EASY (and cheap) COILED BASKET

We added coiled basket instruction to our recent fiber camp.  Success was limited!  The project might be just a tiny bit advanced for 10 year olds, although my 10 year old tester caught on to it pretty quickly.  I have tried several basketry techniques, and I think coiled basketry may be one of the easier types of baskets to create. 

Last week I taught the same technique to a group of adults at the public library.  It takes a bit of finessing to get a coiled basket started, but once you get to about the third row, it is really easy, and something you can work on while watching tv, or with your crafting group, etc.

Here is a photo of the four coiled basket samples I made for the class. 

 

For these baskets I used cotton clothesline from the hardware store and inexpensive yarn (acrylic) found at fabric and craft stores.  The largest basket, 1 1/2" tall x 4 1/2" across at the top, used 10 feet of clothesline and about 30 - 40 yards of yarn.  I used a #18 tapestry needle (DMC) to make the stitches. 

 

These little baskets are quite firm.  I take a stitch after about five wraps, always pulling tightly, on the stitch as well as the wraps. 

 

Because coiled basketry is made in a spiral, it is difficult to end it perfectly!  It is a good idea to finish the coiling directly above the place where you start gradually bending the sides upward.  I also cover the end with buttona, or a piece of costume jewelry, or even a shell (as in the basket on the lower right).  You can use glue to add the decoration, or clear nylon thread, which is how I attached the shell.

 

The coaster, lower left, was made with a cotton yarn, and works very well as a platform for an ice cold drink.

 

Click here to link to my directions to make a coiled basket.



Beaded Button Brooches

We did the first part of a two-part beaded button brooch workshop at my EGA chapter Saturday. I think it went pretty well. If anyone has any questions or anything, please e-mail or call me.

Here is a brooch I made out of a keyhole I found at a flea market in France three years ago. I made the pin in the same way I make the beaded button brooches. I miniaturized a photo of Lulu taken at Elizabeth Park Rose Garden in Hartford, about 90+ years ago. When my sister and I went to France last year, Lulu went with us in the form of a pin!

Here are a couple diagrams for some of the beaded edgings I have used on my beaded button brooches. There are many more diagrams on my Flickr photostream. Students can click on the picture of the beaded cat button (on the right) to go to the Flickr photostream.  When you get there, click on the set "Beaded Button Instructions."  Here you will find a 3-page handout of directions, plus diagrams for all the beaded edgings I have created. You can download the instructions, diagrams and pictures and then print them.

The button below was the second one I made after learning the technique from a Bead & Button article. (My technique is pretty different, and all the edgings I use were created by me.) The small buttons are called "calicos" and were made in the mid-19th century. There is a nice article about them in Bead & Button magazine online.

Here is a beautiful reproduction Czech glass button: