Woven Figurines & Masks

Woven figures are a great way to learn more about how to “sculpt” with weaving. Woven figures have many purposes: masks, hunting decoys, festivals, offerings, gifts, targets, toys, totems, and more.


Woven Goose
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Learn how to use invasive species such as English ivy and yellow water iris leaves for weaving materials and create something beautiful for your home. We will weave a small duck or goose, about 7″ long. This is a good introduction to developing shaping techniques. Intermediate level weavers. Taught by Donna Sakamoto Crispin. Read about her here. Donna and Peter Bauer will talk about gathering and processing the ivy and iris leaves, also.
Dates: TBA.
Tuition: $75


Rushwork Mask
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While the cattail or bulrush is technically a sedge, both bulrushes and field rushes were used by Irish “Rush Workers” to create baskets, bags, ornaments, and masks. Similar traditions exist in Scotland, England, and parts of Scandinavia, all a vital part of ancient seasonal and rite-of-passage celebrations. Oat and wheat straw have often been used as well, especially since industrialized agriculture when field rush weaving became largely extinct. But since field rushes and cattails grow in Oregon, Portlanders have a great opportunity to rediscover and relearn these ancestral traditions.

Dates: TBA
Tuition: TBA