"Weavers Words" Vol. 2 Iss. 22 Compiled By: David Collins Snail Mail: 408 North Devon Avenue Indianapolis, IN 46219 Owned By: Weavers Everywhere Date Sent: August 05, 1998 Subscribers: 705 {*}-{*}{*}-{*}{*}-{*}{*}-{*}{*}-{*}{*}-{*}{*}-{*}{*}-{*}{*}-{*}{*}-{*} ***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 Back Issues: ---http://www.iei.net/~davidc/2468.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, Ms. Jessica Buehlmann sent me a copy of "The Rit Custom Color Recipe Chart". I've posted it on Weaver's Words web page. To take a look at go to: http://www.iei.net/~davidc/yourpics/buehlmann.html You no longer need a password to access the back issues. Just go to Weaver's Words home page (http://www.iei.net/~davidc/), and select back issues from the menu. The password was causing too many problems. Take Care, David davidc@iei.net {*}-{*}{*}-{*}{*}-{*}{*}-{*}{*}-{*}{*}-{*}{*}-{*}{*}-{*}{*}-{*}{*}-{*} Subject: Re: "Weavers Words" V. 2 I. 21 Date: Tue, 4 Aug 1998 01:05:59 +0000 From: Pamela Woodbury To: David Collins Hi Weavers, Thanks for all the sympathy on my bad show, but I have had 2 shows since and did wonderful, or course one was a show I had been doing for years. Kay Janke, have you ever tried doing the flea market show you mentioned that you found books and were looking for antlers. I just did last weekend a flea market that he lets only 10% crafts into the show. I have gone to shop for years looking for the same things Kay was looking for old basket books and antlers. I always find lots of antlers and am well stocked on them myself. Anyhow I thought to myself I always go and shop so why not sell. I was lucky and got into only the July show as they have one in May, July and Sept. and I was already booked somewhere else in Sept. To make a long story short, I did wonderful, had a ball, my husband went with me and he would run off for hours at a time scrounging through old junk and I plan on signing up for all 3 shows next year. Best part of all is that each space is 15' x 30' and we could pull our vehicle right onto my space and leave it there so loading and unloading was a piece of cake. The only reason I even signed up to do the show in Charlevoix in the first place is that another person in an art fair I was in told me how good I would do at the show cause they said there were no nice handmade baskets at the show. They neglected to tell me why there were no nice handmade baskets was because the promoters promoted imports. I'm sure they were not aware of this as they had beautiful wood pieces so wouldn't probably have know that these were imports. I generally try and demonstrate at outdoor shows. I take antler baskets to demonstrate on as I get them to the point where I don't need to add any more ribs so I can take them with no water and demonstrate as I put very little reed into my antler baskets so the only water needed is for the ribs. It is funny that people constantly ask who made these baskets, or did you make these baskets. I have been mean before and told them I picked them off the basket tree. I have actually had people ask if they were longenbergers cause the only thing they know about baskets is that there is a longenberger factory so I guess they assume all baskets come from there. I really do feel for you military weavers. I have spent 11 years researching and trying shows until I have gotten quite a nice collection of tried and trued shows. Every now and then I have to try another, sometimes it turns out good, sometimes not, but to have to do this every 3 or 4 years in a new area and start from scratch must be frustrating. I, too, am always looking at old baskets and really am not knowledgeable enough to know old from an impostor. At the AMB convention one year a very famous weaver told us about an unethical antique dealer who buried this weavers baskets in manure and then they would look old and he would sell them as 100 year old baskets cause this weaver always dated his baskets, but only with the year such as 98. The moral of his story was to date our baskets 1998 so that an unethical antique dealer couldn't do this. I have to tell a story about my stupidity on antique baskets and to this day when I think about it I could cry. Several years ago when I was a real novice basketmaker I went into an antique shop near my home and there was a Nantucket Creel type purse for $10. Well I looked it all over and was positive it was just a chinese import so didn't buy it. In all reality I should have just bought it cause I liked it, but I really didn't want to buy an import so left it. I went into the shop a couple of weeks later and the owner told me that someone had come in that knew antique baskets and was beside herself to have found an old Nantucket Creel purse and for only $10 and it was genuine. Sad Story! As for people changing patterns and calling them their own. Many of you remember we had an all out war about this a couple of years ago on Shirleys list. I think I probably started the war because I had caught someone selling one of my patterns on the internet who hadn't changed one thing and even called it by the name I had named it. This unethical person also had several other peoples patterns so I certainly was not alone on this. I