"Weavers Words" Vol. 1 Iss. 21 Compiled By David Collins Owned By Weavers Everywhere Date Sent: June 19, 1997 Subscribers: 215 Back Issues: http://www.iei.net/~davidc/basketry.html @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Subject: basket carriers Date: Tue, 17 Jun 1997 02:54:38 -0400 From: SUSAN WAITE To: davidc@iei.net This is for edwinb@erols.com... I have made baskets that required a small nail through the top to hold the habdle. You use very small nails and put them through the top and the handle before you lash the rim on. That way the rim covers the nails. You do not have to cut notches in your handle, just leave it straight and taper it slightly so it will slip in easily To Monica Baker... Lucky you! my boyfriend is in construction too and I get a lot of scraps of wood that I use for bases. I use 3/4 to 1 inch thick and drill the holes pretty close. You can drill them 1/4 inch apart or closer, depending on how many holes you want, size of the basket, etc. Play around with it and see what looks good to you. I don't think there is any real rule for spacing, just whatever looks good to you. It's very early 4:00 am and I am getting ready to go to work. Susan Waite slw@aeneas.net susan @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Subject: Just a few words Date: Tue, 17 Jun 1997 07:57:16 -0700 From: Ralph/Annetta Kraayeveld To: "davidc@iei.net" Dear Weavers and David: First thanks again David. The list is great, I have been reading, enjoying, saving and sharing it!! And thanks to all who gave tips on Rush seats. I haven't worked up the courage to tackle it yet. Maybe this week!! Would still love to hear about anyone's ideas/procedure for making maple/ash curls. Do you soak and cure before making curls or wet as you go? Someone asked about dying with blood root. I have used it to dye wool but never reed. (We are working to encourage native species in our woods and to restore and manage it as naturally as possible. So my easy going husband nearly blew a gasket when I dug up a corm (the size of a walnut) to dye wool with. I dare not dig up any for reed after all the work he has done to encourage their growth and spread!) Any way, with that aside, when I used it for wool I did need to prep the wool with a mordant, I think it was alum. Then I boiled the corm in distilled water for about an hour. Soaked the wool in the liquid for a while and rinsed with clear cold water and soaked in vinegar. The color is a very pale orange. I am sure that you could use it to dye reed, I just have not played with it. I know that vegetable fiber dyes differently than animal fiber, so you may just need to be sure the reed is clean. Sorry that I really can't help you, but I would encourage you to play around with small amounts. Unless of course your bloodroot supply is very limited. Grace and Forrest: I just got hold of your book. EXCELLENT!! I appreciate your thoughts and sorting out. I have read about pricing baskets in 'selling your craft' type books, but they never seemed to understand the uniqueness of the art of basketry. Basketry seems to be lumped with crafts too often, so it was nice to hear you give us the ART pep talk. I do have one question. How do you figure in the expense of education and book keeping in to the basket price? I don't recall you addressing this, or do I need to go back and reread the book :^) Well today its sunny and warm. I think I'll weave! Enjoy the summer, it seems to have arrived at last!! And so has WW #20! :^) annetta Beloit, WI @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Subject: Florida weaving Date: Tue, 17 Jun 1997 11:04:12 -0400 (EDT) From: Jvoconnor1@aol.com To: davidc@iei.net Fellow weavers: I need your help...my mother-in-law from Florida is staying with us until the end of the month and would like to get into basket weaving after she gets home. She wants to know if there is anywhere she can go to learn that is near her home, Fort Meade. Fort Meade is in central Florida, about 1 hr. and 15 minutes from Orlando and 1 and 1/2 hours from Tampa (near Lakeland and Bartow). Okay all you Florida weavers...what guild, weaving shop or teacher is near Fort Meade?? As you can tell, I'm attempting to get her hooked while she is up here (in Illinois) with me and she will probably want to share her new hobby with some of her friends in her development. So there is a good possibility that a teacher living near these women could be kept busy for a while! :-) (They really get into their hobbies - right now it's oil painting.) They have a big clubhouse that could be used too, so here is an excellent opportunity for someone. Please e-mail me if you are interested at jvoconnor1@aol.com. Time to get back to work...thanks in advance for the help. Sandi Howard Mundelein, IL @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ From: Joy Moody To: joym@mint.net Subject: cyberart Date: Tuesday, June 17, 1997 2:39 PM GREETINGS BASKET BUDDIES. HERE'S A LITTLE GIFT FOR YOU! iiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii l l l l ______________l____________l______________ > [_[_]_____[_]_____[_]_____[_]_____[_]_____[_]_] > [____]__[____[__]____]__[____]__[____]__[____] > [_[_]_____[_]_____[_]_____[_]_____[_]_____[_]_] > [____]__[____[__[____]__[____]__[____]__[____] > [_[_]_____[_]_____[_]_____[_]_____[_]_____[_]_] > [____]__[____]__[____]__[____]__[____]__[____] JOY MOODY SIGN OF THE CROW HAMPDEN, MAINE p.s. sure hope this didn't get reformated @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Subject: Weavers Words #21 Date: Tue, 17 Jun 1997 17:55:15 -0400 From: "Joy Moody" To: Hi Basketmakers! Jayna: Elizabeth Jensen (Baskets from Nature's Bounty) lists Iris leaves as a weaving material (gather in the Fall). Regarding