Cental Pennsylvania Basket Weavers Guild Spring Retreat

I spent an enjoyable Friday evening and Saturday with the Central Pennsylvania Basket Weavers Guild.  They held their Spring Retreat at the Gitt Memorial Library just outside of Hanover, PA.  The beautiful 2 story home, built in the late 1920's, features wrap around patios over looking the  landscaped grounds bursting with spring flowers. 

Jean Poythress Koon, an artist from Morattico, VA was the featured guest instructor.  Friday evening we used a Dremel drill press to create three drilled bases -  hardwood, seashell and hand hammered copper.

Using glycerin-treated pine needles, we coiled around the bases using synthetic sinew to sew the pine needles to the base.

Saturday was spent coiling the pine needles around the hand hammered copper base made the night before.  In addition to the sinew to bind the coils, copper wire was used to add both strength and ornamentation to the basket.


By using glycerin-treated pine needles, there was  no need to dampen the needles while we wove.


All in all it was a fun and productive weekend!

To learn more about the basket  weavers guild check out their website: www.basketry.homestead.com

Colorful Easter Basket

Springtime, Easter and Baskets go together. 

This colorful basket begins multicolored spokes
inserted into  a wooden base.  The sides are brought
up by weaving a continuous cream reed weaver.

Bands of color are added as the sides take on a round shape.  The carved handle is added and
the top rim is attached. 

It makes the perfect Easter basket. 
Bring on the Easter eggs!

Pine Needle Baskets

Long pine needles can be grouped together and bound to create small baskets.   Starting in the center, a circle is formed and the pine needles are wrapped to form the base of the container.   Using a thin cane strip of reed, one row of pine needles are joined to the row beneath.  Slowly the sides are raised one row at a time and shaped as the weaver wishes.

 


 
Making a pine needle basket is a lot more fun than picking up pine tree branches and limbs after a long, hard winter of snow, ice and wind damage to our trees!