"Weavers Words" Vol. 1 Iss. 67 Compiled By: David Collins Snail Mail: 408 North Devon Avenue Indianapolis, IN 46219 Owned By: Weavers Everywhere Date Sent: November 19, 1997 Subscribers: 366 Back Issues: http://www.geocities.com/Heartland/Prairie/5998/ Basket Biddin' Auction: http://members.tripod.com/~Basket_Biddin/ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Hi Everyone, I made a boo boo in the last issue with the code. If anyone has a web site and would like to add the Weaver's Words banner to their site, cut and paste the following code into your html source. Gobble Gobble Gobble, David @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Subject: Weaver's Words Date: Wed, 19 Nov 1997 09:17:14 -0500 From: David Collins To: davidc@iei.net It has been so long since I have been on here that I am almost embarrassed to show my name. I do enjoy reading what all of you have to say and many of you are so faithful. Many thanks to all of you who have sent kind words to David. We want to wish all of you a Happy and Blessed Thanksgiving. David is doing better and we feel we have much to be thankful for this year. God bless each and everyone of you. (After the holidays I will try to communicate more). Norma Collins Indianapolis, IN @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Subject: Discussion Date: Wed, 19 Nov 1997 23:19:15 -0500 From: Jana Tafelski Organization: BasketPatterns.com To: David Collins Hi All, I'm one of the "lurkers" you all have discussed. Sorry, I guess I haven't introduced myself yet but I hope you all know of me. My name is Jana Tafelski and my husband and I run the online pattern store called BasketPatterns.com. I can't say that I have read all of the WW - but have been trying to skim them each week when I have a few minutes. In answer to Kay Janke's question regarding what we made at the MI convention. I made the nesting baskets with Vladimir Yarish on Friday - I really enjoyed being introduced to birch bark and am now attempting some other naturals and am seeking out great American teachers. I also made the Windowsill Basket by Dianne Stanton on Sunday. I love this basket .. it has black ash, birch bark, elm, and sweetgrass with a bead embellishment. I enjoyed Dianne and would love to take another more complicated class from her sometime. I also have a questions: does anyone know of a supplier for leather harnesses for back pack baskets? We sell several back packs on our site and have some shaker tape harnesses but after seeing a good leather harness at the MI convention - I would like to have one myself and also possibly sell them on our site. Any ideas would be appreciated. You can either contact me directly or post to WW, whichever you prefer. Thanks for keeping up this list David - even though some of us haven't been speaking up - we also appreciate all of your hard work!! -- Jana Tafelski jtafelski@basketpatterns.com http://www.basketpatterns.com BasketPatterns.com Bringing Patterns To The World Via The Web @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Subject: Weavers Words V1 I.66 Date: Thu, 20 Nov 1997 00:20:14 -0500 From: "Joan Culler" To: David: I enjoy reading all the messages from other basketweavers. I can't believe there are so many. Thanks for putting it all together. Roberta Comstock: You asked about my job at Sauder Village. We make all kinds of baskets. I would like to stick to the historical styles but unfortunately the fancy ones are the ones that sell. We have historic styles to show to the guests and explain their uses but we also have many more modern ones for sale. Some days we might only have 150 people go through and some days up to 3000. The days that we have 800 or 900 school kids are the hardest. We make most of our baskets out of reed but we do have some for display out of black ash. We dress in period costume with aprons and black shoes and socks. Most of us make our own dresses from patterns that the village has. I am the manager of the shop and I have three other women that work there too. We each work 2 or 3 days and can switch with each other if we want a day off. We have some excellent craftsmen there. Our blacksmith, glassblower, and potter are top of the line. We also have a beautiful inn and a great restaurant. Its a fun place. The baskets we make while we are demonstrating stay in the shop to be sold and we also consign in our own baskets. John McGuire was at the village in Sept. and gave a class on his lidded Nantucket basket. It was great. @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Subject: Lurking Date: Thu, 20 Nov 97 12:29:58 GMT From: oldcrows@uninets.net To: davidc@iei.net References: 1 Hello to everyone, I have come out of hiding! Hope all is well with everyone & Happy Thanksgiving. I have been busy with shows. I too think that shows this year are a little slower than previous years. But every time you turn around there is another craft fair going on. Snow: We had just enough to make a mess. I'd rather have the wonderful Fall weather. Oh well, it will be Spring soon! Ha! Ha! Yes, a big CONGRATULATIONS to Kathi Calvert! Her catalog is just wonderful. She has