Upon arrival in his workshop on the Grand-rue, his cat “Scoubidou” plays chameleon between the strands of red, white, green or brown wicker. The atmosphere is “cozy”. You can barely hear the sound of a water filter. “Before making a basket I count the number of strands and select a diameter. Then the raw wicker soaks for a week in my bin before it comes out more supple” Chantal buys her noble material from wicker growers in Gironde, Indre et Loire and Haute-Marne. And soon with a first producer of Saules in the Gers.
White was formerly used to tie vines. Purple is legendary for its hardiness and color. “Dame-jeanne” is often covered with it. Or for a round backplane. Chantal buys her wicker by the kg. White wicker is the most expensive. The size also matters: a narrow diameter is expensive. The osier grower harvests the sprigs when the tree has lost its leaves. Once cut, he peels them once in shallow water before the roots reappear. Then he passes them under a roller to peel them. Next comes sorting, drying and bottling. Boots sometimes 3 m high delivered to “Chanta l’Osier”.
The lifespan of wicker no longer needs to be proven. It is also an excellent mulch. Chantal works to order and makes creations. Mushroom basket, wood basket or laundry basket are very popular.
Every year she participates in the crafts fair in Lectoure. She leads initiations during the day in her workshop. In the evening you leave with your basket (or a racket). She also does training over 3 weeks through a Toulouse company “Pass passion”. Chantal started by weaving paper then quickly got rid of it by handling wild clematis, ivy and lavender. Before being an intern with a basket maker in Gironde, he followed training before creating his workshop in Valence. The only one in the Gers.
