"Weavers Words" Vol. 2 Iss. 54 Date Sent: October 25, 1998 Subscribers: 828 David Collins 408 North Devon Avenue Indianapolis, IN 46219 317-899-5747 davidc@iei.net {*}-{*}{*}-{*}{*}-{*}{*}-{*}{*}-{*}{*}-{*}{*}-{*}{*}-{*}{*}-{*}{*}-{*} Do You Like Weavers Words? Click Below To "Recommend-It" To A Friend! http://recommend-it.com/l.z.e?s=210339 {*}-{*}{*}-{*}{*}-{*}{*}-{*}{*}-{*}{*}-{*}{*}-{*}{*}-{*}{*}-{*}{*}-{*} Hi Everyone, Where has everyone been? I haven't received nearly as many postings lately. I don't know what to do with myself. PAGE UPDATES: 80 Basketry Links (Keep 'Em Comin'): http://www.iei.net/~davidc/basket.htm 11 Basketry Events On The Calendar (Keep 'Em Comin'): http://www.iei.net/~davidc/events.html 83 Recipes (Keep 'Em Comin'): http://www.iei.net/~davidc/recipes.html I would like to thank the following people for their generous donations, gifts and birthday cards: Kay Harradine Alice Edwards Anonymous Donor from Portland, ME I stumbled upon a great resource to advertisement for your business and/or web page. Well at least I thought it was pretty nifty. It's called "I.D. IT! Plates". You can see an example on Weaver's Words web page or you can click on the link below. http://www.IDITPlates.com/adspecpartner/101025/ At the bottom of Weaver's Words home I've added a little cartoon that will change daily. I just did it fun. Take Care, David davidc@iei.net {*}-{*}{*}-{*}{*}-{*}{*}-{*}{*}-{*}{*}-{*}{*}-{*}{*}-{*}{*}-{*}{*}-{*} Subject: happy birthday! Date: Wed, 21 Oct 1998 22:47:00 -1000 From: The Keener Clan To: davidc@iei.net Aloha! Gosh, it is still hot in Hawaii....humid hot..sticky sit-in-front-of-the-fan hot... David, hope your birthday is (was) a most happy one. Since I no longer have birthdays (or prefer not to), I tend to forget everyone else*s.. I found out this aft. (Via the chat room on Donna W*s page) that my basket (from the first swap) is possibly on its way. Hooray! If it was mailed on the 12th, it should have been delivered by now unless it was sent surface mail which may take 3 weeks to a month to get here. I will keep the faith! As for weaver #3 who doesn*t want to conform to anyone*s schedule...why on earth did she sign up to participate? Just for a free basket? That*s cheating.....no other word for it...(that we can print here). I have one more fair (on the 7th) and then I can take a small vacation and read or do whatever. This fall has really taken a toll on my energy level and I*ll be happy to rest and look forward to starting the new year. My tole class starts next week and I*m excited! Beaner Howard (who is a subscriber) and I are going together--it is always fun to go with a friend. Hope everyone has a safe trip to and from the Michigan convention. Aloha, Lois {*}-{*}{*}-{*}{*}-{*}{*}-{*}{*}-{*}{*}-{*}{*}-{*}{*}-{*}{*}-{*}{*}-{*} Subject: Re: Swap Date: Thu, 22 Oct 1998 10:00:31 -0400 From: jbenner@juno.com To: davidc@iei.net References: 1 HI All, Since others are bragging about their baskets, I shall too. I received my swap basket (s) from buddy Susan Slaven last week. That's what finally kicked my butt into overdrive to finish up my basket. I agonized over color and style wayyy too loong. Her basket also gave me the idea of how to attach what I wanted to attach to it. Thanks Susan! Anyway, she sent me 2 beautiful original baskets. I'm not sure what style they would be called but the larger one is dark brown and round and high. Almost vase shaped. It has a color stripe of deep burgundy and all around are intertwined jingle bells, so it make noise too! Very cool. Inside was a tiny package which contained a waxed linen with clear beads necklace. It looks like it took hours to do and now I'm not sure I'm up to making the little waxed linen basket kit I had bought. Susan is from Muncie IN. and has been weaving for a little over 6 years she says. She's very good I can tell you. I'll be sending in pics of the baskets as soon as I get this roll developed. I'm sending it out today. I'll also be sending my basket to my swap buddy today. All the work and then I find it doesn't fit any boxes I have on hand! Arrrgghhh!! So I took one from a calligraphy job I'm doing in hopes they won't mind. (G) So, swap buddy, you can expect your basket in a couple days. I hope you like it even though I'm a rank amateur here. I've only been doing this for a bit over 2 years and one of them I didn't have time to weave at