Two Cat Heads

. Art, Basket Crafts, Basket Making, Basket Weaving, Baskets, Craft, Crafts, Functional Arts

Well, it’s been a long time since I posted anything.  Life happens.

Here are two baskets I made called cat heads.  I wish I had a picture of one upside down.  That’s the way you can really see the four corner points.  Looking at two points, they look similar to a cat’s head.  Makes sense, right?  You need an imagination.  lol

I always try to do something different with each one.  The green one in the rear has round reed starting half way up.  The rim is crisscrossed around with the stakes left cut off instead of the usual tucking in.

The blue in front has three rims stacked on top of each other.  I tied them with blue waxed linen rather than weaving with reed.

This type of basket can be any shape depending of the pressure put on as you are working upwards.  But interestingly,  this basket always starts with a six by six inch base.

Christmas Basket

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2013's Basket

2013’s Basket

Well HO! HO! HO!  Merry Christmas everyone!  Since I didn’t make a Christmas basket this year, I’m posting last year’s.  I guess that means I’ll get some coal in my stocking.  HA! HA! HA!

This is a ‘Williamsburg’ basket (named for the handle).  I used red and green, naturally, but also some tan and spaced-dyed colors.  The handle has a ‘bow’ on both sides and the handle is wrapped in a Japanese knot for some more pizzazz. I think it works.

Maybe I should start next year’s basket right now!

Teaching

. Art, Basket Crafts, Basket Making, Basket Weaving, Baskets, Crafts, Functional Arts . ,

Market Basket

I’m going to be teaching how to make this market basket. Well, if people sign up, I’ll be teaching this class.

Although I think that beginners can weave this basket, it will be challenging to say the least. The weaving is a ’twill’ weave. A ’twill’ weave is any that is not a ‘simple’ over one, under one. This is a 2/2 weave meaning, of course, over two/under two.

The challenges come from, first the brain and secondly, from the eye.  The first row is easy.  Just weave over 2/ under 2 and end the row.  Knowing where to start the second row is the trick.  The weaver goes between the 2 stakes that had been gone over in the row before it.  Makes sense?  I bet not.  The brain kicks in and decides it does not like to go over/under 2.  Don’t ask me why.  It just doesn’t want to.

Now the eye kicks in.  Because the reed is spaced dyed (multi- colored) it is very hard to see the pattern going up to the left.  Such fun!  To make it a little harder I’ve changed the size of the reed at the top.

Once that’s done, rimming is a snap!  Can’t wait for class to start!

Metal & Cane

. Basket Weaving . , , , , , ,

IMG_0938

Unusual Melon Basket

Unusual Melon Basket

Occasionally I like to try unusual weaving materials.  This is a 6″ melon rib basket in which I used black cane and galvanized steel from the hardware store.

Instead of weaving a God’s Eye for the ears, I tied on 2 antique pressed tin medallions.  Weaving with the wire was not necessarily hard, but it was hard to keep from poking and scratching myself with the ends. Ouch!

Weaving rib baskets is not really my ‘thing’.  I find them difficult to shape and also tedious to weave. Using a different weaving material made it more interesting for me.

This little experiment worked out well, but I think once is enough.  Any comments would be appreciated.

Combined Styles Handle

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Japanese/Penland Style Basket

Japanese/Penland Style Basket

Handle -Side ViewHandle - Front ViewButterfly Knot - Top ViewButterfly Knot - Side View

I was asked by another blogger to explain how the handle of the basket was made. Foolishly, I only took the one photo and the basket has sold so I cannot show the handle from a better angle.

I took 3 pieces of flat reed and sandwiched them together. It is wrapped with 2 pieces of flat/oval reed in an “x” pattern up the two sides, leaving about 4″ empty at the top. Very simple.

The top Knot is called a “Butterfly” knot or “Japanese” knot. I have given you a top and side view (from another basket) but, please don’t ask me how to make it. Not so simple!

I hope this post helps a little in understanding the handle.

Elbows

. Art, Basket Crafts

Cherokee Elbow BasketCherokee Elbow Basket These double-mouth baskets were probably started by the Choctaw Indians but several other tribes made them also. They originally were made with River Cane but today we use reed (rattan).

