"Weavers Words" Vol. 1 Iss. 4 Compiled By David Collins Owned By Weavers Everywhere Date Sent: May 11, 1997 Subscribers: 120 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Hi Friends, I would like to start out by wishing all of you moms out there a happy Mother's Day. We have had a great response to list. Please feel free to mention "Weavers Words" in any newsletters, guilds or clubs that you participate in. Any and all weavers may join. The more the merrier. For all of the new subscribers: Simply send in an introduction with any of your experiences or questions. Happy Weaving, David Collins davidc@iei.net @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Subject: Date: Fri, 09 May 1997 20:10:29 -0400 From: Avis Richard To: davidc@iei.net, coltsfan@usa.net Hi All! What a delightful surprise! I've just read my first issue of Weavers Words, and Guess who I saw! It's like going to a strange city and seeing a whole crowd of old friends! Well, David, aren't you sweet! Thanks! Lately, I've seen several mentions of basket oriented publications, would someone mind giving me more info so I can make a decision on a subscription? Or a book purchase? I have a couple listed for purchase, Basket Book by Lyn Siler, and Wicker Basketry both available at Edward R. Hamilton. The Siler book has 30 projects, and the Wicker book has 24... I'm just looking for a wide variety to get some experience. The Twill Trinket Bowls sound very interesting, I do love twills, and from visiting BasketPatterns.com, I see the wonderful creative possibilities of twill! Is there someplace I can purchase that pattern? Andrea, you're living my dream! It's such a pleasure to see you all here! There should be a law! Every basket someone mentions, I want to see, with the idea of making! And then someone has to mention a whole new style! Upside down baskets! Haida? Is there someplace I could see these? Sally, I also spin and knit, and would love to learn to weave, but there's no one near who does, so that, thankfully is on the back burner for a while... looms are terribly dear and doubly so when you have no idea what you need. This is so exciting... I'm going to follow a good example, retire with a cup of herbal, and contemplate my next project. Too many wonderful things to learn and do! Avis @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Subject: Intro Date: Fri, 09 May 1997 20:32:11 -0400 From: "Gail L. Johnson" To: davidc@iei.net Hi Everyone, It seems like we've all done this before with Shirley's list, but I know I have seen some names I don't recall. I am Gail Johnson, I have been married for 34 years to my husband, Chris, and we have three children, two boys and a girl, two of them married now, one getting ready to graduate in a few weeks from dental school. Time sure flies. I have been making baskets for many years now, was addicted from the very first one I made. In fact, I came home from that class and called an order in for my own supplies, and haven't stopped since. I do a number of craft shows and am a member of a co-op in a craft store in a nearby town. I also teach a basket class at my church once a month, once in the evening and once in the daytime, so I am quite busy. I also have a full-time job working at home for a court reporting firm out of Washington, D.C., typing transcripts from cassettes. The nice part is I can work when I want to, make baskets when I want and sleep if there's any time left. Thanks, David, for getting this list going, and I sure hope the confusion with all the messages is over. One morning I had 53 messages, quite mind boggling. Gail Johnson, Middletown, Maryland @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Subject: Weavers Words Date: Fri, 9 May 97 20:02:48 +0100 From: Linda Benson To: "David Collins" Hi to all you Weavers out there! When I subscribed to this forum I wanted to wait to see if it was anything like the old Basket List Digest we all loved so much before I participated. David, you have created a place where we can really relate to one another again. I feel as though I'm reading words from People instead of a robot computer! Thank you so much. I started with the Digest at #47, got a feel for the format and wrote in to it about #62 or so. Since that was the beginning of the end of Shirley's fabulous efforts my letter to it (and the subsequent two) were lost in...who knows where. Well, I decided after reading the first two WW's I'd better jump right in and contribute. My name is Linda Benson and I live in Canaan, Ct. up in the northwest hills. I began weaving about 8 years ago after taking an adult ed course at our local high school. I took to it like a duck to water and have been weaving ever since. One of my favorite books is by Robin Taylor Daugherty (it was nearly my only source of how-tos for years). During the past few years I've accumulated a number of other great books by Lyn Siler, Shereen LaPlantz, Elizabeth Jensen, etc., etc., etc. Once I got onto the internet the world of baskets and basket weavers has exploded. There are sites out there with so much information on and about baskets it's mind boggling! From some of these sites I've ordered so many patterns, books and other supplies I'll be busy weaving baskets until I drop! To Meredith MacDonald: I've never worked with oak but envy you your opportunity to work with the McColleys in WV. They do some of the most beautiful basket work I've ever seen. Their designs are elegant yet simple. Truly works of art. To Mary Ann Gullo: My nephew, Guy works at the Renaissance Fairs from Wisconsin to Virginia to Florida. I've been a few times to the one in southern Wisc. and