Merry Christmas and Happy New Year

2018 has been a busy and fun year of basketry.  I've taught basket classes and  participated in basket workshops and basket conventions.  My baskets have been on display in area galleries and artist co-ops.  This December I participated in the Carroll County Artists Studio Tour as well a having my baskets at the Gallery of Gifts and a woven wreath in the Festival of Wreaths - events held at the Carroll Arts Center.


Throughout the year I have met many wonderful basket weavers and patrons of the craft.  I also have made a lot of baskets!  Now my CMC joint is saying it is time to take a break and rest my hands .


My last basket of the year is this oval, wooden base basket.  It features deer antlers as the side handles.  I used leather to bind the rim and attach the antlers. 




I'm already looking forward to my next basket workshop on the first Saturday of January.  So much for resting my hands.!

Best wishes for a Merry Christmas and a Happy 2019 to you and your family. 

Artists' Studio Tour

Enjoy a free family friendly, self-guided tour of 13 artist studios and two art galleries located around Carroll County, MD.  Meet the artists, see demonstrations and have an opportunity to buy fine art and craft directly form the source.  For more information go to www.ccartists.com

I will be at Stop #7 - Cat Tracks Studio with my baskets, woven jewelry and  holiday items

 I hope to see you this weekend.

Festival of Wreaths

This is my entry for the 21st Annual Festival of Wreaths held at the Carroll Arts Center in Westminster, Md.  It is one of nearly 150 unique wreaths that are on display and part of a silent auction until the closing day.  All funds go toward the Carroll Arts Center activities and scholarship programs. 

 

 I used a 12" and 14" hoop to form the wreath.  Natural materials are  used for the wreaths accent.

Woven Bucket

The Central Pennsylvania Basket Weavers Guild November workshop was lead by Jude Gallagher. 


Guild members wove around a galvanized bucket attached to a wooden base. 


A variety of colored reed was available for each member to individualize their bucket color scheme and design.


I wove a French roving arrow design in 4 colors around my bucket.  The top rim was glued and then nailed into place.

Gallery of Gifts 2018

10th Annual Gallery of Gifts

A variety of my handmade baskets and holiday items are on display for sale  at the Carroll Arts Center from November 16th through December 22nd. 

Come and start your holiday shopping early.  The gallery is open during regular business hours as well as extended hours for special events. 

For more information check out their website:
www.CarrollCountyArtsCouncil.org

Weaving with Judith Saunders

Judith Saunders was the invited guest instructor for a Central Pennsylvania Basket Weavers Guild October weekend weaving workshop.  While traditional basketry techniques are used in Judith's art pieces, the results are far from traditional.  Her vessels are intended to be more sculptural than functional.  She shared her more than 30 years of weaving experience with us over the weekend.

Saturday, we explored diagonal weaving with hand painted watercolor paper strips.  I made the small paper container with a layered rim.

















Sunday I selected a shell that Judith collected from Ocracoke Island, NC.  Spokes from papyrus stems were joined with waxed linen and inserted into and through the openings in the shell.  Using cedar strips, day lily stems and waxed linen, the form of the vessel emerged following the shape  of the shell.  Two small shells were attached to the rim.

2018 A Weaving Odyssey

 
 

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.

Anne Bowers demonstrating how to
add a philodendron sheath

                     MARK YOU CALENDARS  now -  

                        2019 WEAVING ODYSSEY

                          SEPTEMBER 19-22, 2019



Waxed Linen

I enjoy weaving with waxed linen for a number of reasons.  It's easy on your hands and it is easy to weave most anywhere. 

I often take waxed linen projects with me when I travel.  My vessels are small and the supplies do not take up much room.  It's the perfect travel craft!

Friday I was in Ohio Pyle, PA along the Great Allegheny Passage rail trail waiting for a group of bikers to arrive on their trek from Cumberland to Pittsburg.  It was a beautiful day and I spent my time sitting in the shade working on the waxed linen bowl pictured  here.  Even a cat came by to keep me company as I worked on my project!

Button Basket

Once again the Central Pennsylvania Basket Weavers Guild is weaving and filling baskets with personal care items for local shelter clients.

One of the basket patterns selected to be made was designed by Dianne Kennedy from North Carolina.  The pattern is available for free from
www.justpatterns.com   If you are unfamiliar with this site, I encourage you to explore their site and many offerings.

The Button Basket is 6" square with a handle.  I used blue reed for an accent color.  The string of fabric "yo-yos" and buttons are woven around the basket to add a textural embellishment. 

Pineapple Hospitality Basket

 

I  have seen photos of a basket designed to look like a pineapple and decided to try to weave the basket without having a pattern to follow.   Do you ever do this?  I like the challenge of solving basket design problems. 

 

This is my first attempt making a pineapple basket.  The basket can hold a bottle inside.  

 

The first time I make a new basket I have to workout the weaving techniques, materials, and sizes needed to duplicate the design.  Once I make a few more I'll feel more confident  and refine my results.   

 

Common Ground 2018

Once again this summer I took part in the 24th Annual Traditions Weeks Common Ground on the Hill.  For three weeks musicians, artists, dancers, writers, filmmakers, educators, and creative people come together at McDaniel College to explore cultural diversity through artistic traditions.

I taught a group of thirteen the art of  weaving with waxed linen.  Techniques of twining, 3 rod wale and reverse 3 rod wale twining, step-ups and bead embellishments were used by the students. 

