The Dream Weaving Studio

Below is my response to Bonnie Krist of Weaver's Words when she asked for suggestions on what a "dream weaving studio" would include. She had a new free standing building so some of these things aren't necessary for a home studio (e.g. hopefully you already have running water in your home!). I have also modified my response a bit as I now have a big table in the middle of my weaving room.

Weaver's Words - February 11, 2008

Bonnie - about setting up a dream weaving studio -  First of all congratulations on the beautiful new barn. Wow, what a wonderful blank slate! OK here is my wish list and must haves:

• Running water
• Double utility sink (a must even if it only has a drain, but no running water)
• Small hot water heater (a must if having running water)
• Bathroom (a luxury depending on how far the house is)
• Lots of shelves (I store most things in clear plastic tubs, but also have lots of books)
• Big windows for natural light
• Lots of grounded electrical outlets
• Overhead florescent work lights with daylight bulbs (I normally am not a fan of florescent light, but got one for my laundry room area of the basement and splurged for daylight bulbs and wow do they produce a lot of nice white light, the fixture cost very little at Home Depot. I am thinking about adding some more to my basement.
• Workbench table - at least 6" long, solid wood for strength, multiple ones depending on tools
• Folding tables - at least two or three 6" (8" tables are great, but are hard to lug around) (if you can find the old cafeteria style, the particle board kind, instead of the new plastic one I would definitely opt for them. I have the old style and wouldn't trade them for anything for the plastic one. I have used those and they are just too "spongy" and not sturdy enough.)
• Comfortable work chairs - at least a couple depending on your workbench layout
• Folding chairs - a lot of these if you think you will hold classes or have people over to weave (I have one weaving chair and one stool that stay in my studio all the time, but about 14 folding chairs that move about depending on the folding tables that are set up.
• Pegboard wall (I don't have this, but am thinking about putting oneup in my basement.)
• Shaker pegboard and shelf running the whole perimeter of the room along with pegs on all the rafters.
• Small refrigerator for caffeinated drinks during those marathon weaving sessions
• Ott light for small detail work
• Goose-neck clamp lights for work table
• Hot plate (for heating water if you don't have running water or for dye baths)
• Magnetic wall strips (for holding tools for easy access)

OK, now for power tools,

Must have:

• Bench top belt sander - I literally travel with mine when I go to classes
• Shop vac - set up with sander for dust collection
• Jeweler's drill press (from MicroMark)
• Dremel tool (cordless)

Basically I could do almost anything with just these basic power tools along with basic hand tools.

Wish list for serious basketmaker who wants to do more woodworking:
(these are things I have had for awhile now)

• Band saw
• Sheet palm sander (I would almost add this to the MUST HAVE list as it can be used for about anything)
• Bench top drill press (You can ad a sanding drum and it is great for sanding handles)
• 10" disc sander (Another one from MicroMark, variable speed, not much power, but most basketweaving needs are more for a more delicate touch than muscle)
• Cordless drill (A good one that will set you back at least $100, if you have to buy a couple of crappy ones over the years you might as well have a good one from the beginning)

(these are things that I recently added)

• Sliding compound miter saw (love it, wish I would have had it years ago)
• Floor drill press (I only got this because my bench top one was a hand-me-down and had too much play in the head and wouldn't drill a clean hole, I now use the bench top for sanding only)
• 48" cooper steam tray plus two hot plates (LOVE IT! Since I am bending my own handles and rims now this was a must)
• Orbital palm sander

Here are some photos from my basket room, it is about 16" x 14" I think with lots of natural light (though I seem to weave mainly at night).

I have the two chairs at my work table, one at the weaving/sanding 
station and the other (actually a stool) at the drilling station.

 I now have a large, 5"x6" table in the center of my room that I LOVE. It has storage in the base and can seat eight people comfortably. Basically you will want to set up your room to accommodate the kinds of 
baskets you weave. Since I usually only weave baskets that are no 
larger than 10" I don't need a lot of table space so dedicate more of 
that to my tools, but I do have lots of molds so have a lot (but never 
enough it seems) of shelves for those. I also store everything in small 
plastic tubs (since again my materials are smaller) and dedicate lots 
of shelves to those.

 Good luck with your new space, you are going to love it.

These photos are a few years old and it is surprising looking at them now how much my room has changed. I have even more molds now! Apparently I have a serious addiction. Oh well there are worst things to be addicted to than baskets...

