red cedar hats and clam basket by Wilderness Basketry

red cedar hats and clam basket by Wilderness Basketry
red cedar hats and clam basket/photo by Nina Ricks

cedar root burden basket by Wilderness Basketry

cedar root burden basket by Wilderness Basketry
cedar root burden basket with double warp

red cedar duck basket by Wilderness Basketry

red cedar duck basket by Wilderness Basketry
red cedar duck basket

Wednesday, January 2, 2013

2014 Wilderness Basketry Classes offered

2014 Class Schedule for Wilderness Basketry
 (all materials respectfully gathered and prepared) .




"A basket is not really a basket, but a vessel created of beauty, joy, and happiness from a window in the soul, a reflection of love and a creative outlet to our ancestors of the past."




















CEDAR ROSES

Learn to make cedar bark roses and use for special occasions which honors the great ' western red cedar' tree of the Pacific Northwest. Make 4-6 large cedar roses with stems and leaves using western red cedar bark.

Material fee: $35.00  Two hr. class  No registration fee.



Beginner Red Cedar Letter Basket            
(10" long X 4" wide and 3 1/2" tall)
16 hour class
Material fee: $135.00

What you can learn: Overlay, 2 and 3 strand twinning and a traditional folded rim. You will also learn how to harvest and prepare materials and how to weave without a mold. ( Recommended for beginners.)







Cedar Visor
one size fits all
You will be the envy of all wearing your western red cedar visor while playing golf, shopping, or gardening. The student will learn how to work with cedar, checker weave, twinning, and a traditional folded rim. Materials used are western red cedar, waxed linen, and leather. A mold will be provided for use in the class.
12 hour class
Cost: $100.00 material fee






Cedar Moon Basket
3 1/2" H X 6 1/2" W X 6 1/2 " D
Make this delightful cedar basket with a unique half moon base and sides that use different widths of cedar to create a pattern. You will also learn basic twinning and a folded traditional rim. The handle is made from a round braid of cedar.

16 hour class
Material fee: $120.00
What you can learn: half moon base, basic twinning, folded rim, round braid handle, overlay, working with bear grass and red cedar bark






CEDAR MEMORY POUCH OR SPIRIT POUCH
Make this 1”X 2” X 2” cedar necklace pouch to hold special memories, sacred items for you, and or fetishes.

Materials: western red cedar bark, raffia, deer or elk leather, feathers, beads

8 hour class
Material fee: $50.00
What you can learn: Overlay, 2 and 3 strand twinning. cordage making, and a traditional braided rim.









WILD THING” CEDAR BASKET 5 ½” X 51/2” X 2”
Let your creative juices flow and sculpture your own shape as you design a one of a kind basket.

Materials: western red cedar bark and Pacific NW sweet grass
MATERIAL FEE: $110.00





Split Spoke Vertical” CEDAR 4” X 2” X3”

Native western red cedar bark, bear grass or reed canary grass and Pacific NW sweet grass using 2 strand twinning. Let your creative juices flow and thank the cedar for his gracious gift as you twine and weave your own design into your basket.
What you can learn: Old traditional technique for starting the base, 2 strand twinning using natural materials, and a traditional braided rim.
Material fee: $85.00

  
TOTE BASKET (51/2” x 53/4” long x3”wide)

(Double length and width of materials for a full scale tote).


This cedar basket makes a lovely purse or tote using western red cedar, raffia, and bear grass. This is a two day class. Learn a 2/2 twill base, basic twinning, how to wrap a rim, and make a round 6 strand braided handle.
Optional: closure with antler button.
16 hour class
Material fee: $140








Garden Hats

Make yourself a random weave garden hat to wear to garden events using your choice of colors of materials available and decorate with a rose. A fun project.

