My basketry inventory, all in one place.

 We are now ready for our last ever craft show this weekend. My complete inventory is now packed in the car, and in the totes held to the roof rack by bungee cords. All the shelving units are packed in the car too as are two folding chairs, the table, the pop-up sun shelter and materials to use in demonstrating basket-making. Signs are ready announcing 50% off all baskets as well as a selling price for the shelving units. If sales go well, I will return with a much reduced inventory and, perhaps, without the shelving units. We will then be able to try to sell off the remaining supplies and tools, and we will donate my basketry books to the Guild.

We have enjoyed the many sales and exhibitions we have had over the years. But it is tiring spending perhaps an hour in loading the car each time, setting up at the sites for 30 to 60 minutes each time, selling for hours each day, and then packing up once more just to have to unload everything once we get home. We will miss all the people we meet, and the joy of making beautiful and useful baskets. But the chores of preparation, setting up and tearing down have become too much.

Music on a weaving or spinning theme.

For November's Exhibition and Sale of the Ottawa Valley Weavers' and Spinners' Guild, there are plans to play music on a theme of weaving and/or spinning. Do readers of my blog have any suggestions to add to the few that I have thought of? If so, make a comment and add them.

One song that comes to mind is "Foggy Foggy Dew", recorded by many artists including Burl Ives. "Now I am a bachelor and I live with my sons and we work at the weaver's trade. And the only, only thing that I ever did wrong was to woo a fair young maid."

Another is the Irish Folk Song, called "Spinning Wheel", that tells of a young women spinning while her grandmother dozes by the fireside and her lover waits just outside the window.

Blood, Sweat and Tears recorded another "Spinning Wheel" song: "What goes up must come down", although the spinning wheel in this case is a carousel.

Buffy Ste. Marie recorded "Little wheel spin and spin", a long time favourite of mine.

And the United Church Hymn Book, "Voices United", as well as several other hymn books has the hymn, "Dear Weaver of our Lives designs" that could become the anthem of weavers and spinners throughout the world.

I look forward to your suggestions.

Planning for the Guild's Exhibition and Sale.

Today I went downtown to attend the planning meeting for this year's Ottawa Valley Weavers and Spinners Guild Exhibition and Sale (The Sale). Following last night's 20 cm snowfall, I decided to drive to the Park and Ride and take the bus. Overall it was more than an hour each way, but a safe and serene ride.

The meeting was for all potential participants in The Sale. That Sale is held in the beautiful Glebe Community Centre where there is room for 26 booths. Invitations for this meeting were sent to all possible participants, but only 13 attended. So what was planned by these is what will be. As is the norm, I was the lonely member of the male sex, and the lonely basket-maker among all the weavers and spinners.

Today's meeting was held at Heartwood House off Rideau Street in downtown Ottawa. Heartwood House is the home of the Guild as well as perhaps two dozen or more charitable organizations. Heartwood House has been sold to a developer and there are rumours of a multi-story condominium replacing it. This may well be the last meeting I attend there since March is the planned moving date to a new centre.

As with most of the meetings of the Guild, consensus building was the technique used in going through the agenda. Everyone had her say. I was very patient as I prefer a more structured approach to meetings. By the end of the meeting all had volunteered for one task or another. Mine is to collect from all booth-holders, on the first day of the sale, donations from each participant to the retail value of $50.00 or more. As I do this, I will make a list of the donors, what their donation is, and the assigned value. I will then keep a running total of the value, and place the donations that reach a particular total in a basket where they will be on view as one of the lottery prizes. Any excess donations will be put on one side.

My task is not time consuming, but it is valuable.There are twenty-six booths planned for at the Glebe Centre so z minimum of around $1300 of hand crafted donations will be collected.

As is usual. the 33rd (?) Sale will be held on the first weekend in November, Friday night, Saturday and Sunday.

Rib baskets with oak hoops

On the Sunday of the Ottawa Valley Weavers' and Spinners' Guild Exhibition and Sale, I made four rib baskets from some of the oak hoops a fellow guild member gave me. This was to demonstrate how to make rib baskets. It was also a promotion to promote potential workshops on rib basket-making.

The hoops I have range in size from a 3" diameter upwards through 4", 5", 6" to 7". The 3" diameter hoops are shown on the right in the photo above. I sold the 3" and 4" diameter rib baskets I made even before they dried. Above are the two remaining ones, the 5" and 6" diameter baskets.

