Northwest Willow in the News and Open for Visitors
A quick, slightly humble brag: We’re in the Lewis County Chronicle! Being featured in a regional paper has the boys all excited and locals reaching out saying, “I didn’t know you did that.” The article captured a lot of how Northwest Willow started and how we fit in the weaving community in the Pacific Northwest. It was interesting to look through the last few years and really think about how much the family and farm has grown and changed. My goodness, it has been a busy few years. It’s also been a gift to be able to share the craft with local folks who may not have thought twice about where their baskets come from or how they are made. (or, shockingly, may not have any baskets!) Not to mention, it’s fun to really announce to the town that they have a local weaver and willow farmer.
We’re proud to be part of a small but growing community keeping these heritage skills alive. If the Chronicle story sparks your curiosity about willow or weaving, I always recommend our local guilds: Northwest Basket Weavers Guild in the Seattle area and the Columbia Basin Basketry Guild in Portland. I’m a proud member of both and can’t speak highly enough about the incredible community of weavers we have and all the classes and resources they provide.
In addition, if you’re interested in visiting Northwest Willow, we are participating in the Art Trails of Southwest Washington this year and are open for visitors September 19-20 and 26-27 from 10am - 5pm. We hope you visit us as well as the 20 other stops on the trail throughout the county. Everything from pottery, painting, glass, woodworking and (of course) willow weaving will be open. Combine your visit with other nearby studios on the Trail for a full day of viewing and shopping.
At our studio you’ll see where most of our baskets are made, the tools used, the willow, and probably a few chickens and Maggie the dog. I’ll be weaving all weekend as well as selling baskets. We would love to see you!
Lewis County willow farm among largest in PNW
Northwest Willow: Sarah Todd grows 24 varieties of willow for basketry, with her young sons all contributing, as she successfully reframes her life