"Weavers Words" Vol. 1 Iss. 110 Compiled By: David Collins Snail Mail: 408 North Devon Avenue Indianapolis, IN 46219 Owned By: Weavers Everywhere Date Sent: April 25, 1998 Subscribers: 550 Back Issues: http://www.iei.net/~davidc/ Basket Biddin' Auction: http://members.tripod.com/~Basket_Biddin/ {*}-{*}{*}-{*}{*}-{*}{*}-{*}{*}-{*}{*}-{*}{*}-{*}{*}-{*}{*}-{*}{*}-{*} ***IMPORTANT INFORMATION*** ***PLEASE READ BEFORE PRINTING*** 1.) Highlight entire issue. 2.) Click copy. 3.) Paste issue into a word processor of your choosing. 4.) Now Print. {*}-{*}{*}-{*}{*}-{*}{*}-{*}{*}-{*}{*}-{*}{*}-{*}{*}-{*}{*}-{*}{*}-{*} @=@=@=@=@ PICTURES SENT IN BY YOU @=@=@=@=@ In order to conserve space on printouts, I have removed the list of pictures. You can still see the list on Weaver's Words webpage. I will list any new pictures here. Keep the pictures coming. NEW---Ms. Diana Macomber's Vine Rattan Woven Geese. http://www.iei.net/~davidc/geese.gif If anyone else has a picture, you can send it to me through email or snail mail. {*}-{*}{*}-{*}{*}-{*}{*}-{*}{*}-{*}{*}-{*}{*}-{*}{*}-{*}{*}-{*}{*}-{*} Subject: Weavers Words Date: Mon, 20 Apr 1998 22:20:45 -0400 From: "Russell & Leslie Johnson" To: Hi everyone, hope you all had a wonderful Easter. Thank you for the cute card David, you are so thoughtful :-) We were traveling for 10 days to NC & VA, it was wonderful to get away but it could have been a little warmer & less windy on the ocean. We took our motorhomes on a car ferry to Ocracoke Island off the tip of Cape Hattaras and visited some wonderful shops displaying local artisans work. Saw some lovely baskets, but I thought they were priced way too high ...one was Mary Hicks pattern "Wine Serving Basket" and although it was a quality basket, I thought that $140 was outrageous. I wonder how that artist could arrive at that price? Well, it was still on the shelf, so maybe I wasn't alone in thinking the price was too high. Susan Reed-Fanfoni: Thanks for the info on the home parties, I really appreciate it. I have a party scheduled for May 29 & am anxious to see how it turns out. I have a lot of weaving to do before then! Diana French: I use a propane torch to singe the hairs off my baskets and it works fine. I do it when the basket is damp, before staining and haven't had any problems with it. Just move it fairly fast over the basket so it doesn't burn. Then when I have spare time, I cut off any hairs that may be left. Chris Baker: I visited a store in Holmes County Ohio (Berlin, Ohio) and they sold basket liners of all sizes. The baskets they sold were similar to the Longaberger type. Unfortunately I don't remember any of the prices. The name of the store was Royce Craft Baskets, the phone # is 1-800-882-1128. I am sure if you called they could send you a price list. Happy Weaving to all. From "spring like" Michigan. Leslie Johnson {*}-{*}{*}-{*}{*}-{*}{*}-{*}{*}-{*}{*}-{*}{*}-{*}{*}-{*}{*}-{*}{*}-{*} Subject: RE: "Weavers Words" V. 1 I. 109 Date: Tue, 21 Apr 1998 06:30:30 -0400 From: Jim & Jimmie Kent To: "'David Collins'" Mandy, My thought on what someone can do with a pattern that I sell. That person has the right to do anything with that pattern, other than passing off the exact wording as her own. Once I put the pattern out for sale, the weaver that buys it can certainly make and sale that basket and even has the right to change the basket pattern or re-do the pattern to a better way. That is hard to accept at times and you can just hope that somewhere in the pattern you will be given credit for putting the original idea onto paper. Again, Is there any original ideas? For what it is worth, Jimmie. {*}-{*}{*}-{*}{*}-{*}{*}-{*}{*}-{*}{*}-{*}{*}-{*}{*}-{*}{*}-{*}{*}-{*} Subject: Hello to everyone Date: Tue, 21 Apr 1998 06:28:50 -0500 From: "weavers" To: "David Collins" Hi I haven't been writing recently because we have just been having one thing after another since coming home from Indianapolis. Speaking of which - it was a