agree with all who wrote, if it looks like the original then it is just somebody changing a thing or two and calling it their own. I have actually given up the war on this cause I have finally come to the conclusion that anybody who needs the money so bad to copy someone else's hard work and then call it their own needs the money more than I do. When I buy patterns it is seldom that I even make the first basket exactly like the pattern, but each basket after the first one is always changed. I guess in some peoples mind I could write a new pattern every time I do this, but my idea is that someone else had the original idea and I just changed it a little to suit my taste. It doesn't make mine or theirs better just a little different but certainly not a new pattern. I had a lady at my art fair yesterday talk to me quite a while about wanting a quadrafoil pattern. I suggested to her that Joyce Gardner has a nice one as Joyce is the person that I took my one and only quadrafoil class from. Her daughter seemed to be quite taken with the Susan Reed Fanfoni wastebaskets I had for sale, which by the way Susan I changed just a tad, really not much, just left out the material and painted on the strip. Well anyway she stood there and was counting the rows and measuring. I told her it was Susan Reed Fanfonis pattern and that she could order it from her. She said she didn't need to order it. I told her I thought it was extremely rude to stand and count the spokes and measure just to save a couple bucks on a pattern. She said well why would I need to buy a pattern I know how to do all this type of weaving. Well that was the end of the conversation as she walked off, hopefully embarrassed at her rudeness. Anyhow it occured to me that some people only buy a pattern to learn how to do a specific thing and that if they know how to do the basic weaving they think that they don't need a pattern for anything else. She very much wanted a pattern for a quadrafoil, but a cute wastebasket pattern she felt she didn't need to buy a pattern cause it was all simple weaving. I felt she was so rude that when she calls or writes for Joyces number to order the quadrafoil pattern I am not giving it to her, but I think I embarrassed her enough that she probably won't call. I don't know about the rest of you but we are at a point where there are so many websites on baskets that we could spend more time looking and oohing and aahing than weaving. It's a sad life, but luckily we get to live it. Pam in MI {*}-{*}{*}-{*}{*}-{*}{*}-{*}{*}-{*}{*}-{*}{*}-{*}{*}-{*}{*}-{*}{*}-{*} Subject: RE: "Weavers Words" V. 2 I. 21 Date: Sun, 2 Aug 1998 13:38:54 -0400 From: Susan Tripp To: "'David Collins'" Dear Weavers: Here's a little trick: if you are referencing a web site, please type in the whole URL address starting with the http://www. and include all the /'s and .'s. This way, the other 699 of us can will see it as an actual link and can just click on it while we are readying WW and visit that site. Thanks! Char: Welcome to WW! Remember me? I'm sure you can't forget... Char is the one who welcomed me into her home that day mom and I showed up a week late for the winter weave 98 convention. She showed me all her beautiful baskets and some of the baskets yet to be returned to the convention teachers. She really made that awful weekend a bit nicer by seeing all those goodies! Thanks and I look forward to seeing you again in February! My husband and father have the dates noted on their calendars so mom and I can't mess up again. Well, we made it to The Country Seat! We only got lost in PA 4 times. PA is hard to drive through because it is forever under construction and their routes have changed numbers and their roads just are too small for all the tourist boom down towards Lancaster. But the end roads to The Country Seat were beautiful country roads, and was it worth it! We spent over three hours there. I think I spent 1/2 hours just inside the door not wanting to miss an inch. I bought books, patterns, more books and patterns and an assortment of other goodies. All those things you read in the catalogs but can't quite picture or know what to do with - well they had them along with examples of end products. Our trip wouldn't be complete without a stop at Basketville. Yes, these baskets are all from China, but I had to stop for ideas and just see what they had as far as accessories. It was kinda neat going into this huge building filled with thousands and thousands of baskets. I didn't buy anything but did get one idea. Every store we visited after that carried these Basketville type baskets. They were everywhere and were advertised as hand made! Even in Iron Kettle Village, this basket maker advertised her shop as hand woven and carefully placed a "Hand Woven Baskets" sign in the 4-6 out of 100's of bought baskets. That was so misleading! I suspect there is a lot of that type of business going on in that area as everything is advertised down there as hand made by the Amish. All that aside, it is a beautiful place to visit. Billie: I'm learning, slowly! I do strike up conversations with the customers more often now - and it really does help. They know you are real that way and it does draw their interest. I'm still