Basketry
No basket has ever been made by a machine…. where there are baskets there are people and where there are people there have always been baskets. Louise makes and teaches under the name Rough Around the Hedges. Her basketmaking activities follow the seasons and varied landscape of Hampshire in the South Downs National Park, UK. Winter lends itself to carving, forming and setting frames from coppice woods and repair work, while Spring completes the annual willow harvest and prompts weaving of nests, feeders and plant supports. Summer provides plenty of festival and course opportunities to share basketry skills and techniques with others, while Autumn invites hedgerow and garden harvests, foraging of weaving fibres and gift giving.
About The Artist
Louise believes in weaving people and nature together. She is passionate about making and teaching with a variety of hedgerow, woodland and wetland plants. She champions the sustainability and process of her craft. She lives in a village outside Petersfield, Hampshire with her husband, their lurcher, 3 chickens, natural topbar bee hives and a neglected allotment. After making baskets in her home studio and teaching at various venues for over 10 years, she decided to take on an industrial unit of her own. Rough Around the Hedges now has a permanent making and teaching workshop based in the Liss Business Centre.
