Melon Basket

For my last basket of 2022, I wove a mixed media melon basket.   I made a form of grapevine.  I used round reed for spokes and wove with colored reed, seagrass and wool.  As an accent, I made wooly pinecones and attached them to one side of the handle.  

I think it has a woodsy, wintery look.

I am looking forward to making many more basket is 2023. 

 

    Best Wishes in the New Year!

                     

 Happy Weaving to each of you.

                Sharon 

                        

 

Merry Christmas

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!

May your future be merry and bright 

and full of weaving opportunities.

Sharon

 

Gallery of Gifts 2023

 

 

Once again, I will be participating in the Gallery of Gifts holiday Marketplace at the Carroll Arts Center.

This year my display features baskets made with the cathead base.  A "cathead" basket has four pointed feet on which it sits.  When held upside down, the feet give the impression of cat ears.   This design was first made by the Shakers who used molds to shape the basket.   I weave a traditional cathead base without the use of a mold to create baskets, containers and sculptural vessels.  

Here are just a few of my baskets for sale at the gallery.  

Fall Harvest of Quilts - 2022

 

I'm trying something new this weekend.  I will be vending my baskets at a quilt show this Friday through Sunday.  It is held at the Pleasant Valley Fire Company from 10am until 5pm (3pm on Sunday).  There will be a silent auction, raffles, vendors, boutique, members tables and refreshments.  The admission is $10.

I will be featuring some of my larger baskets suitable for holding finished quilts or quilting supplies.  Stop by and check it out.  

Paper Weaving

I spent an enjoyable day with Annetta Kraayeveld as she led a class in diagonal twill basics at the CPBWG Weaving Odyssey 2022.  I wove two baskets simultaneously, reinforcing skills used in basket 1 as basket 2 was woven. 

Using prepared painted watercolor strips of paper, I wove a square base.  The corners of the vessels are created between the center stakes of each side. The stakes become the weavers after the corners are created. After weaving and packing all the rows the rim was tucked in.  An outside and inside rim of paper covered the top 2 rows of weaving.  The rim was lashed with waxed linen. 

                                      To learn more visit www.prairiewoodbasketry.com  

 

Fall Basket Workshop

 

Off Track Art Workshop

11 Liberty Street, Westminster MD

Under a tent in the OTA parking lot

Saturday, September 17

1pm to 4pm

 

Get ready for fall by weaving a

Simple Round Basket with a Wooden Base

   The simple round basket begins with a 3” wooden base.  The spokes will be glued in place and weaver ready for the workshop.  The round basket is woven with in a continuous over - under pattern.  The basket is completed using the matchstick rim technique. The basket can be used to hold a variety of small items.     All supplies and materials will be provided.

                5” diameter by 6”tall                

Weaving Level: Beginner

Instructor:  Sharon Schaeffer

Cost:  $30 - payable to Sharon Schaeffer

 

Register for the class by emailing Sharon at swschae@gmail.com   Class size is limited to 12 participants so don’t delay!  No same day signup.    Questions?  Contact Sharon 410-967-4482

Gretchen Border Tote

 The Central Pennsylvania Basket Weavers Guild tackled the Gretchen border during their monthly weaving workshop. 

Weavers followed a French Shopping Basket pattern courtesy of August Moon Basketry.  The basket begins with a 5" x14" oblong base and seventy-seven stakes.  

The weaving pattern creates an X on both sides of the tote.  Three rows of twining act as the rim row.  Every couple of spokes are tucked inside the basket.  

If you haven't woven a Gretchen border I suggest you watch the YouTube video "Taming the Wretched Gretchen" by Beverly Ashton Vickers.  It is a very helpful resource. 

 

This was not a quick basket, but I am happy with the results.  

I encourage you to challenge yourself with advanced basketry techniques and patterns.  You will be glad you did.               

CGOTH 2022 - Traditions Week 3

Finally, after a 2-year break Common Ground Traditions Week 3 met in person at McDaniel College!  Everyone was excited to see old friends and make new ones throughout the week of traditional arts offerings. 

The instructor art show in Rice Gallery opened on Sunday to kick off the week.  

For the next five days, I taught a class in Rib basketry.  Students were able to individualize their baskets with color and reed selection.  Most made a melon with a stick handle, a small random weave hen basket and a few students even wove a few reed reindeer ornaments. 

Thier efforts were showcased on Friday evening at the student art show.  Even as the week ended, students and instructors were thinking about next summer's course offerings when we would see each other again. 

To learn more about Common Ground visit www.commongroundonthehill.org 

The Central Pennsylvania Basket Weavers Guild held their monthly weave in Gettysburg.  Member Samantha Richards led the group in creating colorful tote bags. 

There were piles of colored reed in a variety of sizes to use to weave the sides.  Some weavers followed a set repetition of colors, a monochromatic color scheme or others used random colors as I choose to do. 

It was a fun activity on the first hot, humid day of the season. 

Interested in learning more about the guild? Check out their website - 

https://centralpabasketguild.com 

 

MD Sheep and Wool Festival 2022

The forty-ninth annual MD Sheep and Wood Festival was held May 7th and 8th after a two-year break.  It was great to see so many people brave the wet and windy weather on Saturday and again on Sunday when the rain stopped and the sun finally reappeared.  

Exclusive for this show, I made a series of wooden based baskets with sheep decoupaged on the base.  All three of these baskets sold.  I will definitely make some more decoupaged base baskets in the future. 

Mark your calendar for next years 50th anniversary event, May 6 & 7, 2023

CPBWG Spring Retreat

After a two-year break, the Central Pennsylvania Basket Weavers Guild was able to hold their Spring Retreat at the Gitt Library in Hanover, PA.  The sprawling two story home with wrap around patios and an enclosed porch encircling much of the house was the perfect location for basket weaving with friends.  Guild members were able to enjoy the landscaped grounds full of flowering trees and spring blossom as we worked on our baskets and fellowshipped with each other.  

10" x 18" x 18" tall w/handle

Marilyn Parr  (www.4loveofbaskets.com) traveled from Michigan to lead the 3-day workshops.  I choose to make her large "Ocean Breeze Piggyback" basket.  Shaping was the challenge of this basket.  It was completed with a button and beads embellishment. 

6" x 7" tall w/stand

I also made a small round basket designed to fit an Amish crafted wooden stand, made from walnut and maple. 

 Happy Valentine's Day

I love basket weaving..... how about you? 

Whimsy Exhibit

 Whimsy

Carrol Arts Center, Westminster MD

January 17th - March 5

In conjunction with the Icons of Animation, the CCAC Community Gallery is hosting an exhibit featuring work inspired by fictional characters by local artists.  It features a variety of mediums and characters from the world of Disney, anime, and more.

Queen Grimhilde's Baske of Poison Apples
Reed Basket with Needle felted apples

As a basket maker I am drawn to how many fairy tales include baskets.  Dorothy carries Toto in a basket; Little Red Riding Hood takes a basket of goodies to her grandmother; and Queen Grimhilde disguises her evil intentions toward Snow White by offering her a basket of apples.   The past few years I have been experimenting with needle felting.  This exhibit entry is a merging of my two interests – basketry and needle felting.  The purple basket, signifying royalty, holds seven appealing apples. One apple sits outside the basket with a bite taken out, revealing the poison inside.

Happy New Year

 

I am looking forward to a year full of opportunities to gather with friends, old and new, to weave baskets and more.  Regardless of what 2022 brings, I know I will keep on weaving.  

Best wishes for the days ahead!

Sharon