This past Thursday and Saturday I took 2 DIY classes: modern calligraphy & sweetgrass basket weaving!
The calligraphy class was taught by Dawn Nicole at Skinny Dip and my friend Emy provided the cookies. Michele and I showed up a little late (thanks to my car battery dying), but sat in the back and learned the basics while eating, drinking and enjoying a night out.
A few people have asked about my dress, so here’s a link to it on Amazon (affiliate link). It has pockets and is under $30!
Have you ever heard of sweetgrass baskets? The baskets are made from sweetgrass and palmetto fronds that are unique to the lowcountry! You can find vendors selling them at the market downtown or else on Hwy 17 in Mt. Pleasant.
The Charleston Museum offered a sweetgrass basket weaving class on Saturday, so my friend, Lauren, and I signed up! It was taught by Sarah Edwards-Hammond who is a 3rd generation sweetgrass basket weaver. We were each given our basket starter and a “bone” (spoon with the head removed).
She gave us a demo and some direction and we were off! They came around to help us and give us more sweetgrass or palmetto when we needed it (and helping us get the new pieces integrated in the basket correctly), but for the most part you just chugged along weaving the bottom of the basket, row by row.
About 2 hours into the class, we adjusted the weaving slightly to start going up and creating the sides of the basket. With about 15 minutes left we figured out where the basket needed to end so it’d be an even height all around, and worked to weave until that point, then cut the remaining sweetgrass and finished off the basket!
I already appreciated the craftmanship of these baskets, but after spending 4 hours creating a baby basket (that now holds MM’s on our coffee table) I really appreciate the time and effort that goes into each one!
Originally I was thinking that I’d be making baskets left and right after this class, but now I at least know the skills to make one and will happily pay for a sweetgrass basket! Unless I can get my hands on some materials.. then I might try to make a set of coasters or napkin rings 🙂
