homegrown willow, woven
Stanfordville, NY / Lenapehoking / Mahicannituck
Stanfordville, NY / Lenapehoking / Mahicannituck
Jesica Clark (they/them) is Willow Vale Farm. After 13 years of farming, in 2015 I finally got a farm to call my own. Located on 5 acres of undulating, rocky, Dutchess-Cardigan soil, at Willow Vale I grow and weave with willow, raise vegetables and fruits for our home, and listen to too many podcasts. I am available for teaching classes, private commissioned work, and wholesale orders.
Save the date! Get on top of registration! I will post classes here as they open up for registration, but I usually give the host about a week to reach out to their own community.
February 1 & 2 @ Harlem Valley Homestead, Wingdale NY
March 2 @ Gardiner Library, Gardiner NY
March 22 & 23 @ Waterford Heritage Craft School, Waterford VA
April 5 & 6 @ Fall Kill Creative Works, Poughkeepsie NY
April 25 - 27 @ Northeast Basketmakers Guild Gathering, Enfield CT
May 1 & 2, May 3 & 4 @ Wind and the Willow, Grafton ON Canada
May 13 & 14, May 16 & 17 @ Stowe Basketry Festival, Stowe VT
May 26 @ Salt Box Crafters, Suffield CT
May 27 @ Salt Box Crafters, Suffield CT
May 31 & June 1 @ Black & Wild, Petersburgh NY (BIPOC focused)
June 14 & 15 @ West Kortright Center, East Meredith NY
June 26 & 27 @ Sanborn Mills Farm, Loudon NH
June 29 @ Jayflora Designs, Fonda NY
July 10 &11, July 12 &13 @ The Branch Ranch, Warkworth ON Canada
July 19 @ Fall Kill Creative Works, Poughkeepsie NY
July 28 - August 3 @ Eric Cannizzaro, Charlotte VT (this is a combined chair-making and basket-weaving class)
August 19 - 21 @ Black & Wild, Petersburgh NY (BIPOC focused)
August 27 - 29 @ Oak Spring Garden Foundation, Upperville VA
September 6 & 7 @ Fall Kill Creative Works, Poughkeepsie NY
September 10 - 14 @ Sanborn Mills Farm, Loudon NH
September 24 @ The Met Cloisters, NYC NY
September 27 & 28 @ Stacy Zink, Bethlehem PA
October 9 & 10 @ Salt Box Crafters, Suffield CT
October 18 & 18 @ Black & Wild, Petersburgh NY (BIPOC focused)
November 1 & 2 @ Fall Kill Creative Works, Poughkeepsie NY
Private tuition is open to one or two individuals at a time and must be scheduled in advance. $200/day + materials for one student, $250/day + materials for two students. Private classes for 3 for may be scheduled on a case by case basis. Classes take place on our farm in The Shed (weaving studio).
Learn the ins and outs of basketry here at our farm. Folks seeking private tuition will work directly with me to weave any basket of their choosing, within their (and my!) skill level. Most baskets will take at least two days to learn, larger or more complicated baskets may even take three. Garden supports and small simple baskets like berry baskets and trays will take one day. The farm is lovely almost any time of the year and you’ll meet our chickens, dog and cats. Do remember that willow can be challenging to weave and that these tutorials will be taking place on a working farm. Book a private class here!
Organized through Waterford Craft School. More info and registration here. $465 class fee, lunch provided.
During this weekend course, students will create beautiful round baskets from willow. Learn to construct a traditional basket with a circular base, rounded or sharp angled upsett, a choice of side weaves and a woven border. Time permitting, students can weave a complementary handle. We will be working with natural willow so students can explore and design with the various colors different types of willows present. Those who have some experience in willow weaving can practice shaping and explore different weave designs. Participants will finish the class with a sturdy and useful vessel. Learn more and register here.
Organized through Northeast Basketmakers Guild. Registration here. $200 Member, $230 Non-Member Registration (opens November 2nd), plus $70 materials for my class, non-members of the NBG welcome, and there are grants available!
This is an INTERMEDIATE/ADVANCED level class! Students need to be comfortable working with willow. Prerequisites: Students MUST have the experience level in WILLOW. Students should be able to weave a regular round willow basket on their own without instruction, so that they are familiar with three rod wale, randing techniques, and general shaping. It is helpful if students are familiar with using a knife to cut willow slypes and/or scalloms.
In this willow weaving intensive, experienced students can practice creating a well-formed and refined project through the making of a creel. We begin with a D-shaped base where the back stakes are scallomed on, additional stakes are then punched through the hoop and corner stakes added. We then weave up the sides of the basket using three rod wale, randing, and a packing weave, with careful attention to weaving around corners and creating a bellied form at the front. The basket is completed with a woven rod border (another place to practice weaving around corners), a lid woven in a similar fashion to the base (students can choose to incorporate or leave out the hole), and leather fasteners and strapping. The project is customizable to different sizes and designs, whether you'd like a functional fishing creel or a fashionable purse! Register here.
Big Rock Community Farms Market, Stanfordville, NY
100 Main, Falls Village, CT
or contact me directly for custom baskets
You may also occasionally find my work at a few other shops in the Hudson Valley and surrounding area.
After a long think, I’ve decided to no longer do crafts shows/artisan markets at this time. Please see the list of stockists above or contact me directly for a custom order below! Currently my online shop is closed, but I may open again as I make stock.
I am currently taking custom orders at a 10-12 week lead time. Please contact me to discuss order details.
I take on all kinds of projects, big and small, for loved ones or for the public.
Some basket examples for inspiration:
Start a custom order. Find out about my willow varieties. Ask a smart question. Ask a dumb question.
Whatever it is, you can use the contact form below.
You can also call or text: 845-380-9183.