Ministry of Straw

Really looking forward to this at the weekend. I love visiting so to be running a straw workshop there is so exciting! Come along and learn about the endangered craft of straw work and help to preserve the skills
Link in bio for more details

Studio sill view

Delighted to be demonstrating this coming weekend with many other talented makers and crafts specialists. I will be taking along lots of different examples of straw work and demonstrating on both days. Come along, say hello and talk straw with me - hope to see you there 🌾
Open 10 - 5 pm, see link in bio for more

A wonderful afternoon spent with a lovely group for a hen party. Everyone had a go and made mementos of love and friendship to decorate the pew ends for Polly’s wedding in a few weeks. 💒💍🌾❤️
Thanks for having me to your special day and allowing me to share the straw love and stories.

Stopped off on my way up to to pick up some straw from . So much work goes into every year🌾
A big thank you to Rosemary for providing us straw workers with the heritage wheat, oats and rye that we need to continue our craft 🙏
Availabilty of materials is just one of the issues facing and . Why not hop over to and find out more about the Red list of Endangered Crafts and all the work HC are doing.
is another great place to go for those of you that are straw curious!

Image shows Maris Widgeon and rye drying.

Happy .

Today is Lammas day in the northern hemisphere. Also known as loaf mass day and is a festival in the Christian Church calendar to mark the blessing of the first fruits of harvest, with a loaf of bread being bought to the church for this purpose. In many part of the UK tenants were also bound to present freshly harvested wheat to their landlords.

Each year I like to make something different to mark the day and this year I have made a celebration chandelier made from Maris Widgeon wheat just like the bread I have had for breakfast🌾. The design is based on one in an old straw book but with my own twist…more on that another day!
The wheat harvest has not yet started near me by I am sure it won’t be long.

Components waiting for assembly.
If you are interested in learning straw work why not sign up to my mailing list via the linktree in the bio. Next course is for members at the end of September… why not join?

Been quiet on the grid taking a few days by the sea! Always good to come back to some real post. I really enjoy being a member of the and am looking forward to teaching an introduction to straw course at the Autumn school in late September.

Membership is £30 per year and there are 3 fabulous journal publication per year. This one has focus on teaching and passing on skills with some great tips and articles from a wide range of makers. Lots of other benefits too.

Indigo corn dolly napkins🌾
Available on my website!

To see so many busy hands with straw always makes me happy! Lovely day talking and teaching yesterday. A very long way from home but worth it!

Revisiting this bit of that I started a while ago. I have plans for it but not enough time🙄
textiles

Thatch and Topiary

Happy weekend.

Harvest Trophy

Want to know more about straw?
Why not sign up to my newsletter🔗in bio

Just a little reminder that two of my straw pieces are currently in an International Textile Exhibition . So many amazing works on show so do go if you can.
Open Tuesday to Saturday 10-4 until 15th June

Quick bit of sample for an idea that brewing..
Really like this colour combination which I have used many times before.
For the out there this is a nine end hat plait made with straw splints.

I will also be demonstrating some of these skills at Handmade Oxford 21-23 June at Waterperry, Oxford. Would love you to come and say 👋
Tickets available now through website.

Visited the exhibition a few weeks ago, fell in love with this bark fibre bag and its construction and detail.

Yesterday was the last day for exhibition. Thanks so much to all the team and fellow artists that made it happen!
Not sure where my banner will go next, let me know if you have any ideas..🌾🌾🌾

This Saturday 27th April I will be attending the Spring Fair (ticketed event) running drop in straw workshops. Have a go at making a harvest knot with me and enjoy a celebration of spring.

Wander among the bluebells and a host of woodland crafts at the Harcourt Arboretum.

Enjoy local food and drink and explore 130 acres of woodland featuring some of the world’s rare and endangered trees. There will be hands-on activities for all the family, including straw weaving, wood turning, spoon carving and the always-popular petting zoo, all included with your ticket; a promenade performance of Fen Dance by the Café Reason Dance Theatre will entertain in the afternoon.

Book a tour with the team of volunteer guides and learn more about the origins and work of the Arboretum, or learn how to identify different species of tree.

Free shuttle bus from Redbridge park and ride

See link in bio for info on ticketing, parking and more.

“The Last Straw” now exhibiting

Always good to catch up with fellow straw workers.🌾Chatting and plaiting with last night, I have to admit there was more chatting than plaiting as we wrestled with different versions of various plait types!
In the end I went back to this Batwing plait and did a quick test using .plait instructions from her straw plaiting book. Will have a go another day when I have some properly prepared straws for hat plait. is listed as a critically endangered craft by . I really enjoy making and trying out new plaits when I have time to prepare and grade the straw properly.

Did you know that straw work is on the Red List of endangered crafts ?

On the workbench today. These will be coming with me to the spring fair event on Saturday 27th April. There will be two drop in straw workshops and there are lots of other activities on offer. See link in bio.

I have quite a few workshops and events coming up if you are interested in learning. See the link in my bio and why not sign up to my mailing list to hear about them?
BTW teaching strawwork and straw skills to others is one of my favourite things to do🌾❤️🌾

intangibleculturalheritage

Studio snippets. Final touches for exhibition.


Did you know that straw work is an endangered craft?

More finishing off in the studio for my straw and textiles piece for exhibition later this month.

Bits and pieces emerging from the studio for exhibition ‘Edgelands’ in April and obviously mine features straw 🌾

Little pieces in the studio today

Fascinating talk by AGM on Saturday.

Patterns from The Netherlands. I love these striking red and white geometric ones, which have a real folk feel to them.
Patterns like this on shutters are often very particular to the village or region. These are from Castle de Haar, near the towns of Woerden and Utrecht. And there was a little thatch roof on the bridge 🌾

Sorry to miss the basketry showcase with today. A great shame not to be there in real life but I was at least there in picture form 🫢
As I tell everyone the BA is a great organization to be part of, inexpensive membership and has been around for 50 years - amazing 👏

Look what landed on my doorstep today! Always a bit of a shock to see your own face staring back at you!
Such a fantastic focus on straw in the magazine this month🌾
Wonderful straw contributions from and .
Thanks to the magazine designer .nita who designed the issue.

Lots of other great articles and info inside. We are a friendly bunch and membership costs just £30 per year.
I will be teaching at the BA Autumn School this year at the end of September.

I love blue! What’s your favourite colour?
Let me know in the comments.