Willow Basket Class

$150.00

TWO Classes!  August 10 or 11, 2024 9:30-5:00 PM

Please join us at Long Table Farm for a special class on basketry and make a Gathering Basket. Perfect for gathering eggs, mushrooms, veggies, nuts and so much more. Class will be taught by Pegg (Margaret) Mathewson who has studied, made and taught basketry for over forty years. Read more in her bio below. Lunch will be served from Long Table Farm’s wood-fired oven. Food will be a local, seasonal farm-to-table meal and guests can tour the farm and learn more about wood-fired cooking. We will harvest a few summer willow from Long Table Farm to create white willow strips for weaving into your basket. There will also be various bark strips available to incorporate if you like. 

The first two images in the photo grid show examples of the Gathering Basket style that will be made in the class. The last six images show additional various examples of this “egg” type basket. Skills learned in this class will provide a foundation and apply to other basket weaving projects. Don’t miss this opportunity to learn from a talented craftsperson and well-respected teacher!

More Information

Class includes all basketry materials. We will be outside on our farm and in our open, outdoor kitchen. Students should bring a sharp “locking” pocket knife but not exacto blade kinds.  A pair of clippers or garden scissors, wood clothes pins or wood clamps and a small towel to wrap their willows.  A large awl also can be helpful if you have one.

About the Instructor

Pegg (Margaret) Mathewson

Pegg lives in the coast range mountains near Alsea and has taught basketry in the Western States since the early 1980s. “My art is inspired by all that natural materials suggest and combines traditional and modern techniques and a world-wide perspective on the craft. ”

Pegg  works with museums, tribal and other, to identify basketry and to create exhibits in collaboration with tribes, focusing on Native plants and ancestral technologies.  A resident of Oregon, she runs the Ancient Arts Center, a retreat and school with classes in basketry, food ways, spinning, dying and felting, hide tanning, carving, pottery, stone and bone tools and many other skills from around the world.

Her own basketry work is a mix of ancient and modern and reflects her studies of the traditions of Europe and Japan as well as North America.  All her work uses natural materials.

See more about Pegg and her work at Ancient Arts Center and also this Oregon Folklife Network interview.

Photo of Margaret with willow by Paula Sauvageau


Cancellation Policy- Any cancellation up to two weeks prior to your event date will be refunded 100%. No refunds or credits will be issued for cancellations received less than 2 weeks before your event start date, however, you may always send a friend in your place if you’re unable to attend. If a class needs to be canceled due to a natural disaster, public health crisis, or other act of nature that will prevent the class from being safely completed, then the attendee that made the booking is eligible to collect a full refund or credit for a future class at Long Table Farm.
Please contact us with any questions regarding this upcoming class!