really great convention. It is such a shame that both IBA and NCBA are the same weekend next year. It really gives us a problem as to which one to attend. We love them both. One of our daughters is getting married in Boulder co., next week. She asked me to make some gourd centerpieces for the wedding and I have just been having too much fun with them. She wanted them decorated with silver and painted in different colors. So I have been wrapping them with Wire and curling it etc. It has been just great. I used our Heavy Metal Gourd as a guide. Anyway that has been one of my projects. The other was to rip all the hedges out from in front of the house and re-landscape...but we won't go there...Those kinds of projects should be planned...not just be a spur of the moment decision... I did see a few questions/comments in the last issue that I wanted to put my two cents worth into. Diane: "hairpin" usually means to take a new piece of round reed (usually) that is cut to a specific length and wrap it around a spoke like a "hairpin". This will give you two pieces of reed around every spoke to braid into a border. To make a rim on the inside the ends of the reed would be pointing to the inside and there would just be the curve of the "hairpin" showing on the outside of the spoke. To add reed for a braided border, the ends of the reed would be pointing outside. Hope this helps. Beverly: Do you really want a cypress knee...I may have a friend who will go out and cut you one...How big? They grow everywhere down here and can really be a pain to the lawnmower if you have cypress trees in your yard...the knees come up and stick out wherever they want to in the lawn...Most of the cut ones come from the river or swamp. Patterns: As a pattern author, I have no problem with anyone buying my patterns then making and selling the baskets. You shouldn't claim the design as your own. My only problem is with people copying the pattern and/or "adapting" the pattern into any written form and giving them to friends, students, etc. Our income is produced from selling the actual pattern. We offer generous discounts to teachers who want to teach the baskets so we really have a hard time with people copying or adapting the pattern to avoid paying for it. Once we decide to sell it, I feel it gives license to the purchaser to make the basket as many times as they want and to dispose of those baskets anyway they want. I have no idea how other authors/teachers feel about this. If I have a design that I do not want others to make and sell, I don't publish a pattern for it. This keeps my life simple... Thanks, David, for continuing to be the "man behind all these successful basketmakers". We know what hard work this is and really appreciate it. Johanna Heller {*}-{*}{*}-{*}{*}-{*}{*}-{*}{*}-{*}{*}-{*}{*}-{*}{*}-{*}{*}-{*}{*}-{*} Subject: Re: "Weavers Words" V. 1 I. 107 Date: Tue, 21 Apr 1998 08:49:27 -0500 From: "Janet McLean" To: "David Collins" Hello Bert and All, I've been guilty of lurking on this list for many, many months now. I've really learned a lot from you and have picked up some great tips!! I'm coming out of lurkdom to inquire about this class in Springfield, IL, like when is it and how do I get more info? I've mostly made reed baskets (for almost two years now) and have made two baskets with Martha Wetherbee, I really, really want to try different types of weaving. So far I really, really like the Shaker type basket that Martha teaches and enjoy twill weaving with reed. I've also become much better at making ribbed baskets and have made several. So now I'm not lurking anymore, maybe you'll hear more from me! ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~* Janet Cherry McLean, independent wife to Bill (USAF Physician Assistant) Mommy to Ian (1986), Elizabeth (1988) and Maggie (1994) Area Secretary for La Leche League Asia who lives in Florida (Panhandle) LLL of FL Conference Bookstore Chair Basket Weaving Lunatic, JanetMcL@cyou.com ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~* {*}-{*}{*}-{*}{*}-{*}{*}-{*}{*}-{*}{*}-{*}{*}-{*}{*}-{*}{*}-{*}{*}-{*} Subject: Basket Hairs and Hairpin Date: Tue, 21 Apr 1998 10:18:00 -0400 From: Winnie Organization: @Home Network Member To: David Collins Hi Weavers, With all this talk about burning hairs off a finished basket makes me wonder if I'm the only one who looks at the pieces of reed before weaving them into the basket. I trim or sand them before they go into the basket. Some particularly nasty ones end up in the trash, not in my baskets. This saves a lot of burning or trimming later. Diane asked about the hairpin technique. I've done this with #2 or #3 round reed. Bend the 24-inch reed in half and wrap one around each spoke just below the rim, so the ends are to the inside of your basket. Pull the reed to the inside so the ends are even. Do this around each spoke. All the ends of the reeds will be to the inside of the basket, it looks like a real mess. Using a long piece of round reed, twine around each of these spokes close to the inside edge of the basket for 4 rows. This builds a ledge toward the inside of the basket. When 4 rows are completed cut the weavers. To put a border on this edge take one spoke, go under two spokes to the right then out or up toward you. Continue this all the way around. The last row will go under two spokes to the right and down toward the bottom of the basket. Cut the ends to about 3/4' long to end. Hope these ideas help. Winnie {*}-{*}{*}-{*}{*}-{*}{*}-{*}{*}-{*}{*}-{*}{*}-{*}{*}-{*}{*}-{*}{*}-{*} Subject: Re: "Weavers Words" V. 1 I. 108 Date: Tue, 21 Apr 1998 13:45:48 EDT From: froggestow@juno.com (Roberta R Comstock) To: davidc@iei.net References: 1 "Weavers Words" V. 1 I. 108 Cindy - Thanks for the tips about hand exercises with therapy putty. I'll get some & try it. Linda I Nelson - Let me know if your itinerary will include the Kansas City area. Also, consider one of Betty Curry's split oak workshops at Camp MO-VAL, Union, MO, which are scheduled for October and March. Dee Grin - What sort of sheep do you have? Are their fleeces colored? I really do need to get back to some spinning this year. Sue Mereau - I love it when a basket I buy has a tag like yours. I hope other basket makers will follow your lead. Alice Edwards - Hope your health is continuing to improve. I was out of town the day of the April Woven Circle meeting. How did it go? How's your egg basket coming along? Jayna Glemby - Sorry you've not been well. Hope you're better now. Dave Roof - Thank you for sharing information about the willow website with us! Linda K. - I've got a pretty good supply of beads on hand at the moment, but will certainly check out your website & probably order when something runs low. Spring here is in full bloom, which is glorious (except that the oak pollen is especially dense this year and my sinuses are not happy about that)! Hope you all had happy spring holidays. Bert, Independence, MO {*}-{*}{*}-{*}{*}-{*}{*}-{*}{*}-{*}{*}-{*}{*}-{*}{*}-{*}{*}-{*}{*}-{*} Subject: Re: "Weavers Words" V. 1 I. 109 Date: Tue, 21 Apr 1998 13:45:48 EDT From: froggestow@juno.com (Roberta R Comstock) To: davidc@iei.net References: 1 "Weavers Words" V. 1 I. 109 David Collins and Mark & Dollie Koch - Don't think I've told you before, but I think the Weaver's Stain website is excellent. Thanks for writing to WW, Dolly. I've often wondered about whether a stain would be non-toxic. Now I know yours is safe. Mandy - Good luck with your first home basket show. Let us know how it goes. Diane - Re: Hairpin - The term hairpin refers to bending a piece of round reed into a long-legged 'U' shape which can then be inserted through the existing part of a basket where it becomes the spokes for weaving (or twining) another part at right angles to the original work. If the lip you need is to be on the underside of the lid, you would insert the hairpins from the top to point downward. If