much. Have a lovely well earned break and we hope to be back for another workshop in 2024.” Lily December ’23 Beginners Round Basket.

“Dear Sarah, Thank you!  Another cracking day weaving willow with you, on Saturday. Making a basket feels like a truly magical experience, weaving connections with nature, our human heritage, and our sense of self. All that is required is space, time, willow, and a supportive teacher/guide. Biscuits and a delicious lunch help too! Thank you to you for providing all this in basket loads!!  Again, I left feeling more in touch with myself and the natural world and with a sense of gratitude for you, both as a teacher but also as a guardian for a piece of our shared human heritage. Thank you.” Jo October ’22. Beginners Round Basket.

“Just wanted to say how much I enjoyed yesterday’s workshop and your tuition, it was fun and the day certainly passed in a blur. Basket was admired on arrival home, high praise from another with aerospace engineering background!!!” Julie, November ’21. Beginners Round Basket.

“Hi Sarah Thanks for a thoroughly enjoyable 2 days. I really missed not being there today! The course was brilliant; interesting, practical and rewarding and you made it a lot of fun with your amazing enthusiasm. I enjoyed the banter between and with the ladies too!!” Mike. May ’21. 2 Day Traditional English Round Basket.

“Hi Sarah, Thank you for a great basket course yesterday, really enjoyed the day and absolutely love my square Zarzo basket!! Your passion, enthusiasm and skill are so inspiring, you are a true pioneer for the industry….Thanks again. Very best wishes, Rosie”. October ’20. Zarzo Basket.