all. Gotta run to work! Thanks again David for all your work, and HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!!!! Judy Benner jbenner@juno.com {*}-{*}{*}-{*}{*}-{*}{*}-{*}{*}-{*}{*}-{*}{*}-{*}{*}-{*}{*}-{*}{*}-{*} Subject: Weavers Words Date: Thu, 22 Oct 1998 12:48:17 -0400 From: "Russell & Leslie Johnson" To: Hi Fellow Weavers.. This is just a short note because I am heading out tomorrow for my first visit to AMB on public day! I am excited to be going & hope to bring lots of goodies home with me. I will be wearing my red ribbon & hope to meet some of you there. I am sending my swap basket today, I won't say who my buddy is but I will give a hint, it is going down south to a beautiful area of our country & I hope she likes it. My heart and prayers go out to WW family who are experiencing difficulties, illness and the loss of loved ones..makes one not want to whine about the little bad things in life. Happy Birthday(again) David, I hope you had a great one. I loved your photo! What a sense of humor you have!! From Leslie in Michigan, where the leaves are almost off the trees & the heat is very much appreciated at night. (I hate winter!!) {*}-{*}{*}-{*}{*}-{*}{*}-{*}{*}-{*}{*}-{*}{*}-{*}{*}-{*}{*}-{*}{*}-{*} Subject: Casket basket!?!?!?! Date: Thu, 22 Oct 1998 13:02:36 -0400 From: mbzaj@infinet.com To: David Collins References: 1 Linda B.- Thanks for sharing the picture of your casket basket. It's funny, I'm heading for Springfield in a few hours. I'll have to keep my eyes peeled for the casket company! I've had ideas of making one for myself (yes, I mean to USE!). I'm sure I'd save my family a chunk of money someday! It truly would be one basket I'd make that all of my friends would see. :) (At least the ones still living when I go!) Might make the receiving line go slower, though. Well, has anyone else had the same thought? Or did I just gross you all out? I saw a news program once about a group of people who got together to make their own caskets out of pine (yes, pine boxes). They made it a party! I lost a friend suddenly and unexpected this summer. She was a wonderful seamstress. Her casket was draped with a gorgeous wall quilt she had made to put in the fair this year. It was so "her". It was a comfort to have her surrounded by one of the biggest parts of her life. I'll try not to be so morbid next time! :) TTFN, bj -- Mike, Brenda, Zach and Alex Johnson mbzaj@infinet.com Http://www.geocities.com/Heartland/Pointe/3455 {*}-{*}{*}-{*}{*}-{*}{*}-{*}{*}-{*}{*}-{*}{*}-{*}{*}-{*}{*}-{*}{*}-{*} Subject: Re: "Weavers Words" V. 2 I. 53 Date: Thu, 22 Oct 1998 13:40:55 EDT From: froggestow@juno.com (Roberta R Comstock) To: davidc@iei.net References: 1 "Weavers Words" Vol. 2 Iss. 53 David - Thank you so much for the technical advice! Next time I send scanned pictures, I'll check the size first. Everyone else - The images of my twined linen that I sent to David for the picture page are not photographs taken with a camera and film; I scanned the pouches directly on my flatbed scanner. The light green card in the background of each picture is a standard 3 X 5 inch file card. So the image on screen is quite a bit larger than the actual objects (unless you have a tiny screen). The belt pouches are made with 7-ply waxed linen and large seed beads. The one with blue and green beads will hold a key and a few coins, or a lucky buckeye. The one with the black bird will hold several ID &/or credit cards. The little round pouches have the same number of spokes, but different ply threads make the sizes different. The smaller one is about thimble size. The black, red and tan pouch is a flat rectangle. The patterned part of it is twined with artificial sinew. All three of these are worked from the bottom up and have beaded rims. Kay Ames - The fish pouch is 4 ply waxed linen worked from the mouth back to the tail. The fins were added later. It is about 5 inches long and big enough around to hold a plastic lip gloss tube. Judy Mullins - I'm glad to hear you're getting better. About the only thing I know about meningitis is that it's a really scary disease. Don't push yourself too hard before you're entirely over it. It would Not be a good thing to have a relapse. Take care of yourself. I'm sure your students will understand if you need to reschedule the chair weaving class. Tammy Hanson - If you can scan the bottom and sides of your basket on