the lip is inside the rim of the basket (a little shelf for a flat lit to rest on), the hairpins would be inserted from the outside of the basket to point inward. One of the classes I've taken (Lora Khoury's Welcome Home Basket) used extra long hairpins to make a Gretchen border. Beverly - Have you checked your local thrift stores for more of the tumblers you use as liners? Are the ubiquitous tall plastic beverage cups from convenience stores and fast food chains too large? If not, that would be an excellent way to recycle them. We seem to accumulate them much too fast! Maybe they're reproducing when we're not looking. :=) Bert Comstock Independence, MO, where the Easter Bunny has eaten all the flower buds off my tulips. :=( {*}-{*}{*}-{*}{*}-{*}{*}-{*}{*}-{*}{*}-{*}{*}-{*}{*}-{*}{*}-{*}{*}-{*} Subject: Re: "Weavers Words" V. 1 I. 109 Date: Tue, 21 Apr 1998 14:07:17 EDT From: Jacobsnl To: davidc@iei.net Hello Basket Friends, I think we covered this before, but I'm asking again, can some of you give me names of places to order wooden bases. I am looking for the slotted bases with a handle attached. Many Thanks, Nancy {*}-{*}{*}-{*}{*}-{*}{*}-{*}{*}-{*}{*}-{*}{*}-{*}{*}-{*}{*}-{*}{*}-{*} Subject: SUGGESTIONS Date: Tue, 21 Apr 1998 14:41:59 -0500 From: Gary Dunham To: "davidc@iei.net" Hi Everyone, In the fall my friend & I will be teaching a 1-day workshop in basketweaving for the local park district. We thought we would do this once a month on a Saturday from 9 to 3. We thought the first basket we would teach would be a medium size market. We would have the participants cutting out the reed, etc. until they finished the whole basket. I know we have to cover our costs but any ideas as to what is a fair price for this type of workshop for this size basket? Any comments or suggestions as far as class size, etc. You have on this matter would be greatly appreciated. Cindy in Northern Illinois {*}-{*}{*}-{*}{*}-{*}{*}-{*}{*}-{*}{*}-{*}{*}-{*}{*}-{*}{*}-{*}{*}-{*} Subject: Re: Hairpin Date: Tue, 21 Apr 1998 10:18:00 -0400 From: "Angie" To: "David - Weavers Words" For Diane - We had a question posted a while back on our Open Forum page regarding hairpinning. Here was our answer, hope it helps. Hairpinning is the first step for a braided border when the spokes are not used for the border. One end of the round reed is taken down through the twining rows (leaving a tail sticking out of the top of the basket) on the outside of the basket. This same end is brought back up through the twinning rows one spoke over (depending on the directions) leaving a "U" or scallop hanging down below the rows of twinning. The term comes from the old hairpins that were "U" shaped. A very good book with nice illustrations and pictures is "Braided Border Baskets" by Genie Jackson $8.95. Angie The Country Seat, Inc. Kempton, PA http://www.countryseat.com {*}-{*}{*}-{*}{*}-{*}{*}-{*}{*}-{*}{*}-{*}{*}-{*}{*}-{*}{*}-{*}{*}-{*} Subject: Wonderful, Wonderful Teachers Date: Tue, 21 Apr 1998 18:10:56 -0400 (EDT) From: dgatz@sricboces.org (Dolores J. Gatz) To: davidc@iei.net Hi Everyone, It's been awhile since I've written and I've fallen way behind on my reading of WW. But I am trying to catch up. With the instructions for printing WW, I almost feel a bit left out. I receive mine at work. We sell the Internet service (like aol) to school districts. So, we have a bottomless bank. I guess that's why I'm able to just click on print and am set. I would like to add this shortcut for the beginner computer buffs out there. A shortcut to highlight your entire issue of WW is to go to either 'file' or 'edit' and click on 'select all' from the drop down menu. I've seen some people "click, hold and drag' their mouse through an entire document because they didn't know about the 'select all' shortcut. On to better things, The beginning of April, we had Dianne Stanton come and teach her Elm Bark Basket. Well, I'm hooked. All I want to do is Elm Bark