Well, October has come and gone. My month started with a trip west to see family. The Bighorns in Wyoming were snow covered, brilliant colored aspen and birch trees lined the valleys in Montana and the sugar beet harvest was in full swing in Alberta. I was thankful for clear roads and time with people I love.
Then it was home and time for October classes. Read more
I got home last night from teaching at two great guilds, the Central Pennsylvania Basketry Guild and Deer Creek Basket Guild in Maryland. We all had a great time!
First stop was Central Pennsylvania – where I taught four different baskets.
And I am home from another great basket retreat … 
the Wolf River Basketry Guild hosted their annual Fall Retreat in Shawano, Wisconsin. Read more
Jabez, Kentucky – I heard a local describe it as ‘five miles past no where”. It may be that, but it is also a destination for over 100 basket weavers each June. Many attendees call it ‘basket camp’; we eat, weave and sleep – it’s pretty wonderful. I taught four classes, enjoyed seeing lots of friends and made new ones. Of course I took my camera and took lots of pictures. I didn’t capture the rocking chairs on the porch or the amazing sunsets, but I did get lots of class pictures and … Read more
When I started weaving someone told me about using tea to stain baskets. It is still one of my favorite ways to finish basket, I love the rich color and I like the smell of the tea brewing. I especially like that this is a non-toxic way to finish a basket.
There are a couple of different methods, here’s how I do it.
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I lash a lot of baskets with waxed linen; I weave tight, I weave small, I weave with stakes close together – waxed linen works for me. And I like the way it looks. Lashing a basket with waxed linen is much like lashing with a length of reed, but there are some key differences.
What you need:
Waxed linen – I typically use 4-ply for regular sized baskets.
Tapestry Needle – use a size that is easy to thread and not to large or to small for the basket you are lashing.
Starting the lasher:
Cut a three – four foot length of waxed linen, thread your needle and, going from outside to inside, insert it into a space just to the left of your rim overlap (to the right if you are left handed and will be lashing from left to right). Pull the needle and waxed linen through until you have a tail of about four (4) inches on the outside of your basket.
