"Weavers Words" Vol. 2 Iss. 15 Compiled By: David Collins Snail Mail: 408 North Devon Avenue Indianapolis, IN 46219 Owned By: Weavers Everywhere Date Sent: July 06, 1998 Subscribers: 659 {*}-{*}{*}-{*}{*}-{*}{*}-{*}{*}-{*}{*}-{*}{*}-{*}{*}-{*}{*}-{*}{*}-{*} ***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. {*}-{*}{*}-{*}{*}-{*}{*}-{*}{*}-{*}{*}-{*}{*}-{*}{*}-{*}{*}-{*}{*}-{*} +++++Individual Weaver's Words Pages+++++ Of course you can always find links to each individual page on Weaver's Words home page (http://www.iei.net/~davidc/). Weaver's Words Home Page: ---http://www.iei.net/~davidc/ Weaver's Words Basketry Links: ---http://www.iei.net/~davidc/basket.htm Weaver's Words Favorite Links & Stuff: ---http://www.iei.net/~davidc/cool.htm Weaver's Words Free Postcard Page: ---http://www.iei.net/~davidc/postcard.html Weaver's Words Chat Room: ---http://www.iei.net/~davidc/chitchat.html Weaver's Words Classifieds: ---http://www.iei.net/~davidc/classifieds.html Weaver's Words Guestbook: ---http://www.lpage.com/wgb/wgbsign.dbm?owner=Basketry Weaver's Words Basketry Wallpaper Page: ---http://www.iei.net/~davidc/graphics/graphics.html Weaver's Words Basketry Clip Art Page 1: ---http://www.iei.net/~davidc/graphics/clipart.html http://www.InsideTheWeb.com/messageboard/mbs.cgi/mb83941 Weaver's Words Bulletin Board: ---http://www.InsideTheWeb.com/messageboard/mbs.cgi/mb83941 Weaver's Words Bulletin Free Banner Service: ---http://www.iei.net/~davidc/banner.html Weaver's Words Basketry Dictionary: ---http://www.iei.net/~davidc/dictionary.htm Weaver's Words Basketry History: ---http://www.iei.net/~davidc/history.html {*}-{*}{*}-{*}{*}-{*}{*}-{*}{*}-{*}{*}-{*}{*}-{*}{*}-{*}{*}-{*}{*}-{*} Hi Everyone, Check out the Basketry History page that I have set up. To see it you can go to the following address: http://www.iei.net/~davidc/history.html I obtained most of it through the Encyclopedia Britannica. I didn't realize baskets had such a lengthy history. It's pretty interesting. I also want to setup a page on Weaver's Words Website with a list of basketry shops. So if you know of a shop, please send all the pertinent information for someone to get ahold of the shop. Just thought I would remind everyone about Weaver's Words Basketry Classifieds (http://www.iei.net/~davidc/classifieds.html). Check out the items already there or post your items for free. I have also started an online basketry dictionary (http://www.iei.net/~davidc/dictionary.htm). Check it out and help add some words with definitions. Take Care, David davidc@iei.net {*}-{*}{*}-{*}{*}-{*}{*}-{*}{*}-{*}{*}-{*}{*}-{*}{*}-{*}{*}-{*}{*}-{*} Subject: day lilies, straw, cattails Date: Thu, 02 Jul 1998 19:13:27 -0500 From: monast@iquest.net To: davidc@iei.net To Amy- Housework whenever: The birdhouses I've woven were similar to the one that Cass Schorsch taught several years ago. The body included dried daylily leaves. Pick before they begin to die off and dry hanging in bunches as you would everlastings. Or put them on a broken window screen and stir occasionally. When ready to incorporate in the body of the birdhouse, rewet and mellow in a damp towel until pliable. I believe cattail leaves are harvested the same way. For the roof, or watershed, our group switched to Indian Corn husk. (Dried as above and re-wet). They seemed stronger and less likely to become brittle and break as a roof. A good reference book is Earth Basketry by Osma Gallinger Tod. There are other good naturals books as well. About straw: Rye straw is more durable and insect resistant, which is why it was used in the coiled bee skeps. My sister (farmers wife) just cut it off and bundled it. Years later, it is STILL waiting for me in my garage. A nurseryman in Minnesota recommended substituting wild grasses with as long a stem as possible. Those used for thatching roofs would be ideal. He suggested BigBluestem, Indian Grass and Switch grass from a durability point of view. These three have all formed large clumps in the back garden and are visually beautiful, especially in the winter. - again waiting for a round tuit to come along. Now, I'd better get around to it and sweep up the crumbs, before the little ants come in to visit. Kristin in Yorktown In soon to be Midland Mi {*}-{*}{*}-{*}{*}-{*}{*}-{*}{*}-{*}{*}-{*}{*}-{*}{*}-{*}{*}-{*}{*}-{*} Subject: Re: "Weavers Words" V. 2 I. 14 Date: Fri, 3 Jul 1998 11:43:13 -0500 From: "Robert J. Corbett" To: "David Collins" Carolyn Corbett, Jacksonville, FL Pam D. I too have been wondering if there is a group of basket weavers in Delaware. I am hoping there will be a group or class that I can participate in after we move in December. After many years in the work force I will be retiring (with mixed emotions) in December and leaving sunny, hot, smoky, Florida. We have purchased a house in Sussex County, DE and are very