I plan to make more rib baskets from these remaining hoops: one more 3", one 4", two six inch, and three 7".  Where there are single hoops left, I may pair them with a grapevine hoop of a similar size.

At the Ottawa Valley Weavers and Spinners Guild Exhibition and Sale

 The large open hall of the Glebe Community Centre was the venue for the Exhibition and Sale. The middle section was set up for demonstrations of the techniques used by Guild members.

 In my booth area, we set up items from my Anne Boleyn line on the shelf beneath the large window. That line consists of wicker heads (hat stands) and torsos (scarf or necklace display units).

The rib baskets I make are popular items. The large one, third one in on the middle shelf sold as did the one above it.

Last year I made no sales on Friday night so the two sales I made this Friday bode well for Saturday and Sunday. One of my sales went to a repeat customer too.

Exhibitors at this weekend's Exhibition and Sale

http://www.ovwsg.com/exhibitionandsale/exhibitorlist.html

I am very happy to be included among the talented artisans at this weekend's Ottawa Valley Weavers and Spinners Guild Exhibition and Sale. Along side the weavers and spinners I will be demonstrating how to make baskets, and seeking people to take part in basket-making classes next year. I also hope to make good sales.

The link above shows the many skilled artisans who let me be a part of their organization.

Grapevine bark: too much effort for too little return.

Today I finished stripping the bark off the remaining grapevine branches I had in soak. While I filled a large container with the bark, in reality very little of it was usable for weaving. Over 90% of the strips I removed were too short to use. There were only enough longer lengths to weave the body of a rib basket made from 8" diameter oak hoops. So the total output from days of labour was enough for a very small basket of  5" oak hoops and a slightly larger one at 8".

I will revisit this idea of using bark in the spring when I prepare the white willow by stripping it of its bark. Perhaps I will find that the percentage of useful weaving strips will be larger.

I did coat the two baskets with varnish today. My memory says that the Vancouver basket of willow weavers was similarly varnished. The two baskets are now drying. Hopefully they will be dry tomorrow when I head for the Exhibition and Sale of the Ottawa Valley Weavers and Spinners Guild.
That sale is at the Glebe Community Centre in Ottawa, from 4 00 to 8 00 pm on Friday, 10 00 am to 5 00 pm on Saturday, and from 10 00 am to 4 00 pm on Sunday.

Possibilities for teaching basketry classes

 The Guild I belong to, The Ottawa Valley Weavers and Spinners Guild, has lots of spinning and weaving classes, but a shortage of basket-making classes. Today, I and two other basket-makers from the Guild, received a special appeal to offer basket-making classes in 2013. I have taught the occasional class before, so I responded favourably this time.

I offered my skills in offering classes in 1. Making a rib basket as above, or 2. Making a Market Basket as above. The first class would likely see the basket completed in one day (from 10 to 4 00) while the second would likely take two days. I would supply all the tools and materials with one exception for the Market Basket. There I would ask participants to bring around 30 clothes pegs. I (or I should say Anne)   have enough pegs on hand for about two baskets, not six or more that could be needed.

Upgrading open weave baskets

 Over the last few months I made a variety of "open weave baskets" modelled on the one above. This is one we use as the temporary storage basket for cans and bottles and plastic on the way to the recycle box.

 Though we like these open baskets, we have sold perhaps one. So, on Anne's recommendation, I have began to change the open weave into a sold finish. Here one basket is part way under that process.

 The infilling process is completed. Later I might weave a lid for this, and others, and ask Anne to sew liners to convert such into sewing baskets. I know those sell well.

 This open weave basket is made from cane dyed with walnut dye I made myself from walnuts I purchased from a member of the Ottawa Valley Weavers and Spinners Guild.

I had some flat weave cane on hand that was also dyed with that walnut dye. The finished product looks quite good. If it does not sell this weekend at Almonte's Fibrefest, I will certainly weave a lid and change it into a sewing basket. Earth tone baskets sell well.

A good weekend at the Ottawa Valley Weavers and Spinners Guild Exhibition and Sale.

Thanks go to Jan Scott of the Ottawa Valley Weavers and Spinners Guild for these photographs taken during the Guild's Exhibition and Sale this last weekend.

This is the second of the two "Display Heads for Hats" I made during that weekend. It was sold while still being made! Perhaps I have found a niche market.





