"Weavers Words" Vol. 3 Iss. 91 Date Sent: January 25, 2000 Web Page: http://members.xoom.com/dgcollins/ Subscribers: 1315 David Collins 408 North Devon Avenue Indianapolis, IN 46219 Phone: (317) 899-5747 Fax: (520) 222-0391 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 %%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%% The Basket Bookstore Stop by "Weavers Words Basketry Bookstore" for a great selection of basketry literature & save up to 40%. Over 40 titles to choose from. The address is: http://members.xoom.com/dgcollins/book.html %%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%% Attention New Subscribers You can search Weaver's Words web page and back issues by going to Weaver's Words web page (http://members.xoom.com/dgcollins/) and entering your search criteria into the PinPoint search box. %%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%% Attention AOL Subscribers For some reason some AOL subscribers haven't been receiving Weaver's Words through email. If you are one of these subscribers, or know one of someone who has not been receiving Weaver's Words, you can get all of the issues on the Weaver's Words web page. %%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%% Subject: (no subject) Date: Sat, 22 Jan 2000 21:07:40 EST From: AuntPattie@aol.com To: davidc@iei.net Dear Weavers, I've been trying for about 30 minutes to find the letter from the person who is going to Europe & would like to know about any basket related places they could visit. I think I remember that they were going to Germany & when I was headed there some of our fellow weavers were kind enough to give me some information on a basket museum in Michelau. Unfortunately, it was about 7 hours away from where we were & I was unable to go there but we had a great time & were invited back to another function next summer that will be only about 1 hour away from Michelau so I will definitely get there. The pamphlet that I have on the museum is in German so I can't give you a lot of information but the address is: Deutsches Korb Museum Michelau Bismarckstr.4 96247 Michelau i.OFr. Telephone # (0 95 71) 8 35 48 Michelau is near Bamberg and there is another city near there, Lichtenfels, which is supposed to have a lot of basket weavers & basket stores. I hope this info helps & is not too late. Where does the time go? I know that I sometimes get tunnel vision with the new store & all but every time I turn around it seems to be a week later. Mark & I took the day off today to go with our daughter, Angie, to a scholarship competition. The school that she has her heart set on is going to cost about $24,000 a year and a scholarship would be a welcome sight. We should know tomorrow how she did. She is so smart that I sometimes wonder if she was swapped at the hospital. She is finishing High School in three years & has really worked hard to earn the invitation to the competition. The store is so much work & so much fun. It is such a kick to have someone sign up for class protesting that they could never make anything that even resembled a basket and to have them walk out of class with a basket they can't wait to show to their family & friends because they are so proud of what they did. For those of you who don't know, I got a kitten last September that lives in the store. Her name is Willow & she is the sweetest cat I have ever seen. She's a white Persian/Himalayan mix who loves to help people weave baskets. Two weeks ago I got her baby sister, Coco, who is only 3 months old. Coco is the last of the line since her dad had his masculinity removed. Coco is considerable darker than Willow but is quickly developing the same love of baskets. Enough rambling for now. Better go work some more on my swap basket, time is slipping by again. Pattie Bagley - stuck in a time warp just north of Atlanta %%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%% Subject: Re: "Weavers Words" V. 3 I. 90 Date: Sat, 22 Jan 2000 22:03:33 EST From: Linhebert@aol.com To: davidc@iei.net Re: Shipping Costs... I'm glad that Donna from Country Seat beat me to the computer on this one! Donna, that was a LOT to write about and, as a fellow shipper, I agree with you whole-heartedly. The UPS $1.00 surcharges on rural addresses, and the refusal of UPS to acknowledge home-based businesses as legitimate businesses (!!!) are the two that especially offend me. Like you, we also weigh out (literally) the UPS vs. Priority Mail issue based upon the size of the package and the delivery times. I'm hoping that the recent announcement by Federal Express, that they are going to create a ground delivery service going to 98% of addresses, might help. With this kind of competition maybe the shipping rates will hold the line a little. (She said hopefully...) Oh, one more thing, I guess that we all can be thankful that it's not like the "good old days" of mail order. Remember the days before 800 numbers when all mail order ads bore the disclaimer: "shipped in 4 to 6 weeks"? Yikes!!! Now it seems that only cereal box offers dare to make that statement. :-) Happy