excited about our move. Our daughter and family have moved back to the US after 4 + years in the UK. They are in New Jersey. We are anxious to be close to them and have an opportunity to get to know our grandchildren. I am just a recreational basket maker, but have been reading all of the wonderful comments and information in "Weaver's Words". Thank you for providing such a wonderful forum. Carolyn C {*}-{*}{*}-{*}{*}-{*}{*}-{*}{*}-{*}{*}-{*}{*}-{*}{*}-{*}{*}-{*}{*}-{*} Subject: Date: Fri, 3 Jul 1998 23:29:34 -0400 From: "Donna" To: "David Collins - Weaver's Words" Hi everyone - Angie & I are very busy this week doing our annual Folk Festival demonstrations. If interested, see http://WWW.DUTCHFEST.COM. Angie is the gal doing the rush seat weaving on their site. I've just scanned the last two issues but wanted to send out a quick note in answer to some questions. Amy - Here is PA, it's really too late this year to harvest wheat for weaving. It has to be done just as the last of the green is disappearing or else the heads will loose their kernels. About a week or two ago, it was just right. Once you cut it, make sure it is thoroughly dry. Hanging upside down is fine as long as it is not overripe. After it is dry, you can store it for quite a long time - but beware, the mice will eat any heads they have access to. I've done an awful lot of wheatweaving over the years, but have never used it in baskets by it self. You can always plait it and then weave it in but your end results in plaiting are limited by the length of the stalks. For accent, the bearded wheat, either natural or black bearded is the nicest. If you cut off the heads, you then have straw which can be used in coiled baskets although much bulkier to work with. Bee skeps are made from straw, generally using 1/4" flat reed for the lashing. Cattails should be harvested in the fall as soon as the top inch or two begin to turn brown. Spread out and lay flat until dry. Then they can be bundled and stood in a corner or laid on a rafter. Soak in a long trough (a 6' length of rain gutter, with caps on either end works great) before weaving. You also have to break down the fibers in the butt end. Get a hold of a hand crank wringer assembly from an old washing machine and feed the cattails through this, butt end first. This makes them nice and flat and weaveable. There are several good books on using naturals. "Natural Baskets" edited by Maryanne Gillooly and "Baskets from Nature's Bounty" by Elizabeth Jensen I feel are two of the very best. (We carry both of them with a 15-day return policy if interested.) They both deal in readily available materials. Good luck to you. Pam - Hardwood veneer strips and pieces cut from most any wood such as ash, maple, birch, walnut, cherry, even tulip poplar. They make very nice accents when woven into baskets and can be stenciled on. They are just "prettier" than reed as they vary in color depending on the wood that they are cut from. The walnut is brown, cherry is reddish, ash-pure white, etc. but they all have grain tones showing. However, they all shrink considerably after drying. They are cut with a thickness planer from boards as opposed to splits (no N) such as oak or ash that are peeled or pulled from a log.(If interested, we have a chart with all different types on our web site.) Hope I've answered your questions. Very late, and a long day again tomorrow. 8 days down and only 2 more to go. Donna http://www.countryseat.com {*}-{*}{*}-{*}{*}-{*}{*}-{*}{*}-{*}{*}-{*}{*}-{*}{*}-{*}{*}-{*}{*}-{*} Subject: Weavers Words Date: Fri, 3 Jul 1998 23:40:35 EDT From: BSKTCHERYL@aol.com To: davidc@iei.net Bert Comstock: Thanks for your long list of natural materials that you have gathered and used. Which materials are the most satisfying to work with? I am currently working on a coiled basket of cattail stems and tules. Does everyone have tules or is that only in California? I saw a basket being made of these materials at a CIBA gathering a few years ago. I believe the basketweaver was from Nevada. The inner core material consists of three rods of cattail stem that has been cut down. The inner fibers are scraped out. The weavers are made from strips cut from the outer skin on the tule. Again the inner fibers are scraped off. I soak both materials. This last weekend I went to another California Indian Basketweavers Association gathering. There are so many tribes represented. It is very exciting and a little overwhelming. I got a list of materials that are used to make Ohlone baskets from an Ohlone weaver. She has resurrected the basket weaving traditions of her tribe. Ohlone's are the people who lived in the area that I now live: Santa Cruz, Ca. This morning I went down to the creek near my home looking for the Arroyo Willow. She cuts shoots in the spring so must cut the plant back in the