now. I found it to be a great material to work with. Dianne's a marvelous teacher and has a wonderful personality. She started the class with a slide show, explaining how she tries to copy nature into her baskets. She showed some great slides on how to harvest and prepare elm bark. And then she had some slides of some of her masterpieces. I 'only' wanted to do half of them that weekend that is. After the slides, she gave us a demonstration of how to prepare the elm bark. And then gave us each a peace for us to prepare. (I hated that part. But that's because I hate to realize it takes practice to get even a fraction as good at it as Dianne. I want to be that good NOW.) Then we started our baskets. Two day s of twining to get a piece of art. (Good art). I loved it and purchased more Elm Bark to do many more. Now, I only need to 'purchase' the time to do them. (Anyone know where that's for sale.) In the meantime, this weekend, I'm going to H.H. Perkins to do an African Basket with Judith Olney (Hi Judy, can I do mine in Elm Bark). I did this basket once already but when I saw Judy's name on the class list; I had to sign up. Judy's another of my favorite Instructor's. Dianne's also teaching one at Perkins, but it's the same weekend as another class I'm with Westchester Area Basket Guild. (Why do the classes always have to be on the same days?) Anyway Donna Carlson is coming to teach her Cedar Bark Purse. I've only been signed up for that class for a year now. Then during the following week she's teaching her Moose Hair Tufting and Porcupine Quill Medallions. The following Donna's teaching Cedar Bark on Long Island and then on Sunday we're off to STOWE. I'm so excited about all the classes I'm signed up for. My wristband is packed so at least, I hope to keep my 'ct' under control this year. When I get home from Stowe I'll have a month off (HA!) I have garden work, planting, regular work, left over baskets to finish, left over gourds to do. The gourds are left over from a Gourd Birdhouse and Feeder class I taught this past weekend. They were all beginnings and had no idea some of the things you can do with gourds. I was so pleased. Everyone one did well and enjoyed the class. Everyone even took home extra gourds to do more at home. Now, I have some family and friends that want to do one. Well, that's it for now. Dolores from Long Island. {*}-{*}{*}-{*}{*}-{*}{*}-{*}{*}-{*}{*}-{*}{*}-{*}{*}-{*}{*}-{*}{*}-{*} Subject: Thanks and Hairpins Date: Wed, 22 Apr 1998 07:01:19 -0400 From: "Ann H. Ridgeway" Organization: AnnCrafted To: davidc@iei.net David, I have had a burning question for you for some time now. When will you start volume 2? I expected it with the arrival of 1998, but no. Isn't this a silly thing to be curious about??? Thanks to Johanna, Joe, and the others who came to my rescue with the Excel answer. That just might qualify for one of Chris Lamb's BFOs. The test comes soon, too soon. For Diane about hairpins: do you have Genie Jackson's Braided Border Baskets? She has excellent diagrams. It's the same as for creating a ledge except that the round reed pieces form a "U" shape going up the side, usually inserted under 3-4 rows of twining to hold in place. The bottom of the "U" forms scallops around the basket. I bet you young pups don't even know what hairpins are!! That's it for now. Have to power weave for the next week to get ready. Ann in Alexandria, VA {*}-{*}{*}-{*}{*}-{*}{*}-{*}{*}-{*}{*}-{*}{*}-{*}{*}-{*}{*}-{*}{*}-{*} Subject: Re: "Weavers Words" V. 1 I. 109 Date: Wed, 22 Apr 1998 19:39:15 -0500 From: "Emilie Springer" To: "David Collins" Regarding Torching Baskets: HEY EVERYBODY, THIS METHOD WORKS GREAT! I purchased an alcohol lamp/burner from a rock shop but I suppose you could find them other places too. It is made from heavy glass and has a screw-on top with an adjustable wick and cap. It is almost 100% safe to use with common sense. It costs approx. $7.00 and is very easy and again safe to