In this class you will learn to weave a small simple plaited pouch. Pouches like this are made by the Choctaw using river cane and include color and pattern. We will use 1/4" cedar bark strips and 1/4" - 1/2 " willow bark strips, The technique will include plain plaiting, diagonal plaiting, and a fold down border. Click this event to learn more & register.

Columbia Basin Basketry Guild is hosting a Northwest sweetgrass ( Schoenoplectus pungens ) gathering, in Tillamook, OR. Click this event to learn more and register.

In this 8-hour online class, we will make this footed basket featuring a unique pattern created by the precise placement of weavers and overlays. Woven on a round wooden base, students will learn triple twine with step-ups, chase weave, design-enhancing overlays, and a distinctive rim application. The finished basket is adorned with charming wooden feet. Click this event to learn more and register.

Abby Braithwaite will share stories from the first four years of the Plas Newydd Farm Arts Initiative, discussing the ways she is bringing regional artists and thinkers onto the land to engage with one of Southwest Washington's largest intact working landscapes. Learn how one family's approach to land and community stewardship is bringing the creative community together on the land.

In this 3-hour class you will create a pretty wood-based 3”x3”x5” basket with a water-tight plastic lining that features painted paper in a wide variety of colors. This class will cover gluing spokes into a slotted base, weaving sides with cane & paper, and finishing the top with a glued reed rim. Click this event to learn more, and to sign up.

The Guild will gather in a forest on a land owner’s property for this cherry bark gathering. The trees are large with a few smaller ones scattered. Indigenous peoples used cherry bark as decoration in their basket designs, and it was used for wrapping the joints of many implements, such as spears, arrows and fire drills.

The Guild will gather this June for our annual potluck, for socializing, food, and baskets! Bring your favorite dish to share with serving utensils. CBBG will provide beverages. Click this event to learn more.

Weave a faerie-sized basket in this single-day class. This is an introductory workshop to bring you into the world of handweaving with cattails. Teaching artist Sylvia Friday pairs the learning of techniques and patterns with the freedom to explore your personal style and creativity. Click this event to learn more.

Oregon bitter cherry tree is a deciduous tree that grows in many forests across Oregon. The trees are native to western North America; the trunks appear to be dark reddish brown or gray with white splotches and horizontal lenticels (raised pores that allow for gas exchange through the bark). We will have the opportunity to get both inner and outer bark. This is a private land owner.

The Guild will be working in the willow plot from 9 am to 10:30 am and harvest from 10:30 to noon on May 30. Meet at the Our Table plot to weed the perimeter, maintain the landscape fabric, and other willow gardening chores. Click this event to learn more.

The session begins with a short keynote presentation by Carol Horvath at the Our Table Store. She will cover key factors to consider when planting cuttings, and plot management. Carol has been growing willows for 12 years and with others, steers the management of the Guild’s plot at Our Table. Click this event to learn more.

Learn about basic tools, materials and weaving techniques. We will cover natural materials, how to gather and process some plants that grow in the Northwest, and get to know the tools commonly used for basket making. The day is all about exploration! We’ll look at finished baskets and see examples of coiling and cordage for inspiration. Hands on opportunities will include using yarn to learn twining styles, explore plaiting with cattails, craft a Dexter knife sheath with cedar and birch bark we process, and weave a small basket with materials we explore in class. Click this event to learn more and sign up.

Repetitive stress injuries are common among basket weavers and fiber artists due to sustained grip, posture, and repetitive movement patterns. This general meeting will be a practical, hands-on workshop, Nick Medlock, a NASM (National Academy of Sports Medicine) Certified Personal Trainer and Nutrition Coach, will guide us through simple, effective strategies to protect our hands, wrists, and entire body while continuing to enjoy our craft. Click this event to learn more

In this 3-hour class you will create 1-3 trivets, sized 3.5''x4'', in a hexagonal open weave pattern. Working with commercial reed, we’ll learn how to weave in three directions (triaxial weaving) to create a hexagonal pattern. Your finished woven piece works well as a coaster/trivet, an art object, or a small wall decoration. This hex weave design is popular in many countries, specifically made popular in the U.S. by the religious group the Shakers. Click this event to learn more and sign up.

CBBG has a Drop-in Session for members to access the Guild library and to purchase basketry supplies. If you need waxed linen or tools, want to return a book, or are interested in perusing the Guild’s extensive book collection, plan to stop by the Multnomah Arts Center, in the hallway adjacent to Room 35. Click this event to learn more.

The Neolithic weave is an ancient continuous braid technique found in cultures around the world. In this 4-hour class, we will use fiber rush (a dense paper cord) to create a sculptural luminary that holds a small LED candle (provided). Keep it tidy or a get little wild—the character of the basket is up to you. Students will leave with a small finished luminary and the basic skills to continue experimenting with this versatile, intuitive weave at home. No experience is necessary, but do note that this weave can be a workout for your hands. Click this event to learn more and sign up.

The Guild will be hosting a nest making event May 2nd from 10:00 to 3:00 at Guild member Shara Anslow’s home. This gathering is one part harvest opportunity, and one part opportunity to work creatively. This is less of a workshop and more of a moment to sit with others who work with these materials and random weave. It is a chance to ask questions, learn from observation and try your hand at working with random weave to create a nest or other shape. The land is three acres abundant with natives, like blackberry vines and hazel branches as well as some invasive plants, like ivy. There is plenty of shade from the woods, where you can enjoy the music of the babbling creek. Click this event to learn more and sign up.

We will gather cedar bark (Thuja plicata) on Friday, May 1, 9:30 am - 4 pm. This gathering is at RSG Forest Products in Kalama, WA. We will pull from felled logs. You can get as much cedar as you can process that day. Processing means stripping sections from logs and removing the outer bark. If you have not pulled cedar at a woodlot before, we will help you get started. Click this event to learn more and sign up.

Do you want to add or try a new basketry technique? Here’s your opportunity. Ply-Split braiding is a unique textile technique in which cords of various ply are pulled through the plies of other cords to create flat and three-dimensional objects as this basket. We will be splitting Danish cord (3ply) to create this small basket. Click this event to learn more