fall. The weavers come from roots: sedge, bracken fern, horsetails. Other tribes use conifer roots, willow roots. Finding roots is new to me. I have to learn more about this and haven't a clue where to begin. I brought home a sedge plant to put in my back yard. Hopefully it will spread and provide me with many roots. Amy Smith from Ohio: An excellent book to begin learning about natural plants is: Baskets from Nature's Bounty by Elizabeth Jensen. Also read about the Native American basketry in your region. Cheryl VanDeVeer Santa Cruz, Ca {*}-{*}{*}-{*}{*}-{*}{*}-{*}{*}-{*}{*}-{*}{*}-{*}{*}-{*}{*}-{*}{*}-{*} Subject: Dye Date: Fri, 03 Jul 1998 22:10:16 -0700 From: edwinb@erols.com To: "\"Weavers Words\"" Hello Basketpeople, I am still looking for the perfect copen blue color, like a Williamsberg blue; Rit Royal Blue is close but too bright. I wonder if I could add another color to dull it down? Stonewash Blue _ Comcast?- is too dark. Isn't that what is in the kits for a flag basket? Its too navy. I am a recent convert to liquid Rit from the powdered; I always shake up the bottle before I measure it out now, after the first disaster with my first bottle when I found out the hard way that the dye settles some. I changed to liquid when I realized that particles of the powder were on the my kitchen counter after I had finished dying and was cleaning up. The stuff goes all over the place and I think I am careful with the powder. No telling how much I have breathed in of the powder. I don't add salt because I have well water with a conditioning system which puts salt into the water. Should I add vinegar? To Pam; If you retire to Delaware , come to the Deer Creek Basketry Guild which meets in Belair, MD; shouldn't be too far down 95. We have members coming Penn. Happy Fourth of July to everyone! Nancy in Glen Arm, Md. {*}-{*}{*}-{*}{*}-{*}{*}-{*}{*}-{*}{*}-{*}{*}-{*}{*}-{*}{*}-{*}{*}-{*} Subject: selling your work Date: Sat, 4 Jul 1998 13:33:53 -0400 From: Eileen To: davidc@iei.net I've got my flame proof suit if necessary on and ready but really wanted to share the following with the basket folks. David states that there are over 600 members. I realize not all of you sell your work but some of you also teach. I have been making baskets for over 15 years and teach, sell at art fairs and write patterns. I now dabble a bit in beads for my own enjoyment. Something about those beads. I sub to a bead list and they have been having some great topics on ethics and the topic this last week has been a good one on pricing your work and pay rate. I selected the following letter because it also applies to the art of basketry. Just substitute the word basket for beads when reading it. I have contacted Mary and asked for and received permission from her to share her letter with you folks. All she asked me was that her name be left there and her web site be left at the end of her letter. Sincerely, Eileen LaPorte Subject: Selling Beadwork? From: "Mary Tafoya" I'd like to raise an issue here that concerns, or rather, confuses me. I sure don't want to step on anybody's toes, just want to bring this up for discussion. It seems we want respect, and a good price for our work, and many of us want to be regarded as artists... But I've also noticed many beaders want to start selling their work right away, and to me the two don't jive. It takes time to develop skills in any art or craft, and (if anybody *asked* my opinion ), I'd tell them to not be in such a hurry to sell their work. I'd tell them to spend a few years learning their craft first. Focus on what I call the "nutritional" aspects of the work -- solitude, concentration, reflection, right intention, harmony, and all that stuff that gets kind of drowned out when we're worrying about whether people will like and buy our stuff. This is where we develop our style and master our craft. My very first bead teacher said she was taught to give away a dozen of everything before she started selling her stuff. She said she has never regretted doing that. For one thing, all her relatives were satisfied, and she learned how to make stuff that won't fall apart, because, hey, you're relatives will always find you and ask you to fix it for them. Being an obedient little student, I decided to do the same thing -- and being a compulsive little brat, too, I even kept a list in my sketchbook of who I gave the stuff to. It was fun, and challenging, and helped me hone my skills. Practicing generosity, as I understand it anyway, is also a part of many beadwork traditions. It's as much a part of the craft as the thread and the beads. I think we also have a cultural value that says, "If it's any good, it's worth money." How many people have told us, "Hey, that's pretty good -- you should sell it." In other words, value=dollars, no value=no dollars. I'm *not* saying there's