Basketry

The simplicity of this "catch all" has a slight graceful curve at the corners, rimmed with a hoop and lashed with cane. Woven using reed, Dona will share tips on shaping up the sides. This is a student favorite of Dona's designs. The lid allows for students to hide away their trinkets inside. This is a quick and fun project for all, with great results! This basket is appropriate for basket weavers of all levels. Dimensions 6" x 7" x 7" high.

Whether drying herbs and flowers for tea, medicine, or natural dyes, this basket design is useful for both harvesting and drying. The bottom is "openwork," allowing airflow from underneath. Students will weave the corners in such a way as to raise the base as well. The sides are "continuous weave" in a two-by-two twill, creating a beautiful stepping-up pattern.

This basket showcases the colors of the Adirondacks that we all love. The birch bark has many layers, and each show its beauty in this project. Using a red oak base, we will focus on the placement of spokes and weavers, also adding additional birch to the inside. Embellish the rim with pine needles as you stitch with waxed linen. This basket is appropriate for basket weavers of all levels. Dimensions: 8 ½" long x 2 ½" wide x 3 ¼" high. Students should bring with them a tapestry needle and a sharp awl.

Bring the Adirondacks into your home. There are various steps of stitching on this hanging birch bark project using waxed linen. This also includes learning how to fold it into a pouch shape without it cracking. Next you will be embellishing the attached lid and the bottom edge has additional birch and pine needles. You will attach leather to the lid, also for hanging. Students will add beads to complete. This project is appropriate for students of all levels. Dimensions: 10" high x 5 ½" wide x 16" around top. Students should bring with them a tapestry needle and a sharp awl.

This is a variation on a Wool Drying Basket but tall and narrow -perfect for a knitting project. Students will weave in an over two under two twill pattern and learn to weave an arrow pattern using dyed reed.  The hardwood handle and feet give this basket its convenient height. This is an intermediate level class. Dimensions: 12" tall x 11" across at top. 20" tall with feet and handle.

Students will weave a twined base on a red oak d-handle, building the sides in a start-stop plain weave. A sturdy strip of birch bark is woven onto the base at the onset. The evergreen trees are overlaid on the spokes and through the weavers using hand-dyed reed. An optional Adirondack themed rusty tin addition may be hung inside the handle.

These projects: the Mini Penobscot and Mini Canoe are constructed with birch bark similar to those made years ago by New England Algonquian and Penobscot Natives. Much smaller in size and to be respectful some changes have been made. Needle skills are helpful as these are stitched with waxed linen and embellished with pine needles.

Barbara designed this basket inspired by the Fibonacci sequence of numbers. The basket is woven on a Shaker Cathead base with a two-by-two twill in natural reed. Students will weave the sides in a contrasting color reed to emphasize the 13 spirals which the pattern will create. Hand-shaping techniques will be stressed, allowing students to produce a beautifully proportioned piece. Barbara will lead a discussion on "The Nature of Numbers," a talk on where the Fibonacci sequence exists in nature.

Barbara designed this basket inspired by the Fibonacci sequence of numbers. The basket is woven on a Shaker Cathead base with a two-by-two twill in natural reed. Students will weave the sides in a contrasting color reed to emphasize the 13 spirals which the pattern will create. Hand-shaping techniques will be stressed, allowing students to produce a beautifully proportioned piece. Barbara will lead a discussion on "The Nature of Numbers," a talk on where the Fibonacci sequence exists in nature.

These projects: the Mini Penobscot and Mini Canoe are constructed with birch bark similar to those made years ago by New England Algonquian and Penobscot Natives. Much smaller in size and to be respectful some changes have been made. Needle skills are helpful as these are stitched with waxed linen and embellished with pine needles.

Students will learn the basics of making a Nantucket basket using natural cane spokes and weavers. Woven on a class mold, students will insert the spokes into a walnut base. Weaving will be done in a continuous fashion up to the top This basket has a beautiful matching walnut rim to finish it off. This basket is appropriate for basket weavers of all levels. Dimensions: 8 ½" wide x 3 ½" high.

This basket was designed exclusively for the Beekman Mercantile in Sharon Springs, NY. It features a large 12" x 7" solid bottom Shaker Cathead that, when inverted, forms the cover for this pie carrier. The base is a 13" breadboard that will be provided. The instructor designed the component parts of the carrier to be used on a daily basis. The basket is for bread and fruit and the bread board is for cutting and/or serving. You need only store the handle (provided) and strap until ready to use as a pie or cake carrier. Students will weave the solid bottom base using a Shaker technique. The basket will then be pinned to a mold (provided) for weaving using a chase weave technique. Students will also learn to rivet leather to assemble the straps. The handle assembly will be provided. The finished size of the basket is 13" x 8" (without handle).