Workshop on Bendor Island

We held a bamboo basket making workshop on Bendor.

We made basic hexagonal pattern baskets.

Both bamboo and hexagonal pattern are foreign to many.

We had 8 participants including basketry enthusiasts from outside of the collective.

Luckily, the island had a few seminar rooms that can accommodate the workshop.

We started making the baskets in one facing the island beach. 

There was no concession for foreign students.

I taught just like I would do with Japanese participants.

Never mind the hexagons. Just look for the triangles...

Maybe my method was good, or we had excellent participants.

The first part of the workshop went very smoothly.

Well... It did, at least in the beginning... 

It was a lovely day in mid September.

We had a nice meal at the restaurant on the island.

Someone announced a break and proposed to go to the beach. Yay!

I never regret going to the beach on that day.

But perhaps, I was contented too much on the early success in the morning...

In the afternoon.


We started forming the body part.




It's the most difficult part in hexagonal baskets, but everyone made it.

Well...

I suddenly realized that it was a bit larger than I expected.

Zhut!

There's not enough material to bind the rim!
How stupid I was. I should've realized it when making the body.


The participants, however, were the experienced basketmakers.
They made the rim with the material we could find on the island,

bound it with rattan,

and finished by the evening.

The last ferry leaves the island at 7 pm.

"Thank you!" "Good bye!"

They ran to the port with their luggage and baskets.

Thank you, everyone!

I really enjoyed working with excellent basketmakers.