Broom Making

Learn the art of broom-making with weaver Sue Muldoon. We will make a whisk, cake-tester, Turkey Wing and Hen's Wing style hand brooms. Wrapping bundles together with twine using tension creates different shapes of brooms, and wrapping the handles with knurl or colored flat reed will embellish your wings. We will be using broom corn, which is from the sorghum family. Thought to have been brought to the states from Europe by Benjamin Franklin, it is grown in the U.S. and Mexico. The fibers in the broomcorn are great for picking up fine particles and dust.

Hand strength is important, but you don't to bring anything else to this beginner-level class. Extra kits will be available for purchase.

Date: Sun., Nov. 16, 9 AM - 5 PM
Instructor: Sue Muldoon
Class size (max.): 12
Attendance (min.): 4*
Skill level: basic
Prerequisites: none

Registration
Household Member & Above: $175**
Individual Member: $184**
General Public: $193
Register By: Nov. 2

Materials: $60 (price at checkout will include tuition and material cost)

*Classes that do not meet the minimum attendance number may be cancelled or rescheduled. If so, you will receive a full refund, or class credit, regardless of the cancellation date.

**We encourage students to become members to receive discounted class tuition. You must be a current member on the date of registering to receive your discount. Please login to activate your member discount. To become a new member, please sign up here, or call 845-338-0071.

Instructor: Sue Muldoon divides her time between 3-dimensional and 2-dimensional work, from seatweaving (chair caning, wicker repair, rush, splint, etc.) and basket weaving to photography, web design and graphic design. Color is rampant and unapologetic in her work. Sue’s career has always been creative, from wallpaper hanging and interior painting to a lengthy career in the floral industry as designer and merchandiser. Wood carving, furniture refinishing and upcycling furniture in novel ways using unique materials like leather belts, ties and alpaca wool set her apart from traditional seatweaving methods.

Basketry started as an add-on to seat weaving because there was material begging to be used in more than one format. And where some might see a chair, Sue sees a statement. She spends the majority of her time now repairing seats (an unabashed “chairnerd” and webmaster of The SeatWeavers Guild, Inc.) but enjoys branching out into basketry. She considers her seatweaving work to be part functional and part emotional. Along with repairing chairs, she repairs the memories that are attached to them. The joy on a client’s face when they see family history brought back to functionality is inspiring.  

A frequent instructor at various sheep, wool and fiber festivals, furniture schools art retreats and farmers markets, she enjoys sharing seatweaving and basketmaking to new crafters and artisans. Virtual teaching has become part of her skills out of neccessity and adventure.

You can see Sue’s work at suemuldoonimages.com.