"Weavers Words" Vol. 4 Iss. 19 Date Sent: July 04, 2000 Web Page: http://members.xoom.com/dgcollins/ Subscribers: 1434 David Collins 408 North Devon Avenue Indianapolis, IN 46219 Phone: (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 %%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%% 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 %%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%% Earn $0.50/Hour By Surfing The Net From AllAdvantage.com: http://www.alladvantage.com/home.asp?refid=BOK567 %%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%% 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. %%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%% Picture('s) Added To Web Page Since The Last Issue Leigh Ingram's-----Basket She Wove For Basket Swap #9. Leigh Ingram's-----First Gourd With Pheasant Feathers. Leigh Ingram's-----Second Gourd Attempt. %%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%% Subject: Basketry website Date: Sun, 2 Jul 2000 21:58:48 EDT From: D2crispin@aol.com To: ayogi@oregon.uoregon.edu CC: davidc@iei.net Check out this website from the Ohio Crafts Museum. Click on baskets. http://www.saso-oh.org/odc/baskets Donna %%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%% Subject: Looking for Guild Date: Sun, 2 Jul 2000 22:33:44 -0400 (EDT) From: Indycats@webtv.net (Joan Lanum) To: davidc@iei.net (David Collins) Summer and fall in eastern NH with no Guild that I have been able to locate in southern Maine or central eastern NH. Not being one to get much accomplished without focus and a time limit, I am already missing the camaraderie of lessons and meetings. I am especially interested in working with "nature's bounty" this season. Any suggestions? Regards, Joan %%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%% Subject: Pine needle baskets Date: Sun, 2 Jul 2000 19:38:07 -0700 From: "Nella Johnson" To: "David Collins" David Collins please print this in weavers word ~~~To Carol of Montana I am on Paula Zimmermon pine needle site. Tour my web site it's http://www.nellaspineneedlebaskts.com thanks. Let me know how you like it Nella to LJLudes I visited your site your baskets are beautiful tour my web site www.nellaspineneedlebaskts.com Thanks Nella %%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%% Subject: Tell us where you live!! Please Date: Sun, 02 Jul 2000 23:01:01 EDT From: "K A" To: davidc@iei.net Hi Fellow Weavers (and David of course!!) Just a little reminder to everyone -- We all love reading the messages to and from each other, but "PLEASE PLEASE" let us know your name and your STATE. It's nice to know just where everyone lives. Thanks and have a "Great 4th of July everyone". God Bless America!! We may have a few flaws, but we're all FREE!! Kathie Anderson, Macomb, MICHIGAN, where it's raining yet again! 7/2/00 %%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%% Subject: Hello Date: Sun, 02 Jul 2000 23:56:34 -0500 From: Tony Stubblefield To: David Collins/Weavers Words Diana, your antique dealer may very well have thought she had an old basket. The eye and knowledge of materials and styles that we have as basket makers, the average person on the street just doesn't have. I have even purchased baskets that were labels as reed which we in fact brown ash. Things that we take for common knowledge most people, even antique dealers, don't understand. If you doubt this just look on ebay. About 50% of the baskets there are mislabeled. I love to look at the baskets that are listed as Nantucket some of which are coiled! Now of course she may have known it was new and was trying to pull a fast one, but I would give her the benefit of the doubt. So far I haven's done a lick of weaving this July 4th weekend. The weather has just been too nice and I have spent the afternoons out rollerblading. It is supposed to rain the next couple of days so we will see. I am trying to work on a new class basket and while I have been weaving in my head a lot I haven't gotten much actually weaving done. I am using Hamburg cane for the first time and it is quite interest to work with. I am not sure if it will work for my staves or not, but I hope so as I would like to dye some of it. Right now I am just trying to work out the pattern in natural and will worry about colors later. Well, happy Independence Day to all! Tony Stubblefield St. Louis http://www.JASkets.com %%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%% Subject: Is this how I do it? Date: Mon, 3 Jul 2000 01:21:48 -0400 From: "Craig Schmidt" To: davidc@iei.net> I moved to Ohio from North Carolina the end of last year. In NC, I have NO trouble