amazed at all those people out there reading with years and years of experience who haven't come forward! Just think of all that experience we are missing out on. We'd love to hear from you.... Even if you don't have anything to offer right away, just write in and introduce yourselves. It's nice to know where you all are from! David, great job! If it ever gets too big or too much for you to keep taking on, please let us know what we can do. We don't want to loose this valuable communication piece! Susan from upstate NY where it is finally getting back up into the 80's {*}-{*}{*}-{*}{*}-{*}{*}-{*}{*}-{*}{*}-{*}{*}-{*}{*}-{*}{*}-{*}{*}-{*} Subject: general Date: Sun, 02 Aug 1998 11:43:02 -0500 From: "Gary S.Selvey" Organization: Selvey To: davidc@iei.net David - I definitely took the time to vote for Jace. I hope everyone did. Thank you so much for all you do. I've really enjoyed the discussions and information on naturals. Most of my eleven years of weaving has been with reed. Just this past year I took a Nantucket class, a willow class, and a miniature black ash. I've learned so much these last couple of years, thanks to the IBA Convention, our Buck Creek Basket Guild, and of course Wearvers Words. I met a few weavers in my area several years ago who didn't want to share any of their knowledge. Not so on WW!! Thank goodness. Several issues ago there were some comments about when to start selling your baskets. I'm sure I sold my baskets way too soon. I was mostly self taught and didn't really have any other hand-woven baskets to compare to. That's water over the dam now, but I hope new weavers will wait awhile and learn the proper techniques. I have a question. I'm getting ready to teach a basket class at an herb farm. Do you drag along stain for your students? I feel like I should but I'm scared about transporting it. I use homemade walnut hull stain. Also the owner wants me to teach a beeskep class. Is there a pattern out there? I've never done coiling before. Diana Selvey from Indiana where you never know what the weather will be. {*}-{*}{*}-{*}{*}-{*}{*}-{*}{*}-{*}{*}-{*}{*}-{*}{*}-{*}{*}-{*}{*}-{*} Subject: Re: "Weavers Words" V. 2 I. 20 Date: Sun, 02 Aug 1998 20:56:58 EDT From: froggestow@juno.com (Roberta R Comstock) To: davidc@iei.net References: 1 "Weavers Words" Vol. 2 Iss. 20 Donna-The Country Seat - On the rare occasions when I need a precise measurement for a basket project, I generally turn to my sliding hem marker or an engineers ruler. Being a tool junkie, though, I'll have to look up your brass sliding gauge. Does it do inside measurements of an opening or only outside measurements? (I must be thinking of calipers of some sort.) Annetta - Huzzah! For your daughter's county fair success! By the way, what is her name? Joyce Fisher - Sorry my email has given you problems. The most common problem people seem to have with it is the spelling of Froggestow (it's an invented place name, Anglo-Saxon style). Glad your show was successful. I haven't done much with gourds yet, but have been thinking about it since Woven Circle guild did Jody Shebester's 'Peace' basket on a ceramic base. The technique on it is round reed hairpinned through the holes in the rim of the base from inside to out. The reed is turned upward to become spokes and worked mostly in triple twining. I think you could probably substitute a gourd for the ceramic cup in that pattern. I've also seen gourds cut in curves and edged with coiled pine needles - some of them very impressive. Have fun at the gourd show & let us know what you see there. Susi Nuss - When Judith Olney speaks, I listen. (I hope to someday take some of her classes.) I made a brief visit to your mining site & enjoyed it immensely. I look forward to going there again. Yes, please keep the image links! Although I sometimes download text files, I don't usually download pictures, mostly because of the storage space required for image files, but I make note of ones I want to see again (&/or bookmark the sites) so I can return to them on the net. I don't personally have the info on bamboo processing yet. Last summer I saw an exhibit called 'A Basketmaker in Rural Japan' featuring the works of Hiroshima Kazuo at the Spencer Art Museum on the KU campus in Lawrence, KS. There was a videotape included as part of the exhibit that showed Mr. Hiroshima at work, starting with cutting a stalk of bamboo. (It also presented much of his life history.) Unfortunately, the museum shop did not have the exhibit catalog book. I am hoping it is still available from the publisher when I can afford to order it. The exhibit was organized by the Arthur M. Sackler Gallery of the Smithsonian Institution in Washington, DC, and I am sure they also published the catalog (and hopefully, the videotape, as well) under the same title as the exhibit. The baskets are absolutely exquisite. The bamboo is apparently split finely and worked while still green, although much of the weaving could possibly be done with dry bamboo as well. I don't think soaking would soften bamboo the way it softens rattan reed. Susan Reed-Fanfoni - Although I am new at pattern writing, I would not consider a pattern mine unless there is a significant difference in the actual structure, shape