Basket Book

I always give my dad a basket for Christmas and this year will be no different. But, this year I am also giving him an iPhoto book I created with images of many of the Shaker baskets (and a couple Nantucket baskets) I have made over the years. It is kind of a catalog of my work I guess. I included a title of each basket along with the dimensions. I think it turned out pretty well. I had two versions made, one that is pictured here is a hardback version and the one I am giving Dad. The other is paperback and has a die cut in the cover to show the baskets which are on the "fly sheet."

If you haven't used iPhoto (it is a Mac software title) it is pretty cool to use to set up photo books. There are online versions as well, but I am not sure if you have as much control over the images as you do in iPhoto. Of course I am much pickier than your average human being... This book is about 8.5"x11", but you can make a variety of different sizes and layouts. I may make a few smaller books with just one basket per page, but that will have to wait until after the holidays.

2009 Christmas Basket Ornament

 Alice Ogden, 2009 Christmas Ornament, 2.75" dia. x 3.5" h.

I just received my Alice Ogden Christmas ornament. This year's basket is as beautiful as always. 2009's is a round lidded feather basket with captured lid. If you aren't familiar with Alice's work you should definitely visit her website. She prepares all of her own brown ash splints and white oak handles and rims. Her baskets are not only beautiful they are also very reasonably priced, especially if you are looking for larger baskets. Besides all of her annual Christmas baskets I have a number of others of hers in my collection, like a nesting set of 7 miniature swing handled baskets and a Shaker cheese basket. Alice always signs and dates her baskets, but this time she added a number to each basket on a little star-shaped tag of birch bark. I was fortunate enough to receive basket #2!

Of course the basket went immediately on my basket tree I keep up all year in my work room.

Christmas Cards

For the last quite a few years I have been making my own greeting cards. I now make them for Valentine's Day, Halloween, Thank Yous, Birthdays and of course Christmas. Some years the designs get quite elaborate and end up taking way longer than I thought they would and I am sure longer than the recipients realize. A couple of years ago I decided to do a basket related Christmas card. The year before I had some custom stamps made at Village Impressions of some of my baskets and they turned out so well I made a few more and decided to do some of a basket full of different items, like pine cones, holly leaves and apples (though I screwed up and didn't get the apples made). I wasn't sure what the reaction to the relatively simple (and fast to make) cards featuring a basket of holly leaves would be, since most of my friends are non-basket weavers. Well everyone ended up absolutely loving them. Since it has been a few years I need to come up with a new basket design.

This year's cards are of a snowman (store bought stamp) and I will have to post about it later. I am about finished making them and definitely need to start getting them addressed! I have been home sick the last couple of days with a sinus infection and since sitting up seems to be the most comfortable position to be in I have gotten a few things accomplished. Since I am such a worry wart I have even gotten some Work work done too. Hopefully by tomorrow I will be back to 100%. I have a feeling that the hysteria of Christmas shopping yet completed is about to strike. I can't afford another day of being stuck in the house.

Papeweight Class

Well I haven't done much (who am I kidding, any) basket weaving lately, but I have still been keeping my crafting skill in practice with other projects. One of the classes I recently took with a couple of friends was a class in making glass paperweights at a local shop, Third Degree Glass Factory. This was just an afternoon class, from 2 to 5pm on a Saturday so it was pretty fast and furious. We did learn a lot, but with only having time to make two paperweights you were just getting the hang of it when it was time to quit. I would love to take another class and if they only had 12 students like they initially said then we would have had time to make three paperweights each.

I was surprised at how much of a team effort the project would be. It really took three people to make each paperweight. The person actually "making" the paperweight pretty much stayed seated while an assistant heated up the glass and helped rotate it while the maker worked it with the various tools. A third person's job was to hold a long wooden paddle under your arm and hand so you wouldn't get burnt from the heat coming off the glass. The first one was kind frightening as you didn't really know what to expect and how the glass was going to behave. Of course the three instructors made everything look so easy. But by the second demonstration and the second paperweight we were feeling so much more confident.

The orange paperweight above on the left is my second one and the one I am much happier with. Both are more lopsided than I expected. Some how I completely didn't notice that when they were being finished up, but the one friend I have spoken too that took the class also commented at how lopsided his were too. I guess it is sort of like pot throwing, once you get past a certain point the shape is set and the only way to change it is to basically start over again. If I take another class I would definitely know more of what to watch for and hopefully how to control it. Unfortunately the class was $95.00 so I will have to see if I get any Christmas money.