finding basket weavers!! Now Ohio is a different story!! Could anyone tell me if Ohio has a Basket Association and if not, why not? AND, are their any guilds here??? I live in the middle of Dayton and Toledo and would LOVE to get together with other basket weavers. Since I have moved here, I have taught two friends how to basket weave but I'd love to be around more interested in this wonderful craft!! If anyone if from Ohio, close to me, please write!! %%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%% Subject: Pine Needle Baskets! Date: Sun, 02 Jul 2000 22:29:08 -0700 From: Doug Pickles & Glennie McKirdy To: davidc@iei.net Hooray!! Some more pine needle basket weavers! So nice to see you here! Nella, your baskets are beautiful! So many designs and colors! LJLudes, pine needles and gourds and burning! wonderful work! My passion as well. Glennie McKirdy Creston, B.C. %%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%% Subject: Weaver's Words Date: Mon, 03 Jul 2000 07:17:45 -0500 From: mlower@mail1.aeroinc.net To: David Collins Hi everyone, I received an email from a man in Florida who discovered that he has a Nantucket purse with Jose Formosa Reyes name engraved on the bottom, which is a very valuable basket. Hmmm, why can't I find one of these things laying around in the closets of my house? Anyway, he is looking for someone in Florida who could give him an appraisal and do some minor repair on it. Do any of you know someone I could recommend? I did give him the name of a couple of people on Nantucket to contact, but if you know of anyone in Florida or anywhere else that does good repair work, please let me know. I wish I could send some of our rain in northwest Illinois to some of you who are in a drought. Our forecasters had warned us of a drought in April, but were they wrong! Weaving while it rains, Mindy http://www.aeroinc.net/~users/nantucket %%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%% Subject: Re: "Weavers Words" V. 4 I. 18 Date: Mon, 3 Jul 2000 09:29:40 EDT From: NanoAnd@aol.com To: davidc@iei.net Tracey Gower, About your space problem. I just thought I'd pass along a couple Ideas I've used to help fit my basket obsession into a tight spot. I have a small room in our garage and I know you don't have room for that but I think my ideas may help if you don't use your spare room for anything but weaving? I installed heavy-duty pegboard over the walls and use metal pegs to hang my coils of reed. I do try to hang them according to size. I know re-coiling can be a pain but it really is the best way I've found to keep your reed from getting too frayed or damaged. I found that using a rubber band on one end of the coil and then fastening around the whole coil with double-sided hook and loop (Velcro) works quite well. The Velcro is fast and easy to get on and off. If I'm making more then one basket I unroll and hang the sizes I'm using on hooks from the ceiling. This keeps them right at hand and easy too pull one piece at a time without knotting the whole bunch. As for the dying of reed. I have a stainless steel sink in my kitchen and patio doors that go out to my deck so I just put a tarp on the floor between the sink, the stove and the door and go at it! It really is quite fun...you must try it sometime! I hope these ideas have helped...I too am a weaver of just a few years and I know how much reading WW has helped me get started and keep motivated. Happy 4th and weaving! Nan Anderson South Haven, MI where the fireworks may get rained out??? boo hoo %%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%% Subject: National Basketry Organization Date: Mon, 3 Jul 2000 09:48:35 EDT From: FosterBA@aol.com To: davidc@iei.net Hi Pat, there is an ongoing organizing effort to establish a National Basketry Organization (NBO). Seed money was given at Arrowmont last year. The first newsletter was sent to the participants of that gathering and some basket organizations in March. Additional monies have been coming in from people all around the country who have gained info from other publications and sites along the net. At present you can get on the newsletter mailing list by sending $10.00 to Dianne Stanton, 365 High Street, Pembroke, MA 02359 (payable to Diane). All other contributions can be made out to NBO and sent to PO Box 672, Mercer, WI 54547. I would encourage all skill levels of basket makers and guilds to join in with whatever they can afford. The mission of NBO is to be a national nonprofit educational organization designed to foster an environment in which both traditional and contemporary basketry are understood and valued as art forms. they