Information about the August 3, 2025, annual Basket and Gourd Class Day coming soon!
Below you’ll see examples of classes that were offered by over the past few years.
Deb Curtis Special Classes - March 2025
MWGBG was pleased to present special classes with Deb Curtis. For many years, she has been creating and teaching contemporary baskets, linking traditional basket materials with tapestry weaving, beading, stitching and surface design. By combining a variety of techniques and blending colors, she creates “new” baskets, changing the character of a basket from a functional vessel to a container that expresses a concept. Her artwork has been shown in scores of exhibits, and she has learned from several masters of traditional basketry techniques. She continues to combine this knowledge with new styles using a variety of fiber techniques. To explore her artwork and read her blog sharing thoughts and inspirations you might enjoy, check out her website: https://www.wovenfiredesigns.com/.
SATURDAY, 3/22: Knitted or Crocheted Willow Bark Basket
Knit or crochet a sculptural basket using willow bark as the “yarn.” Heavier willow bark will be used for the sides and rim if you decide to add one.
SUNDAY, 3/23: Birch Bark Cylinder
Learn the basics of working with birch bark and different rim treatments.
Thanks to Lissa-Jane de Sailles and the students for Participating in the September 2024 Series of Special Classes
MWGBG and the Los Angelest Basketry Guild were pleased to offer classes with Lissa-Jane de Sailles. She lives and works on Jerrinja/Wandi Wandian Land on the south east coast of New South Wales, Australia. Lissa-Jane teaches fiber art locally and internationally and works with basketry techniques to create sculptural forms and installations with locally foraged natural fibers and textiles. This is a rare opportunity for us to learn from an Australian basketry artist! We are taking advantage of the fact that Lissa-Jane will be in the USA this fall to teach at the Columbia Basin Basketry Guild “Tidal Twinings” retreat.
SATURDAY, 9/21 — Mini Wall Mat
This workshop will give students foundational skills to make beautifully crafted twined circles. Learn two ways to start and how to maintain tension and evenness of stitches. Also learn open twining that is precise and sculptural, enabling endless possibilities for experimenting with form and materials.
SUNDAY, 9/22 - Slow-Stitched Coiled Basketry
Using fabric, paper and natural materials, learn how to make Lissa’s signature sculptural basketry forms from a variety of materials. Also learn how to identi¬fy and work with locally har-vested natural fibers to make beautiful, meaningful stitched artworks that con-nect you to nature and place.
SATURDAY, 9/28 - Small Things -
This workshop aims to inspire participants who wish to design and make wearable art or small sculptures using age-old basketry skills. Learn how to twine, coil and loop around objects and embellish your work with beads and found objects. You will also learn how to combine objects to make fun and quirky small sculptures.
SUNDAY, 9/29 - Sculptural Twining -
Learn how to make sculptural forms using natural materials or objects found in your home. Taking inspiration from the natural world, learn how to design and make these forms, employing stake and strand and ribbed basketry techniques. You will have the foundations to confidently create with your hands and shape materials into beautiful intriguing art.
Thanks to Jennifer Wool and the students who participated in the
June and July 2025 Series of Special Classes!
The Los Angeles Basketry Guild and Misti Washington Gourd and Basket Guild were pleased to offer classes with Jennifer Wool. She has been a popular basketry teacher for many years and has been creating 3-D artworks for over 40 years, including pottery, gourds and fiber arts. Inspired during her regular hikes in the foothills near her home in San Jose, CA, Jennifer gathers interesting sticks, rocks, and fibers that she incorporates into her work. She enjoys the creative process and finds teaching her skills to others very satisfying.
SATURDAY, 6/22, San Diego — Chocktaw Basket
Students will learn many different weaving techniques and patterns in this basket, starting with a bicolor twill weave that is folded to form the "V" shaped bottom. These techniques also include twining, a braid, and a spiral twine using natural and dyed reeds. (Intermediate Level)
SUNDAY, 6/23, San Diego — Josephine Knot
Students will learn how to start this ribbed basket with a Josephine knot using 12 long #5 round reeds. Several textured material will be woven in as the ribs are formed and filled in and finished with natural flat reed. (Intermediate Level)
SATURDAY, 7/13, Los Angeles — Cedar Water Bottle (For All Levels)
Students will learn how to twine, arrow twine and straight weave around a new glass water bottle using Western red cedar, round reed, loose seagrass, and waxed linen, finished with a flip and fold rim.
SUNDAY, 7/14, Los Angeles — Flower Basket (For All Levels)
Students will first learn to weave over the handle of a "D" shaped wooden hoop, the bottom is woven in using natural flat reed with a step up weave creating the sides with some accent colored reed added.
Thanks to Cael Chappell and the students
for participating in the February 2024 series of Special Classes!
The Los Angeles Basketry Guild and Misti Washington Gourd and Basket Guild were pleased to offer classes with Cael Chappell. He has been working with basket weavers in Africa since 1991 and began to weave his own baskets in 2017. Using his innate understanding of basketry, he quickly developed his own unique style of whimsical weaving. His baskets exhibit personality and life which engages the viewer. Cael’s work has been featured in many exhibitions and publications, and he has received prestigious artistic awards for his artistry. He is a popular presenter at weaving guilds and is writing a book on twining in waxed linen thread. To discover more about Cael and see examples of his wonderful artwork, visit his website: https://caelchappell.com/
SATURDAY, 2/17, San Diego:
Twined Pendant
Learn to make an eye-catching twined pendant using basic twining and pattern techniques.
SUNDAY, 2/18, San Diego:
Twining Explorations
A free form twining class that covers reverse twining, triple and quad twining, full turn twining, shaping, sharp turns, exposed spokes, compound rims, inverse triple twining, and more.
SATURDAY, 2/24, Los Angeles:
Twined Earrings
Learn to make a pair of lovely twined earrings using basic twining and pattern techniques.
SUNDAY, 2/25, Los Angeles:
Twining Patterns
Learn different ways to make patterns in bases and/or sides of baskets.
Thanks to Judy Zugish and the students
for participating in the March 2023 series of fun Special Classes!
The Los Angeles Basketry Guild and Misti Washington Gourd & Basket Guild were very proud to have presented the wonderful classes with Judy Zugish listed below. This was the inaugural cooperative venture between our two guilds, each hosting two all-day willow bark classes in the Los Angeles and San Diego areas by master basket artist Judy Zugish.
Judy Zugish, basketmaker, began experimenting with cultivating fibers and using them to invent contemporary, sculptural basket forms. She gardens in the Pacific Northwest, where she grows, nurtures and collects fiber plants for her creations. A teacher since 1988, at home and abroad, she designs her classes to explore delicious natural materials, applying good techniques with a touch of the unusual – just because it’s fun! To learn how Judy cultivates and prepares willow in her 40-year-old garden to make her unique pieces, you might enjoy this video interview: https://youtu.be/U8kIkTqx88k.
Mixed Bark Pouches
Textilizing
($80 + $95 material/prep fee)
Sunday
Candle Top - $155
($80 + $75 material/ prep fee)
Saturday
Rainbow Threads - $135
($80 + $55 material/ prep fee)
Sunday
