SPECIAL SEASONALLY WORKSHOP
I’m so excited to offer this workshop as a HARVEST & CRAFT experience. There is something really special about gathering your own materials from fields and forests to craft! We will start our workshop at a private home to gather freshly fallen Ponderosa pine needles and then head back to the classroom. We will start by making a standard single round hand broom and then advance to a turkey wing style. We will use all natural fibers for tying and you will have lots of colors to choose from!
About harvesting needles…at the end of summer is a great time to gather pine needles. Most pines will drop needles at the end of hot dry spells to prepare for winter and focus on making new needles. Many pines hold on to their needles for more than just one year.
In Western Washington we don’t have any native long needled pine trees BUT they do grow here. You are most likely to find Pacific Ponderosa, Jeffrey, Gray and Coulter pine trees with needles long enough to create pine needle baskets or these adorable brooms. I look for needles at least as long as my open hand - the longer the better. Not all needles on the tree are created equal so being selective as you gather is important.
How and when you gather your needles will impact the quality and durability of them for crafting - which makes our HARVEST & CRAFT session all the better - the perfect time of year and the perfect tree.
SPECIAL LOGISTICS
We will meet up at 6:30pm at a private home in NE Seattle to gather our fill of freshly fallen needles. The meet up location address will be provided to registered students the week of the workshop. We will gather for about 45 minutes - first gathering enough needles for our workshop and then you are welcome to gather more for your own crafts (bonus harvest!). We will then head back to the Field and Forest Classroom - an 8 minute drive away - to learn to make our brooms. Because we will be gathering fallen needles, they are already dry enough to weave with and will not shrink significantly. RAIN CONCERNS: If there has been measurable rain (and the needles are sodden) or it is actively raining that evening, we may shorten or skip the harvest and use dry needles I have at the classroom.
Physical aspect…harvesting needles will require kneeling, sitting or bending over to the ground for a period of time. If this is something you are unable to do or would cause you distress - please let me know and we can arrange to have needles harvested for you. I don’t this to be a reason you aren’t able to come play and learn. Please email me with any concerns.
Minimum age: 12 with accompanying paid adult - no experience needed
Workshop maximum: 10 students
Class registration is NON-REFUNDABLE. However, if you want to sell or give your spot to a friend, I’m happy to welcome someone else in your place. Due to the nature of the projects and the small class sizes, I’m unable to support refunds or credits.