weaving! From northwest Arkansas, Nice and sunny, with daffodils 4 inches tall and hoping not to get snowed on, Linda Hebert V. I. Reed & Cane, www.basketweaving.com %%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%% Subject: aloha Date: Sat, 22 Jan 2000 21:26:16 -1000 From: The Keener Clan To: davidc@iei.net Aloha from Honolulu, (Notice I didn*t chat about the weather. I t is winter over here and we are in flannel nighties, believe it or not) I saw Joanne*s swap basket at painting class last Wednesday and it is awesome! It*s a large oval with a wrought iron handle and lighthouses (my weakness) painted on the side. Just a beautiful piece of work! I*ve tried calling a company in Gray, Maine named Woven Reed and get an answering machine each time. Does anyone know anything about this company? I*m calling early in he morning (Hawaii time) so I should be reaching them within regular hours. Any help would be appreciated a great deal. Yes, it is true--Priority Mail sometimes takes a tad bit longer to reach us. Sometimes. Last Wednesday, I e-mailed an order to Gratiot Lake--it was shipped Thursday-- and it arrived today (Saturday). That is usual, though. Amy, e-mail Joanne or myself and we*ll fill you in on a vacation in Hawaii. Either or Oahu or Maui would be a fine place to stay. Buy a guidebook and read it--you will know what to expect and Joanne and I can give you the side that tourists don*t see. Bert--send me your snail mail and I*ll send you a box of stuff. I don*t have much, but what I do have is different. Come back to Hawaii and you can stay with me!! We*ll have a fine time. Cass--the song is great--even though it isn*t snowing in Honolulu. Aloha, Lois %%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%% Subject: Re: "Weavers Words" V. 3 I. 90 Date: Sun, 23 Jan 2000 11:46:19 EST From: PBWEAVE@aol.com To: davidc@iei.net Subject: Info. on the "Dogbane" plant Thanks Judy for the Dogbane information and the link on your page. My newest and favorite book is "Weeds of the West" published by the Western Society of Weed Science. It has beautiful large photos of the "weeds" some of us use for weaving. It is worth the money if you gather plants for weaving and dyes. Subject: Shipping Costs and Service UPS for years just drops the package, rings the doorbell and I may see the truck going down the street. I have shipped baskets and envelopes priority and next day. The delivery date is rarely what I pay for. I do ship postal now rather than UPS because it is less expensive. They don't retape my boxes and charge me extra for packaging. New Subject: I am looking for stamps or stencils of the SE mounds symbols. Please let me know if you know of a supplier. Subject: Basket Swap Joanne, I found the double wall wicker basket the hardest to learn since I have only seen one similar pattern in a book. The Cherokee wicker double wall is actually a wicker plaited basket. It is now the easiest for me to weave and my favorite for teaching beginners. I'm glad you discovered it. Subject: Your Request for Help My favorite books as a beginner and now 10 years later are still Lynn Siler's. Her instructions and graphics are easy to understand. Peggy Brennan, in Edmond, OK My first, very basic web site (Be sure to spell angelfire correctly or just for fun, type in anglefire.com) %%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%% Subject: Bits and Pieces Date: Sun, 23 Jan 2000 11:53:42 -0500 From: Anette Meier To: davidc@iei.net Hello all, I would like to thank everyone who has found information for me about colombine, columbain, dogbain, palumbang, and all the other weaving materials close to this. The notes and comments have been enjoyable. The owner of the basket is absolutely thrilled each time I send her bits and pieces of information. Thanks again. For those who don't know, the NCBA also has a website, http://www.ncbasketmakers.com, that has convention dates for 1999 / 2000 and some information about the officers. If you aren't an NCBA member, you can print out an application form. This site just has the basic stuff for now, but hopefully it will develop into something more. I will be at the convention this year, and hopefully I will be able to take pictures and add them to the site... Happy weaving all. Anette %%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%% Subject: crimping Date: Sun, 23 Jan 2000 12:15:33 -0600 From: Tony Stubblefield or Dean Meredith To: David Collins/Weavers Words OK, here I go. Karen, from PA - crimping the rim cover for a Nantucket - This is probably the best trick I ever learned from Lisa Thayer (NYC). I always had trouble getting the piece of cane that covers the gap between the inner and outer rim of a Nantucket to lay nice and flat. It always wanted to buckle as you were taking a flat piece of material and trying to make it into a circle. Well the trick is to "crimp" the piece first. I usually use 3mm cane for this as I use either 5-6mm cane or ash staves. You need the cane to be nice and flexible so I soak it for about20 minutes. You then start at one end and holding the