seek to work in a collaborative atmosphere to pursue the highest levels of craftsmanship and creativity. At present this effort is being done totally by some fantastic volunteers who can use all our support. Barb Foster %%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%% Subject: Re: "Weavers Words" V. 4 I. 18 Date: Mon, 3 Jul 2000 12:05:22 EDT From: StarlaK@aol.com To: davidc@iei.net Tracy Gower----I too, live in military housing. My husband can certainly sympathize with your husband. Here are a few ideas I've picked up along the way. My friend hangs her reed in mesh bags in a closet, you could do that with handles also. You can see if you can use the highest shelves in your closets to store your "extra" handles and things, but keep a good inventory or you will over-order. Cut out 3 or 4 "kits" for yourself, using all the same size weaver (if possible) then you will really only need to have one pound of the "wild" reed out at a time. As far as dying, here is what I do......I buy a pound of 1/4" flat and split it into fourths. I dye most of my reed into wine, navy blue, dark green and black plum. I roll each bunch up and tie with a twisty. I decide which patterns I will work on in the next month or two and see what other size dyed reed I will need and get out that reed and put it into the respective color pile. I use 2-gallon disposable bags and do one batch at a time (I can reuse one of these bags "several" times before having to throw it out). I lay out everything I need next to the sink and cover the area around it with newspapers. There is some painter's paper you can buy that is cloth like on one side and waterproof on the other. I lay enough out near my work area so I can put the reed on it to dry. Now the procedure. Pour a teapot or kettle full of boiling water into bag, (be careful of the hot water and steam), put about a tsp. or more of dye in, close bag and squeeze bag to mix, then put reed in, close bag (let air out, again watch for steam, do not inhale, it has the dye in it now), swirl dye around reed until it is desired color. Then you can pour it into jars to save for another use (again, I have four kids and prefer to toss the dye into the sink). I remove the reed, rinse with cold water and then swish it in a bucket full of clean water with a Tbs. of Retayne in it. Then I put the reed on the painter's cloth. In the meantime I've set more water on the stove to boil. Then I do the next color. When it's done, I clean up my work area then put the reed into drying mode. I place an oscillating fan on the reed to help it dry faster. Usually it will dry overnight. Be sure to separate "uncoil" the reed to help with the drying. This way I don't have to tackle dying that frequently. When I want "specialty" colors, I will dye smaller batches using the same method. I know this is lengthy and I'm sure we all have different methods to the dyeing madness, this is what works for me. I can do it during my son's nap-time or right after the kids go to bed and it will be dry before morning. I'd like to know what types of dye people use. I've heard that Rit fades to gray with time, would love everyone's input. %%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%% Subject: Michelle's Christmas Cookie Basket Date: Mon, 3 Jul 2000 15:57:49 EDT From: Lewiscarolv@gateway.net To: davidc@iei.net Dear readers! I need some help. At NCBA 2000 in our goodie bags we received a complimentary pattern by Sandra Lyons. I have some time off for the July 4th holiday and was so excited to be able to get some weaving in. I started reading this pattern and it just doesn't make sense to me. Has anyone tried to make this basket? If you have figured out what kind of 10" sq. handle it calls for and why it says true the base to 7 1/2" x 7 1/2" I would appreciate some help. It also says start by going across the handle. Please explain if you have tried this. Thanks. Carol Votaw %%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%% Subject: National Basketry Organization Date: Mon, 3 Jul 2000 16:37:20 -0400 From: "Steve Catsos" To: "David Collins" The following was taken from the website http://basketry.about.com "One of the results of the panel discussions at the Arrowmont Basketry Conference was a plan for a National Basketmaker's Publication. For more information contact: Genny Gray, 905 Handlebar Road, Mishawaka, IN 46544 (219)256-5510 or email: basket@gauss.ce.nd.edu Stay tuned for additional information on plans for a National Basketry Conference being planned for October 2001 in Houston, TX and an upcoming National juried basketry exhibition" JoAnn Kelly Catsos, Trying to find