Cedar Weaving with Pam Talsky

 
I spent the weekend with the ladies of the Central Pennsylvania Basket Weavers Guild at their annual spring retreat. It was a fun time of weaving, talking and enjoying each others company.


The weaving workshops were lead by Pam Talsky.  She brought hand harvested Alaskan yellow and western red cedar bark from Thorne Bay Alaska for weaving a choice of baskets.  www/pambasletry.com




Friday evening I made 2 bracelets from Alaskan yellow cedar.
Four pieces of cedar were braided around a flat oval reed circle form to create a design both inside and out .








Saturday's basket began with a twill base of western red cedar.  The sides combined a pattern of purple tortoise shell cane and a cross stitch weaving pattern of purple waxed linen.  The top of the basket was finished with a Haida seed twining pattern with yellow cedar.  A small accent of beads was added to the front of the basket.

Twill Weave

The weaving is over a glass cylinder 10 1/2" high and 3" in diameter.  Using a purple dyed cane weaver and black dyed cane spokes inserted into a black walnut base I followed a 1/2/3 twill pattern.    I wove over 1, under 2, over 3, under 1, over 2, and under 3 from the beginning of the base to the top of the cylinder.  The weaving is topped with a black walnut turned rim.


I followed a pattern designed by basketweaver Annette Kraayeveld (www.prairiewoodbasketry.com)

A Weekend of Basket Weaving

I spent a weekend of Basket Weaving in Annandale, Virginia with the High Country Basketry Guild. 

Saturday I taught a 10" Appalachian Egg Basket class.

Participants used oak hoops, round ribs and flat reed weavers to construct their basket.   A God's eye was taught to join the hoops.They were able to select a decorative handle pattern to weave and various colored reed to individualize their egg baskets.

  

  Sunday I taught a Medium Key Basket class.

     Participants used a D handle and round hoop  to form the frame.  A God's eye was taught to join the hoops.They were able to select a decorative   handle pattern to weave and various colored reed to individualize their key baskets.

Photos of the baskets made by the guild members during the weekend are shown below.   To learn more about the High Country Basketry Guild visit their website:  https://highcountrybasketguild.shutterfly.com/ 

Oval Key Basket

What to do on a snowy Saturday? 

Weave a basket of course!

I spent the afternoon weaving a small wall basket, sometimes called a key basket.  I started with an oval hoop and a D frame.  I used a darker round reed for the ribs and cream flat reed for the weavers.

The overall dimensions are 10" long x 6.5" wide and 4" deep pocket.

Woven Palm Basket

  
Basketmakers routinely make baskets using the materials they have available to them.  Sneaking in a quick trip to Key West to get away from the cold, snow and ice of the northeast, I met a basketmaker who did just that!  Notice the woven hat that he is wearing is made from the palms too.

Using the green leaves from the local palm trees, the baskekmaker sat on the sidewalk and wove baskets for the passing tourists.  Of course I had to have a basket.  Made just that morning the basket was a bright green and tightly woven.  

 Since I've been home my basket has dried to a light grayish tan.  The weaving is also becoming  looser as it dries.
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Pine Needle Bowls

Happy New Year!   

A busy holiday kept me from posting on my blog, but not from making baskets.  Here are some of my new baskets.

I have been  experimenting with using cutout wooden disks as a base for pine needle bowls.  First I drilled small holes around the edge of the wooden disks.   I used waxed linen to attach the pine needles to the base and to continue to wrap around the base and to bring up the sides.







Using both natural pine needles and black and burgundy dyed pine needles I created bands of color around the bowls.

Gallery of Gifts

It's time for holiday shopping.  My baskets are part of the Gallery of Gifts at the Carroll Arts Center on Main Street in Westminster through December 23rd. 

The shopping boutique is open from10am to 4pm Monday, Wednesday, Friday and Saturday.  Tuesday and Thursday the gallery is open until 8pm. 

For more information visit www.carrollartscenter.com  or call 410-848-7272