and form of the basket. I don't consider changes of color, ornament or reed size to be significant. Kay Janke - Welcome back. Glad you're feeling better - hope your health continues to improve. Annetta - Thanks for posting the Rit Dye Moss Green Recipe. Kay Ames - Thank you for posting the info on *Grounds for Gathering*. Bert Comstock Still cool in Independence, MO (Hmmm ... Is a July chill the opposite of a January thaw?) (But it's August already & Still cool - But way humid.) {*}-{*}{*}-{*}{*}-{*}{*}-{*}{*}-{*}{*}-{*}{*}-{*}{*}-{*}{*}-{*}{*}-{*} Subject: Re: "Weavers Words" V. 2 I. 21 Date: Sun, 2 Aug 1998 17:53:43 +0000 From: burnsey2@juno.com (Laurie Burns) To: davidc@iei.net References: 1 My friend Anne and I have been weaving for about five years here in central NY. Are there any other weavers in our area. We would love to meet other weavers and exchange ideas. Does anyone know if there is a guild near us, as well? We live in Clinton, NY, which is an hour east of Syracuse. Hope to hear from some central New Yorkers! Laurie Clinton, NY (burnsey2@juno.com) {*}-{*}{*}-{*}{*}-{*}{*}-{*}{*}-{*}{*}-{*}{*}-{*}{*}-{*}{*}-{*}{*}-{*} Subject: RE: "Weavers Words" V. 2 I. 21 Date: Mon, 3 Aug 1998 07:22:05 -0400 From: Jim & Jimmie Kent To: "'David Collins'" Question? Several basketmakers are using signs or articles in advertisements stating 'all original work'. IS ORIGNINAL WORK FROM A PATTERN OR FROM A DESIGN OF YOUR OWN? Basket weavers, what's your thoughts on this? A basket weaver from many years, Miss Jimmie {*}-{*}{*}-{*}{*}-{*}{*}-{*}{*}-{*}{*}-{*}{*}-{*}{*}-{*}{*}-{*}{*}-{*} Subject: aloha Date: Sun, 02 Aug 1998 21:19:38 -1000 From: The Keener Clan To: davidc@iei.net Aloha from a tired traveler. Richard and I spent the weekend in Maui--just resting and recharging, but I did miss my waterbed, so it will take me a few nights to catch up with my sleep! Just a comment on pattern writers and what makes it their own. If I*m not mistaken, this thread began over a comment re: the "cabin boy" basket. Barb Gilbert came out with that pattern a few years ago. I think nearly everyone is familiar with it--a rectangle wooden base with a solid wooden handle in the center. It is (was) a very unique basket and everyone I know who wove it enjoyed weaving it. What I don*t understand then is how other weavers can take this unique base/handle, add a few colored spokes or some cross stitching with small round reed and call it their own by selling it. It seems it is one thing to take a market basket and fluff it up a bit and sell a pattern, but to take a wooden base that someone invented, use basically the same weaving techniques and add a dab of color or triple twining and sell it is beyond nasty ethics--Frankly, I don*t care if someone can change 20 or 30% of it and call it their "own"--says who?? And what exactly is 20 or 30%? I doubt I*m making much difference, but I will not buy a pattern that is copied from someone else*s design. I do have some scruples. We did attend the Maui Onion Fest today and I saw two basketmakers--both were making baskets out of palm sheaths and they looked like brown paper bags! Very original and well made, too. I*m looking forward to the basket swap! And I hope everyone has a fine vacation--and a safe one. Aloha, Lois (Honolulu) {*}-{*}{*}-{*}{*}-{*}{*}-{*}{*}-{*}{*}-{*}{*}-{*}{*}-{*}{*}-{*}{*}-{*} Subject: Basket Day Date: Mon, 3 Aug 1998 10:24:13 -0700 From: "Ames, Kay H" To: "'Weaver's Words'" To Kay Janke - Are you the weaving Kay with whom I exchanged Christmas stocking baskets several years ago? You sent me an elbow style stocking from flat reed, and I sent you an open twined sock with toe and cuff dipped in red? Later you sent a note for me to forward to Teresa Ohno when she was ill. I lost touch and would like to renew the acquaintance. Busy weaving schedule upcoming: Our guild is sponsoring Basket Day this Saturday. It happens once a year. All members are welcome to sign up for a class and they pay the materials fee, but the guild picks up the tab for the instructors' fees. It is one of the many benefits for both instructors and students, of belonging to an active weaving group. We meet in a park and weave outdoors. There are half a dozen teachers offering a variety of weaving projects. I am teaching two short classes and am really looking forward to it. We will weave a basketmaker's name tag from cedar bark, and make a small wicker bowl with "ze French Country Checkerboard" pattern. Sunday and Monday we have Jill Choate visiting from Alaska, teaching workshops in antler basketry. The following weekend is a Basketmaker's Weekend at Lake Crescent, put on by Pacific Weave. My classes did not go, so I decided to treat myself and attend as a student. I will be weaving a Great Basin twined willow and redbud basket, and a spruce root needle case and cover with Peg Mathewson - always a treat to learn from her. I don't have to prep for the weekend - can just go and enjoy myself for a change. About changing a pattern to make it your own - It seems to me there are two parts to a pattern that need to be considered: One is the actual recipe for the basket consisting of the number, width and length of the spokes and weavers, and the order in which they are employed (most patterns or instruction sheets include this). And the second is the directions, if any, which may or may not include detailed instructions on how to plait or twine or lash the rim or insert the handle or join or fill, etc. Perhaps the pattern has tips and hints for how to hold the weaver, or how to achieve the desired shaping, or ease the material, or plan the color scheme. I think both these items must be "substantially" changed in order for a pattern to be original. In fact I would be offended if my written directions were plagiarized and included with someone else's recipe for a different basket, just as I would be if my original combination of materials for a particular basket were copied and used by someone else. I always write "Please do not reproduce without permission" on my class instruction sheets, but I have had students hear my announced request, and yet still say to me, "I will be teaching people arts and crafts at such and such, and I am going to use your pattern. I will say that this is Kay Harradine's pattern." as if that is enough. I feel that if they take their one copy of my pattern with them for reference, that is okay, but if they make a photocopy for each student, that is not okay. Now, telling them this nuance is the hard part, I am always so stunned by their attitude that I don't know what to say. In the end, I often leave it to Karma. What goes around comes around, and we will all get our just rewards in the end. I have benefited from an incredibly diverse and generous community of weavers who have taught me everything I know. Only sometimes have I paid a tuition for that knowledge. I want basketry to go forward into the future. Perhaps in a very small way, copies of something I wrote can help make that happen. Someone asked me about my "power weaving" intentions. I have to admit it is a nice concept in theory, but practically speaking I was not very productive. Just because a deadline was imminent did not mean that all distractions and obligations miraculously disappeared, nor did it suddenly turn me into a lightning fast weaver with unbounded energy after a full day of work. I was lucky to get everything tagged in time, and only finished one additional basket, despite my optimistic goals. But hey, that deadline has passed, and new ones loom on the horizon, (which I will doubtless procrastinate about, only to turn to the powerweaving theory once again, with perpetual and unrealistic hope.) Happy and productive weaving to you all, from Kay Harradine in Mt. Vernon, lately more comfortable in the seventies and eighties. {*}-{*}{*}-{*}{*}-{*}{*}-{*}{*}-{*}{*}-{*}{*}-{*}{*}-{*}{*}-{*}{*}-{*} Subject: Kata9@juno.com/ A Happy Weaver!! Date: Sun, 2 Aug 1998 22:50:02 -0500 From: kata9@juno.com (Kathie C Anderson) To: davidc@iei.net Hi David and fellow weavers! Donna Raymond, I'm sorry you had to drive all the way down to Clawson only to find that Ellen has already "closed" her shop. It's the pits not having her there anymore. You and I live in each others backyard almost, must get together sometime and share basket stories. Kay Janke, thanks for the tip on why and what to do at a Antique Flea Market. I'm not a "Antiquer" so I would have never thought to go to one of them to find old basket books. We have many shows right near my house and my one neighbor is big into selling and buying at these shows. I'll have to ask him to look for old basket books for me. Thanks again. Char, I must have gotten the wrong E-mail address for your brochure on the Winter Weave in Ohio in Feb,99. Please post your E-mail address again the first one just wouldn't allow me to send.(Charweav@aol.com) Thanks. David, as usual my Sunday highlight is to read your bulletin. Thanks for all your hard work. Bye from the "Great Lakes State-"Michigan", Kathie Anderson. {*}-{*}{*}-{*}{*}-{*}{*}-{*}{*}-{*}{*}-{*}{*}-{*}{*}-{*}{*}-{*}{*}-{*} Subject: stencils Date: Sun, 2 Aug 1998 22:25:27 -0400 From: "Baskets Of Joy" To: "Basketry Dealers" In answer to a request by Carolyn, we at Baskets of Joy have designed a fun line of mini stencils made for baskets and can be used on 1" reed. We cut these using mylar so it is flexible and bends around corners. These can be viewed at our website www.basketsofjoy.com Thanks so much, MaurineJoy {*}-{*}{*}-{*}{*}-{*}{*}-{*}{*}-{*}{*}-{*}{*}-{*}{*}-{*}{*}-{*}{*}-{*} Subject: Weavers Words Date: Sun, 2 Aug 1998 22:43:55 -0400 From: "Russell & Leslie Johnson" To: Hello to everyone.. David. 