Deepen your connection to the earth and ignite your intuitive creativity with weaving workshops and retreats
It’s time to embrace your ancestral roots, express your creativity and connect with like-minded tribe – through the ancient art of weaving.
Around the world, the tradition of weaving and dyeing with natural plant fibres has been used to make practical objects like baskets, mats and more.
But it is also a powerful tool that helps people come together, heal through creativity, share skills, and connect to the places and plants around them.
At BARE Weaving, Co-Founders Katie Rydge and Ingrid Riverstone are committed to creating a joyful and safe space for anyone who would like to learn this incredible lifetime skill – no craft experience required!
Plus – you’ll have access to everything Katie and Ingrid have learnt about weaving and natural dyes through thousands of hours of exploring and experimenting.
These ancient, earth-based skills will anchor you into your body – mud-covered and wild – so you can rediscover your place in the natural world and have an incredible time doing it!
A global tradition with incredible local insights – share the magic of weaving with Ingrid and Katie
BARE Weaving Founders, Ingrid and Katie have spent the last 30 years exploring weaving worldwide, including weaving and eco-dyeing techniques from their European heritage.
They are skilled at multiple coil weaving styles, bark basketry, twining and jewellery with countless natural and man-made materials (as well as numerous other nature connection and survival skills practices).
Now they bring these skills to you – infused with knowledge gained from thousands of hours of experimenting with plants from the East Coast of Australia. This includes epic discoveries of native plant dye colours – yellows, pinks, reds, purple, green, blue, black and white.
With unique personal weaving styles, they specialise in making woven objects such as hats, handbags, backpacks, clothing, lampshades and jewellery – and aim to replace mass-produced plastic items with bespoke woven objects.
Now, with open hearts and hands, they share these discoveries with you through BARE Weaving – it’s time to unearth your unique weaving heritage!
“Not just weaving”
“BARE Weaving is not just weaving! Ingrid and Kate facilitate a well-crafted container that is a remembering of our ancestral roots. The old ways! Skillfully as the baskets are woven so does the connection to country and each other.
I appreciate each of their unique styles and their in-depth knowledge of fibre dying, their mastery of basketry and so much more. It’s fun, it’s healing and although I had no crafty vibe about me I took to it like a duck to water and years down the track I am an avid weaver!”
– Sonia
BARE Weaving Programs
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An in-depth introduction to ignite your creativity!
Learn how to identify native plants, collect and process fibres, explore nature dye, and two-string hand twining, decoration weaving and bark string creation.
What’s included:
Three days of expert weaving tuition and skills sharing.
Three days of camping accommodation at Yarralen Retreat, Yarrahapinni.
All weaving fibres (native to NSW).
All natural dyes.
All dinners – made with organic whole foods.
Coffee and tea.
Investment: $490 per person
Indigenous Scholarships are also available via application here.
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Take your weaving knowledge deeper as you explore different and more advanced weaving and dyeing techniques.
You’ll dig into the uniquely East Coast knowledge that Ingrid and Katie have gained, as well as learn how to identify native plants, collect and process fibres, explore nature dye, coil weaving, and two and three-string hand twining, decoration weaving and bark string creation.
What’s included:
Five days of expert weaving tuition and skills sharing.
Five days of camping accommodation at Yarralen Retreat, Yarrahapinni.
All weaving fibres (native to NSW).
All natural dyes.
All dinners – made with organic whole foods.
Coffee and tea.
Investment:
Book an early-bird place to save $200 today! Early-bird: $990 per person
Full price: $1,100
Indigenous Scholarships are also available via application here.
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At BARE Weaving, we are passionate about bringing weaving into our contemporary cultural landscape on a broader scale.
This would mean:
Weaving with natural and native fibres and eco-dyes would be widely available.
Weaving would be handed down by excellent weavers who have thoroughly embodied their own mastery in this ancient craft.
The women who are doing this work would understand how to holistically empower those drawn to learn from them, with a clear understanding of how to gift them successful weaving experiences.
If this vision resonates with you, we’d love you to help us bring it to life by joining our year-long immersion.
Through this training program, you will not only accelerate your own weaving skills into greater mastery but gain the ability to skillfully share weaving skills with students across many different styles and experience levels.
To apply you need to have attended a BARE Weaving Retreat, hold a desire to teach weaving in your local area and/or be an active weaver or string maker keen to seriously advance your skills.
Indigenous Scholarships are also available via application here.
“Profound and humbling”
“Learning to weave alongside caring for two small humans was a profound and humbling experience. The three of us were accepted into the community of weavers and I enjoyed being able to dip in and out as needed. The small humans got to help light fires and connect with different people over the 5 days.
It was really special and powerful and I came away feeling stronger and more grounded in my journey as a mother and with some kick arse weaving skills. I’m happy to say I’m a weaving addict now and I love the connection my kids have to the weaving process.”
– Carly
We would like to show our profound respect and love for all indigenous communities around the world who are currently holding weaving traditions, including our European ancestors.
We acknowledge basket weaving skills are some of the original survival skills that all humans once used in order to sustainably live in harmony with the earth.
BARE Weaving programs help to share these skills and keep them alive in the modern day.
We acknowledge the traditional custodians of the land, of our ancestors and elders – past and present, on which our programs take place.
With a special recognition to the elders past and present from the Gumbanyggirr and Yaegl people of the North Coast of NSW, and our adopted Yolngu families of North-East Arnhem Land.
Looking for new ways to deepen your connection to nature? Explore other in-person programs for adults
Nature One
Embrace your body-based connection to the earth, with five days of skills, connection and community. Time to reset your inner landscape and nourish your soul. This is a prerequisite for our advanced survival courses.
Vision Quest
A sacred healing journey and ancient rite of passage to reveal your personal truths and life’s purpose. Prepare yourself for an epic solo wilderness experience – it’s time to manifest your Vision!
Wild Village Family Camp
You’re invited to play, reconnect, reset and thrive in our village experience. Enjoy five blissful days together with like-minded families – surrounded by nature and disconnected from the digital world.