Jute string, rope and peacock feathers

65mm H x 145mm W x 110mm opening length

When creating her Baskets, or "Nesty Baskets" as she sometimes refers to them, Jo Old sometimes begins with a clear vision of the form they will take, while at other times their shape evolves organically from the base or emerges as a happy accident while exploring new possibilities. The process of stitching and shaping is almost meditative, requiring patience and careful attention. Her favourite stage is adding the feathers, when she quite literally "feathers her nests." She is drawn to their colour and brilliance, and the way they shift and change in different light. Often, it is the most unexpected combinations of colour and pattern that prove to be the most successful.