By The Green Parent
31st July 2021
The dolly would be ploughed back into the soil on Plough Monday in the early new year. Wheat weaving connects us with our past, and is a creative and rewarding past-time. We spoke to expert Carol Partridge about her art and the stories behind it.
“I PLAY HURDY-GURDY IN A medieval reenactment band, Rough Musicke, and realised that there were gaps in the day to be filled as the band didn’t play continuously at events. So I took out a small corn dolly kit to make harvest favours, and came home empty-handed. It was a lightbulb – or should I say tallow candle – moment, and I started an Etsy shop to keep my hand in over the winter.
The craft is red-listed by the Heritage Crafts Association; there are few people carrying it out or passing on the skills to another generation so there is a real prospect of it fading away. So, learning it meant hours of frustration at the kitchen table!
My favourite piece is the Border fan. This is associated with a particular area of the British Isles, in this case, the English/Welsh border. It is an attractive piece and one which I teach at my workshops - people are always pleasantly surprised at what they can achieve in a short time. Most people can manage the easy 3 braid hair plait but have a go at the compass plait which uses four strands. The instructions are on the Guild website – many people will recognise this as a scoobie pattern.
I love using natural materials that will, ultimately, break down without any environmental impact. Having said that, corn dollies will keep for years; I know of one display that was put together over forty years ago and is still intact! Obtaining the materials is not as easy as you might think: old-fashioned wheat used for corn dollies is only grown by a few specialists and has to be specially cut - on modern farms everything goes through the combine and the straw is smashed. I enjoy creating forms that link with our cultural past as well as using the traditional techniques to create new designs. It fascinates me that the craft appears to have developed in disparate places globally using a variety of materials and I always have a new project in mind: some rice straw is currently awaiting my attention for a Japanese shimenawa!”
Find out more about Carol’s workshops and see her incredible designs at thewheatweaver on Facebook
Find the Guild of Straw Craftsmen strawcraftsmen.co.uk
Buy straw at simplystraw.co.uk
