WORKSHOP: Winter Straw Group

Straw Group participants pack out the Learning Room at Shetland Museum and Archives.

We held our inaugural Straw Group sessions in winter 2022/23. We started off with an open event to promote the crafts and to gauge interest - this was incredibly well attended - surpassing all expectations. For more info see Shetland Museum and Archives post.

This led on to a series of 2 hour workshops over 6 weeks with 3 groups of 8 people learning the techniques for Shetland’s three critically endangered straw basketry crafts: kishie making, stitched coiled straw basketry, and Fair Isle strawback chair making.

Attendees showed great talent and enthusiasm, producing some amazing work. We’re looking forward to this being a regular thing each winter.