anything wrong with being commercially successful. I'm suggesting that we might slow down a bit and wait until we've mastered the craft before we start pricing and selling our work. My first beaded earrings took me nearly four hours to make. I can make the same pair today (and in a relaxed manner, too!) in a little over an hour. What if I priced those first earrings (floppy as they were, with thread showing...) at an hourly rate? And what about pricing work we've made using someone else's patterns? To me, this is not at the same level as someone who _creates_ their own designs -- should it be priced the same? I seriously doubt anybody's getting rich selling their beadwork, or selling on the web. Those who are able to get a good price have probably been doing it for a long while. Respectfully, Mary MARY J. TAFOYA, marytafoya@hotmail.com Aunt Molly's Bead Street http://www.flash.net/~mjtafoya/home.htm {*}-{*}{*}-{*}{*}-{*}{*}-{*}{*}-{*}{*}-{*}{*}-{*}{*}-{*}{*}-{*}{*}-{*} Subject: Misc Date: Sat, 04 Jul 1998 15:38:25 PDT From: "Patty Savinski" To: davidc@iei.net Hi all, I have been busy trying to catch up on back issues of WW, so forgive me if my chronology is bad, but I ran across something's I wanted to respond to. Lois and all regarding red patterns. I have ended up with several and find them so hard on my eyes I have had to Xerox them in order to be able to work with them - so much for deterring Xeroxing - in my case it promoted it. Also to Gail Caron - don't know if anyone responded but I recently took a hen basket class from Carol Lang (also our President of the Misty Washington Gourd and Basket Guild in Southern CA) to keep the hoops at the correct angle she had lengths of wood 1x1/4"? (an old yardstick would probably work great) marked on center and then several additional marks for various widths down the lengths. She had us set our hoops to the angle we wanted and then tape them in place with masking tape. (hope that makes sense) The angle holds until you have enough woven to set the angle, or in the case of the rim handled basket you could keep it on until you are done, since you can set the stick at the "handle holes" in the basket. Hope everyone is surviving the summer. We have been cool and cloudy (our traditional June gloom) OK, it's July bring on the sun!! Patty in San Diego {*}-{*}{*}-{*}{*}-{*}{*}-{*}{*}-{*}{*}-{*}{*}-{*}{*}-{*}{*}-{*}{*}-{*} Subject: Re: "Weavers Words" V. 2 I. 14 Date: Sun, 5 Jul 1998 15:45:58 EDT From: Reavelys@aol.com To: davidc@iei.net Haven't shared much, but do enjoy the list. I'm the "lawyer weaver" from Iowa. Thought I'd share a "find" with you. My husband and I decided to take a trip to Leavenworth, Kansas for the 4th. We took our bicycles and just meandered from Leavenworth to Weston, MO and then home to Des Moines, Iowa through rural Iowa. We stopped along the way to enjoy the many beautiful bike trails. When we were outside of Weston, we stopped at an antique shop. I always stop to see if there are any good buys on antique baskets. I found four at that shop including a most unusual one. When I first saw it, I thought it was just a long narrow picnic basket. But it had a strap across the top, which was a little unusual. When I picked it up, I knew there was something else unusual about it. It was extremely heavy. I opened the top and inside it was totally lined with metal. At one end there was a metal container that just fit inside the basket. What I had stumbled on was one of the first "coolers". Back then they didn't have the Styrofoam and plastic, so they used splint baskets and lined them with metal and included a metal container to put ice in. It is in great condition and a wonderful conversation piece. This one was made by the Burlington Refrigeration Company in Burlington, Iowa. I plan to do some research as to the possible date of this basket. Does anyone else have a similar basket that I can date this one by? Having a big retirement party for my husband. He's retiring from his "second job", a Colonel in the Army Reserve JAG Corp, after 30 years. I've planned a patriotic theme so am busy weaving red/white/and blue baskets for flowers to use on the tables. Its a rainy day, so think I will be able to get a couple done, at least to the lashing part. Sally Reavely Reavelys@aol.com {*}-{*}{*}-{*}{*}-{*}{*}-{*}{*}-{*}{*}-{*}{*}-{*}{*}-{*}{*}-{*}{*}-{*} Subject: "Weavers Words" V. 2 I. 14 Date: Sun, 5 Jul 1998 19:14:58, -0500 From: CRAJ51A@prodigy.com (MRS MYRA J STUTLER) To: davidc@iei.net Hi Everybody: Man, wish things would slow down. Besides working, I have things going for the last 3 weekends so haven't been online much. Somebody from WW e-mailed me about working for a security service like I do and wanted me to write back. I hit the wrong button and the message was gone. If you e-mail me back, I promise I will write