a flatbed scanner (or even a photocopier) you won't have to send it away to be duplicated in 3 dimensions by a basketmaker. A couple of snapshots would also help. I think scanned images would probably give a good view of the structure and pattern, though. The thought of sending the actual basket just seems awfully risky to me. Many good basketweavers can replicate from photo images. Barbara Mullally - Love your story of the sprouted willow basket! My swap basket has arrived! Dot Hutchins (who lives in Maine) made me a Round Spiral Weave Bowl (from a pattern by Jean Cadmus May) in natural, red and dark green round reed with a very complex border and a beautiful spiraling pattern in which the colors shift from light at the center to dark at the top edge. I love it! It's going to be my holiday popcorn ball bowl. Thanks again, Dot! Bert Comstock in scattered-frost-possible-tonight Independence. {*}-{*}{*}-{*}{*}-{*}{*}-{*}{*}-{*}{*}-{*}{*}-{*}{*}-{*}{*}-{*}{*}-{*} Subject: Basket Swap Date: Thu, 22 Oct 1998 12:35:25 -0700 From: "Mike Bajczyk" To: CC: Hi everyone, I received my swap basket in the mail yesterday from Barb Mullally of Michigan. It's beautiful!! I don't know how to describe it?! It starts out with a square base on a "D" handle, but then flares out at the rim with a beautiful rolled border. It then has dark green curls for ivy and red wooden beads for holly berries around the side. Beautiful! Thank you so much Barb! Sent out my swap basket today. Took a class at Ironworld Discovery Museum (Chisolm, MN) on Monday night. We made a round bread basket out of willow. I then purchased a large turtle shell from the teacher to use as a lid. She had one made up, where she had drilled holes in the side of the shell and then used leather lacing to attach to the basket. Her basket also had spun wool woven into the side of basket and shells with beads added on with sinew. It was very interesting and a nice change of pace from the usual reed baskets. Tonight, I'm going to take my 7-year-old daughter to a dreamcatcher class (parent/child class) at the same place. Well, I've gotta get back to weaving - show coming up in 2 weeks! Sue Bajczyk Hibbing, MN {*}-{*}{*}-{*}{*}-{*}{*}-{*}{*}-{*}{*}-{*}{*}-{*}{*}-{*}{*}-{*}{*}-{*} Subject: Willow hunting Date: Thu, 22 Oct 1998 16:35:20 -0600 From: Aubrey and Christine Harrold To: David Collins Hi, my name is Christine and I feel I must come out of hiding and de-lurk. It is the most beautiful autumn day you can imagine here (in Alberta) - the sky so blue you could cut it for gemstones, the earth and trees golden in the low southern sun. I believe I have discovered something - the real reason people work in willow is the opportunity it provides to set out on a frosty morning and go crunching round laneways and roadsides collecting basket materials. After I send this, I'm going back outside to sit in the sun, sort willow and add to the current basket in progress. It is only my fifth willow basket, as I am a newcomer to the craft. Last spring I took a class from Rae Hunter - an excellent teacher (and WW subscriber - hi, and many thanks) - and enjoyed it so much that I went right out the next day and started another basket. It got away from me a bit, size wise, ending up about 3 and a half feet tall and two feet across. I tried a few other materials, too - wild strawberry runners and grass became a little Easter basket about an inch across, and rushes twined over jute became a fat little bottle shape with two 'spouts'. I would love to learn more about working with natural materials. I had the good fortune to stop by a local nursery when they were uprooting their perennial beds (to make way for a new building), so I carted away all the iris leaves, some daylily leaves and a heap of clematis vine (how do you untangle it?). When the snow finally comes, I'll have lots to do, and in the meantime, Rae is teaching a cattail coil basketry course this Saturday. I see I've been pretty long-winded in my introduction, but I do have a question. The base of my current basket is a 5" thick slice (about a foot across) of Manitoba Maple (box elder) trunk in which I drilled holes for the basket's uprights. The holes are about an inch apart and hold the uprights at various angles so that the basket has an irregular shape, bowed outwards horizontally on one side, indented or almost vertical on others. The willow I am working