700 suscribers!! That is wonderful! You do a great job, thank you so much. Well lets see if I can remember all I wanted to comment on. I am anxious for the basket swap, it sounds like such fun. I already figured out what I am going to make, now I just need to get with it. Susi Nuss: The mining co site is great. There is so much information that I had not see before on the web. Thanks for giving me more reading material. I recently made Barb Morton's Chinese Cookie Cooler basket, it is such a cute basket. It would make a cute Xmas gift, filled with cookies or nuts. It could be used for rolls or chips too. I do believe I will be making more of them. Carolyn Megginson: Have you tried Rit Denim Blue to achieve your Williamsburg Blue? I find if you just dip it quick, it comes out a nice shade very similar to what I think you are looking for. Thanks to all of you for the info on the Rit Dye. I like using Rit, I have tried other dyes and find that Rit & Comcraft give the best colors. I just hadn't had much luck with the other brands of basketry dyes. Seems like I never have enough hours in my day, I am sure many of you feel the same way. I have been reading all the wonderful information given here on using natures bounty for weaving. I live on 3 acres, surrounded by 67 acres of woods with a river running through it & I just know that there is tons of wonderful things I could be gathering to weave with if only I had the time and the knowledge of what I should be looking for. A lot of the things I surely would have to look at a picture to see what it looks like, but I do know we have acres of pine trees, cattails, grapevines, birch trees here and there, daylilies in my yard and lots of those "locust thorns" to use as push pins! Now if I could only find the time to go "pickin". Been weaving a lot, filling orders and trying to get ready for the Fall shows. And I can assure you the "housework whenever" applies to me. Happy Anniversary to Joy Moody & Hubby! Many, many more... Happy Weaving from Leslie Johnson in beautiful, comfortable, sunny SE Michigan {*}-{*}{*}-{*}{*}-{*}{*}-{*}{*}-{*}{*}-{*}{*}-{*}{*}-{*}{*}-{*}{*}-{*} Subject: Re: "Weavers Words" V. 2 I. 21 Date: Mon, 03 Aug 1998 16:45:56 -0700 From: karen awong To: David Collins References: 1 Hi Everyone, I am writing from very sunny Hawaii. I am thankful that we are not going through the humid climate that hit us last summer and my heart goes out to those who are now experiencing it on the Mainland. Basket weaving is new to me. I just started weaving in the past 3 months. Like everyone else on the Weavers Write, I am consumed by it. Every time I finish a basket I am ecstatic. They may not look the best but they keep improving and it is such a joy to do. I have also learned so much from reading this forum. Thank you David. My questions to everyone are, when preparing material for baskets, such as cutting stakes and weavers: 1. Do you check each one for thickness and straightness? 2. Do you separate these at this time and store them this way or do you just keep cutting till you find what you need for the current project? 3. I've noticed when cutting reed from a long strip that sometimes my strips are curved. Should or could these be used? 4. How do you segregate your material as far as thick and thin, straight or curved goes when dealing with a newly opened coil? Having read this list for the past month I feel confident that I can get some very helpful information from you folks. Thank you in advance. Karen Awong {*}-{*}{*}-{*}{*}-{*}{*}-{*}{*}-{*}{*}-{*}{*}-{*}{*}-{*}{*}-{*}{*}-{*} Subject: Re: "Weavers Words" V. 2 I. 21 Date: Tue, 04 Aug 1998 09:25:16 -0600 From: mlower@mail1.aeroinc.net Organization: Baskets by Mindy To: David Collins References: 1 Hi everyone, Raining hard today, but that's ok, we need it. I had a man email me who was going through his mother's things after she had died and found a Jose Formosa Reyes Nantucket purse. He was wondering how to find out how much it was worth! Needless to say he was pleasantly surprised to find out how valuable it is. He is looking for a reputable dealer or someway to advertise it. Does anyone have any ideas? It has a black whale on the top and sounds in good condition. If anyone would like to contact him personally, email me and I will give you his email. Billie, this reminded of your stories about people letting their kids play with theirs. I'd love to get a hold of one but would need to win the lottery also. Mindy NW Illinois {*}-{*}{*}-{*}{*}-{*}{*}-{*}{*}-{*}{*}-{*}{*}-{*}{*}-{*}{*}-{*}{*}-{*} Subject: NJ Shops Date: Tue, 04 Aug 1998 15:47:14 -0400 From: brig To: davidc@iei.net Hi everyone, First just want to say how I so much enjoy reading Weaver's Words. I haven't been contributing... I'm weaving away getting ready for a show at the end of the month. I do have a question... we are going on vacation to NJ for the week, next week... We will be in Stone Harbor. Does anyone know of any basket shops in that area? It would be Atlantic City down to Cape May. You can email me directly. I'm not sure that this will even make it to the list by Saturday.. Anyway..... I've almost been dreading on vacation, cuz I can't make baskets for a week. Am I addicted or what? LOL I think I'm going to cut spokes out for some baskets and take reed and my stuff... Who knows ;-) Thanks everyone for you help. DAVID, excellent job here. I love this list!!!!! Brigitte Burkholder Carlisle, PA icq 1701245 {*}-{*}{*}-{*}{*}-{*}{*}-{*}{*}-{*}{*}-{*}{*}-{*}{*}-{*}{*}-{*}{*}-{*} Subject: Pattern Changes? Date: Tue, 04 Aug 1998 12:23:20 -0400 From: mbzaj@infinet.com To: David Collins References: 1 Susan, I appreciated your comments on changing someone else's pattern, etc. My question is this: When I teach a class and want to use someone's pattern, I may find that when I make the class sample, that the pattern is unsuited to teaching. Many times I have also found "out and out" mistakes in the pattern. Or I find myself rewriting the pattern to fit my needs for