this time. I finished the NE Quilt Basket for my sister and it turned out lovely as most of Judy Richmond's basket patterns do. I need to get more baskets done now to take up to the craft shop I have them in. They are selling good -- people like my prices. Am working on a VCR Tape basket at the moment. Just finished the Colonial basket. Got the pattern and kit from the Country Seat. David, you have so many new places to go I am having trouble getting to them all! What would we do without you.!? Everybody sounds good and seems to be as busy as me. I can't get to my guild meetings because I am working now and really miss them. Hi to Pam Woodbury, Marty Holihan -- I miss you guys so much. Myra Stutler CRAJ51A@prodigy.com {*}-{*}{*}-{*}{*}-{*}{*}-{*}{*}-{*}{*}-{*}{*}-{*}{*}-{*}{*}-{*}{*}-{*} Subject: Weaver's words Date: Mon, 6 Jul 1998 11:11:50 -0000 From: "Jeff & Diana French" To: "David Collins" Hi Everyone! Back from vacation in Maine and was welcomed with 3 Weaver's Words!! With all the chaos of unpacking and getting settled back into our routine, it took me a few days to sit down and read them. But now I feel caught up again :) Lois: I've never seen patterns on red paper and hope that I never do. I order a lot of my patterns over the Internet as well, and have been very lucky so far. I do encounter the occasional error, but I find reading the pattern through first and then taking my time, the errors usually work themselves out. (they are usually minor) I can see where even the smallest of errors could provide big problems for a beginner though. Gail Caron: I'm still hoping to run into you at Mary Carty's. I've met so few weaver's in this area so far. In looking for regional information, you should check with Mary. She seems very knowledgeable in the local history and the local Native American history. I'm sure she can give you info. on regional basket history. Chris Baker: I've been back to the handle link and it's working fine now :) Thanks! Alice Edwards: Thanks for the info. on cold water dying. Sounds like the hot/boiling water is the way to go. Guess I'll stick with my Rit for now - one of these days I'll get more into the experimenting :) Pam D-K: Your trip to Japan sounded like a lot of fun (except for the sinus infection). I lived in Japan, but on the southern island of Okinawa. We couldn't find weaving supplies locally and if we had, I'm sure the prices would have been outrageous. We always ordered through catalogs and the Internet. And the only baskets you could find in shops off base (we're military) were imported from Taiwan, etc. But we had some great weavers on the bases that sold at craft shows - guess we were lucky :) Isn't shopping in a foreign country an experience? Hope everyone had a great holiday weekend!! Diana French in sunny & warm southern New Jersey {*}-{*}{*}-{*}{*}-{*}{*}-{*}{*}-{*}{*}-{*}{*}-{*}{*}-{*}{*}-{*}{*}-{*} Subject: Weaver's Words V.2 I.14 Date: Mon, 6 Jul 1998 11:24:56 EDT From: Violinart1@aol.com To: davidc@iei.net Hi! I've had several people write and ask about the quickie baskets that I mentioned doing for the fair. These use the wooden bases that are predrilled for the #5 round reed. We use the 3" or 5" round bases. Here are the instructions on how to make these simple baskets. The directions are for the 3" size with the 5" directions in parentheses. We also use #4 round reed because it is easier for the children to work with. Materials: 3" (or 5") predrilled wooden base #4 round reed spokes 1/4" flat reed weavers x 9' (or 16') Base: Soak spokes and reed for five minutes in warm water. Do not soak base. Cut 11 (19) spokes from #4 round reed 8" long. Crimp on end of each spoke at 1 1/2" (or 1 3/4") with a needle nose pliers. Insert into base by 1 1/2" (or 1 3/4"). Turn base upside down. Lay spoke ends flat and tuck under spoke to left and on top of next spoke. Continue all around base under spoke over spoke, letting the ends stick to the outside of the base. Turn base right side up. Taper 1/4" flat weaver for 6". Over/under weave until basket wall is 2 1/2" tall. To add a new weaver, overlap the last 4 spokes on the old weaver with a new length. Hide the beginning between the spoke and old weaver. Weave the two together for four spokes. Taper end 6" directly above beginning taper. End on inside of spokes. Rim: Bend spoke right, in front of next spoke, behind second spoke to right, and back out in front of third spoke. Let the end sticking to outside of basket. Continue around the basket top. When you reach the last spoke, follow the same pattern to complete the rim. Trim off excess spokes. David: Thank you for sending out Weaver's Words! We put a copy of each issue in our lending library for our students and customers to browse. We are fairly new members, so our collection is small, could we get the access codes for past