the flowers, she says they can be rubbed into the splint or a dye bath made (but doesn't say how). Roberta: Thanks for cheering on my Big basket project; it is done! The basket is of reed - flat, flat oval, and round with color accents. The base is 2' wide & I ended it at 30" high. It is mobile, but the plan is to hang it out front in the maple tree as my basketry sign. It will have a long bar running through the bushel handles & will be bolted to the wrought iron bracket by U shaped muffler clamps. I will be offering the pattern soon for adventuresome spirits who have been thinking about a business sign or lawn decoration. Hey, the rhubarb is three feet high. Didn't I read somewhere that rhubarb is dye stuff. Must have been the leaves, as they have tanin. Has anyone out there tried it? Joy Moody Sign of the Crow Hampden, Maine @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Subject: Bottle Holder Basket Date: Tue, 17 Jun 1997 18:14:42 -0700 From: Ralph/Annetta Kraayeveld To: "davidc@iei.net" Hi! After reading #20 I had to send a quick request to You said: < At our recent Deer Creek picnic , we made basket carriers for Sprite bottles or a water bottle-really cute> sounds very interesting!! Is there a pattern? I know my girls would love something like that for bike trips and hiking. annetta Beloit, WI @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Subject: Stain question Date: Tue, 17 Jun 1997 21:48:10 -0500 From: Theresa Williams To: "'davidc@iei.net'" I need help, my husband just had open heart surgery, so I've lost my 'stainer'. He always got that nasty job because I just didn't think it looked like much fun. While he is recouperating, the job has fallen on my plate. I don't want to use a sprayer like he uses, they clog up too fast. We mix our own stain with 50/50 Deft Oil and mineral spirits. What I need help from you all is What you use to put your stain on your baskets? One suggestion is a sponge brush, the cheap kind you can use and throw away. Another suggestion is a turkey baster, which we have tried in the past and is messy, but does work. Feel free to reply to me personally if you think it would not be of any interest to any one else. Theresa Williams, Rossville, Indiana twill@netusa1.net @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Subject: Subscribe Date: Wed, 18 Jun 1997 00:24:00 -0400 (EDT) From: MSWF@aol.com To: davidc@iei.net Hi, I am Mary Fulton of Portland, OR and have been making baskets for about 5 years. I keep moving back and forth between weaving, baskets, knitting, and beads. No questions, but I would like to get a newsletter instead of all these dumb ads which I just delete. Thanks David for working on this. Mary @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Subject: WEAVERS VERSE BASKET MAKERS Date: 18 JUN 97 06:09:47 EST From: PAT STEINMETZ To: Good morning, It is 5:30am and my shift is almost over. I can't wait to get home and do a little weaving before I go to bed. Dawn is just breaking and it shows promise of being a sunny day. I had the privilege of spending this past Saturday jurying baskets for our 1998 convention. What a job it was. But what fun we had. I am already getting excited and convention isn't until March of next year. There were really some outstanding baskets submitted. But what I rally want to tell you about is the discussion we had about weaving verses basket making. We never did come to any great conclusions, but I am interested in knowing what you think. Do you call yourself a weaver or a basket maker? What is the difference? And while I am at it, where do gourds fit into basket making? Lets hear from you. What do you think. What other related classes do you thing should or should not be held at our conventions? Now that I have the rest of you thinking, I am going to sign off and head home to bed. Pat Steinmetz in Indy @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Subject: Wooden Bases & Willow Date: Wed, 18 Jun 1997 10:00:47 -0400 (EDT) From: DKallner@aol.com To: davidc@iei.net In Vol. 1 Issue 20, Monica Baker asked about wood bases for baskets that her husband could make. Funny, I asked my husband the same question! Now he has a circle cutting jig for his band saw for cutting out the base, a slot cutter head for his router to cut the groove around the edge of the base that the flat stakes fit into, and a roundover bit for the router to round off the edges of the base. If you wanted to use round material like reed or willow instead, you should be able to figure out how far apart to drill the holes and the hole diameter for the size material you use the most. Your husband could probably then set up a drilling template then for the drill press and turn out bases as fast as you can weave. I've seen wooden bases with inlay and other fancy wood techniques. Once he understands the mechanics of what you need, your husband may surprise you with some creative variations! To Christine Jordan: I was glad to hear from you again on this list. I enjoyed reading your posts on Shirley's list, and always enjoy hearing the adventures of other people who weave with willow. Finally, to David Collins: Thank you so much for this forum. I can't begin to tell you how much I appreciate all the effort it takes to coordinate a group like us. I've learned so much from these weavers, and I look forward to each issue. I was glad to be able to get the early issues I missed from your web site, but I do want to make one point that we should all take responsibility for. Since these messages are now posted on the internet and not just to the closed circle of subscribers, it would be a good idea for each of us to be a little more careful before saying things like "I'm going to be gone at a show