CPBWG Spring Fever Retreat with Bonnie Rideout

Bonnie Rideout (www.bonniesbasketsil.com) was the guest instructor for the CPBWG's Spring Fever Retreat. 

It was held at the Gitt Memorial Library in Hanover, PA.  It was built in the 1920's as a summer retreat for the family.  Set on landscaped grounds, the house is a sprawling two story home with wrap around patios encircling much of the house.  It is the perfect place to t sit outside and weave while enjoying the spring weather. 

 

I made a tote basket "Sheep Happens" with leather handles and a sheep embellishment on Thursday evening. it included the use of D-rings with the handle and lashing with fabric. 

11" x 7" x 9" high

Saturday, I wove the large "Desert Breeze" basket.  It starts with a filled base.  It is woven with a variety of techniques including 3 rod wale twinging, weaving a cross stitch, and using overlays and interior covers for round reed ends. 

Leather braided handles and an embellishment complete the basket.  

19" x 13" x 9" high

Silver and Sassy Market Basket

 I spent Saturday with the Deer Creek Basketry Guild making a market basket with a unique metal weaver and handle inlay.   Joanne Sheriff led the class. It was a very enjoyable workshop, complete with a potluck lunch.

Participants had a choice of colors to select from. 

  

The finished basket is 8" x 11"  

12" high to the top of the handle. 

Anne Bowers Basket Workshop

           

     Deer Creek Basketry Guild hosted Anne Bowers for a series of basket classes.  I took her class to make the medium size Labyrinth Basket, a low tray that measures 20" across.  The base is woven in a unique design that allows no space between the weavers.   

    If you ever get a chance to take a basket class with Anne, don't hesitate.  She is a marvelous and knowledgeable basket weaver who is eager to share her craft. 

 

Twig Basket on display at the Oregon Trail Museum

 When I travel, I always look for basket from the area.  Often the baskets are made using native materials specific to the geographic location. 

This random weave twig basket was displayed in the Oregon Trail Museum in Oregon City, Oregon.  Travelers made containers using the materials they found.

This basket used thick vines and twigs.  It looked very study.  It certainly stood the test of time. 

Guilders Weave 2026

 Tidewater Basket Guild hosted its annual Guilders Weave over MLK weekend.  All events were held in the Mariott Hotel in Newport News, VA.

Weavers and instructors arrived for 4 days of basket workshops and lots of fun and fellowship.  Participants came from all over the East Coast and Midwest. 

This year I spent the weekend immersed in pine needle weaving. 

I had two classes with Lori McCoy.  Both projects coiled pine needles around a center disk.  One project added beads and was a made into a night light.  

The second project was around a disk of dried flower incased in resin. It was designed to be used as a suncatcher. 

                                                                                             

 Pam Philpott prepared a Fire Tree seed pod to be coiled around.   It was a random weave of pine        needles of our own design. I added wooden beads within the coils.  I added  natural pods and a feather as the finishing accent. 

  

  The Cracker Basket was coiled around a wooden oval   It was a more traditional stacked coil vessel  using the "V" stitch.    

                                                                             

A New Year...... More Baskets to Come

2025 seemed to fly by and now it is 2026.

I took a hiatus from blogging - but not from making baskets.

Here are a few of my favorite baskets that I wove this year.

I hope to do better with my posts this year.  

I know I will keep on weaving....how about youu? 

 

Guilders Weave 2025

 The Tidewater Basket Guild hosted the 26th Annual Guilders Weave on January 16 -19, 2025.  The Marriot hotel at Newport News was filled with basket weavers ready to learn new techniques, meet old friends and make new acquiesces through the weekend. 

Thursday evening I made a random weave vessel attached to a shell.  The class was lead by TBG member Rose Glen.  It was a relaxing way to begin the weekend. 

Both Friday and Saturday I wove twill patterns baskets.   Friday, I worked with Judy Wobbleton and on Saturday I wove with Peggy Adleman. I definitely had to concentrate more on these than the random weave shell!

I concluded the weekend coiling around a gourd under the direction of Debbie Wilson.  The inside of the gourd was decoupaged with stamped tea bag paper.