8 hour class
Material fee: $65



CEDAR WRAP AROUND PLAITING UTILITY OR BERRY BASKET

41/2” wide X 51/2” long X 51/2” tall and 28” diameter

History:
Wrap around plaiting is a basket construction technique that was found on baskets from the NW coast that dated from 2500 to 3000 years ago. This technique was used most in large carrying baskets. This continuous weave cedar basket is very functional and would make a great berry gathering basket.

This is a two day class. Expect to learn a continuous weave pattern using a wooden mold (not included in class fee) and a folded and braided rim. The rope tumpline is a separate class taught in the afternoon of the second day. This is both a beautiful and functional basket.
Materials: western red cedar bark, cedar root

Material fee: $185.00 





Cedar Drum Basket

Weave this cedar basket using the cross warp X’s, basic twining, 3 strand twinning, a bear grass overlay and a braided rim. Emphasis is on technique.

Size: 4 ½”tall X 3” wide X 3 and 1/2” diameters and 12” circumference at the top.

Materials: western red cedar bark, raffia, bear grass or reed canary grass

16 hour class

                                                     Material fee: $95.00





TRIPLE WALL CEDAR
4" X 2.5"
Learn to make this basket with inner, outer, and middle warps. Vertical design with dyed cedar or bear grass. Focus is on technique. Traditional folded rim.
Materials: western red cedar bark, raffia, bear grass optional

10 hour class

                                                     Material fee: $85.00




To inquire about classes, call Wilderness Basketry at 360-830-0100 or email sidetrack1@live.com

Classes to be scheduled as per students request with a minimum of three students in attendance. Teaching fee is $35.00 dollars per day per student for three students plus material fee for the class.








Wednesday, July 27, 2011

new old basket

 made this basket repro from an old basket reminant given to me by a friend. I love the simplicity of the design and colors. This class will be offered in the near future and at the March retreat.

Wednesday, February 23, 2011

Seattle Basketry Guild

http://www.nwbasketweavers.org/

I wanted to share this link with you. This happens in March every year in Port Orchard, WA for 4 days. Lots of fun and no dishes and no cooking. Just in brain overload weaving and visiting all your friends you only get to see once per year. Click on brochure download to see all the classes offered this year.

I'm also starting a line of garden hats. That should be fun.

Monday, January 3, 2011

HARVESTING CEDAR

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finding the right  tree in an area to be logged

pulling bark

getting started
 
removing outer bark
A lucky day. What a blessing to find a tree that isn't cut down yet. Be sure to thank the tree for its clothing and let it know what you are going to do with it.



How to gather cedar bark

Tuesday, September 7, 2010

About Us

About me:

I grew up in the Appalachian Mountains of Kentucky, near Berea, and had no neighbor children to play with so I usually entertained myself by observing nature and playing with natural materials. When I was about six I made my first basket from cockle burrs and later grasshopper homes and bridges from stems. I learned native plants and trees and then I discovered basketry, my second passion in life, the first being plants. My maternal grandmother was Cherokee and she taught me many uses of plants. I remember as a child walking on the river cliffs to gather plants to prepare for dinner. (That's another story.) This awe of plants and weaving has led me to where I am today. I have studied with many Native American master basket weavers from the Pacific Northwest plus local basket artists as well as a noted Applachian white oak basket maker. I have been a member of the Seattle Vi Phillips Basketry Guild for many years and have taught in Washington and Oregon. My work has been displaid in the Kitsap County Indian Museum, local libraries, local and state fairs, and in Washington galleries.  Recently, I was featured in a basketry article in the Kitsap County Westsound Home and Garden Magazine.
My love of plants and weaving remains strong and I would like to share this knowledge so others may experience the spiritual and physical  rewards that weaving with natural materials brings.

My husband, George, grew up in the Blue Ridge Mountains of Virginia. He is a wildlife biologist by trade and has devoted many years to the gathering, harvesting, and preparation of natural materials. He has also studied with Native American and local artists. He uses cedar bark, cedar and spruce roots, and local grasses and sedges in his baskets. His prefered technique is coiling.