In this three-session workshop at The Morton Arboretum, participants will learn finger-weaving methods used to make a 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, and all supplies are included.
This program meets in person at the Arboretum.
Instructor: Andrea Brazausky, fiber artist
Age: 16 and older
Course number: A997
Instructor
Andrea Brazausky, fiber artist
Andrea Brazausky’s love of art started at a young age. She is of Sicilian descent, and her inspiration comes from a festive, colorful, carved wood miniature cart from the province of Sicily that was displayed in her grandparents’ home. Her education and professional career led her to various geographic regions with lots of learning opportunities. She found her way to fiber arts, basketry, and carving in the Pacific Northwest. She has learned the arts from members of the Diné or Naabeehó in the Navajo Nation in the Southwest, where she was introduced to weaving on a loom, spinning on a drop spindle, and working with natural dyes. In Alaska, at the Totem Heritage Center, she participated in the Native Arts Studies Program, taking classes and workshops in traditional Tlingit, Haida, and Tsimshian art, including carving, formline, and basketry. In Juneau she was exposed to Chilcat weaving. She is a member of the Northwest Basket Weavers guild and continues to travel and learn traditional art forms.
What to Know
This program meets indoors.
The project involves using your fingers to manipulate twine for extended periods.
All supplies will be provided.
Program Schedule
This program meets the following three times.
Saturday, April 20, 2024, 9:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.
Saturday, May 4, 2024, 9:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.
Saturday, May 18, 2024, 9:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.
Thornhill Education Center