time to weave in southwestern Massachusetts %%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%% Subject: Swap basket Date: Mon, 03 Jul 2000 16:32:51 -0500 From: Dave Plourde To: davidc@iei.net Hello to a certain weaver in Indiana! There is a basket on it's way to you-hopefully arriving by week's end! I am mostly a "lurker" but I enjoy every Weaver's Words and all of the helpful information included. I am really interested in other weaver's organizational solutions. I am lucky to have room of my own to weave in (hubby is happy too- he can just shut the door on the mess!!) but I can't seem to find a really workable way to keep the mess to a minimum. I have reed separated into sizes and in (Rubbermaid) laundry baskets, handles hanging from (ceiling) basket trees, dyes and lids etc in plastic bins, and of course, stacks of mostly unused patterns in folders!! What gets me are all of the "odds and ends" of reed- those pieces that are too short to coil back up and too long to toss! I have an overflowing 33 gal bin full of them! I try to use those pieces up whenever possible but wow, does that pile grow fast!! Also, how does everyone deal with the small reeds (round and 1/4" or less) that are such a pain to pull from a coil? I have thought of hanging the whole coil somehow from or near the ceiling so I could see and pull one exactly the right length, but haven't figured out how to hang it. I would love to hear other's ideas. Happy weaving everyone! Leslie, From western WI where the air conditioning feels really good today %%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%% Subject: Lampshade Pattern Date: Mon, 3 Jul 2000 19:45:20 -0500 From: "Barbara Byrne" To: "David C (Weavers Words)" Hi everyone, Hope you all had a great 4th of July celebration! I am looking for a pattern for a lampshade. I know this question has been asked before on WW and probably answered as well, but when I searched the WW site - I found the question but not the answer. Can anyone help? I have a number of lamps at my nature retreat that need new shades and I thought it might be fun and interesting if I could replace the existing shades with woven ones. By the way David, the new search feature is GREAT!! I used it several times today and it works quite well. Thanks in advance for your help. Barb in Vienna, MO Barb & Mike Byrne Come see what a RELAXING GETAWAY can be!! Gasconade Nature Retreat & Getaway www.nature-retreat.com byrne@socket.net %%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%% Subject: A Warm Mahalo Date: Mon, 3 Jul 2000 21:00:45 -1000 From: "Tracey 'Gumby' Gower" To: "Weavers Words" Dear David and all you readers, I just want to give you all a warm Hawaiian 'Mahalo' (Thank You) and let you know how awesome this site is!! I was a little nervous to write my first email this week and was so happy and shocked that so many of you took the time to help out a beginner, and so fast!!! I am just so impressed with the response and advice I got back about my organizational and dying problems, that I had to write again and tell you how wonderful this newsletter is, I hope you all realize that! Thank you again, Tracey Gower %%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%% Subject: Organization Date: Tue, 04 Jul 2000 08:04:59 -0500 From: Gary Dunham To: davidc@iei.net Hello everyone. Been I while since I've posted, but I've been keeping up! Tracey - What I had my husband do was mount pegboard on two walls of my craft room. One side holds my handles and unopened coils of reed and the other side holds the open coils of reed. Yes, on the open side it looks kind of messy, but then I can see everything I need at a glance. I also have a futon in there so when my parents come to visit, that is "their" room. They don't seem to mind the reed hanging everywhere. I would assume that you're allowed to at least hang things on the wall. If you had to move, you would only have to patch the nail holes you put in. Also, my husband "framed" the backside so that the pegboard is about 1" from the wall. That allows the hooks to go in easily. Hope this helps. Cindy in Northern Illinois Where with all the rain we're not having much of a summer! Happy 4th to everyone! %%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%% Subject: Re: "Weavers Words" V. 4 I. 18 Date: Tue, 4 Jul 2000 11:04:46 EDT From: Wickrwoman@aol.com To: davidc@iei.net Tony and all, I was the grant writer for my seat weaving Minnesota Folk Art Grant proposal. I have had some success in the past in obtaining grants, so am not a novice at grant writing. I would suggest to any of you that are contemplating writing grants, that