Willow Wet Laundry Basket

Anna Liebmann is extraordinary. She grows her own willow here in Scotland, harvests it, and weaves it into the most wonderful pieces, from the simplest willow star right up to stunning log baskets that have been exhibited in galleries.

Please note: Anna is relocating her workshop, so baskets ordered now may take up to 8 months to reach you. Her usual lead time is shown below and will return once she's settled.

A lightweight, strong wet laundry basket that makes hanging out your washing a joy. There's a ten-year guarantee on the handles (as long as it's used for washing, not bricks or plums!).

Compared with a plastic laundry basket, it will last a lifetime and compost naturally if it's ever not needed any more, though it's quite likely to be handed down to the next generation.

Anna says, 'I love the way my homegrown willow Salix purpurea ‘Bleu’ contrasts with white willow. It's grown for its blueish hue, which surprisingly only comes after it has dried out a couple of months after harvesting. It's actually bright red in the willow patch before cutting! So I've designed this basket with half white and half Bleu on the sides to make the most of this, creating a spiralling band up the sides, offset with columns of colour.'

The white willow, stripped of its bark as the sap rises in late spring, comes from Musgrove Willows in Somerset, a family farm handed down through the generations.

If you'd prefer a plainer look, Anna can make the basket in all white willow, or make the pattern in spirals instead of columns. 61 x 43cm (24" x 17"), 28cm with handles (11").

As each basket is made to order, it usually takes about 16 weeks.

Delivery: This is one of the few pieces sent to you directly by the maker, rather than by me, so it will arrive separately from anything else you order. Delivery on this basket is £20, as free delivery on orders over £70 doesn't apply to willow.