NCBA Exhibit Room

Here are a couple of photos of JoAnn Kelly Catsos' basket that won "viewer's choice" at the 2009 North Carolina Basketmakers' Association convention. Wow, what a beautiful basket. Cherry rims and handles with dyed uprights and natural ash weavers. I hope to see this basket in person when she comes to teach at my place in July.

2009 JoAnn Kelly Catsos Workshops

I am very excited to again be able to offer two exciting classes with JoAnn Kelly Catsos of Ashley Falls, MA. JoAnn has won numerous awards for her beautiful black ash baskets and in 1999 she was asked to weave an ornament for the White House Christmas Tree. She also was one of the first to receive the Certificate of Excellence Level I Basketmaking from the Handweavers Guild of America. JoAnn and her husband Steve produce all the weaving materials, hardwood rims and handles, and molds themselves. I hope you can join JoAnn and me for this exciting and fun workshop.

Twilled Ash Bowl
4.25" dia. x 1.75" deep
Intermediate Weaving Levels

Saturday - Monday, July 25-27, 2009
9:00 am - 5:00 pm

The base and sides of this bowl are woven in a 2/2 twill pattern with darker brown stakes contrasting with the whiter weavers. This graceful bowl is completed with a sawtooth rim. This basket is a great was to get your twill skills up to speed for the following basket.

Snowflake Bowl

9.75" diam. x 3" deep
Advanced Weaving Levels

This snowflake or eight-point twill pattern was developed from the quadrafoil twill found in Shaker baskets. The design is highlighted due to the darker heartwood stakes and the lighter sapwood weavers. Lashed hardwood rims complete the treasure.

Instructor: JoAnn Kelly Catsos
$280

Three day workshop, both baskets included.

Contact: Tony Stubblefield
if you would like to receive registration information

2009 Martha Wetherbee Workshops

I am very excited to announce that I will again host 2 very special classes with Martha Wetherbee this year. For over 30 years Martha Wetherbee has devoted her life to preserving the art of Shaker basketry and other American "signature style" baskets such as the Nantucket lightship basket. Credited with rescuing the art of Shaker basketmaking from extinction, Martha travels the country lecturing on the history of the Shakers and teaching others how to create these historically significant and beautiful baskets. I hope you can join Martha and me for one or both of these exciting and fun classes.

Nantucket Signature Basket
2" to 16" dia.

Thursday, Friday & Saturday
June 25-27, 2009
9:00 am - 5:00 pm

Join Martha to start or add to a set of nested Nantucket baskets. New participants will start with the #10 (10" diameter) basket. Weavers who have completed the #10, #12 and #14 will have their choice of either the #6, #8 or #16 and when feeling ambitious can make the #4, #2 and finish with the #0. All baskets feature a cherry handle, rim and base, staves of hand pounded brown ash, and cane weaving. The beautiful handles are attached with a "hidden hinge" and unique cherry "ear" which sports a marquetry of contrasting wood where the basketmaker can put his or her monogram, hence the "signature" basket. Class fee includes all materials, handouts and use of mold, weaving stand and tools.

Instructor: Martha Wetherbee
Intermediate/Advanced Weaving Levels

#0 (2") - $275 #2 (3") - $340 #4 - $375 #6 - $400
#8 - $430 #10 - $445 #12 - $500 #14 - $540 #16 - $570


Bushwhacker Basket
#7 (7.5" diam.)

Saturday, June 27, 2009
6:30 pm - 9:00 pm
&
Sunday, June 28, 2009
9:00 am - 5:00 pm

#7 (7.5") Bushwhacker basket next to last year's #5 (5.5").

A basket style made in west Taghkanic, New York, commonly referred to as "Bushwhacker" is an example of an American Signature basket design, as unique as the more-recognizable Shaker or Nantucket style. While researching the Shaker baskets, Martha found that the Bushwhacker baskets were made by three families of basket makers living in Columbia County, New York, just 25 miles from the Mt. Lebanon Shaker village. Made from hand-pounded brown ash, this swing-handled (or side ear-handled) basket has a bump bottom and is shaped over a series of molds. The class fee includes all materials, handouts and use of mold, weaving stand and tools.

Instructor: Martha Wetherbee
All Weaving Levels $235

(during the class students will have the choice of either a swing-handle or side ear-handles)

Contact: Tony Stubblefield
if you would like to receive registration information

Welcome

Welcome to my new blog. I have no idea what I am going to do with this, but I am going to give it a try. Hopefully this will be a place for me to share my ideas, thoughts and rants on all things basketry (and I am sure a few other topics here and there). I am also going to dig up some old responses to the hundreds of questions I have received over the years.