Weaving by the Sea

17/01/2026

'Nesting Season' will soon be upon us!

Join Tim Johnson at Spring School where we will be gathering inspiration from the natural world to create contemporary baskets combining natural and recycled materials.
Starting with a close look at some of the nests, natural objects and contemporary baskets in my collection we will go on to combine techniques borrowed from nature, the fibre art works of Tadek Beutlich and traditional basketry such as ply-splitting, cordage making, twining and knotting
Booking open now:

'Nesting Season' 17-19 April 2026
All booking and workshop details here: http://weavingbythesea.blogspot.com

15/01/2026

Booking is now open for our Weavingbythesea Spring and Autumn Schools 2026, 15 three day workshops by expert basketmakers hosted at our favourite venue, in Vilanova i La Geltru, one hour from Barcelona international airport.
First up is an introduction to willow bark basketry with Mai Hvid Joergensen , 17th-19th April 2026. In this workshop you will learn all about harvesting and processing willow bark using Mai's own home grown willow bark in a variety of species and colours. You will then go on to make a variety of different baskets using several techniques, a perfect start to learning all about this beautiful tradition.
All the workshop details can be found on our website here:
https://weavingbythesea.blogspot.com/
Venue: Hptel Cesar, Vilanova i La Geltru near Barcelona, Spain.
Followed by Salt International Basketmakers Fair near Girona,
Saturday & Sunday, 3rd & 4th October 2026

20/12/2025

Weaving by the Sea 2026 - dates announced!
the Mediterranean Basketry Holiday
Hotel Cesar, Vilanova i La Geltru, near Barcelona, Spain
https://weavingbythesea.blogspot.com/

We are delighted to announce the dates for our Weaving by the Sea 2026 events.
We will once again offer a Weaving by the Sea Spring School and a Weaving by the Sea Autumn School. These together will comprise a varied programme of 15 workshops at our favourite venue, the Hotel Cesar in Vilanova i La Geltru near to Barcelona, Spain.

We are currently finalising our workshop details and they will be published on this website soon. To secure the workshop of your choice please sign up for our 'early-bird' newsletter to recieve details when booking opens in early January:
https://mailchi.mp/0b534a991969/weaving-by-the-sea

Booking for both the Spring and Autumn School will open together in January 2026, please note pre-booking is not possible!

Weaving by the Sea 2026 - Spring School
1st Courses: 3 days - Friday - Sunday 17 - 19 April 2026
Mai Hvid Jørgensen, Monica Guilera, Tim Johnson

Day off and special evening event - Monday 20 April 2026
2nd Courses: 3 days - Tuesday - Thursday 21-23 April 2026
Mai Hvid Jørgensen, Mònica Guilera, Tim Johnson


Weaving by the Sea 2026 - Autumn School
1st Courses: 3 days -Tuesday - Thursday 22 - 24 September 2026
François Desplanches, Mai Hvid Jørgensen, Tim Johnson

2nd Courses: 3 days - Saturday - Monday 26 - 28 September 2026
François Desplanches, Monica Guilera, Tim Johnson

3rd Courses: 3 days - Wednesday 30 September - Friday 2 October 2026
Mònica Guilera, Tim Johnson, Mai Hvid Jørgensen

Salt International Basketmakers Fair, near Girona
Saturday & Sunday 3 - 4 October 2026

See you at Weaving by the Sea!

25/01/2025

We now have just a handful of available places for our Weaving by the Sea Spring School 2025. All our other Spring and Autumn School courses have now sold out, please do get in touch though if you would like to be kept on our waiting lists as occasionally we do get last minute cancellations.

