Posts

Determining Lasher Length

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When I first started weaving someone told me that the length of the lasher needed to be two and a half times the circumference of the basket. So I would wrap the lasher around the basket two and a half times; if it was at least that long, I would start lashing. Unfortunately, I often found the lasher was too short. So I assumed that I had heard wrong, maybe it should be three times around, but that didn’t work consistently either. It was so frustrating to have my lasher run out one or two stakes from being finished!!

So, being me, I started to analyze when I ran out and when I didn’t. Which was correct – two and a half times around the basket or three times around the basket or …?? I took notes, lots of notes. I know, I know, you are thinking this lady is crazy and you are probably right, but I did learn a lot! Read more

How to use Clips – Weaving the First Rows of a Basket

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Today I am going to talk about one of our favorite tools and using them effectively. Clips.  

When I tell students to get out their clips, some pull out their old faithful wooden clothes pins and others pull out a wide array of clips and ask which ones are best. 🙂 Like many of you, I have a variety of clips, wooden clothes pins work for almost anything, but sometimes you need something smaller.

CLIPSAnd when you are a basket teacher you accumulate all kinds of clips – this is what was on my weaving table today! The bottom line is, almost any clip can be used, the important thing is to learn to use them effectively. Read more

Home

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Coming home from the Association of Michigan Basketmakers Convention marked the end of my 2016 travels. I am home for a few months – it really is a wonderful thought! I have so many pictures in my head to weave!

Unfortunately, I started my season of home with a severe case of laryngitis – imagine ten days of me with no voice. 🙂  Now that the fever and chills are past and my voice has returned, I am back to having more things I want to do, then time to do them in!  I already have three new baskets in process and … but yesterday was a glorious autumn day and  I just couldn’t stay inside. So I moved my ‘studio’ to the deck.

Autumn in the Studio

I brought some freshly dyed reed outside to play with Read more

Kits!!

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This is my last week of teaching away from home for the year.  I have traveled across the country – north to south and east to west! I have enjoyed attending so many basket events and guild  meetings, and I really loved seeing so many of you!  But it will be good to spend a couple of months at home – I have patterns to write and baskets to weave!

And right now I have a lot of basket kits – so I have added them to the website. I will add a few more when I return from Michigan, but quantities are limited. When they are gone  – they are gone. You can find these kits in The Store. Read more

The Four Strand Braid Weave

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Today I am releasing my new basket pattern, Twines and Braids.

Twines and Braids

This little basket is a technique basket, it has a fun beaded rim and it’s great for practicing the step up, (you will find my tutorial for step ups here) but the main point of this little basket is learning how to weave a four strand braid. So, in addition to releasing the basket pattern, I am going to post a woven four strand braid weaving tutorial.  I will go through it step by step, like I did with my three strand braid weave tutorial, and at the end you will find a link to my YouTube video tutorial. Read more

Painted Paper Trays

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Last week, after I posted and got unpacked from teaching at the Heritage Weavers Fall Event, I realized I hadn’t released the pattern for Painted Paper Trays.  Typically, after I begin teaching a new basket I release the pattern. This time I am a week late, but here it is, the pattern for the Painted Paper Trays.

Painted Paper Trays

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Heritage Weavers’ 2016 Fall Event

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The Heritage Weavers Fall Event takes place in Dayton, Ohio. This annual event started years ago as Mid Summer Weave; over the years, things changed and it moved to September and became a fall event. This year, the event moved to a brand new location, the Bergamo Center, and to the last weekend of August – just on the edge of the change of seasons.

The Bergamo Center provided great weaving rooms, as well as lodging and meals. The building is a large square with a tranquil central courtyard and the grounds are beautiful. I think the Heritage Weaver’s have found their retreat home!!

It was a great retreat – here’s a little photo journal of the weekend:

Heritage Weavers Fall Event 2016
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One Full Year of Blogging!!

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Yup, I’m a little surprised myself! This is my 52nd post!

About eighteen months ago, I started thinking about writing a basket blog. So I started researching and asking questions. Of course that just raised more questions, but I was getting more and more interested. So I made a list of what would need to happen – I almost stopped there! Read more