Basket weavers from all over the east coast gathered in Gettysburg, PA for the 2018 Weaving Odyssey hosted by the Central Pennsylvania Basket Weavers Guild.
From Thursday evening until noon on Sunday weavers were busy perfecting their craft, making new friends, enjoying the company of other basket weavers and having FUN!.
Ten different talented instructors lead workshops, sold supplies and kits, and offered encouragement to all levels of weavers. In addition to the classes, there was a silent auction, raffle, basket exchange, marketplace, hospitality room, Saturday night banquet and a masseuse!
I took a class lead by Ruth Garcia from Westerly, Rhode Island. We wove strips of painted watercolor paper that Ruth had prepared. The vessel took the shape of a cats head basket.
Once the basket was complete, a thin layer of varnish was applied. Using decorative hostess napkins we decoupaged the designs onto the basket as we desired. A final coat of varnish was applied to the inside and outside of the basket.
When ever I have the opportunity to take a basket class with Anne Bowers, an award winning basket maker from Kearneysville, West Virginia I sign up. Anne taught several classes at Odyssey - woven cane bracelets, flat bottom egg basket, a red egg basket and a butternut squash colored oriole style basket.
I worked on the multicolored ribbed oriole basket. Emphasis was placed on whittling ribs to form the shape of the basket. A variety of weaving materials were used - flat reed, round reed, sea grass, baler twine, cane, and a philodendron sheath.
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| Anne Bowers demonstrating how to add a philodendron sheath |
MARK YOU CALENDARS now -
2019 WEAVING ODYSSEY
SEPTEMBER 19-22, 2019