cane flat between thumb and forefinger of each hand you gently, yet firmly "crimp" it ever few millimeters. What I mean by this is that you are stretching one side while compacting the other. After you have moved along about an inch or so you should start seeing the piece is now curved. You will also notice dust flakes on your thumbs from the shinny surface of the cane which your are crackling. Periodically you will want to check the amount of curve you are creating against your basket to see if you need to be crimping more or less. If your curve is too tight you can usually just straighten it out a bit and match the radius of your basket. After you have a ring the size of your basket with a couple of inch overlap I will clip the ends and let it dry to that shape. When you go to lash the rim you won't believe how much less work it is to have the rim cover already coaxed into shape. This is especially important for small baskets, which can be a headache to hold onto anyway. I hope this explanation helps, it is one of those things that really needs to be demonstrated in person. Good luck. Sue - about tea stain - Are you in Webster Groves, MO? I use tea on almost all of my reed baskets. I use cheap, store brand, instant tea and mix about 1/4 cup tea to 1 1/2 to 2 cups hot water. I will test the mixture on a scrap piece of reed to see if I need to add more tea. I like to brush mine on, but many people prefer to use a spray bottle. I would have the entire kitchen tea colored if I did that! I use a wide soft bristle brush from my water coloring days and saturate the whole basket, turning it all around to make sure I have covered every spot. I do this over a cookie sheet to collect the drips and then use a cooling crack to let the basket drain. You don't want it to sit in a pool of stain. I only do one basket at a time as I like all of mine to have different colors/shades. You should be able to get colors from honey to walnut by adjusting the concentration of the tea. Happy weaving, Tony Stubblefield St. Louis http://www.tetranet.net/users/deanandtony/baskets.htm %%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%% Subject: basket comments Date: Sun, 23 Jan 2000 16:40:42 -0500 From: "Fleming" To: Time out for a moment. Living in Columbus, IN, I'm a Colts fan. Watched the game and felt empty after the loss. Thanks for your GREAT web page. Also, thanks for maintaining this basket list. It must be time consuming and a labor of love. I'm from The Love of Baskets. Our contact info is wrong. Rachel Sheldon of Bloomington is our president. I'll get complete info at our Feb. meeting and get it to you. I'll also share this site. I don't see many of my fellow guild members writing - maybe they're lurking. I'd like to (belatedly) thank Joe from Stony Lane Basketry and Tony from St. Louis for information on finishing my Nantucket. I think I now have the confidence to finish it. I've always been afraid of ruining all that work. Kay - thanks for info on Pat Courtney Gold. I found her page very interesting. I forwarded the link to my sister-in-law who taught on a reservation for several years and now teaches a major unit about Native Americans in her 3rd grade classroom. Cass - thanks for the song. Wonder if I can get my guild members to sing it next meeting? hmmmm Basket Swap - I'm new and heard about the basket swap just hearing all of you describe the wonderful baskets you're receiving. I hope the swap continues - I know I'll sign up next time!!! I think basket weavers are a great group of people! Thanks for sharing so freely! Lynne From Indiana - single digits at night almost every night this week. White stuff on the ground - but I can still see some brown-green grass peeking through! %%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%% Subject: Bleached Reed Date: Sun, 23 Jan 2000 18:31:56 -0800 From: "Pkpaul" To: Hello David, This is my first time writing. However, I am a loyal reader. I have a question. I am dying reed for Easter baskets. I purchased some bleached reed and I am very pleased with the brilliance of the colors as a result of using that reed. I dyed some regular reed the same colors and was very surprised to see a great difference. Does anyone know how to bleach reed? Can it only be done commercially? Before I start experimenting I thought I would ask rather than try something and ruin some of my stock. Thanks everyone, Kathy Paul %%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%% Subject: greetings from Finland Date: Mon, 24 Jan 2000 15:11:48 +0200 (EET) From: Disan To: davidc@iei.net Hello David and Weavers all over the World! I have been reading Weaver's Words for a while now and I hope we could have something like it here in Finland. We are not many weavers (yet) in Finland but the interest to this kind of craft is increasing all the time. Last year we grounded an association for all people interested in basketry. Today we have some 50-60 members, and I think it's a good start. Last year we organized a workshop called "Willow in environmental art". We wove two weeks in Kuopio, in