issues? Thank you! For those of you who have tried Lyn Siler's pattern for the creel and didn't have it work out, try using a chase weave. This will take care of the number of spokes and you won't need to split or add a spoke. We are working on a new fishing creel pattern from an antique basket that was owned by Marlys Sower's father. Mom, Marlys, and several students and friends have been working all the kinks out for some time now. Ruthanne Morningstar: I liked your post on baleen baskets. I've never seen one before and liked your description. I'm a Native American and had no idea I could kill whales and harvest baleen! :) Still, I think it's a project I don't care to tackle. With all the flooding we've had lately, if we happen to find a beached whale on the Des Moines River I'll be sure to harvest the baleen. Seriously though, how do you work with baleen if it is so stiff? We just had 10 relatives leave our house from 4th of July. We have been unable to do anything business or basketry related for almost a week, so we are eager to get back into the swing of things. Keep an eye on our website and catalog in the next few weeks. We will be purchasing a scanner in the next few weeks and will be updating the site, as well as finally getting to finish our new hard copy catalog. It's getting down to crunch time for the fair so we'll be very busy. We are also just finishing up my dad's new wood shop. He now makes all of our lids, does custom orders, and does handle/wooden base combinations and dividers. He also has figured out a way to make those nifty spoke weights. Well, I have to get back to work. I'm working on a new pattern for a miniature hearth in possibly 3/8" reed that uses a spindle handle. If it works out, I'll put it on the website as a free pattern. I like to share whatever patterns I think up. If there are any suggestions on how to make them better or if they don't work for some reason, please let me know! I realize they do assume that the weaver knows how to twine and cut and tuck. Jessie Buehlmann http://members.aol.com/basketclas sunny, not as muggy as usual, Des Moines, IA {*}-{*}{*}-{*}{*}-{*}{*}-{*}{*}-{*}{*}-{*}{*}-{*}{*}-{*}{*}-{*}{*}-{*} Subject: Lake Iowa Weaving Weekend Date: Mon, 6 Jul 1998 12:55:59 -0500 (CDT) From: catslapbaskets@webtv.net (russell/karen mitchell) To: davidc@iei.net Hi To World Wide Weavers!! David the website is looking really great thanks for all your hard work! I'd like to pass this info along to anyone in the Iowa area. There will be a Weaving Weekend at Lake Iowa on the 24th, 25th and 26th of July. Lake Iowa is a few miles south of I80 near the exits for the Amana Colonies. Camping for tents, trailers and RV's are available as are hot showers! The focus this year is on bringing those baskets you have been meaning to finish and finally getting them done. There will also be instructions and kits for mini baskets available for purchase. I have attended this summer outing for several years and it has always been a fun time. You can weave in the outdoors or in the air-conditioned Nature center. If you would like more info on this event contact Kathie Ballard at 319.642.3212, you will need directions to get to the park....its not hard to find, but it is a county park and does not appear on State maps...(at least none of the ones I have!!) I would be happy to answer any questions I can please feel free to email me off list. I hope everyone had a great and safe holiday. Happy Weaving, From Karen in overcast and humid Mpls!! {*}-{*}{*}-{*}{*}-{*}{*}-{*}{*}-{*}{*}-{*}{*}-{*}{*}-{*}{*}-{*}{*}-{*} Subject: Date: Mon, 6 Jul 1998 11:02:05 -0700 From: "Ames, Kay H" To: "'Weaver's Words'" Thanks to Alice Edwards and Susan Tripp for another chance to get to Arnies Books at www.arnies.com. Got to do some serious book shopping now! To Pam Duffy - I recently saw a large piece of "raw" baleen. The woman who had acquired it had to cut it in two to get it on the plane (meaning that it measured 8 feet or so, hanging down in the whale's mouth.) It was black and up to about 1/4" thick, a long solid sheet of material becoming fringed at the natural edge where it strains the krill from the seawater. I believe I understand correctly that to use it for weaving, thin slices are removed from the edge, thus yielding weavers in this case that are 1/4" wide, 4 feet long and as thin as the slices are. I am not exactly sure how the slices are removed - whether they are cut, or whether they will separate in layers, nor can I remember how they are trimmed to size. The weavers are stiff and uncompromising like plastic strapping tape, but flexible enough for coiling stitches. I too came across Judith Olney's article on shaping skills on the web. I thought it was most thorough, very insightful and well written, an excellent reference for all of us, regardless of our