always admired the craft work of the people there. To Kathi Calvert: I'm a member of the Northeast Basketmaker's Guild. If you'd like to join, the person to contact is: Patricia Lang, P.O. Box 639, Warren, R.I. 02885-0639. Her phone number is: 401-245-2432. The dues are $15 a year and runs from Jan 1 - Dec 31. We just had our annual meeting in Pawtucket, R.I. and had a great time. There is also a Guild in White Plains, NY. I contacted their membership person for information on joining and their upcoming basket classes but haven't received any info back yet. I understand she went to the IBA so is probably trying to catch up on everything even now. I'll let you know more later if you're interested. Have to go now and pick up my son. (I am so :), :), :), David Collins invited me to join this list. I didn't know just how much I looked forward to Shirley's list until it was gone. Thank you again, David) Linda Benson Canaan, Ct. benson@li.com @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Subject: (no subject) Date: Fri, 09 May 1997 21:33:02 -0400 From: "Kathleen D. Fullerton" To: davidc@iei.net References: 1 To: Pat Moritz Knotting? Like Celtic knotwork? It has caught my eye lately and I wasn't sure where to find out about it. Any pointers would be appreciated. I recognized you from the former list group. Glad we're able to get together again. Thanks David. :) A quick intro to this list. I'm Kathy Fullerton from Fayetteville, NC. I have been weaving for about 5 years now. I haven't done much lately due to an auto accident, but if the Lord is willing and my meds hold out, I'll be back up to speed soon. I did have a suggestion. I was complaining last summer about the price of wooden beads to use in my round reed projects. Well, my husband pulls out one of those beaded car seat covers from Wal-Mart. He only paid 5-6 dollars for it and after we took it apart I have more pre-finished beads than I will probably ever use. Kathy Fullerton deedee1@mail.apcnet.com @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Subject: craft fair blues Date: Fri, 09 May 1997 16:41:54 -1000 From: The Keener Clan To: davidc@iei.net, coltsfan@usa.net Aloha from Honolulu, For a brief intro, my name is Lois Keener and I've been weaving for 6 years, teaching for four. I am married to the wonderful Richard who actually enjoys lashing and we have two daughters; Bridget, a junior at the University of Hawaii majoring in anthropology (she eventually wants to work as a forensic anthropologist) and Kate, who will be graduating from high school next month and can't quite decide what to do with her life. Richard is retiring from the Air Force after 28 years on 01 July and we are sticking around Hawaii for a few more years. I*m also a devoted life long Girl Scout and work with the Girl Scout Council of Hawaii as a trainer of new leaders. I do teach 3 classes a week and sell at a few craft fairs throughout the year and had a problem at the one last week and I wonder if any of you all have faced this and would like to know how you handled it. Unfortunately, my booth was beside someone I've been either beside or behind for the past 3 fairs. She "rents" 3 booths for her dolls, birdhouses and country dresses and she isn't a very scrupulous person. Our contract clearly states that only items handmade by the person who signs up for the booth can be sold. She sells quilts she buys on the mainland. She attempts to sell Longeberger baskets. She hands out Longeberger catalogs (and once again the contract states we cannot offer a "service" such as home parties). So last Saturday, a windstorm came up and blew my basket tree into her booth. We picked it up and nothing was said. Three hours later, as we were cleaning up and packing up she told me that my tree had damaged one of her birdhouses. I asked if she expected me to pay for this birdhouse and she said yes--and the birdhouse was $89. Richard and I asked to see the damage and she told me her husband spent 20 hours making the steeple for this house (it's a church) and we found a chip of paint the size of the head of a pin as the only damage. We offered money to repair it and she refused, saying it would take her husband another 10 hours to repair it. We then had a heated exchange--if it was so damaged, why did she leave it out and continue to attempt to sell it? (no reply) Why wait 3 hours before telling me? (no reply)....so I ended up writing her a check for $89. This woman has quite a reputation around town and I truly feared she would take me to court over this. We sell at the same consignment shop and she accuses them of misplacing her items, etc. (don't think she'll be there much longer)..and to be honest, I didn't want to mess with her. We also feared she would take the birdhouse home and whack it with a hammer and accuse me of that damage, too..... so my question is???