The customer was particularly pleased with the spiral affect of the three-rod waling as well as of the vertical stakes spiraling around too. This "basket head" will be placed on a bird table pedestal in terracotta where it will serve as a resting place for hats wet with rain or wet snow. She felt the head had a Modigliani-like appearance.







This is a work in progress,











A moment of laughter as I demonstrate some essential points about rib baskets.











Back at work again.

The Ottawa Valley Weavers and Spinners Guild Exhibition and Sale, 2010

Friday was the first day of the Ottawa Valley Weavers and Spinners Guild's Exhibition and Sale. In accordance with tradition, the first prize in the raffle is a coverlet woven by Guild members on the 100" loom.





The second prize is $500.00 of products made by Guild members collected together in one of my market baskets.







The Exhibition and Sale is a means of providing members with the opportunity to sell their hand-made products as well as introducing the public to the methods by which the hand-made products are made. Demonstrations of weaving, for example, are held throughout the period the Exhibition is open.




Similarly, spinning demonstrations are taking place. These encourage new members to join the Guild.







A quartet also entertained the guests as they viewed the demonstrations and eyed the goods that are for sale.







My basketry products were prominent.

Dyeing with walnuts

Last night, at the monthly meeting of the Ottawa Valley Weavers and Spinners Guild, I asked what I had to do with the walnut liquor I had in my shed. Last fall I was gifted with about two dozen walnuts, larger than golf balls. I was told to put them in a pail of water and store them in a shed over the winter. Then, in the spring, ask how to use the liquid to dye cane. Now was the time to ask! Here is the liquor and one of the walnuts.


"Just dip the cane in the liquor, " was the answer. "But wear gloves so that your hands are not stained.







I did as I was told! Here some flat cane has been dyed. It is a beautiful light golden brown.








Similarly, a skein of round cane shows that golden brown.

Thank you, Judy Kavanaugh, hand spinner and knitter.

Fan or critic?

Debra Turnbull, fellow-member of the Ottawa Valley Weavers and Spinners Guild, sent me this picture. I do not know whether the animal is a fan of mine or the severest of critics!

Some Guild members raise sheep and goats for their wool, and then spin the wool using traditional techniques (spinning wheels for example), dye the wool, and then hand-weave it into the finest of cloths.

An anthem for weavers and spinners

Hymn #623 in the hymnary of the United Church of Canada (Voices United) is titled, "Dear weavers of our lives' designs." It is a favourite of mine and would serve well as an anthem for weavers and spinners as well as many others.

The words follow:

Dear weaver of our lives design whose pattern all obey,
with skillful fingers gently guide the sturdy threads that will survive
the tangle of our days, the tangle of our days.


Take up the fabric of our lives with hands that gently hold;
bind in the ragged edge that care would sunder and that pain would tear,
and mend our ravelling souls, and mend our ravelling souls.


Let eyes that in the plainest cloth a hidden beauty see
discern in us our richest hues, show us the patterns we may use
to set our spirits free, to set our spirits free.



Words by Nancy C. Dorian, copyright 1992, Unitarian Universalist Association.

We sing it to "Repton".

Heartwood Gifts and Heartwood House

Today I received a small parcel via Canada Post's Express Post service. An initial glance showed that it came from "Heartwood." "Wow," I thought, "that's nice of the Ottawa Valley Weavers and Spinners Guild to send me a Christmas Gift." ("Heartwood House" is the name of the building in which the Guild meets.)

The parcel was very well sealed and I had to use a serrated knife to hack into it. I was very puzzled when I read the card that was inside. All it said was "Mary Wood". I could think of no Guild members with that name.

Julian then pointed out that the parcel was labelled "Heartwood Gifts" not "Heartwood House" and that it was mailed in British Columbia, not downtown Ottawa. A light dawned on me then: the gift was from my sister Mary in England who must have ordered it via the World Wide Web.

I hastely sent her an email thanking her and suggesting that we had similar ideas since we had ordered gifts for our English relatives via Etsy stores in England.

A quick search of the Etsy website turned up no Etsy store named "Heartwood Gifts".
It is, however, listed via Google as www.heartwoodgifts.com. Check it out.

Noon-time Sale at the Ottawa Valley Weavers and Spinners Guild workshop.

From Monday through Thursday this week, the Ottawa Valley Weavers and Spinners Guild resource room is open at lunch-time for the sale of selected items made by Guild members.






Many looms are found in this area with on-the-go projects on display.

Resources for Guild members and the library are also found here.

