How time flies when you are having fun

10" diameter ribbed basket - reed

1984? Really? How in the world did 28 years go by so quickly? I am not even 100 percent sure when I made my first basket. Oh I remember weaving that first basket, a round reed wickerwork number, I am just not sure if it was in winter of 1983 or spring of 1984. I know I was home from college, just not sure if it was for Christmas or Spring break. I guess that really doesn't matter, I have been weaving for quite a while, almost 30 years. Since I am only 29 years old, I am not really sure how that works...

Anyway, back to reality. When I first started weaving my favorite type to make were ribbed baskets. This one was made after I took a week long workshop with Estel and Gertie Youngblood at the Appalachian Center for Crafts. The reason I know this is that I have starting "filling in" the traditional Appalachian method the Youngbloods taught me. Though it doesn't use the "ear" that we used in class. I know I used to switch between two different traditional styles.

10" diameter ribbed basket - hand split white oak

The crazy thing is that as much as I have always loved this style of basket I have not made a ribbed basket in probably a dozen years. I used to teach a lot of ribbed basket classes, but when I stopped teaching those back in the late 90s I quit making them completely. I really want to take another white oak class and hopefully will get to one of these years.

What I've Been Up To

Wow, has the end of summer been crazy busy or what? Not only did I host a fabulous class with Eric Taylor at the end of July (you can see some photos from the workshop here), but also immediately following was the Basketweavers Guild of Missouri's annual convention where I was a vendor and Vendor Chair.

Fortunately as busy as I was, I was able actually get some baskets woven and more importantly finished! Here are those baskets.

Cottage Handbag

Cottage Jewelry

Cottage Dresser Tote

Cottage Wine Tote "Smalls"

Full-sized Cottage Triple Diamond Wine Tote and its little cousin

Sometimes it is hard to tell the actual size of a well made miniature in a photograph. Eric Taylor's are so well proportioned that you simply can't get a sense of scale until you compare one of the baskets from his "smalls" collection to the full-size counterpart. Here the Smalls Wine Tote is paired with the first ever Eric Taylor basket I wove, the Cottage Triple Diamond Wine Tote. I would love to make another of the miniature version and repeat the diamond twill pattern in it.

Cottage Business Card

I wasn't vending on Sunday, the last day of the MBG convention, so I decided to take Eric Taylor's Cottage Business Card class. It was so nice to just be taking a class and relax and weave. What a cute little basket, fun to weave and fast to complete. I can't wait to put it to use.

Shaker Bureau Basket

I had bought this black ash kit back at the Stateline Friend's Weaving Retreat, but hadn't had a chance to weave it. I took the opportunity, while I was vending to demonstrate the weaving stands I make and sell, to finally make this basket. I just love weaving with black ash.