They were able to complete a small pendant and vessel during the week-long class.



Student display of pendants

Student display

Students small shaped vessel





Hot Cross Bun Basket

 

I wove a round  natural reed basket with a wooden base and accented with a diamond weave braid decorative border using seafoam dyed round reed. 

Gina Kieft, a basketmaker from Michigan designed the pattern.  You can learn more about Gina and her baskets at www.ginasbaskets.com 

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CPBWG May Workshop

The Central Pennsylvania Basket Weavers Guild hosted a weekend workshop lead by Gail Hutchinson.  Gail is a full time basket weaver from West Virginia, who travels the country to teach her craft.

I choose to make a round basket with a woven base that added extra spokes from #2 round reed that were manipulated to give a unique pattern to the side of the basket. 

The basket was finished with a ribbed rim and "flags" of the round reed encircling the top of the basket. The finished basket is 9 1/2" tall and 12" in diameter.

Starting the ribbed rim.

Basic step to the completed basket

Members Show Entry

The Carroll County Arts Council 16th Annual Members Show opens May 4, 2018.  The exhibit runs through August 3, 2018. 

I submitted a mixed media gourd vessel for the exhibit.   The gourd is painted using the acrylic pouring "dirty cup dump" method.  Pine needles rim the edges of the gourd and rope around a deer antler.  Some beads are added for accent.

Sunflower Basket

I purchased a wooden base with a routered sunflower design.  To highlight the flower colors I used smoked and space dyed reed for the sides.  Small leather handles were attached on two sides.  The final top rows of the basket use smoked round reed to form the rim.  A piece of flat reed is lashed to the inside of the rim.

High Country Basket Weavers Guild Workshop

Participants display their stair step baskets.

I spent Saturday with the High Country Basket Weavers Guild leading a workshop on a stair step basket.  

The basket is unique with two bases - a lower base and an upper base. This design allows the basket to sit on a stair step.  The basket can be a collection point for items that can be later carried up stairs in one trip.

I provided a variety of colored reed for a decorative band around the basket.  Everyone selected different ways  to accent their basket.

It was a fun day of basket weaving and everyone went home with a stair step basket.

Josephine Knot Guild Weave

Saturday the Central Pennsylvania Basket Weavers Guild held their monthly basket workshop.  This month, member Barb Vicente lead a session on a Josephine Knot Basket.

Members had a choice of using all natural reed spokes, all smoked reed spokes or a combination of natural and smoked reed.  I chose the mixed colors for my ribs.  There was a wide variety of colored flat reed and yarns available for weaving the basket.

The Josephine knot is formed first. Then reed is woven in an over/under pattern to flare out the spokes. After several rows are woven on each side of the knot, the basket is gently shaped by tucking the spokes on one side into the basket on the opposite side.  This is repeated with the other side spokes to form the hen basket shape. 


If you are not part of a basket guild I strongly suggest you find a group near you.  You will learn from each other and have fun in the process. Weaving in a group allows you to share hints and techniques of weaving, see the various color combinations others select, and fellowship with other basket weavers.  This was the first time some members had  woven a Josephine knot, while others, like myself, had woven the knot it in other baskets.  By working together everyone was successful and had a finished basket at the end of the day. 

side one

side two

Natural Gourd with Pine Needle Rim

I used a natural gourd, dyed pine needles and black beads to make the vessel shown.  The black pine needles contrasted the natural gourd color.  The natural sinew provided contrast to the pine needles. 

When the vessel was complete I added a circle of black beads around the top, at the center of the X pattern and along the edge where the pine needles were attached to the gourd.

Colorful Basket for a Rainy Day

Today's rainy, dreary day seemed the perfect time to weave a basket kit from Blue Moon Baskets called Donna's Delicates that I won from a CPBWG Odyssey raffle . You can contact Peggy Adelman at Pegs914@aol.com if you want to find out more about the basket kit or directions.

Smoked reed stakes were inserted into an 8 x 12 wooden base.   Rows of brightly colored flat reed were accented against the smoked reed stakes.  Leather handles were attached to the short sides.  The rim was made with four rows of triple twine round smoked reed. A piece of flat reed was placed inside and the rim was lashed with a piece of smoked flat oval reed. The basket stands 10 1/2 " high.

Basket Shopping Cart

The Central Pennsylvania Basket Weavers Guild February workshop featured a Basket Shopping Cart.  Guild member Becci Melcher lead the session.  We worked from the Basket Buggy Shopping Caddy pattern by Pam Feix (www.feixbaskets-crafts.com )













Step 1 - attach the frame to base

Using a Knalla Shopping Cart on Wheels sold by IKEA
 we first attached a slotted wooden base to the frame. 






Step 2 - Insert spokes

 Forty-two spokes were evenly spaced and inserted around the base.  After the spokes were glued in place some members followed the pattern as written.  Other members used reed, colors and patterns of their own choosing while following the basic form of the pattern.


 

 

 

 

I was not pleased with my weaving or color selection so I went home early with the project unfinished.  This was a first for me.  After stewing over the basket for a while, I decided to take it apart and start again.   Have you ever done this?  Sometimes it is the best solution to get the results you want. 

I am much happier with my second attempt.  I changed the color scheme and included bands of burlap and navy ribbon for accents.

Finished dimensions: 16"L x 10"D x 20" High