First set of basket-making lessons completed

Patrisha arrived at 8 45 am for the second day of her basket-making lessons. For her sewing basket all that remained to be done was to weave the lid. This was done in less than two hours. Her finished basket and mine are shown here, side by side. Which is the student's work and which is the teacher's?





By noon, Patrisha had woven the base of her market basket as well as the first three rounds of the sides. After a 30 minute lunch break, Patrisha worked hard to complete the market basket. At times I had difficulty in keeping up with her. For example, when we each completed the lashing of the rim she finished at least 10 minutes before I did. The student's work and the teacher's are again showed side by side.

These are Patrisha's baskets. She is a very fast learner and well on her way to becoming an accomplished basket-maker.

Day one of the sewing basket class

Patrisha and Bunty arrived promptly at my home this morning at 9 00 am to begin to learn how to make a sewing basket using English basket-making techniques. Flo Hoppe's book called for "four spokes through four" to begin weaving the base, but I modified this to "five through four." This way the students could learn a wider variety of weaves since there would be thirty-six spokes on the sides. This would enable students to learn weaves that required a number of spokes divisible by two as well as other weaves that required a number divisible by three.
The first photograph shows one base at its finished stage and with the spokes upsett.

In weaving the sides, we learned how to do a four rod coiling weave to set the upsett. We then wove five more rows of three rod waling. This was followed by twining rows using two sets of two weavers. (Patrisha refered to this as "double, double," Canadian-speak for a Tim Horton's regular coffee with two milk and two sugar.) I then attempted to have the students learn how to weave one row of three rod waling followed by a second row of reverse three rod waling to create the arrow pattern shown in natural and wine here. This was the most difficult part of the teaching and learning. The above photograph show the arrow pattern as woven by me.


Both students opted for using Tamarak bark in the "stop-and-go" weaving technique they had learned in weaving flat cane into their trays last week. Not only was this simple to do but it also saved them a lot of time and effort in weaving more rows with round or flat cane. Patrisha's basket is shown here. In later weaving rounds she substituted continuous rows of regular three-rod waling for the arrow weave to make an attractive pattern.





Bunty's basket is shown here. Both Patrisha and Bunty prefered to use the Tamarak bark with the outer bark showing on the outside of the basket. I prefered to show the inner side of that bark on my basket.




By 3 30 pm both students were ready to call it a day. They had accomplished more than I had expected. Bunty's basket is shown here with a finished border. Patrisha took hers home to show it off. When each student returns, they will make a lid for their basket, and learn how to make a small market style basket from flat cane.

A successful tray-making class

The first photo shows the collection of trays with basket edging made in today's basketry class. Four trays were made by my students and one by me. The image shows these trays displayed on one of the tables in the Ottawa Valley Weavers and Spinners studio.





This is the finished tray of one of the students, Patricia. Others felt they needed to spend a little more time on the finishing touches. They promised to read the instructions I gave out very closely, and to study the photographs and commentry in my June 9th blog.

For readers interested in making similar trays, visit my Etsy shop and examine the tray kits there. In addition to the materials needed to make such a tray, each kit contains written isntructions as well as a reference to the June 9th eight-step blog that shows how to make such a tray.

For the next two Sundays, I will have one or maybe two students in my home to learn how to make a sewing basket.

Assembling material for my tray-making class

On Sunday November 15th I will be teaching four or more students how to make this tray or a similar one. At last night's Guild meeting I was told I have four students registered, with openings for two more to my maximum of six.





Today I began to assemble the material I will take to the Guild's classroom/weaving room in downtown Ottawa. Along with the verbal instruction and the demonstration as I show the students how to make the tray, I will also give each student a generic set of written instructions as shown here. Some students learn by seeing, others by doing, and others by reading.



Each student will have the materials and tools supplied. They will be able to choose the colour or colours they wish to weave with in the flat cane segments of the weaving. Choice may also be made as to the colour of the pony beads some may choose for added embellishment.





Students may also choose the size of the tray base. Some bases are square and others are rectangular. All have been pre-drilled, sanded and finished with a light coat of beeswax.

I look forward to a constructive afternoon of three hours or so in length where beautiful finished products will be made. I hope to show off the finished trays in my blog on the 15th or 16th.

For those of you unable to take part in my class, similar trays can be purchased through my Etsy shop. Alternatively, you could purchase a Tray Kit from me. Such kits include all the materails you need, written instructions as well as visual tutorials showing the various steps in the making of trays. These tutorials can be seen on the June 9th blog.