Jane Haselden’s plant fibre baskets cocoon shells, stones and earthenware

Jane Haselden lives in the Orkney Islands, an archipelago in the Northern Isles of Scotland, located off the north coast of the island of Great Britain. These clusters of islands, the surrounding aquatic ecosystem, the spanning scenery, and life on the islets are what inspire and influence Haselden’s work. “It has taught me to make use of the resources around me and to appreciate the beauty in simplicity,” she says about Orkney. Haselden calls herself a basket maker. Picking up materials found at her home and during her walks, she knits baskets around them. These materials range from glass and ceramics that might have been washed up by the tide, or stones and shells found scattered around the island.

Discussing the intent behind her miniature baskets that hold found objects, the Scottish designer shares, “By finding beauty in found objects and framing them with my baskets, I hope to highlight the many resources that are around us, when we choose to look for them. By adding a little of my own creative basketry, I hope to give them new purpose, celebrate their beauty and capture a little of the restfulness of my surroundings.” Haselden begins making the cocoon baskets without the found object in place. She, however, keeps a check of the size and shape of the basket in tandem with the object. Once the structure of the basket is finalised, she adds the object and finishes the last few rounds of knitting in order to lock it in place.

With a key focus on sustainability, Haselden tries to utilise materials and methods that do not impact the environment, and instead, help reduce the waste left behind by previous activities. In lieu of this idea, as well as to sustain the heritage of a time gone past, Haselden is also working to restore and repair a derelict stone farmhouse and a wood cabin that date back to the early 20th century and were built during World War I. While the project sits in heavy contrast against the crafting process employed to create the cocoon baskets, the essence and intent of both are similar in nature—retaining and saving objects and elements that already exist rather than building anew.

In an attempt to ensure that the cocoon baskets woven by Haselden are just as sustainable as the found objects located and carried by her, she chose Phormium Tenax or New Zealand Flax to create them. Sharing the process behind acquiring the raw material for the basket, she says, “It stands up well to the often wild weather here and is found widely across the islands. It grows a bit too well for some islanders’ gardens, so I collect what they don’t want and strip the fibres from the leaf blades. It’s a time-consuming process, but worth it for the beautiful fibres that it provides me with.”

The fibres acquired by Haselden are made into the basket using the coil basketry technique. This requires the core fibres to be wrapped with strands of the fibre and stitched to previous rounds at regular intervals. These intricately woven baskets, although small in size, are strong and sturdy, and excellent examples of expert craftsmanship. Haselden shares, “They will outlive me if kept indoors, but if they were no longer wanted, could simply be removed from the objects and added to the compost. That is the beauty of plant fibres.”

Moving forward, Haselden intends to experiment more within the project, by scoping out objects of myriad shapes and sizes for the baskets. She also plans on experimenting more with different combinations of basketry techniques, in order to create a contrast of textures for her cocoon baskets.