Just For You

This basket was made for a gift exchange at the Southwest Florida Craft Guild this past weekend.  Everyone was asked to bring a handmade gift of their specialty.  The gift exchange is one of those choose a present or take a present from someone that has opened one.  It gets to be very interesting, to say the least, as some pieces are passed around several times.  I really enjoy doing some smaller pieces and trying to make each a study of different techniques.  This time I was interested in accenting the base area, hence the twist.  I also haven't done a lot with the heads of the pine needles, so I decided to include a bunch of those.  I'll use these ideas in future baskets.

Size:  6 x 6 x 5

INSPIRATION

This basket lives up to its name.  The natural agate is a stunning blue lace with a crystal section around the natural hole.  It must have been a center slice.  The triple walls are two coils of muhly grass with rattan spokes in between.  The tapestry is mainly twined palm inflorescence which I carefully chose from different trees to give a variety of color.  There are also sections of natural leather.  The top area is accented with rosettes of pine needles and knotless netting.  This piece was a challenge from the very beginning.  I needed to use a improvised "lazy susan" to elevate and turn the piece as it was woven. Since it needed to be moist each time and I needed three hours to stitch one trip around,  I had to plan a block of time each day I wanted to work on it. This basket was over six months in the making. "Inspiration" has already won its share of prizes and I continue to enter it in shows around the country. 

Size:  19 in X 19 in X 8 in

Price:  $1200

ANDES

Bold patterns, striking agate, over sized.   If pattern is the "it" for you, then this is the pine needle basket for you.  The designs come from several old Peruvian and South American Indian designs that I saw on some pottery.  I was intrigued by the way one pattern flows into another seemingly without a beginning or end.  This is the idea I planned for this basket.  The brown agate in the bottom showcases the center as the basket is view from the toip.  The rich brown natural pine needles supply the background for the black sinew that makes the pattern.  There is a lot of wrapping in this one and therefore a lot of time in the making.

Sixze:  14 x 14 x 10 in
Price:  $275

Weathered

This is pine needle art brought to a new level.  This pine needle basket was one of those projects that was a pleasure to make.  It's faceted jasper beads are so intriguing that I had to place as many as I could in the basket.  I bought the beads first, just because I liked them, then went hunting for the agate.  It's usually the other way around.  The rich brown color of the natural pine needles surrounds a deep colored agate.    I "weathered" the waxed linen thread to tone down the hue, hence, the name.

Size: About 10 x 8 x 6 in     
Price:  $250

Small Collection

 I'm on my way to an art show in Venice, FL this weekend.  I usually try to take some smaller pieces. This dyed pine needle frame is set around a small mirror making a nice accent piece.  The green waxed linen thread and Jade beads coordinate with the maple color of the needles.  "Maplene" sells for $45.

 This nice little keepsake basket is "All Natural", hence its name.  It's about 5 inches high which makes it a perfect size for a shelf or on a dresser.  The Maine pine cone makes a nice top for the lid.  Price:  $55

"Lavender Swirl" begins with a walnut slice.  The dyed pine needles give a deep plum background to the two different colors of waxed linen thread that make this swirling pattern.  It's only about 4 inches across,  Price:  $45

"Just Enough" is a 4 inch basket that begins with a walnut slice.  The natural pine needles are accented with plum dyed needles making a band in the middle.  Price:  $40

Petrified

Petrified was the second of the triple walled baskets I developed.  This basket actually has two coils of pine needles with a sandwich filling of rattan.  The tapestry includes yarn, palm inflorescence, hand woven dog hair, and hand woven cashmere/angora from two goats I have had the pleasure to meet.  I didn't do the spinning, but received these fibers from wonderful spinning friends in Sarasota, Florida and Dover, Arkansas.  Working with a guild can spawn great ideas.  The tapestry spark came from seeing friends make tapestry gourd tops and wicker baskets.  I liked the effect and after trial and error, created this gem.  The bottom piece is a piece of petrified wood I found in North Carolina.

Measures:  12 x 10 x 9

Price: $600

Whirlpool

This basket was a lot of fun to make.  The agate in the bottom is very unusual for me because of its challenging shape.  My methods of attaching an agate with no holes or epoxy, just pressure, led to the name of this piece.   This basket was entered in a juried show where the judge commented on the swirl at the bottom.  Guess she didn't realize it was necessary or the agate would fall out!  The pine needles are a rich warm brown color and the artificial black sinew thread greatly enhance an otherwise plain natural agate slice.

Sold