experience level. She must be a great teacher. Bert, I think it was you who mentioned wooden bases with wood dividers. Can you or anyone else recommend a source for these? I have not seen them before and they sound intriguing. Wendy - regarding your request for by-laws information, I would recommend that whatever you adopt, you keep it as simple as possible. This will help the general membership to understand them, and the board of directors (or officers) to implement them. Especially focus on including a simple mechanism to amend them, should this become necessary in the future. Another suggestion is to spell out the basic duties of officers. Being a rule-breaker myself, as opposed to a rule-follower, I'd say don't encumber yourselves too much! Ruthanne Morningstar - I surely enjoyed your description of your private Alaska behind-the-scenes tours. When you made your appointments, did you say you were an interested basketmaker, or did you need more powerful credentials to get permission to view and photograph the collections? Amy - Wheatweaving was originally an expression of thanks for the harvest. It is part of a worldwide tradition, ranging from throwing a handful of grain along with a spoken prayer, to elaborate woven effigies placed in the field as the center of extravagant ceremonies. Virtually all grain-based cultures developed it in one form or another - rice, corn, wheat, barley, etc. Often wheat is plaited into small ornaments, hung as a blessing on the door or hearth to ensure a good harvest next year, and generalized to good luck for the household. I do have a large open basket made of wheat straws, woven in what is termed here locally as "neolithic braid." And of course, wheat straw was plaited into flat braids that were sewn together to make hats. The most elaborate wheat weaving I have seen were on two lifelike animal heads - a horse and a deer. Both were covered with bearded wheat heads to simulate hair. The horse had a bridle woven from wheat straws, complete with straw buckle on the chinstrap. The deer's antlers were completely covered with straw plaiting. Both were totally amazing. The wheat must be old fashioned hollow-stemmed, unlike the hybrid wheats that have been developed with firmer stems to withstand rain and wind. It is harvested for weaving at the "dough" stage, not quite ripe, shortly before the farmer would harvest it for grain. Not sure how it is dried, but the wheat berries do stay on, due to the earlier harvest. Bearded wheat is particularly attractive for these purposes. Slide your fingers from the seeds down the straw till you feel the first "knee" or joint. Cut the straw just above it. Remove any outer sheath. The longer this first straw joint, the better for weaving. You can join by fitting another straw over the end of the first. To weave, soak these prepared wheat stalks (with or without seedhead) in warm water for 5-10 minutes. Be sure you allow the final weaving to air dry well, or your project might sprout! You can also twist the straws into cordage when damp. You can purchase wheat from some supply houses, and there are a number of booklets available outlining traditional weaving designs from simple to elaborate; often these list supply sources in the back. I always freeze my finished weavings for a few days, since I brought a house blessing back from England, only to have insects hatch out from the seed heads. E-mail me if you would like me to look up some sources for you. I learned that the time to gather cattails was when the children go back to school. But in our damp Pacific NW, I prefer to gather earlier, in July or August, before any mildew occurs. The longer you wait, the longer the leaves are, though. Dry them in the shade to retain the green color. Hang them in small bundles or spread them flat and turn them daily. Cover with newspaper at night to protect against the dew if drying outdoors. I like to dry for 2 weeks. Then "mellow" them to weave with them. There are several excellent books on naturals, including Baskets from Nature's Bounty, by Jensen, Earth Basketry by Gallinger-Tod, Natural Basketry by Hart, Natural Baskets by Gilooly. And two members of our guild have written a book called Grounds for Gathering - tells how and when to gather, what parts are used, how to prepare. Chris Baker - Since you carry the finger jointed/ dovetailed style of wooden handles, perhaps you can offer me some advice. I prefer those to scarfed handles since they are tidier, but I am such a tight weaver that I often manage to pop the joint on those type of handles some time during the weaving. It is very difficult to mend on a finished or in-progress basket. I also have one unhappy customer somewhere whose basket handle came out under the load of Thanksgiving takings. What can you suggest? (besides "Loosen up!") Spent my allotted weaving