with is (was, it's been six weeks since I started it) fresh, worked in 4 rod wale. As it dries and loosens, I would like to pack it down some more, but I can't figure out how to make it stay packed and tight. With the large basket I mentioned above, I was able to put weights across the top of the weavers (across the basket between the uprights) to hold the weavers down until I added more on top or finished the rim. How do I do that with the side of the basket that extends horizontally from the base then curves upward? Pressure would have to be directed from the (unfinished) rim almost sideways toward the base at that point; it would have to be exerted in a different direction at each point in the basket's rim. Any hints, suggestions? This is the first time I've tried using wood for a base, so any advice about preserving the wood and keeping it from cracking would be very much appreciated too. Sorry to write such a long post, I promise I won't do it again. Thanks David and everyone for WW- it's a great read. Christine Harrold Edmonton, Alberta. Canada. {*}-{*}{*}-{*}{*}-{*}{*}-{*}{*}-{*}{*}-{*}{*}-{*}{*}-{*}{*}-{*}{*}-{*} Subject: basket swap Date: Wed, 22 Oct 1997 11:05:19 -0400 From: John Miles To: David Collins I have mailed off my basket after stewing about the quality. My family is so encouraging and said it was a beautiful basket but it is a little intimidating when you know it is going to a more experienced weaver. I hope she likes it. I must admit, I am anxiously awaiting the UPS man each day. I took a class with Flo Hoppe a couple of weeks ago and it was wonderful. She and her husband are really special people. I can't believe I made the basket and she was so encouraging. We worked all day but it was worth it. I don't think I will part with that one. I am looking forward to sitting under her teaching again. Judy Miles from the Eastern Shore of Maryland where the air has a chill in it this am and the geese are flying. {*}-{*}{*}-{*}{*}-{*}{*}-{*}{*}-{*}{*}-{*}{*}-{*}{*}-{*}{*}-{*}{*}-{*} Subject: weavers words Date: Thu, 22 Oct 1998 20:09:34 EDT From: DebGring@aol.com To: davidc@iei.net Hi everyone! Just a quick note, my husband and I are off on Sat. for a two week vacation in Florida for our 25th wedding anniversary! I am so looking forward to this trip! Hope everyone is well and as happy as can be. Talk to you all later! Debbie Gring {*}-{*}{*}-{*}{*}-{*}{*}-{*}{*}-{*}{*}-{*}{*}-{*}{*}-{*}{*}-{*}{*}-{*} Subject: baskets, what else? Date: Sun, 25 Oct 1998 18:51:38 EST From: LindaClift@aol.com To: davidc@iei.net Hi David and fellow weavers. I received my swap basket from Susan Waite of Paris TN. on Saturday. She sent me a dark stained rectangular basket made on a tall D handle. I was really excited when I came home from a day of weaving with the Central Pa Guild to find the box waiting for me. On Sat. our guild had a class with Deb Roberson from Hellam, Pa. We mad rectangular baskets with twill sides and the bases were done in a German technique using cane and reed. They all turned out beautifully and speaking for me anyway, a good time was had by all. My swap will be mailed either Mon or Tues. If you live south of me (I am in PA) be on the lookout for a little northern seasonal weaving on its way. Linda Clifton In central PA where we had a PERFECT fall weekend. {*}-{*}{*}-{*}{*}-{*}{*}-{*}{*}-{*}{*}-{*}{*}-{*}{*}-{*}{*}-{*}{*}-{*} Subject: Re: Swap Basket Date: Sun, 25 Oct 1998 18:59:57 -0500 From: "Susan Tripp" To: "David Collins" The snobby little community where I live has successfully snubbed me from their "community" bizarre they hold every October. The community group was complaining that crafters (i.e.: me) were taking business away from their table of crafts. So, after much hassle and debate, I pulled out of their show the night before. The day of the show, I was sitting at home feeling pretty mad at myself for letting that community group upset me so much when my husband came in with a box from the mailbox. I was so excited as I realized it was my swap basket. I had company at the time and we all sat around the table and watched as I eagerly opened it to reveal my swap basket. I received a pumpkin themed basket from Carol Post. It was bright and cheerful and made my day! Thank you Carol! Susan from NY http://home.sprynet.com/sprynet/aleo1 {*}-{*}{*}-{*}{*}-{*}{*}-{*}{*}-{*}{*}-{*}{*}-{*}{*}-{*}{*}-{*}{*}-{*} Subject: