Los Angeles Basketry Guild and Misti Washington Gourd & Basket Guild
Proudly Present Deb Curtis Special Classes
March 15 & 16 and March 22 & 23, 2025
(Four 1-day, 8-hour Workshops)

For many years, Deb Curtis 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/.

REGISTRATION NOW OPEN! Classes are for all levels of basketry experience. Price covers class fee, teacher expenses and materials, most of which are hand-prepared by the teacher. CLICK HERE for Tools to bring , which vary for each class.

Make check payable to MWGBG. When mailing your check, include a note with your name, email address, phone number, and class choice(s) and mail to: MWGBG, c/o Willie Ziegler, 1120 Pepper Drive, Spc. 159, El Cajon, CA, 92021. Email Willie Ziegler (wznvrhpn@aol.com) and let her know you’ve mailed a check, what classes you want to register for and if you have any questions. Exact location of classes will be shared after registration is confirmed. Registration Deadline: March 12, 2025. $25.00 fee for cancellations before March 8 and no refunds after March 8, 2025.

CLICK HERE for class information in PDF format.

Two Classes in Los Angeles Area
(Los Angeles, CA 90046)
Saturday & Sunday, March 15 & 16
8:30am – 5:00pm

Two Classes in San Diego Area
(El Cajon, CA 92021)
Saturday & Sunday, March 22 & 23
8:30am – 5:00pm

Below you’ll see examples of classes that were offered in 2024 and 2023.

Thanks to Lissa-Jane de Sailles and the students for Participating in the September 2024 Series of Special Classes

Lissa-Jane de Sailles 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.

The Guild’s Annual
Basket & Gourd Class Day
on August 4, 2024

We thank the wonderful teachers and students for participating in the 2024 annual Basket and Gourd Class Day at the Heritage Museum in Encinitas, CA. We especially want to thank Debra Zimmerman for again taking a lead role in coordinating this fun-filled event. Debra appreciates the support team that helped with set-up and all those who pitched in to help clean-up and pack up at the close. We appreciate Alison Hiers for bringing the supplies and finished baskets that have been donated to the Guild over the past few years so that participants could “adopt” them, and thanks go to the adopters!!

This is a traditional day of celebration, when we feature low-cost, one-day classes for Guild members and the general public. We encourage you to mark your calendars to take advantage of the next opportunity for this event on Sunday, August 3, 2025.

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/

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.