teaching. I may also change dimensions to fit the requests of students. After all of my rewriting or changing, I find it hard to order the original pattern and sell it to the students, then tell them that we are not going to be using it as written, then hand out my "revised" version. I'm sure they won't appreciate the added expense of an unused pattern. I would appreciate input from all of you on this situation. Would one of my options be to write the pattern as I would like it to be and add "This pattern inspired by Jane Doe's pattern titled 'Jane's basket'"? It's hard to say what percentage of a pattern is "changed" too. How could this be figured? I would very much like to use the original pattern, unaltered, and I will do so when I'm able; it's just not possible in many situations. I also appreciate comments in the past about authors offering patterns at a discount when you need several for a class. I plan on contacting some authors as soon as I decide what I will be teaching. I also wanted to share that recently my husband and I stopped at the Willowes on the way to Indy. It was very enjoyable. I have enjoyed seeing them at the IBA but had never seen their shop. Stop by if you get a chance. Their address and directions are on their web page at: http://www.qth.com/willowes/ Bye for now, from Brenda Johnson in West Manchester, Ohio where yesterday we cooked all of our meals over a campfire, the boys slept in a pup tent, and we pretended we were on vacation! -- Mike, Brenda, Zach and Alex Johnson mbzaj@infient.com Http://www.geocities.com/Heartland/Pointe/3455 {*}-{*}{*}-{*}{*}-{*}{*}-{*}{*}-{*}{*}-{*}{*}-{*}{*}-{*}{*}-{*}{*}-{*} Subject: Rit dye recipe sheets Date: Tue, 04 Aug 1998 08:46:04 -0700 From: Lisa Nortz Organization: Weaving Ways To: davidc@iei.net To all the people who contacted me looking for an e-mail copy of the Rit Dye recipe sheets: I'm still trying to figure out how to get my scanned copies into a file that I can access from e-mail. Please be patient, I'm sorry for the delay, but I'm still working on it. Lisa Nortz {*}-{*}{*}-{*}{*}-{*}{*}-{*}{*}-{*}{*}-{*}{*}-{*}{*}-{*}{*}-{*}{*}-{*} Subject: stencils Date: Tue, 04 Aug 1998 05:11:33 PDT From: "pam duffykope" To: davidc@iei.net Hi everyone Thanks to all of you weavers who answered my request for a Rit recipe for a rust color. So many answered that I thought I must be living in a cave. I also requested if anyone knew of a stencil supplier that had folk art stencils. Thanks to Kathi Calvert of KMC Baskets and Folkart I found Blue Ribbon Stencils. Kathi also sent me some painting books that she did not use. Thank you Kathy - aren't weavers wonderful!!!! To see Kathy, log onto signofthecrow.com/KMCBaskets.html. I don't know how she got into that basket. Blue Ribbon Stencils has wonderful folk art stencils. For $3.00 they will provide you with a beautiful color brochure. Their address is 26 S. Horton Street St., Dayton, Ohio 45403, 937 254 2319 or log on to Blueribbonstencils.com. Best of all, they have baskets to stencil. Carolyn of Suffolk was wondering about stencils for baskets. Baskets of Joy has mini stencils for a 1-inch strip of reed or other material. Her web site is basketsofjoy.com. I am sure I will be ordering some very soon. I hear so much about this Chinese cookie basket. Is there a pic anywhere on a web site. Where does one buy a pattern? Pam D-K >From cool and rainy Anoka, MN {*}-{*}{*}-{*}{*}-{*}{*}-{*}{*}-{*}{*}-{*}{*}-{*}{*}-{*}{*}-{*}{*}-{*} Subject: WW posting Date: Mon, 3 Aug 1998 21:44:58 EDT From: BSKTCHERYL@aol.com To: davidc@iei.net I am planning to put the picture of the tule shelter in snail mail to David this week so that he can post it for everyone to see. The pictures of other baskets may take longer. We tried taking pictures this weekend and I'll have to see how they came out. I've looked for Shereen LaPlantz's book, "Plaited Basketry: The Woven Form." The local bookstore did an internet search for me for used copies but without success. Anyone want to sell their copy or have an address for Shereen. Maybe it is time to do a second printing. Bert: You discussed dampening weaving materials before using them. I have been soaking my raffia in a bucket of water and just pulling out a strand as I need it. I squeeze off the excess water before threading it through a needle. Should I not be keeping my materials so wet? And why? Chris Baker: Thanks so much for the encouraging remarks about entering the basket swap even if one is a beginner. So many time we stifle ourselves by trying to be perfect. The more baskets we make the more we will learn and the more beautiful they will become. You said that you have sold all of your baskets? You don't have any favorites that you just can't part with? I noticed that you are from Maine. I just read an article in a magazine called Piecework (July/Aug 98) about a family of basketweavers from the Passamaquoddy tribe, the Neptunes. Susi Nuss: You gave me some good leads on where to find things to interest, thank you. I haven't found the time to search for them yet. You wanted more information on wheat grown for wheatweaving in South Dakota. I bought my wheatweaving from: Linda Rothschiller (602) 983-4605 4885 E. Shiprock Road Apache Junction, AZ 