--what SHOULD I have done? To be honest, if something from another booth had landed on my basket through no fault of theirs, I would have kicked my damaged basket under the table and thought little of it. I think she started this as she wasn't having a good day....and I received the brunt of it, alas. The craft fair organizers refused to get involved (we asked them if an impartial 3rd party would look at the damage). So, please, some advice on this one. Thanks, David, for salvaging the List. I've missed it greatly. Lois Keener Honolulu, HI @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Subject: Laundry Basket Date: Fri, 9 May 1997 21:35:59 -0700 From: "Forrest Davis" To: "Weaver's Words" To Marie Nerdahl, I have a pattern for a very sturdy laundry basket that may fit your search description. It's called The Laundry Basket by Sharon McElroy. It has a top diameter of 19 inches and stands 10 inches high. I have not made it yet because its spokes are 1/2 inch flat oval and the sides are woven with 3/8 inch flat oval and the thought of shaving every single overlap sounds like lots of work right now. It looks beautiful in the picture, with 2 sturdy bushel handles and a four-rod wale rim. I am sure it's available from your favorite supplier. Good Luck, Grace Davis Ft. Huachuca, AZ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Subject: Subscribe Date: Sat, 10 May 1997 02:34:40 -0400 From: "Jayna L. Glemby" To: david@iei.net At long last, a basket lover's digest like Shirley's list. Thank you David for doing this, so many of us have missed this type of format. I live in central Massachusetts in the small town of Charlton ( about 10,000 and near Old Sturbridge Village) Have been weaving about 9 years and went to class for fun, to reduce stress and be with other weavers. Unfortunately our teacher has cancelled her classes as she has gone back to college full time. Am in withdrawal! Some of us plan to get together on our own. Because the classes were stress busters for me I didn't always 'study' but relied on the teacher for help when a recipe was intricate. Oh well... I'm an O.T. and Activity Director at a large nursing home and have taught baskets to some of the residents. Gardening (flowers), writing and classical music are my other hobbies. Many thanks to Cheri Branca for steering me to this list, and so good to see familiar names...hello to Judith Olney and Linda Marshall (the nursing home residents think I'm crazy, but we are weaving your ostrich feathers into their baskets!!) Billie Dorris, as usual you have wonderful tips. I plan to try your sanding tip on handles. Forrest & Grace you are delightful...Meredith I'll take the bus tour with you & regards to going to Nantucket: if you plan to take your car get a ferry reservation well in advance. You'll need your car for the beaches. If you go on foot, get to the ferry early...it's crowded. You can do it in a day. Short walk from ferry to downtown and the shops ( brings tons of $'s) I can put you in touch with a tour guide if you are interested...he grew up there and is a retired weather man. Can anyone suggest where to get a good elbow basket recipe...with full directions, I forgot where to fold. Thanks, Jayna :-) @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Subject: weavers words Date: Sun, 11 May 1997 08:44:47 -0400 From: susan waite To: davidc@iei.net Dear David, Thanks for the weavers words. I am glad to be included. I have been weaving for about twelve years, and am addicted for life. I also do chair caning and hope to start a business soon in this line. Thanks again, Susan @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Subject: Weavers Words Date: Sun, 11 May 1997 18:49:56 -0400 From: "Joy Moody" To: Hi everyone. I just returned from a stop at the book store & here's a news flash for you. I happened upon The Crafters Guide to Pricing Your Work by Dan Ramsey, ISBN #1-55870-425-3. This book covers all types of work. For basketry, he sets a "studio rate" of $20- 25 an hour. "Studio rate" is not an hourly wage; it includes labor plus overhead (studio rent, utilities, tools, supplies), plus profit margin. His formula for selling "seconds" (those not so perfect baskets) is double the price of materials....the method I've heard some of us describe as the method used to price all baskets. He also has some interesting things to say about how to respond to buyers who want to pay less namely, answering every question about price with information about value: materials used, techniques learned, time spent etc. It's an interesting book with suggestions to consider & also covers other things that may be combined with basketry: decorative painting, floral crafts, gift baskets, beading etc. Glad to see so many of you have come over to this site & we can continue our chats. I have just finished reading back issues of the old BasketList & , you know, the information shared is really voluminous! We'd have to reference many books & go to many classes to glean all this stuff otherwise! Joy Moody Sign of the Crow Hampden, Maine @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Subject: Procion Dyes and other chit-chat Date: Sun, 11 May 97 23:40:19 GMT From: carolynm@tez.net To: davidc@iei.net (David Collins (digest)) Hello Fellow Basketweavers, Words can't express the joy in finding this list. I really felt lost. My husband and myself live in Holland Station of Suffolk, Va. This area is best known for peanuts. There is no active basket activities or local places to buy any basket supplies. The nearest guild is in Norfolk and is almost impossible to travel to meetings. I am really having trouble getting definite colors with the dyes I am using. I have even used distilled water and no luck. I did mix a pack of denim blue and lemon yellow and came up with a nice medium green. I did this because I couldn't find any green dye in Suffolk, not even the rit dye. A few people have mentioned procion dyes (I'm not sure if the spelling is correct). I would appreciate which brands these are and if possible where they may be secured from. Looking forward to hearing from all of you. David Thank you for not making me feel like an imbecile in order to get a message through. Carolyn S. Megginson carolynm@hearts.tez.net @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Subject: Introducton and Replies Date: Sun, 11 May 1997 18:49:54 -0500 From: David Collins Reply-To: davidc@iei.net, coltsfan@usa.net To: davidc@iei.net Sorry that it has taken me this long to introduce myself but somehow during IBA Convention I got a muscle strain and I have been incapacitated all week. I am David's mother and my name is Norma Collins. I am very proud of David for taking over this monumental task to help keep all of us in contact with each other. He takes pride in everything that he does so I am sure that he will do a good job for all of us. I have been weaving for almost three years now and I was hooked from the very first basket that I made which was a large Christmas stocking. My good friend, Connie Curran, who has previously introduced herself, talked me into taking that class with her. We took that class and couldn't wait until we could take another class. We signed up that night for the next class. We took weekly classes, instructed by Dollie Koch, who has also previously introduced herself, for about one year. We only quit taking classes then because Dollie quit teaching. By then we had joined a couple of local guilds which Dollie also belonged to and we have all become basket buddies and weave together as often as we can. So I owe a lot to my good friends Connie and Dollie as they have introduced me to the world of weaving. I weave mostly with reed and cane, however I have also used white oak and waxed linen. I am still looking forward to working with different materials such as pine needles and the different woods and barks. I love all baskets but really prefer the more traditional types. I attended the IBA Convention the first of May and had a great time. My instructors Eva Walsh (Double Basket), Chrisine Lamb (Maori Steppes), Judith Olney (Octagonal Weave), and Ann Wagner (Flowergirl Basket). My only bad experience was the "Double Basket". It just wasn't what I had expected. I got some very good guidance on twills with Christine, a lot of great instruction on shaping with Judith and many good tips on working with round reed from Ann. I also had the opportunity to take three 1 hour classes on Thursday and made the birdhouse with Eva Snyder, the bird nest with Betty Lavachek and the baby rattle with Bonnie Gale. The baby rattle was my first weaving experience with willow and I just love it. (I convinced that making a large basket with willow would be really hard on your hands). I feel very fortunate to have gotten to attend IBA Convention and have the opportunity to learn from such talented instructors. In my opinion, the Convention was just the greatest. It just amazes me that it is all put together by volunteers and run so well. A personal thanks to each and every volunteer who helped make it possible for all of us to have such a great time. I plan to volunteer more of my time next year. I helped, in a very small capacity, with the raffle this year in preparation for doing the raffle next year. For those of you that attended, weren't there some great raffle items this year? So I already have my work cut out for me! And now to comment on some things that some of you have mentioned. Berta - 15-28 baskets per day, WOW!!! How do you do it? I know you said your husband and 5 children help but it is still amazing! Meredith - That dream of yours is great. I'd love to be included on that trip! In meantime, your trip to Nantucket will be a great experience for you. I know someone who has been and she just loved it! Cheri - Is a Tulip-D the same as a Williamsburg handle? From the description it sounds very much the same. If so, e-mail me and tell me what the width and height measurements are and I will very likely have some suggestions of patterns for you. Kathi - You wanted info on joining the Northeast Basketmakers Guild. I do the newsletter for one of our local guilds, "Morning Weavers" and we exchange newsletters with several guilds all over the country. Northeast Basketmakers Guild happens to be one of them and according to their newsletter, their membership person is Patricia Lang, P.O. Box 639, Warren RI 02885-0639, PHONE: (401) 245-2432. Hope that helps. Judith Olney - Thanks for the kind words. I was thrilled to get into your class and to meet you. Ever since I first started weaving, I have heard that you are the "Queen of Shaping" in basketry. I learned a lot. Thanks for all that you shared. You'll be missed next year. Have a good time in Florida though. Pat - What is knotting? What materials do you use? Billie - Thanks for the tip on the Rit Color Remover. I had wondered if it would work on reed but had not gotten up the courage to try it. Sally - You also live in Indy. You mentioned your local basket shop - were you talking about Willowes in Greenfield? A couple of places that have Nantucket supplies are H.H. Perkins in Ct. (1-800-462-6660) and Restorations in Fairmount, In (1-800-562-5291). Marie - Here are a couple of suggestions for large bushel style laundry baskets. "The Laundry Basket" by Sharon McElroy, 1550 Locher Road, Dewitt, MI, 48820, Phone:(517) 669-9345 and "The Victorian Laundry Basket" by Joyce Schaum, 2212 Reifsnider Road, Keymar, MD, 21757, Phone: (410) 756-4225. The later is a beautiful twilled basket. Well, I better bring this to a close. It will be a long while before David insists that I get on to correspond again. I love reading all of your messages and seeing where all of you are from and hearing about your experiences. Let's remember to end our messages with our name and city and state. 'Til next time... Norma Collins Indianapolis, IN @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ If for any you would ever like to cancel your subscription, simply send me a message with "unsubscribe" as your subject.