Makers Directory

I am a basket maker, working mainly with willow and coppiced wood.

I have a range of domestic baskets and can also work to commission. I grow my own willow, which is pesticide free.

My passion is in all things woven, knotted and netted. I make baskets and love to transfer the traditional skills of basket making into larger woven forms.

I create textile basketry kits and original pieces using natural renewable materials. My designs involve using traditional basketry techniques with inspiration coming from the materials, the natural world and historical references. The baskets reflect the materiality of the fibres used being mostly jute, sisal, Manila hemp, flax and cotton. Hand weaving, twining, coiling and binding are the methods I use. I studied MA Textile Design at Norwich University of the Arts which reinforced my interest in natural renewable sustainable materials and also made me want to pass my knowledge on to other crafters. I offer workshops in my studio at DesignerMakers21 in Diss, Norfolk which go hand in hand with my basket design kits. I am a licentiate member of the Society of Designer Craftsmen and a member of the Norfolk Contemporary Craft Society.

We are the original makers of the famous Royal Sussex Traditional Trug Basket used for gardening. Our company hand crafts our Trugs, using traditional tools such as the cleaving axe and draw knife. The Sussex Trug was invented by Thomas Smith in the 1820s, taking an ancient idea dating back to Anglo Saxon times, redesigning it and in so doing creating a part of the English gardening scene that is now World famous!
We now supply Trugs all over the World and have won numerous awards both in the UK and Europe.

My name is Rachel Evans and I am a basketmaker, working mainly in willow. I grow some willow myself and I use a few local growers for unusual varieties as well as growers in Somerset. I also love to forage in the woods near my workshop in the gorgeous Churnet Valley for hazel, rush, bark and grasses.

I specialise in traditional English baskets, for kitchen and garden, classic designs that have stood the test of time. I trained with Adrian Charlton of Norfolk. More recently I am developing my own style using colour, twisted branches, or more unusual shapes. I am particularly in love with frame baskets, sturdy and strong.

I also make large and small animal sculptures and other forms in willow for home and garden, both for private commissions and organisations such as the National Trust. My price range is from £30 for a small basket to £1000 for my larger sculptures.