Come along to Seedy Saturday at Lewes Town Hall, Saturday 1st February 2020. I’ll be there teaching how to make willow obelisks/supports for your climbing plants (pictured far left). I’m running two sessions, the first starts at 10am and the second starts at 1pm. Maximum of 4 in a group, £40/person. Its a lively event to visit perfect for keen gardeners with unusual plants and seeds and related products and projects.
Contact me to book your place. 07913 651638/ hello@emmapurcell.net
Still very much in the same mode now (Jan ’19), as I was pictured here last summer- i.e. fitting in making around ‘the baby’, which amounts to a few hours each week if I’m lucky. However I’m still happy to discuss any commission ideas with you, so do get in touch. I like to have extra motivation to get back in the workshop! If I can’t complete a commission, I have a host of other basketmaker contacts to pass the project on to.
I’m happy to have had the incentive to make a batch of wet-linen baskets this month based on an original ‘recipe’ passed on to me by Adrian Charlton, one of my basketry heroes who trained in Norfolk with Terry Bensley. It’s great to be keeping the tradition alive. Here they are, far from perfect but so good to be practicing, especially those cranked-willow handles which I love:
I’m on Maternity Leave from September 2017- July 2018, but you can catch me (plus new creature in above ‘vessel’ if s/he still fits in it!) at the Great Dixter Winter Fair (25th-26th November), where I’ll be selling work and running a couple of children’s mini-workshops. Check out the ‘workshops’ page for details.
Otherwise see you next summer!
I’m very excited to be participating once more at the magical Cranbrook Iron Makers’ Fair this weekend, 5th and 6th August. It will be held at the King John’s Nursery in Etchingham, East Sussex, itself a fantastic venue, with a cafe, shop, and unusual plants to buy.
The fair will consist of local makers, artists and craftspeople demonstrating their skills, talking about their work, and selling their unique handmade items. It was a lovely event last year, really friendly and relaxed. It’s well worth a visit.
These handmade willow ‘Tree-Baubles’ will be adorning the trees and are also for sale if you fancy adding a sculptural element to your garden. Come find me!
Gathering stock ready for the next fair which is at Knepp Castle, West Sussex, on June 3rd and 4th. Looks like its going to be a fun, relaxed and quirky event with a vintage/festival vibe, and plenty to see, do and buy. I’m looking forward to this one… hopefully camping in the sunshine too! See you there! Check out their website: Floral Fringe Fair Website
Had a great day at Wilderness Wood (East Sussex) last week, teaching a great bunch of children how to persuade willow into a functional vessel. It called for lots of perseverance and patience but we got there in the end and everyone ended up with a unique handmade basket! Brilliant!
I’ll be there, with a selection of my latest work… should be a lovely couple of days with lots of vintage and hand-made treasures for your house and garden, all in a stunning setting.
To celebrate my new website and email address, here is a dog in a basket (now, there’s an idea!)…
Seems like I’m getting a lot of orders for log baskets suddenly! Very happy to take on these commissions as they are one of my favourite things to make!
This one (being delivered today to Eggs to Apples in Hurst Green, East Sussex, for their Christmas Bonanza- see eggs to apples farm shop), measures at border height 19.5″, stake to stake diameter 18.5″. Using 6 and 7 foot willow combining Dicky Meadows and Black Maul. With a hint of buff for contrasting band.
I’ll also be appearing (or at least my work will!) at the exhibition detailed below. Do pop in if you are in the area:
Emma Purcell 