put lots of time & energy into her catalog. Joanne: Megan's Doll Bed from Baskets of Joy. It's a great pattern. It weaves up quick and a nice cradle. Just made another one last week. Thanks David for the wonderful job keeping us together. Wishing you all the best of holidays. Sandra, Maine @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Subject: Re:"Weavers Words" Date: Thu, 20 Nov 1997 10:40:49 -0500 (EST) From: Qka42@aol.com To: davidc@iei.net Bert :) Thanks for the welcome. My sister's name is Tracy and then I have another who has just started weaving (almost a year now) with us DeAnne. It is so fun to watch her excitement when she accomplishes something new. Sometimes I think Tracy and I forget why we started weaving in the first place, for the pure enjoyment of seeing something that you have made yourself and pride that it turned out all-right. Kay J.: thanks again, I enjoy so much reading everyone's letters. Tracy and I feel the same way about customers who come into your booth and ask if these are Longaberger. We always tell them that is a bad word, and that we handweave all our baskets, that we couldn't afford Longaberger so we started making our own. That seems to either break the ice or shoo them away. What I have trouble with are the ones that come in and say "Oh I could do that" or "so and so could make that for you". It's not the fact that they weave but they could wait until they have moved on to say that. But on the other hand there are those who do weave and still compliment you on your work. We are all different and it always is nice for a fellow weaver to compliment your hard work. Well I need to go make the baskets, Tracy and I are doing a basket party for her mother-in-law tomorrow evening. First time for this so we are a little nervous and totally unprepared. Wish us luck! (isn't this the way the "L" word got started?)Hey David on what side of Indy are you on? I am on the northeast outside of Carmel. Thanks for all you do. Reed you all later, Quin in Indy @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Subject: Pine Needle Basketry Date: Thu, 20 Nov 97 14:20:21 UT From: "Shari Zabroski" To: davidc@iei.net Hi David, I really enjoy receiving "Weaver's Words". What a great group of people! Since I'm still pretty new to basketry (mostly pine needle), I'm still trying to find a group or person in my area to work with. All the great basket books cannot replace the one on one. Could you possibly post my request and maybe one of your terrific weavers out there might know of a contact I can make. I'm about an hour from Rockford, Illinois. Thanks! Happy Weaving Everyone. Shari Morning Star @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Subject: Re: "Weavers Words" V. 1 I. 66 Date: Thu, 20 Nov 1997 08:16:56 -0500 (EST) From: Wickrwoman@aol.com To: davidc@iei.net David, Thanks so much for starting and maintaining this basket list. I am not very computer literate and have just recently learned how to download the file and then retrieve it. The problem that I have though is that everything is double spaced and the words don't go all the way out to the end of the line and page. What am I doing wrong? Thanks for your help. Wickrwoman@aol.com Cathryn Peters @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Subject: Re: "Weavers Words" V. 1 I. 66 Date: Thu, 20 Nov 1997 23:21:03 +0000 From: Pamela Woodbury To: davidc@iei.net Hi Basketweavers, Pat, St. Louis is not alone in having toooooo many shows every weekend. In my area I was up on my shows in the summer and early fall and now the bottom has dropped right out. We had a snowstorm effect the show last Sat. which the same show was fantastic a year ago so I am going to blame the weather. However there are tooooooo many basketweavers in every show. We have tried to explain to promoters that basket do not sell like sweatshirts or wood, but if they have 10 basketweavers apply they allow 10 in. Some of my shows have really been effected by the fact that there were just too many baskets in the show. I like you Pat am really starting to think do I want to continue this or find another avenue. I don't know about the St. Louis area, but anything on a stick seems to sell here so we have really wondered if baskets on a stick would go over. HaHa Like you Pat I am glad I don't have to live on what I have been making at the shows this year. I also have been in the position where the vender near me was swamped with customers so bad that the rest of us were totally left out. I did a show that at the time was $250 for the 3 days, it is now $350 for the show, but I no longer do it. A lady across from me was selling sweatshirts and was she selling. She was putting these sweatshirts on and even selling them right off her body. People were 12 deep to get a chance to buy the sweatshirts. I also did a show a couple of years ago where a man was selling birdhouses, cheap. I wasn't one of the unfortunate crafters that was near him, but boy were these people unhappy. I walked over to see what he was selling that people were standing in line to buy. We were in a high school gym and this man was towards