While this wasn't fiber related in the least it did get me motivated and excited about weaving again. Sometimes you need a little recharge to get the creative juices going again. It is also fun to do things that are completely outside of your comfort zone sometimes.

November 2009 - National Native American Heritage Month

I just read this over on Pam Zimmerman's blog, Catching the Moon: Weaving My Life.

Three of the Native American baskets I have in my personal collection.

NATIONAL NATIVE AMERICAN HERITAGE MONTH, 2009
- - - - - - -
BY THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA

A PROCLAMATION

The indigenous peoples of North America -- the First Americans -- have woven rich and diverse threads into the tapestry of our Nation's heritage. Throughout their long history on this great land, they have faced moments of profound triumph and tragedy alike. During National Native American Heritage Month, we recognize their many accomplishments, contributions, and sacrifices, and we pay tribute to their participation in all aspects of American society.

This month, we celebrate the ancestry and time-honored traditions of American Indians and Alaska Natives in North America. They have guided our land stewardship policies, added immeasurably to our cultural heritage, and demonstrated courage in the face of adversity. From the American Revolution to combat missions in Iraq and Afghanistan, they have fought valiantly in defense of our Nation as dedicated servicemen and women. Their native languages have also played a pivotal role on the battlefield. During World Wars I and II, Native American code talkers developed unbreakable codes to communicate military messages that saved countless lives. Native Americans have distinguished themselves as inventors, entrepreneurs, spiritual leaders, and scholars. Our debt to our First Americans is immense, as is our responsibility to ensure their fair, equal treatment and honor the commitments we made to their forebears.

The Native American community today faces huge challenges that have been ignored by our Government for too long. To help address this disparity, the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act allocates more than $3 billion to help these communities deal with their most pressing needs. In the Fiscal Year 2010 budget, my Administration has proposed over $17 billion for programs carried out by the Bureau of Indian Affairs, Indian Health Service, and other Federal agencies that have a critical role to play in improving the lives of Native Americans. These programs will increase educational opportunities, address the scourge of alcohol abuse and domestic violence, promote economic development, and provide access to comprehensive, accessible, and affordable health care. While funding increases do not make up for past deficiencies, they do reflect our determination to honor tribal sovereignty and ensure continued progress on reservations across America.

As we seek to build on and strengthen our nation-to-nation relationship, my Administration is committed to ensuring tribal communities have a meaningful voice in our national policy debates as we confront the challenges facing all Americans. We will continue this constructive dialogue at the White House Tribal Nations Conference held in Washington, D.C., this month. Native American voices have echoed through the mountains, valleys, and plains of our country for thousands of years, and it is now our time to listen.

NOW, THEREFORE, I, BARACK OBAMA, President of the United States of America, by virtue of the authority vested in me by the Constitution and the laws of the United States, do hereby proclaim November 2009 as National Native American Heritage Month. I call upon all Americans to commemorate this month with appropriate programs and activities, and to celebrate November 27, 2009, as Native American Heritage Day.

IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this thirtieth day of October, in the year of our Lord two thousand nine, and of the Independence of the United States of America the two hundred and thirty-fourth.

BARACK OBAMA

Coiled Zambian Basket

11" dia. x 11" h w/o handle

This beautiful coiled basket was a gift from my aunt and uncle a few Christmases ago. A coworker of my aunt was going to Africa so she asked her if she would look for a basket for her nephew. The poor woman had to drag the basket all over her vacation, but according to my aunt she took it as a quest and had fun looking for and acquiring the basket. Somewhere I have a photo of her with the basket on safari. I thought it was inside the basket, but it isn't so I will have to track it down.

Here is what the note inside the basket said:

Makenge basket, hand-woven from the roots of the Makenge tree by the women of the Upper Zambezi River region of Zambia. Makenge baskets take about a week each to make and are used to harvest, winnow and store grain. A newlywed bride may be given several baskets by her in-laws, which she will eventually pass down to her children. Makenge baskets are very strong and durable which, if required, can be washed or scrubbed with no ill effect. Colors are obtained by boiling the roots in various barks.

The basket is definitely sturdy and well made. The lid fits on like Tupperware. As with all of my collection the only "use" the basket sees is as an art object. I don't intend to scrub the basket any time soon.