time this weekend using up materials from a class I taught Thursday, for which I scored weeping willow and weeping birch, akebia, honeysuckle, and clematis. There was also leftover mellowed cattails and blackberry runners. I thought I would feel guilty if I let them all dry up. I also did some beadwork - Now there is another addictive activity! Just one more row... Hope you all had a happy Fourth of July, from Kay Harradine (Ames) in Mt. Vernon WA, where it rained for most of the holiday weekend. Wishing I could send some of our wetness to dowse the flames in Florida, where I hope you are all safe. {*}-{*}{*}-{*}{*}-{*}{*}-{*}{*}-{*}{*}-{*}{*}-{*}{*}-{*}{*}-{*}{*}-{*} Subject: wheatweaving Date: Mon, 6 Jul 1998 15:46:27 -0700 (PDT) From: oller@uclink4.berkeley.edu To: davidc@iei.net To Amy in Ohio: I have done some wheatweaving thanks to a workshop given by the California Wheatweavers Guild. There is also a national wheatweavers organization, I forget the exact name. You can search the web for "wheatweaving". I have only worked with dry wheat which was purchased. It is soaked for about an hour so that it doesn't break when bending. The wheat berries do not fall out when dry. I especially liked the black bearded wheat that came from So. Dakota. It was very dramatic looking. We made what the English call "corn dollies", or "house blessings". Basically it's an old tradition that comes from the many countries that grow wheat. These "ornaments" for lack of a better word are woven at the end of the harvest and brought inside the house for winter, and then in the spring it is brought back to the field. There are books on wheatweaving, you can check the library. I don't know about making a basket from wheat as each piece is fragile. But I think if they are twisted together into rope or cord-like strings you could use it to coil or twine with. The Swiss (I believe) even made straw lace! Talk about straw into gold... Lorraine in Berkeley, CA {*}-{*}{*}-{*}{*}-{*}{*}-{*}{*}-{*}{*}-{*}{*}-{*}{*}-{*}{*}-{*}{*}-{*} Subject: Weaver's Words Date: Mon, 6 Jul 1998 22:06:33 -0400 From: David Morningstar To: David Collins From Ruthanne Morningstar: Hi, Well, I've finally figured out a system. When I get my Weaver's Words, I'll sit down with a highlighter and mark everything I want to response to. That way, I won't have to re-read four or five issues. Whew, I'm glad that's done. Now, to just implement that rule. Wendy: I just joined a Basket Guild, after weaving for, "Oh my goodness, fifiteen years!" Where does the time go? What happened to May? The Guild does have By-Laws and I can ask them for a copy that I could forward to you. Guilds sure are fun. I should have joined years ago. But. I just joined this one and already I'm the Treasurer!! Pam in OH - I hope the ant problem is under control. The books I buy from Amazon.com have a picture of the cover of the book. But, I asked my husband and he said, that sometimes they don't. Luck of the draw I guess. DYES - I'm also a spinner/Fiber weaver and use fabric dyes. I generally find Cushing Dyes great for wools and when I'm dyeing wool, I'll always get some basketry splint out and exhaust the dye bath. The colors hold very well and don't seem to bleed as much as Rit dyes do. Cushing dyes come in a variety of colors and are probably twice the price of rit dye. I also do a lot of natural dying, but the basketry fiber doesn't take the natural dyes as well as wool, cotton or silk fibers do. Pam D-K - The Baleen used in Baleen Baskets is split into flexible pieces. For instance, the spokes or staves are thicker, but the weavers are split into weavable, flexible strips. AND, Day lily leaves are great to weave with. Cut them close to the ground. Mid to late August, and I've even cut them in late September, you just want to cut them before they get funky. But, you want them as long as you can get them. Gather a bunch and wrap them with a rubberband. Then hang them upside down to dry. I've strung a rope in my barn and just hung them over the rope with one-half on each side. Seems to work and is quick and easy. After they've dried and you want to use them, soak, usually over night or at least a couple of hours and wrap them in an old towel. This seems to mellow them. Weave them one, two or three together. They work great in ribbed baskets. You can knot them and leave it hanging on the inside or out. It makes for great texture on the outside. They do shrink a lot, width-wise, not length, so you do have to pack them tight and when dry, pack them some more, and then some. They dry a brownish/tan color. Very pretty. Ruthanne Morningstar in Sunny, warm Dryden, Michigan {*}-{*}{*}-{*}{*}-{*}{*}-{*}{*}-{*}{*}-{*}{*}-{*}{*}-{*}{*}-{*}{*}-{*} If for any you would ever like to cancel your subscription, simply send me a message with "unsubscribe" as your subject.