the back of the gym and people were waiting in line all the way to the exit to pay for there birdhouses. This went on for the entire day. I doubt if the people near him made a sale. I wouldn't know what to do as a promoter to stop this, but it sure does make for a bad situation for the people near the hot sellers. I had some Longenberger comments last week, but the worst one of all was the woman that walked into my booth took one glance and pronounced that she liked baskets, but not these. Now I usually get the comments how beautiful my baskets are so I am guessing she either likes Longenbergers or imports. I don't quite understand why people feel the need to share these nasty comments with us. I make a lot of lidded baskets. There are people who love baskets and come in and look and admire even if they don't buy and then there are people who fly right on by for fear somebody is going to force them to buy. Anyway I make a lot of lidded baskets and I can't tell you how many times people will come to a screeching halt open the lid to the basket, look inside and then fly off. Now what do they suppose I am hiding in the basket that they have to see. Pam @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Subject: News From Michigan Date: Thu, 20 Nov 1997 22:14:15 -0500 From: David & Ruthanne Morningstar To: David Collins Hello to all Weavers, To Karen THE CATS ON MY LAP CREATIONS - I'm a Beader too. I do the Brick or Comanche stitch and make small to large pouch necklaces - 2 1/2" - 4 1/2" wide and 3 1/2" - 5" deep. I also enjoy loom work and bead knitting. I'm working a putting figures into my beaded pouches. Right now, I'm working on four bead knitted necklaces for Christmas gifts. I find them very relaxing and the hardest part is deciding who to give which one to! I figure, weaving is weaving. Be it basketry, loom or by hand. It's just a different fiber. What do women do who don't weave? ever wonder??? To Pat Moritz, St. Louis - I too have a Navajo Rug Loom - a very small one at present. I also have lots of books to teach me how to weave on one. I just have to find the time to sit down and do it. I just returned from New Mexico and Arizona where I visited with several Native American basket and textile weavers. It was probably the best vacation I ever had. I'm in the process of setting up 5 - 6 day Navajo Rug weaving workshops and a five-day Apache Burden Basket workshop for next year. I don't have final details yet. I hesitate to share this news because it's so incredible and I certainly don't want to sound like I'm bragging. I've been asked to return to help the people of a village learn to weave a ceremonial basket that is needed in their initiation ceremony.. These baskets haven't been woven for almost 20 years, and no one in the village understands the technique, or remembers how to weave them. Some sacred objects were stolen at that time and they couldn't continue with the initiation ceremony by which young men are inducted the into the village every four years. They've decided how to deal with the problem of the stolen objects, but now have the problem of making the baskets. Their concern is that if their young men aren't initiated into the village soon, the village could die out. Now, I just have to get back out there to teach them. What an incredible story, Huh? "It Takes A Basketweaver to Save A Village". Think there could be a story in there somewhere? TO ALL - Regarding the new Longaberger Headquarters Building . IT IS a large basket, resembling a Picnic Basket. The handles weigh 75 tons. The article was in the Wall Street Journal. a couple weeks ago. Anyone who would like a Xerox copy, send me a stamped self-addressed envelope. Ruthanne Morningstar, P.O. Box 524, Almont, MI 48003. AND, a BIG THANKS to DAVID for keeping us all informed. Thank You! Ruthanne Morningstar, Dryden, MI David & Ruthanne Morningstar Dryden, Michigan Mstar@mich.com dmstar@CompuServe.com @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Subject: Hello WW friends Date: Fri, 21 Nov 1997 10:37:50 -0500 From: Richard Calvert Organization: Calvert's Wholesale, Inc. To: davidc@iei.net Hi Everyone, It's been so long since I've written in, but I still soak up and enjoy everything you all write, even if it is during the wee hours of the night! I finally have finished my catalog and have my supply business rolling. I want to say thank you to so many WW'ers who have been so encouraging and kind.The fun of making new basket friends has given me the fuel to keep going, because Lord knows, it hasn't been from sleep--there hasn't been much of that these last months. I have dedicated my first catalog to Joy Moody and Sandra Kervin as they really have been my "Maine" inspiration and would not let me give up. The 3 of us celebrated me finishing my catalog by having a live "internet party" on a private ICQ chat. My kids helped me decorate around the computer with balloons and streamers that Joy sent me. As we all got on the chat, my kids were blowing party horns ! What a riot! If any of you have gotten to know Joy and Sandra, you probably know that they are special ladies. Also a big