85219. She is the one who told me about the wheat. You also asked if we like looking at basket images on the web. I say yes. I'm a very visual person and actually think I learn more from looking than reading. One of the things I like most about the web is that it allows for colored pictures! Kay Ames: Thanks for the information about Grounds for Gathering. I'm ordering my copy today. I had the good fortune of meeting Pegg Mathewson at the CIBA gathering in late June. She's the one who gave me the sedge to plant in my backyard. She said she once lived in Santa Cruz and has a large sedge bed here that needs digging up soon. I do want to take classes from her so should write and find out when she will be down my way. {*}-{*}{*}-{*}{*}-{*}{*}-{*}{*}-{*}{*}-{*}{*}-{*}{*}-{*}{*}-{*}{*}-{*} Subject: Greetings from Talkeetna, Alaska!! Date: Tue, 4 Aug 1998 16:13:30 -0800 From: "Jill Choate" To: davidc@iei.net The dogs are starting to howl more and the mules are ready to head south. It must be almost winter! At least it is beginning to feel like fall and that so being it's time to start thinking about weaving again. Alaskan classes for this fall are being held in Fairbanks, Anchorage and Wasilla. Classes in the Lower 48, Conventions in '99 and a Midwestern Summer Tour in '99 are in the future as well. As always the J. (S) Choate Basket Shoppe is offering patterns in antler basketry, predrilled antlers for those designs and even some antler embellished with scrimshaw by Alaskan artist Linda Petree. Most exciting of all is an instructional videotape for the Antler Wall Pocket and the Antler Hen Basket coming this fall. All this and more at my new website (that looks the same) at www.corecom.net/~choatepp. I hope that you'll consider visiting the website to be updated with new basketry information and class schedules as they become available. Warmly - Jill Choate Talkeetna, AK {*}-{*}{*}-{*}{*}-{*}{*}-{*}{*}-{*}{*}-{*}{*}-{*}{*}-{*}{*}-{*}{*}-{*} Subject: Weaver's Words Date: Tue, 4 Aug 1998 22:05:45 -0400 From: "joym" To: Greetings Basketmakers! I have just completed 72 e-mails to all of those who joined the First Weaver's Words Basket Fun Swap. If you signed up, you should have received the name, address & e-mail address of the person you are weaving for. I do believe, as my fingers flew across the keyboard, that I missed one or two e-mail addresses. So, if you received the other info, but not their e-mail address & would like it, please let me know. I did have about a half a dozen mail rejections, but all seemed to be simple type-o's. The last one will go out again tomorrow morning. Vicki Schmidt, your schools server is down at night? MAY THE WEAVING BEGIN! We will all be anxious to hear the stories of opening the mystery basket boxes. I am sorry to say that after my brilliant idea, I had to drop out of the Swap! I committed to do a show in September & then realized how much work I have to do between now & then. I have never purchased a canopy & have been going around the last two weekends checking out various artist's set-ups & asking how they like them. I am really glad I asked, as I received some valuable information about how certain brands fare in rain & wind. I have decided upon one that converts to work both outdoors and indoors, with or without the roof, & also has accessories available, such as shirred fabric walls for indoor shows. Now, to figure the shelving, lighting etc. Not MUCH to think about! Hope you all received your messages from me & could read them O.K. I used the "forward" feature to keep the body of the letter & just changed the other info. For anyone still wondering, the deadline to mail out baskets is September 1st. Joy Moody Sign of the Crow www.signofthecrow.com in Hampden, Maine where it is in the 80's, & the Bangor State Fair is in full swing. {*}-{*}{*}-{*}{*}-{*}{*}-{*}{*}-{*}{*}-{*}{*}-{*}{*}-{*}{*}-{*}{*}-{*} Subject: Date: Wed, 5 Aug 1998 20:01:31 -0700 From: hannah To: "'davidc@iei.net'" Hi David and all of you fellow weavers!!! I just wanted to tell you that I just received my name for the basket swap and I am so excited (it doesn't take much to get me going!!!). Bert Comstock: Thank you for telling me the information about the war. It sounds a lot like the Renaissance Festival that we have over here in southwest OH. I have never been to it, but have wanted to go for a long time. Who knows, maybe I will get to go this fall. My husband now has his price list updated and anyone who is interested in it should e-mail me at hannah@infinet.com and leave me your name, and address and I will mail you one. This is his list for bases and believe me they are TOP QUALITY!!!! The prices are very comparable too!!! Our web site has had a few snags in it, but we have come a long way and it will be ready within the next week or so. I hope sooner, but I am not promising anything sooner. I will let you all know when it is up and ready. Well, that's all for now. Happy weaving to all of you. Pam from Southwest OH, where the weather is humid, but not really all that bad!! :):) {*}-{*}{*}-{*}{*}-{*}{*}-{*}{*}-{*}{*}-{*}{*}-{*}{*}-{*}{*}-{*}{*}-{*} If for any you would ever like to cancel your subscription, simply send me a message with "unsubscribe" as your subject.