Blue Mountain Baskets

Page 6 of 13

Week 44: First reed basket

2018-11-04 / Andrea / 0 Comments

The local museum curator found me some rolls of reed at a nearby Value Village, so this is my first attempt using them. I do prefer willow & dogwood to this floppy type of material but it is nice that you can dye it and it needs only 20 minutes of soaking to be ready to use. My mom & I dyed it with some leftover fabric dyes she had because my goal was to create a teaching aid. For my upcoming workshop, I would like to show participants the different types of weaving patterns that are possible.

Double row of 3-rod waling in 3 colours
Japanese weaving in just green single reeds
French randing in 3 colours (pairs of each colour)
Chase randing in 2 colours
Double row of 3-rod waling in 3 colours
Japanese weaving using double reeds (green & tea coloured)
Twining in 2 colours
Single row of 3-rod waling in 3 colours
Chase randing in 2 colours
Twining in 2 colours

Layers of patterns. See key.

A favourite moment at the Artisan Market

2018-10-14 / Andrea / 0 Comments

On Thanksgiving Sunday, I participated in the Artisan Market at the Marsh Street Centre. I had a young apprentice for the day- Kahl worked steadily beside me crafting his own basket creation out my willow and Ethernet wire!

Week 40: Thanksgiving Artisan Market & Harvest Basket

2018-10-07 / Andrea / 0 Comments

I was in the Clarksburg Artisan Market on the Thanksgiving Weekend. For this I added to my inventory a harvesting basket for the them of the weekend. It turned out well following Jon Ridgeon’s book, and I like the creative handles I made from the overlapping fresh heritage willow I used to make the frame. They are really comfortable and yet artistic. I learned to split the ribs from fresh willow too from Jon’s book.

See my favourite moment at the Artisan Market post too!

Those are our own heritage apples- different varieties harvested from our 13 trees.

Week 37: Low Round basket in Willow

2018-09-16 / Andrea / 0 Comments

Week 36: Fresh heritage willow garden sphere- 1st prize at the Fair!

2018-09-08 / Andrea / 0 Comments

At our local Beaver Valley Fall Fair, I entered three categories:

A garden ornament made of sticks and stones. I used fresh cut local heritage willow to weave the sphere and then added a variety of stones that come out of my digging up here inside the sphere. I sprayed clear coat on the rocks to bring out their beautiful colours like they look when they are wet.

Something useful from something useless. I entered a couple of my baskets made from Ethernet wire cut-off ends.

A craft made from wood not otherwise in another category. So I entered a Dogwood basket!

Week 32: two finished frame baskets

2018-08-12 / Andrea / 0 Comments

I worked on these two simultaneously over Week 31 & 32.

Week 31: Frame foraging baskets of willow & dogwood

2018-08-05 / Andrea / 0 Comments

I made 2 frames and then worked some dogwood for colour into the willow rows. The fine pieces of inner bark that peeled off some over-soaked willow was tough and strong enough to use to tie the frame in its shape. The design is again from Jon Ridgeon’s book.