thank you to Cheri Branca--my PITA web friend for picking up all my typos(only kidding Cheri--I love ya!) Enough chatter--good stuff now--check out Joy Moody's website if you haven't already it is soo cool! www.sign of thecrow.com. If you can get the music, it is so relaxing. Her website is put together in such a creative way--much fun. Joy has created a new basketmakers chat , so check it out. She has something new popping up everyday--yesterday she started a greeting card service . For Joanne who was looking for a carrier for the American Girl dolls--I don't know about a carrier but I do know that the mini back pack pattern by Lisa Nortz is perfect for the American Girl dolls. I made one for my daughter and it is on "Samantha's" back right now. I carry the pattern and I have also seen it on basketpatterns.com. Question for all: I have a customer who is looking for a pattern for a basket she purchased in Rhode Island. It is called a Shadow Basket and came from Hilltop Gardens--Traditional Working Baskets, Tiberton, RI. If anyone knows of a pattern for this basket please let me know--thanks. Guess that's all for now except to say thank you again to David and to wish you all a Happy Thanksgiving. If anyone is looking for me on Thur, Fri or Sat next week, I will be at a hotel with my 11 yr old daughter weaving and painting. We are going to "escape" to have some fun. You've gotta do what you've gotta do! Kathi Calvert KMC Baskets & Folkart From the much too cold Jersey shore @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Subject: teaching kids Date: Sat, 22 Nov 1997 11:39:57 -0700 From: Sharle Osborne To: davidc@iei.net When I first read about the mother daughter class I thought it was a great idea. I was envisioning a group of 20 to 40+ year old daughters and their mothers joining together for a session of weaving and sharing tales. I think I was inspired by a trip out to Cresent Lake the other night, sitting inside a sweat lodge telling each other about our grandmothers while heating up enough jumping in the lake. If anyone tries an adults only mother/daughter class be sure and let us know how it goes. Last night I got together with the other basketmaker I know in Sequim. We each made a mini birchbark basket from the bark that Janet Freebairn sent me. We had a great time. Not exactly a guild meeting, but we talked baskets and materials, shared ideas and made plans to get a guild going. She has started teaching classes in town and is converting women to basketry, so I'm sure we can begin this January. I just finished covering a wide mouth pint jar with cedar and cherry bark. I had been wanting to make something for my student teacher that was from this area, was practical and also related to teaching. Pint jars are great pen and pencil holders on a teacher's desk. It's an easy fairly quick project. I bet there are lots of versions of this idea out there. I'm off to a craft fair today for my holiday shopping, hoping to find local hand made items and not a purchased gift show. Those of you in shows this weekend, hang in there, many of us really appreciate and look for your efforts. I appreciate the weather updates on the bottom of messages. I like to know where folks are and can't tell from the email addresses. From the northwest tip of the lower 48, where it is 50, rainy, and evergreen. Sharle Osborne sharleo@orca.esd114.wednet.edu (360)6838816 683 Lotzgesell Rd Sequim, WA 98382 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Subject: Weavers Word's---Pine Needles Date: Sat, 22 Nov 1997 20:51:26 -0500 (EST) From: CHARB5@aol.com To: davidc@iei.net Hi David & Fellow Weavers, I was lucky enough to go to Florida a few weeks ago and I came back with some great pine needles....Now my question is....How do you know when the best time to weave with them is? I was able to get them from branches that were being cut off so they are fresh needles. I know I don't want to use them right away because of moisture loss. Is there anything else I need to do to get them ready? What do you do to keep them from getting too brittle? The books I have seem to assume you know this stuff already! Thanks for the help! Char In Coooooold Madison, WI @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Subject: Lost Iowan Date: Sat, 22 Nov 1997 22:03:12 -0700 From: jfish@pyramid.net To: davidc@iei.net Hi All--A few weeks ago someone from Iowa wanted information about joining guilds in other states. I tried to answer but the mail was returned. If that person is still around I'd like to hear from her. I also grew up in Iowa. I am the incoming president of The Great Basin Basketmakers in Reno, NV. We are opening shows at two galleries in town tomorrow. Hope sales are good for all of you and that you survive this season of many shows. We have just too many going on here. Two huge commercial craft shows come to town in November and don't help the local folks at all. I really enjoy reading all your postings. @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ If for any you would ever like to cancel your subscription, simply send me a message with "unsubscribe" as your subject.