or conference for 7 or 8 days." We teach children not to say, "Mom's not home," when they answer the phone because of the potential danger, and I think we could all teach ourselves not to advertise when our homes might be empty. I love reading about what the others did or learned on their trips, but I wouldn't be offended by the vague equivalent of "Mom can't come to the phone right now" beforehand. My apologies to all for being a wet blanket. Please don't come toilet paper MY house! Donna Kallner White Lake, Wisconsin @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Subject: Weaver's Words Date: Wed, 18 Jun 1997 10:15:09 -0700 From: "Barbara J. Mullally" Organization: Coldwater H. S. English Department To: davidc@iei.net Good morning David, Please add me to your list of subscribers for Weaver's Word. I've just started reading all the back digests and see so many of my old friends from Shirley's Basket List that I can't resist. Thank you for your efforts. Barbara Mullally Coldwater, Michigan @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Subject: Re: "Weavers Words" Vol. 1 Iss. 20 Date: Wed, 18 Jun 1997 19:14:03 +0000 From: Pamela Woodbury To: davidc@iei.net Hi All, It's a beautiful sunny day in Michigan and I would rather be doing anything except for what I have to do as I will have company tomorrow. We had Jill Choate over last Saturday for our Antler Class. We had a wonderful time. She was very informative and interesting about Alaska and a good teacher. I assured her we were all advanced weavers, but I know she has doubts as every single one of us were reduced to Basketweaving 101. I have made ribbed baskets before, but these were totally different. I got enthused and finished mine on Sunday and made another one yesterday. I know Jill will never believe this so I will need to take a picture and mail it to her for proof. I really had fun once I got the hang of it and I am much better if I have a basket in front of me to look at and do the same thing. I'll have to do this until I learn it. Actually I must be in the wrong line of basketweaving because someone has already offered me $150 for my basket and I'm not sure I want to sell. It is at least 20" on mule deer horns and I have a cajillion hours into it, but I could be swayed. I told her I at least had to show it off and prove to my guild that I finished it. If I sold it without them seeing it they'd never believe that I just didn't throw it aside and not finish. I'm so enthused I went out and bought materials today and now am on a quest for mule deer horns as a have a few sets of small white tail horns, but would like to make some more large ones. If anyone knows where I can get some, please e-mail me privately and let me know. I'd appreciate it very much. Billie I bought a quart of wood conditioner today and painted it on all my cabin boy bases and when they are dry I intend to paint it on all the rest of my wood bases. At least half of what I make now is on wood bases and I have been so unhappy with the staining that I am really hoping for good results. Happy Weaving, Pam Birch Run, MI @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Subject: Re: Gourd Sites and links Date: Wed, 18 Jun 1997 19:22:57 -0400 From: "RON & ANN " To: Hi all, Someone was looking for jewelry gourds I found a great site that has all sorts of links and connections for and to baskets it is: www.owt.com/users/jdixon Hope this helps. Have fun Ann Moum SDP Orangeville, Ontario Canada rjasiuk@headwaters.com @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Subject: Date: Thu, 19 Jun 1997 07:45:35, -0500 From: BDKE97B@prodigy.com (MRS BILLIE A DORRIS) To: davidc@iei.net Chris in the UK, the day you can figure out what the public wants it the day you become a genius. There is no rhyme or reason behind what sells. One time something sells like crazy and so you make lots more and they just sit there. I have finally decided to just make what I like to make and take whatever happens. I seldom have more than one of any basket. My husband finally convinced me that this was supposed to be fun and if I was making a lot of things I hated it wasn't fun. I have found my best selling price range is around $50 (30UKP). That seems to be the breaking point where people will buy without thinking about it. Above that they hesitate. I recently did a show where I sold 7 baskets at that price but I also sold 5 baskets at $100 and up. I make very few inexpensive baskets anymore. I may sell less but the satisfaction is higher and actually the overall return is probably much the same. Also I never discount my baskets. If they don't sell after a while I pull them from the inventory and see if there is a way to "redo" them. I recently stripped the color from one I had a long time, redyed it another color and it sold. Otherwise they go into my reject pile. The shows I do would never allow you to do as some others have recently suggested and sell them in a group of your choice $10. Because of the price range I do mostly art type shows and my prices are cheap compared to some of the other things there. I have also found that nobody sells my baskets like I do. Although it makes for long days I rarely leave my booth even when my daughter is there to help(only for necessary trips) People seem to like talking to the person who made the article and that is sometimes a good selling point. Don't get discouraged tho' when you do find someone who loves your work it is really a big boost for the ego. However I agree-Don't quit your day job. Billie in hot humid Va. Beach. @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ If for any you would ever like to cancel your subscription, simply send me a message with "unsubscribe" as your subject.