In this four-session workshop at The Morton Arboretum, participants will learn finger-weaving methods to make their own salla bag.
Traditionally, salla bags are made by the Wasco Nation of the Confederated Tribes of the Warm Springs Reservation and the Wishxam peoples of the Columbia River Gorge region in the Pacific Northwest. These soft-sided baskets were and still are used for gathering purposes.
In this class, participants will:
- Follow a pattern and work with jute and wool yarn, alternating between two colors of wool yarn and finishing with a braided rim
- Explore the methods of reverse and full-turn finger twining, which requires finger tension
- Finish a bag to take home
We will begin by making a plaited base, and then work up the sides of the basket. You will have homework in between sessions. This workshop is appropriate for beginners.
This program meets in person at the Arboretum. All supplies are included.
Instructor: Andrea Brazausky, Fiber Artist
Age: 16 and older
Course number: A997
Instructor
Andrea Brazausky, fiber artist
Andrea Brazausky is of Sicilian descent. Her inspiration comes from a festive, colorful, wood-carved Carrettini Siciliani (miniature Sicilian cart) native to the province of Sicily that her grandparents displayed on their family table. Her natural affinity and passion for working with natural resources and live shapes led her to fiber arts, basketry, and carving in the Pacific Northwest. She has learned from members of the Diné or Naabeehó on the Navajo Nation, where she was introduced to weaving on a loom, spinning on a drop spindle, and working with natural dyes. At the Alaska Totem Heritage Center, she participated in the Native Arts Studies Program, taking classes and workshops in traditional Tlingit, Haida, and Tsimshian art, consisting of carving, formline, and basketry. She learned formline and Chilcat Weaving at the Sealaska Heritage Institute in Juneau, Alaska. She is a member of the Northwest Basket Weavers Guild.
What to Know
This program meets indoors.
Basket weaving involves using your fingers to manipulate twine for extended periods.
All supplies will be provided in class.
Program Schedule
This program meets the following four times.
Saturday, February 14, 2026, 11:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m.
Saturday, February 21, 2026, 11:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m.
Saturday, February 28, 2026, 11:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m.
Saturday, March 7, 2026, 11:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m.
Thornhill Education Center (parking lot P-21), West Side