Places available:

Round Willow Baskets in Nansa technique
With Monica Guilera Subirana 4th-6th April 2025

Introduction to Willow Bark Basketry
with Mai Hvid Jørgensen 4th-6th April 2025

Catalan Willow Handbags, Shoppers and Backpacks
With Monica Guilera Subirana 8-10th April 2025

All our workshop and booking details on our website here: http://weavingbythesea.blogspot.com/

13/01/2025

Weaving by the Sea 2025 Spring and Autumn School is now open for bookings! Some courses have already sold out to those lucky 'early birds' on our mailing list but there is still some availability for our Spring School and we keep waiting lists for all our courses just in case of any cancellations.

All the workshop and booking details on our website here:
http://weavingbythesea.blogspot.com/p/workshop-2025.html
&
http://weavingbythesea.blogspot.com/p/booking-details-2025.html

Sign up for our Early Bird mailings here:
https://mailchi.mp/0b534a991969/weaving-by-the-sea

14/12/2024

Weaving by the Sea 2025 - dates and courses announced!

https://weavingbythesea.blogspot.com/2024/12/weaving-by-sea-2025-dates-announced.html

Booking opens late January 2025

08/02/2024

Kishie's and Caishies - backpacks from the Northern Isles of Shetland and Orkney used for a variety of crofting tasks from bringing in the turf, shifting tatties and hauling kelp and sea-rods up from the shore to fertilise the fields.
Join me at Weaving by the Sea Spring School 2024, Tues - Thurs 9-11 April 2024., to learn more about this tradition and make smaller baskets inspired by the tradition. Booking now - details on our Weaving by the Sea website.
Pictured an original kishie combining oat straw taits (stakes) and floss simmons (rush string weavers) and a smaller pocket of my making with Bulrush (Schoenoplectus lacustris)

I think there is still one or two places left so do get in touch if you are interested in a Mediterranean spring basketmaking holiday!

Workshop details here: http://weavingbythesea.blogspot.com/p/workshops-2024.html
Booking details here: http://weavingbythesea.blogspot.com/p/booking-details-2024.html

06/02/2024

Join Monica Guilera for a two day introduction to the Catalan basketmaking tradition making round collecting and gathering baskets at Weaving by the Sea Spring School, Saturday & Sunday 6-7 April 2024.
These smaller baskets ideal for gathering eggs and harvesting strawberries feature the traditional Catalan base in combination with rope borders and different handle styles. This is the perfect course for willow basketmakers looking for a good introduction to rope borders and their variations.

Workshop details here: http://weavingbythesea.blogspot.com/p/workshops-2024.html
Booking details here: http://weavingbythesea.blogspot.com/p/booking-details-2024.html

04/02/2024

Join Tim Johnson at Weaving by the Sea Spring School 2024 for a two day course exploring a variety of plant materials and string/cordage making tecnhiques for basketmaking. All the details on our website:
http://weavingbythesea.blogspot.com/p/workshops-2024.html
These ancient technologies are core skills for the soft material basketmaker and can be used for looping, twining, ply-splitting, coiling etc as well as giving a greater understanding that improves our handle and border making.
Expect to be making and right and left handed (S & Z) strings in two and three ply, palm binding and leg rolling, doubling up for extra strength and combining diverse plant fibres.....

30/01/2024

Booking is now open for Weaving by the Sea Spring School 2024!
Join us for your Mediterranean basketmaking holiday this springtime! Which basket will you take home? All the details on our website here:
https://weavingbythesea.blogspot.com/p/workshops-2024.html

11/01/2024

Weaving by the Sea 2024 - Spring School and Autumn School dates announced:
http://weavingbythesea.blogspot.com/2024/01/weaving-by-sea-2024-dates-announced.html

12/10/2023

Thank you to all our Weaving by the Sea 2023 workshop participants - so many beautiful baskets created and special moments shared over our 9 workshops over 11 days. It was such a pleasure to meet everyone travelling from near and far and we look forward to welcoming you to Weaving by the Sea 2024, we are making plans already!

We'll be sharing more photos over the coming weeks on our Instagram page and on our website with our annual gallery page.

Thank you to all our Weaving by the Sea 2023 workshop participants - so many beautiful baskets created and special moments shared over our ...