you either take a class on grant writing or check out lots of books on the subject. I did both and it really helped a great deal in my being successful. Grant writing is a difficult and slow process and you will fail many, many more times that you will be successful! Several years ago I obtained a $5,000 community improvement grant for Hammond, MN, the small town I used to be the clerk and Mayor in. I have also obtained three grants that ranged from $2,000- $5,000 for the Southeastern Minnesota Visual Artists group that I belong to in Rochester, MN. Thanks to everyone that sent congrats, I really appreciate it! The Wicker Woman/Cathryn Peters Wicker restoration specialist, basketmaker, teacher, and author. Visit my website, http://www.wickerwoman. com Subscribe to my free ezine, http://wickerwoman.listbot.com/ Email Wickrwoman@aol.com %%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%% Subject: Re: "Weavers Words" V. 4 I. 18 Date: Tue, 4 Jul 2000 11:12:49 EDT From: Wickrwoman@aol.com To: davidc@iei.net Pat, The National Basket Weavers newsletter is on it's third issue, I believe. Contact person is Genny Gray at pstmtz513@hotmail.com Contact her about cost and how to subscribe. BTW, it's a newsletter for ALL basketweavers from the newbies to the masters. So glad we finally have a national voice for the basketweavers! The Wicker Woman/Cathryn Peters Wicker restoration specialist, basketmaker, teacher, and author. Visit my website, http://www.wickerwoman. com Subscribe to my free ezine, http://wickerwoman.listbot.com/ Email Wickrwoman@aol.com %%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%% Subject: Date: Tue, 4 Jul 2000 17:12:32 -0400 From: "Andy Ingram" To: Happy 4th to Everyone! Just wanted to let someone know WAY up North to be looking for a patriotic truck bringing a package your way! Careful of "varmints" who might try to crawl out of the box!!! I have been playing with gourds lately, thanks to the help of Glennie McKirdy and Valerie Miller. Yet another addictive weaving habit to add to my list! Although my attempts are pretty basic right now, I can surely see how all you gourd enthusiasts got hooked. Thanks to Glennie and Valerie for their guidance via email, so far, only a few nicks from the exacto knife.... Happy weaving everyone! Leigh In Laurinburg %%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%% Subject: Asking for door prizes Date: Tue, 04 Jul 2000 18:14:09 -0500 From: Carol Zeller To: davidc@iei.net Do you want a great way to advertise that basket business, or simply be a part of a great basket convention? Well, the Association of Michigan Basketmakers are looking for door prizes for this years convention. We will join together in October for one of the world's largest gathering of basket makers. If you're interested in donating door prizes please send them to Carol Zeller; 339 W. Burnham Street; Battle Creek, MI 49015-2173. My goal this year is to make every basket maker leave this wonderful convention with a great door prize. Please consider donating. Thank-you in advance. %%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%% Subject: Hickory Stain? Duh! Date: Tue, 4 Jul 2000 20:24:23 -0400 From: "William Campbell" To: Hello David & Everyone: I can't believe all the years I've been weaving, much less all the years I've been fussing about the small green nuts all over my yard, and never knew they were HICKORY NUTS. Oh My God, and I let my husband cut down seven hard wood trees last fall. How many were Hickory's I'll never know. We had fought about it for eight years. He wanting grass and a nice looking yard, while I chose to SAVE THE TREES!!! After reading the posts in WW I started wondering about my green nuts and if they were Hickory. So I tried them mixed with ammonia, OH MY GOD it is so beautiful!!!!!!! Now I'm mad as hell at my stupidity, and letting my husband have his way. Lucky for him I still have three Hickory's left. Ecologist he's not (Mechanical Engineer, enough said) everything just has to look symmetrical and balanced and he's in hog heaven. Still, if I have a mistake in a twill (like "Flight of the Butterflies" tough, tough twill) he can spot it in a snap. Now if I just had a Birch Tree I'd be smiling in my sleep. Thanks to all for the good information on Hickory Stain, where have you been all my life? Anyone have anymore words of wisdom that you feel "surely every dodo knows this" POST IT! Mona Campbell Coastal North Carolina %%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%% If for any reason you would ever like to cancel your subscription, simply send me a message with "unsubscribe" as your subject.