1 7

Summer Beam Books

Wild Basketry: Making Baskets and Natural Cordage from Foraged Plants by Ruby Taylor

Wild Basketry: Making Baskets and Natural Cordage from Foraged Plants by Ruby Taylor

$35.00 USD
$35.00 USD
Sale Sold out
Shipping calculated at checkout.

Wild Basketry: Making Baskets and Natural Cordage from Foraged Plants by Ruby Taylor

ISBN: 1789942489    EAN: 9781789942484
Publisher: Herbert Press 
US SRP: $35.00 US  
Binding: Hardcover
Pub Date: May 06, 2025
Physical Info: 0.71" H x 11.1" L x 8.58" W (1.98 lbs) 176 pages

A makers' guide to sourcing and harvesting foraged plants to make natural cordage and baskets.

Making with our hands is a fundamental human activity; connection with the natural world and the feeling of belonging to place are basic human needs. A counterbalance to our digitised lives is the wish to connect with the simple joy and satisfaction of creating beautiful and useful objects, tapping into ancestral skills and wisdom and taking care of our world by reducing our ecological impact. Wild Basketry brings all this together in a rich combination of reflection and practical guide.

Beautiful photographs take you through a seasonal year of seven basketry and cordage projects, suitable for beginners as well as for those wishing to expand their basketmaking skills. Ruby Taylor guides you through each step following a range of techniques, with suggestions for further exploration, to give you a thorough grounding in the fundamentals of the craft.

Guidance on the principles of harvesting and processing plant fibres, and contextual information about the evolution of basketry, are covered throughout the book, along with spotlights on several inspiring international artists.

Ruby Taylor is an artist-maker and educator, and connection to the natural world is at the root of her creative practice. She works with materials foraged from woods, hedgerows and the land, and facilitates immersive outdoor courses in basketmaking, pottery and bushcraft in Sussex, where she lives. Ruby holds a BA Hons in 3D Craft, post-graduate teacher training in Art & Design, a Diploma in the Therapeutic Application of the Arts, and trained in basketry with a number of UK basketmakers. From 2009-15 she worked with East Sussex Archaeology and Museums Partnership teaching ancient craft & technology, and co-constructing prehistoric-style dwellings.
rubytaylor.art / @nativehands.uk

Review Quotes:

"This is an invitation to connect with that wild place in your heart and home." --Suzanne Simard, author of 'Finding the Mother Tree'

"An excellent guide by a knowledgeable teacher, a book that is both practical and inspirational." -- Tristan Gooley, author of 'How to Read a Tree'

"This soulful debut explores basket weaving as a spiritual and artistic practice ... Environmentally minded crafters will cherish this." -- Publishers Weekly

"There's a wealth of knowledge and expertise in this beautiful book and it's filled with inspiration, practical guidance and photos." -- Machine Knitting Monthly

"This is not only a beautiful book with great photos, but one with generous, clear instructions." -- The Basketmakers' Association Journal

"This is a thoughtful, philosophical book." -- ROSA Magazine
View full details