the middle of Finland, and made some really nice pieces of art. Our teacher was Jason Osborne from UK, and in spite of some problems with language we got along just fine. This year we try to make willow known as a wonderful material for basketmaking. Last week we had opening for our exhibition in Mikkeli and in September we are arranging a symposium here in Kuopio called "Willow 2000". During the symposium we try to get an exhibition from Britain, but it's not certain yet if we can get it or not. Actually I took couridge to write to You because I would need some information. I'm a student in the Kuopio Academy for Crafts and Design, and working on my diploma work for the moment. I'm interested in outdoor weaving. Does somebody know any "outdoor basketry" in America? All kinds of works interest me; hetches, fences (living or not-living), artistic works etc. I would me most grateful for all kinds of information. As my diploma work I'm going to do some weavings on the schoolyard, mostly using willow. One of the works will be a living fence, and the rest of the works will be more like artistic things. It would be interesting to know if anybody of Weaver's Worlds readers uses basketry techniques for artistic expression. One other thing that interests me: I admire your swap-system. It's a wonderful invention! Is it possible for a foreigner to take part in a swap? Anyway, I hope we someday could have something like it here in Finland. Best regards for you, David, and all weavers and basketmakers all over the world from cold (-20 Celsius-degrees), snowy (about half a meter) but sunny Kuopio, Finland. Disan Wahlgren dwahlgre@picasso.pspt.fi Our Association doesn't have a web site yet, but if you want to take a look, the address for the schools site is: http://kacd.pspt.fi %%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%% Subject: Re: "Weavers Words" V. 3 I. 90 Date: Mon, 24 Jan 2000 11:52:26 -0600 From: Roberta R Comstock To: davidc@iei.net "Weavers Words" Vol. 3 Iss. 90 Cass MacDonald - Enjoyed your basket weaving song - now if we could just get some Snow to go with it, I'd be happy. Lisa Carstens - Hope you have as much fun with your digital camera as I do with mine! It's so neat to be able to look at my basket pictures right away and just delete and retake if I don't like the way it turned out. Bert Comstock, Independence, MO %%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%% Subject: Swap Basket Date: Mon, 24 Jan 2000 16:21:22 EST From: Frbasketsc@aol.com To: davidc@iei.net This basket I have made is going a long way. Where it is cold but clear. Up to the top of the map which side I will not site. So look for a package big and bright for you never know which is yours tonight. (Oh well I tried) Hope you enjoy!!!! A Friend in weaving, Carolyn %%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%% Subject: Bits and Pieces Date: Mon, 24 Jan 2000 14:48:24 -0500 From: John Dorris To: "Weavers Words" Me again. First I found the receipt for the package I sent to Colorado and it was a total of 8.50. The shipping was under $5, it was the insurance that made it more. But still think it would have been that much or more by UPS. About the UPS vs. USPS. My daughter in law in Japan (with a military post office adress) cannot order many things as they ship only UPS. She has to order things sent to me and then I send them on to her. That's ridiculous. Some of the companies are basically mail order businesses. They are just hurting themselves. Don't know if anyone saw the Antique Roadshow last week from Columbus, Ohio but it had a Nantucket by Mitchy Ray that was valued at between 3500/4000. The guy had bought it at a garage sale. Well we are waiting for another wintery blast. They don't have a clue to what kind of precip we'll get this time. Hope all the people in Atlanta managed ok. Joanne, I wish I had some Girl Scout cookies. That seems to be just what I need lately for my sweet tooth. Oh well maybe not too long. I did check out the site for Stowe this year. They have some really interesting classes offered. Maybe someday. Guess I've put off doing something constructive long enough and better get back to it. Til next time. Billie in miserably cold Va. Beach %%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%% Subject: Weavers' Words Date: Mon, 24 Jan 2000 20:11:36 -0600 From: Elizabeth Bechtel To: David Collins Does anyone know what Irish waxed linen is used for besides making and adding to baskets? I love to use it to as a lasher on some baskets. I imagine it must have had a prior or alternate use, but I can't think of one. Just curious.... Beth . . .in southern WI where it is very, very cold %%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%% Subject: WW Date: Tue, 25 Jan 2000 04:12:10 PST From: "sassy katie" To: davidc@iei.net Hmmmmm.... I have always just folded the rim piece over at the handle, and had the two ends meet back in the middle on the inside of the rim. It seems to me that would result in a stronger basket, as they are meant to hold long sticks of kindling. Of course, I could be