Level – Intermediate: Students should have taken a previous broom making class or have other relevant experience. The Cobwebber or Besom classes are ideal prerequisites, though any whisk broom class is sufficient.
*30 minute break in Session 2
An Appalachian-style stitched and woven sweeper is the Ferrari of the broom world. In this class, we'll create fully functional--and beautifully decorative--stitched and woven corn brooms. Students will choose their own broomstick, natural or dyed broomcorn, and colorful cord for stitching and weaving. Each broom will be a totally unique piece of art--and a fantastic cleaning tool to boot!
Over the two class sessions, students will learn the separate skills of tying, stitching, and weaving their brooms. We’ll cover the techniques that allow you to successfully tie broomcorn onto a stick and create a beautiful and long-lasting broom. You'll learn what's really going on inside of a stitched broom--the inner workings that create the beautiful sloping 'shoulders' of the traditional American broom. In the second session, we'll stitch our brooms and then learn to weave the decorative cap with basket reed. Finally, the brooms will all be trimmed and finished. Please note that tying onto a broomstick requires more physical strength and manual dexterity than tying a whisk broom.
This workshop is taught over 2 sessions with 9.5 hours of instruction to cover the various skills and techniques needed to create a stitched and woven sweeper. The class size is restricted to 3-4 students so that I can give everybody individual attention and ensure you leave class with a beautiful, functional broom. Students will need to take their broom home between class sessions so that it can dry completely before stitching and weaving.
Tying a broom is a stress-reducing, full-body practice -- and a great workout. You’ll use both feet to hold tension and both hands to manipulate the cord and wrap the broom tightly. Tying onto a stick requires a certain amount of strength and dexterity. You'll feel this in your arms and shoulders when you pull the cord tight, and then tighter! Broom tying is best attempted with bare or stockinged feet, so please be prepared to take your shoes off during class.
