Welcome

Well, I've learned quite a bit since first starting to weave these Cherokee Baskets.

So rather than going back and trying to update the instructions with more info, I decided to just add a blog on weaving tips.

This is the most up to date info.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Difference between Reed and Cane weaving

All of my baskets are currently made using commercial reed and cane and commercial dyes and are thus considered contemporary baskets. So these tips pertain to that style of weaving. I've tried to keep the weave as traditional as possible, since I'm Cherokee, that's important. As with all artistic endeavors, you'll find that the basketweaver will have their own style in weaving the basket, so there are many ways to begin but a Cherokee Basket will always look basically the same. The cane is the same that is used for chair caning. Although you can use the natural cane, which has the outer hard skin still on, I have found that using the Hamburg cane gives you a much tighter and even looking basket. Hamburg cane is that cane which has been bleached and stripped of this outer hard skin or shell. This type of cane is used in making the contemporary Cherokee Double Woven Baskets. Although you can use flat reed or oval reed to make these and in some cases, this might be the pre
Read more

Flowing Water Weaving

Image
Look very carefully at the middle weavers in this basket bottom, bottom photo. This is the way you need to start the basket in order for the design to come out right on the outside bottom. The top center weaver begins Under 3 to the left and Over 3 to the right; the bottom center weaver begins Over 3 to the left and Under 3 to the right. This is looking at the middle and when weaving from the middle to the outside edges. When turning the rim at the Over 6 row, you will have more of the Over 6 going to the outside than the inside, so the turn isn't exactly in the middle of this row. This will bring the basket side up even with the inside bottom just before beginning the outside bottom. I did not tuck the inside weavers to the bottom on this basket and I think it makes for a much fuller and better bottom. Instead I just cut the inside weavers and they will automatically tuck as you weave the outside weavers of the bottom; Now looking at the top photo of the basket outside bottom; at
Read more

What to do about mold

Oh, this is the weaver's worst nightmare. If you have no dyed reed in your basket you might try a light solution of bleach water. If it's just in a small space you might try a Q-Tip to put the bleach solution directly on the moldy spot. However, if you have dyed reed in your basket, about the only thing you can do is throw it away....:(
Read more