wrong! Daugherty shows the rim pieces actually overlapped at the handle in her book "Splintwoven Basketry"... The big question is, am I gonna change how I do it? I think not - I like to use lots of earth tones and make my hearths look pretty rustic, so I think it looks good with it folded over like that. Who wrote in that they are going to be visiting Crescent City, Florida? I just found a lovely little Native American gallery near there on the St. Johns river that is going hosting basketry classes for me! I'm not sure how many of the people who go there to fish will want to make baskets, though! You also wanted to know about suppliers near Crescent City? So far, the only basketry supplier I have found in commuting distance of home is in College Park, a suburb on the south side of Jacksonville. It's right on Route 17, a couple of miles south of I295. Unfortunately, I have no idea of the name of the place, but it would be on the right hand side, going south, and is in a little complex of little old houses that have been turned into shops - the complex is named something like "Sisters" something...? Just past a big church. Sorry to be so vague, but I got the directions that way myself, and never thought to pick up a business card while I was there. Doing a search on Yahoo yellow pages didn't get me an address, either. Drat! What good are these computers if you can't find what you want!?!? Katie In suddenly cold and yucky north central Florida %%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%% Subject: New to Weaver's Words Date: Tue, 25 Jan 2000 09:09:35 EST From: NanoAnd@aol.com To: davidc@iei.net David, This is just a GREAT site. I am new to WW and basket weaving. I have been weaving for just a year now and this site is a beginners dream come true. There is so much helpful information here! Thank you for putting this all together! I live in Southwestern Michigan so I'm enjoying the snow. The more snow the more I want to weave so I say "Let it snow!". I heard about this page through a friend and also from the wonderful people of The NorEsta here in Michigan. I look forward to reading the e-mail each week! And I can't wait for the next basket swap. If you tolerate beginners I'd love to get in on the next one! Nano (Nanette Anderson) %%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%% Subject: Who Asked For it?.... Date: 25 Jan 2000 17:58:55 -0000 From: "J. Choate Basketry List" To: List Member J. Choate Basketry List - http://www.corecom.net/~choatepp Who asked for it? You have to watch for what you ask for because some times you get it. Right now the snow is up to my shoulders and I'm 5'7". It's that lovely powder stuff that blows kisses against your face as it falls to earth and accumulates en masse on the ground. The dog's houses are completely under snow (again) and my attempts to shovel the snow off the barn roof has been a duo effort. First, scrape off the three-foot of powder, next use a metal shovel to chip off the snow, rain, snow, rain version that has turned into a condensed mass of granulated sugar. Speaking of, the landscape looks as if some giant snow god has spilt the sugar bag over us. The trees are so laden with snow that their tips arch over to touch the ground as they pray not to shatter. It's almost like living in one of those shakable snow globes Remember snow days when you were a kid? Well, it's sort of like being there again; except you now get to do all that shoveling that your folks took care of for you then. We've got so much that we're shoveling uphill to get the snow off the barn. There is always room for creative potential in a situation like this. My daughter has made a chute off the barn to the adjoining snow mound below the eaves and shoots down it with her sled at 90 miles an hour. With so much snow and nowhere to go; we also let one or two of the dogs run around with us as we work. They join us on the roof and ponder at our labors while basking in their reprieve from snow swimming. All this entertainment as we build brawn in our backsides. Just think next March you can experience all this wonder as well (minus the shoveling). We now have a date for the "Alaskan Bush Basketry Retreat", March 2 - 10, 2001. You can join us for dog mushing, the Iditarod, basket weaving and more. As soon as we get our information together we'll be sure to send it your way so let us know if you would like to be on the list. Until the chinook winds blow our way..... Jill Choate Talkeetna, Alaska %%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%% Subject: Leather Date: Tue, 25 Jan 2000 14:08:42 -0500 From: "Susan Tripp" To: "David Collins" Can anyone give me some suggestions for finding leather accessories for baskets? I'm particularly interested in a thin leather braided strap. I've found one at Nate's, but it is rather expensive and I was hoping to find some other options. Thank you. Susan from NY %%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%% If for any you would ever like to cancel your subscription, simply send me a message with "unsubscribe" as your subject.