Special Interest Groups

There are Special Interest Groups of the Plant Craft Cottage that members may join. The Groups meet once or twice a month with the meetings starting at 10 am. All Groups welcome beginners.

Basketry Group

 This Group meets on the 3rd Wednesday of the month.

The Group investigates the use of plant material, Australian and introduced, to make a wide range of baskets.  Techniques range from traditional stitching and weaving to free form construction with vines and creepers. In 2009 the Group made basketry items from corn husks, pine needles, vine prunings and red dogwood, and experimented with dyeing basketry materials.
 

Fibre Group

 This Group meets on the 2nd Tuesday and 4th Friday of the month.

The Group specialises in the use of the plant fibre fabrics and threads cotton, linen and jute. They study ancient crafts, as well as traditional and modern ones. They use the skills with a view to their appreciation in everyday use.

Natural Dye Group

 

 

 


Indigo dyed fabric.

 This Group meets on the 1st Wednesday of the month.

The Group works with natural dyes and researches their preparation and use in the dying of cotton, silk and other natural fibres.  The dyes are extracted from the leaves, flowers, fruit, stems and roots of plants.  Some of the dyes used in 2009 were madder, logwood, camomile, eucalyptus, thryptomeme, correa and indigo.  The Group also uses the Shibori technique to pattern cloth.  A reference collection has been established and is stored in the von Mueller Resource Centre.

Paper Group

 This Group meets on the 1st Monday and 4th Wednesday of the month.

The Group experiments with plant fibres and recycled paper to make handmade paper and sculptural forms. In 2009 they made plant fibre papers using New Zealand flax, tried various ways of decorating paper, both commercial and handmade, and investigated different types of bookbinding.

Plant Card Group

 

 This Group meets on the 3rd Thursday of the month.

The Group presses flowers, leaves, grasses, weeds and even seaweed and uses them creatively to decorate home-made and commercial cards and bookmarks. They specialise in landscapes and creatures, and seasonal themes.

Pot Pourri Group

 This Group meets on the 2nd Friday of the month.

The Group dries, strips and mixes herbs, spices, fragrant barks, leaves and flowers to make perfumed mixes having a variety of uses. Some of the items they make include both moist and dry pot pourri, pomanders, drawer sachets and insect repellents. They are also experienced in sand-drying flowers to retain their shape and colour.
Counterpart Craft Group This Group meets on the 1st Friday of the month.

The Group produces a wide variety plant craft items and other material for sale in Counterpart, the little shop in the front room of the Cottage.  Some of the items produced in 2009 include kitchen herbal wreaths, flower holders, garden tool holders, rosemary salt, cushions and a wide assortment of bags.
Garden Group This Group meets on the 2nd and 4th Tuesdays of the month.

The Group maintains the Cottage garden with advice and assistance from the staff of the Royal Botanic Gardens.  In 2009, in response to the prolonged drought, the plants in the Cottage garden have been assessed and a program of planned planting of more suitable species has been established and will continue for the next few years.  Plants suitable for use by the Craft Groups can be found in the garden.

There are two Special Interest Groups that focus on the day-to-day activities of the Cottage.

House Group This Group is responsible for household duties at the Cottage.
Roster Group The members of this important Group are the hosts in the Cottage each day it is open. They introduce our local, interstate and overseas visitors to the history of the Cottage and the range of plant related crafts practised.