Basket swap Date: Sun, 25 Oct 1998 19:59:34 -0500 From: "Gail Caron" To: "David Collins" Hi David and fellow weavers: Now that my swap basket is completed and ready for packaging and mailing, I would like to remind all of the participants that the deadline for mailing is Nov. 1. Since this date falls on a Sunday, Nov. 2 is effectively the mailing deadline. If there is going to be a delay, please notify me or at least your swap partner. (The two participants who were paired well into the swap can have a reasonable extension since the information was so late - I am aware of this, so you dont have to notify me unless there will be an extensive delay). I had hoped that the discussions concerning the first swap delinquents would be dead and buried, but two events have made me feel that I must address this issue one last time. I hope that this will put it to rest. First, I was disturbed when a new subscriber who was totally unaware of the past circumstances fanned the dying flames. Since Joy's last posting effectively responded to that, I was going to let it go. However, this weekend I was frantically trying to catch up on archiving the last several months of WWs and came across the second item which infuriated me. While editing issue 29 I found a long message posted on Aug. 26 (one week before the swap mailing deadline) by the person whom Joy identified as person #3 in her last issue. This posting described an enjoyable trip which had been taken the week before, during which she actually delivered a swap basket for another participant. This is the same person who could not take five minutes to let Joy or her swap partner know that her basket would not be sent, ignored several messages from Joy and the swapper who sent her a basket and finally responded to my email inquiry with a sob story about all of the trials and tribulations which had taken place in her life, preventing her from fulfilling her swap obligations and telling me that I was rude and had incorrect information and was sorry that her life did not conform to our standards. Her reply to the request to send the basket which she received on to the partner whom she had cheated was to selfishly refused because "it was made for me". Now, I (and Joy) took much abuse about our decision to publicize this behavior (and that of the other two delinquents). Well people - you have been had. Having been aware of more details than those who blindly jumped to the defense of the irresponsible parties, our decision was based on more information than you gave us credit for. And here is the ultimate proof - the person who was defended as possibly having computer problems, personal crises, or untold other excuses, who had the time to post a long email to WW, unsubscribe from the list (something which happened before the posting of names - did she know she was not going to come through?) who accepted a basket from her swap sender and then selfishly ignored her swap recipient had taken a trip, woven a basket, and was content with her life as of Aug. 26, did not have computer problems, did not appear to be in the midst of some terrible crisis and HAD NO JUSTIFIABLE EXCUSE. The other two deadbeats (that term DOES fit) provided excuses that were unacceptable as well. Enough said. I am sincerely hoping that the second swap will not disappoint anyone. I have noticed one thing that I would like to address though - when I sent the swap mailings I included the request made by several participants that when you receive your basket to send a quick message to the sender. In the last WW, I seem to remember that at least one person was wondering about the basket which she sent. So I would like to request again that you let the sender know her basket was received. Thanks. David you have given several of us quite a scare - we were worried when the last WW digest wasn't received until six days after the previous mailing. I guess the postings dropped off during the past two weeks and that you are okay. Are you? We consider you a very important part of this family and we worry about you. The weather has been beautiful the past two weeks on the East Coast. Hope it was nice for the entire country. Gail Caron in southern NJ {*}-{*}{*}-{*}{*}-{*}{*}-{*}{*}-{*}{*}-{*}{*}-{*}{*}-{*}{*}-{*}{*}-{*} If for any you would ever like to cancel your subscription, simply send me a message with "unsubscribe" as your subject.