It’s an interesting basket because only stakes are used. Normally baskets have stakes and weavers. In this case the stakes are the weavers also. All the stakes are woven off-center. At this point it looks like a woven base with 2 sets of very long ends and 2 sets of short ends sticking out.

One set of long ends are folded over the base and the other long set are woven into them. (I probably should have pictures. Sorry.) It’s not complicated but it is very awkward. You end up with 2 openings or mouths which are rimmed the same way as any woven basket.

A handle of reed is attached and then wrapped. You end up with a very nice basket. It can be used to dry herbs, display dried flowers or as a container for your kitchen utensils.

Mica Rim

. Art, Basket Crafts, Basket Making, Basket Weaving, Baskets, Crafts, Functional Arts

Cat Head with Mica RimClose-Up This is the Large Cat Head basket I made in the class with Billie Ruth Sudduth.

I found this Mica cut into discs which fascinated me. Being Mica, they are very fragile but strong enough to handle and tie. I used purple waxed linen to tie them together and to the basket. I have collected rocks and minerals from the ground all of my life and I have some beautiful samples of Mica. I love the way it reflects light looking solid silver or translucent.

The cat head style basket is one of my favorites and I was pleased to find an attachment to do it justice.

Wicker Basket

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Wicker Basket

Wicker Basket


This is my newest endeavor. It is a ‘wicker’ basket made with round reed. Other common materials used for wicker are willow and honeysuckle. I got this pattern from a book “Contemporary Wicker Basketry” by Flo Hoppe. She is one of the best American wicker basket artists.

When I first started making baskets, I was very drawn to wicker style baskets. After trying a very simple design from a friend of mine, I found it was not for me. I found it extremely difficult and frustrating and had no patience for it. I never finished it.

Recently, as I was browsing through my books I found I was, once again, drawn to this type of basket. The pattern is called “Double Diagonals” for the intricate border. Taking my time, and keeping my patience I really enjoyed making this wicker basket. I think I will make this basket again, trying some different techniques and colors. Thank you, Flo!

Billie Ruth Sudduth Class

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Clam Basket

Clam Basket

Bushel Basket

Bushel Basket

Appalachian Egg Basket

Appalachian Egg Basket

It’s high time I did some posting. I have been very lax. I was very fortunate to be able to take a class with one of North Carolina’s ‘Living Treasures’, Billie Ruth Sudduth. She taught a class at Penland School of Crafts last July and I was able to attend.

She is most notably known for her ‘Cat Head’ baskets, hence my interest. I learned to make them from one of her books. This class was for “Big” baskets and that they were.

The extra large Calabash clam basket is 15″ in diameter. She named it after a tiny shrimping town on the southern coast of NC and the pattern is named for the bivalve clam. The Chevron pattern is a signature of the Chitimachas tribe of Indians from Louisiana.

This basket uses a ’twill’ weave which is any weave other than over one/under one. There are endless variations of twill weaves. This particular weave is over two/under one which creates an extremely strong basket.

The Bushel basket is 19″ high with a 12″ top diameter. It has multiple colors and is a simple over one/under one weave. We hand dyed all of our reed in this class. The handles are hand carved oak. And, no, I did not carve them myself. Good Grief! I guess you could use this as a laundry basket.

The egg basket is 19″ wide and 14″ deep. I have never seen an egg basket this large. The lashing which holds the two hoops together on each side is called an “ear”. There are different kinds of lashing. The most common one is a “God’s Eye” is a four point lashing. The one used here is a three point lashing, most commonly used in Southern Appalachia. It is also known as “donkey ears”.

We also made a large ‘cat head’ basket. I have not finished the rim yet. I am trying something a little different on that and will post it separately soon.

Japanese Leaf Scoop

. Art, Basket Crafts, Crafts, Functional Arts

IMG_0574When I first saw this I thought it was used to scoop fish out of the water.  Of course, I didn’t think about them sliding back out through the hole!

Anyway, this is an implement, technically not a basket but beautiful just the same.  It is actually used to hold and serve hors d’oeuvres and condiments.  Quite ingenious.  Anytime that reed is woven into itself the process becomes confusing for me.  I did this from a pattern purchased from and designed by Flo Hoppe.

Looking at it, I thought it was quite large but it is only 1  foot long and seven inches at it’s widest point.  The lashing is cane as is the top knot which holds all the reed together.