The February 21st WWG meeting will consist of a presentation called “Designing What You Need With What You’ve Got” by Anne Briggs.
Anne will be talking about how she designs projects based on the materials she has available and what she needs at the time (space, function, etc.) rather than working to defined cut lists and plans. She notes that reading plans can sometimes be difficult, especially for someone with a condition like dyslexia, but she has also found it to simply be a more economical way to design. It allows the woodworker to be more creative in the design process, incorporating “flaws” in the wood like sapwood or interesting knots and character into the design itself. Anne will share some basic proportional rules that help guide design decisions as well as a handful of tips and tricks on how to maximize your wood thickness and minimize math.
Biography
Anne Briggs, known on social media as Anne of All Trades, is a farmer, woodworker, builder, and educator teaching and preserving disappearing life skills. Eight years ago, with very little prior knowledge of farming or building things, Anne set out on a journey to become more involved in every aspect of her life, to get out of the tech industry, to leave the city and start a farm, and to encourage folks to join her in that exodus.
She and her husband Adam live in Nashville, TN where they run a small farm and Anne builds heirloom quality furniture. She travels the country teaching about all kinds of things from regenerative farming to woodworking to building small businesses to growing a social media following.
They are currently building a craft school, the School of All Trades, where they teach disappearing life skills both in person and online.