EVE EUNSON
Heritage Crafts in Wood + Straw
Based in Shetland, Eve Eunson is a designer maker inspired by the vernacular furniture of Fair Isle.
MY WORK
I was born and raised on my family’s croft in Fair Isle, Shetland, and studied Art and Architecture in Aberdeen. In 2018, with no previous woodworking experience and little knowledge of vernacular furniture I began an ambitious research project to trace, survey and recreate the traditional chairs of my native isle.
Although completely self-driven, The Fair Isle Chairs Project became much more than a piece of personal research. Through the process, the Heritage Crafts Association became aware of the precarious nature of the future of the Fair Isle Strawback Chair and listed the technique on their Red List of Critically Endangered Crafts.
I hope now, through continuing my own craft practice in wood and straw, to promote the Fair Isle Strawback Chair knotting technique and to pass on these skills, to help preserve an important piece of Scotland’s heritage.
Help save an endangered craft from extinction!
These kits have everything you need to make your own basket using the knotting technique used in Fair Isle Strawback Chairs - a critically endangered British craft.
These rope baskets are an ideal introduction to this method of basket making and are suitable for ages 9 years and up. Once you have mastered the technique, use the hints and tips in the enclosed booklet to try your own design of basket in the future.
The kits make great gifts for anyone who enjoys trying new crafts and can even can be gifted again as a completed basket - 2 gifts in one!
Kits include:
Instruction booklet (with an introduction to the history of Fair Isle Strawback Chairs), Basket Base, Jute String, Natural Fibre Rope and Large Darning Needle. All you will need is a pair of scissors or craft knife to trim the strings. The finished basket has an external diameter of 150mm (internal diameter approx. 125mm) and height of approx. 100mm.
FOR ORDERS OUTSIDE OF THE UK - I AM NOT CURRENTLY MAILING OUTSIDE OF THE UK. HOWEVER, MY FRIENDS AT THE SHETLAND AMENITY TRUST STOCK THE KITS AND CAN HANDLE INTERNATIONAL ORDERS: Fair Isle Knotted Basket Kit – Shetland Wool Week Shop
PLEASE NOTE - KITS ARE PRODUCED IN SMALL BATCHES USING MATERIALS FROM A VARIETY OF SOURCES. ALL BASKET KITS WILL BE DISPATCHED AS SOON AS POSSIBLE, HOWEVER, IN TIMES OF HIGH DEMAND, IT MAY TAKE A FEW WEEKS TO COMPLETE ORDERS.