use as long as your basket is unstained and dampened with a mist of water. It is only about 4 inches high and very light and easy to use, maneuver and store. It burns denatured alcohol solvent, which is also very cheap, about $3 for a large can. Good Luck I bought mine at Burnie's Rock Shop in Madison, Wisconsin. I enjoy reading Weavers Words very much. Thanks, David! Emilie Madison, WI {*}-{*}{*}-{*}{*}-{*}{*}-{*}{*}-{*}{*}-{*}{*}-{*}{*}-{*}{*}-{*}{*}-{*} Subject: Sending again! Date: Fri, 24 Apr 1998 07:55:49 PDT From: "Kay Janke" To: davidc@iei.net Hello everyone: I sent this before the last issue, but it was returned to me. So I am sending again. I have tried to read WW during tax season, but the time was not there much to either read or write in. This has been one of the most challenging seasons & I am not done yet, but do have less deadlines now. There was some talk in the past about using patterns. I would like to know what the consensus or 'rule of thumb' is. I do not teach basket making for profit, but do teach children & occasionally an adult 4-H leader. When I buy a pattern, often it will be one that I teach the youngsters. I furnish the pattern to follow while they are doing the basket. I charge only for the supply cost when teaching them. One of my reasons for asking, is that some time ago a friend took a class to learn how to make a basket from the teacher that produced the pattern. When she was going to teach this particular basket to two friends and went to buy the supplies, she was told by the teacher that she could not teach the basket. This was mentioned at a group meeting where we get together merely for the enjoyment of weaving. There is some confusion here. I believe that there has been some discussion on this, and thought this would be a good place to see what your thoughts are. Would appreciate the views of teachers, authors & weavers. Thanks. Kay Janke in Michigan Getting warmer each day. {*}-{*}{*}-{*}{*}-{*}{*}-{*}{*}-{*}{*}-{*}{*}-{*}{*}-{*}{*}-{*}{*}-{*} Subject: Hairpins Date: Fri, 24 Apr 1998 20:21:05 -0400 From: "E.W. Clark" To: "David Collins" From Betsy Clark, ewclark@always-online.com I recently replied through email to Diane who was inquiring about a technique using "hairpins", and then decided that I should probably include the response for the rest of the group. (Diane, bear with me, but...) Here is a copy of what I wrote to Diane: One of the baskets in my book uses this technique to make the lid. I am also currently using it for all my Gretchen Borders, as in doing so you can have the border on the inside of the rim as well. I am guessing that the pattern calls for RR to be inserted as a hairpin, and to do this, the RR pieces are inserted from outside to the inside around each spoke, usually between rows of twining (as the rim row) to help secure it. Push one end of the RR through the twining or under the rim row to the left of any spoke. Then push in the other end of the same RR piece in the same space on the right of the same spoke. Make sure the ends are even, and then pull the RR through until it forms a loop around the spoke, snug against the spoke. When you start using the RR, be sure to tug them slightly to keep them from bubbling out a little on the outside. If this doesn't make sense, email me and I'll elaborate more. Hope this is of help to other weavers as well. Good Luck! Betsy Clark Here is the address for my webpage: http://www.always-online.com/users/always_online/ewclark/index.html If you print it out to use later, please note that there is a _ not a space between the 2nd always and online. You can also try o get the page through Crafters Network at http://crafters.net/classified/ You may reach me through snail mail at Betsy Clark PO Box 1333 Havelock, NC 28532 {*}-{*}{*}-{*}{*}-{*}{*}-{*}{*}-{*}{*}-{*}{*}-{*}{*}-{*}{*}-{*}{*}-{*} If for any you would ever like to cancel your subscription, simply send me a message with "unsubscribe" as your subject.