Ask
Eileen
To email a question:
eileen@easttroybasketry.com
I've always been
fascinated by advice columns and used to wonder how Ann Landers or Dear Abby thought they
could give advice on any and every topic. Now I think I know. They had lots of
experts to call on. In the 7 years I've owned East Troy Basketry I've gotten to know
and take classes from many of the best basket weaving teachers in the United States.
I feel privileged to call so many of them friends. I've learned their
tips and am able to contact many of them for answers to questions I don't know.
So what do I know? I know alot about reed (rattan) basketry and weaving with waxed
linen.
What don't I know
much about? Basically all of the other materials! Athough I have taken classes
in these materials, I know very little about willow, birch, cedar, elm and other
barks. I don't do coiling but I do have my sources! If I don't know something, I'll tell you so or refer you to
another source.
1/27/08 Getting blood off your basket
Are you one of those weavers that occassionally
leaves DNA on their basket?
We kid in classes that we do this so thousands of years from now archeologists will able
to know who made the basket! Anyway, last week one of my students had spots of blood
all over her basket. She had a "Tide Pen" in her purse and tried it.
It totally removed the blood without a trace!
9/6/07 Just some basics
Here are some questions I get asked all the
time:
How long should I soak reed?
Only as long as you need to, that is, until the
reed is flexible enough to do the job. Soaking too long can discolor natural reed.
What temperature should the water be?
I always use warm water. I've heard that
hot water breaks down the reed but I haven't experienced that myself. Cold water
doesn't work well especially with round reed. The reed doesn't get flexible enough.
Do I have to do a 4 spoke overlap on start stop
weaving or when starting a new weaver on continuous weave?
I always suggest a 4 spoke overlap just in case
you readjust the spokes and the end pops out. That way you can cut off the offending
end and still end up with a 2 spoke overlap. A 2 spoke overlap is actually adequate
and doesn't affect the integrity of the basket. Many expert weavers always do a 2
spoke.
When using a slotted wood base,
should I start with twining or chase weaving?
One of the best tips I ever got, and I think
it's from Marilyn Wald, is to start with chase weaving around the base because it pulls
the spokes into the base while twining pushes them away! If you have any of my old
patterns that say to start with twining, please change that. You can also do start
stop weaving with small flat or flat oval reed.
8/20/07 To Glue or not to Glue
I'm often asked if it is OK to use glue.
This is my answer: Shortly after I started weaving I asked Flo Hoppe if it is OK to
glue. Isn't that a "no no, a mortal sin of basket weaving"? Flo
told me that the Japanese weavers, who are the world's most prominent weavers, have been
using glue for 200 years. If they can use it, she could use it! And my
response is, if Flo can use it, I can use it!
Should I glue spokes into a
slotted wood base?
If the basket is just for display and not going
to be used, then I don't glue.
If the basket doesn't have a handle I don't glue.
If the basket has a handle and I plan to use it, then I glue because the handle pulling up
with something in the basket can pull on the spokes and cause them to pull out.
Other times to use glue
When something breaks or is sticking out where I
don't want it to.
When I get to the rim of a basket and the spokes are so tight together that cutting and
tucking would not only be a challenge but nearly impossible, I glue the spokes to
the rim row and then cut off all the spokes level with the rim row. Don't use too
much glue or it will drip down on your basket or get between the spokes making lashing
difficult.
Other glue tips
Remember that glue will not stain. If you
want to repair something where the glue might show, wait until after you stain the basket.
What glue to use
The only glue I use is "Insta-Cure"
with "Insta-Set". Insta-Cure is like super glue but it doesn't set up
immediately and you have 15-30 seconds to get what you're gluing in the exact spot you
want. Insta-Set is a catalyst that sets Insta-Cure immediately. I find when
I'm holding something in place, I'm not always steady enough or that things may slide on
me. Insta-Set solves that problem.
Insta-Cure works great on anything wet or dry.
Use it for just about anything around the house. I have yet to find anything that it
won't bond. I've fixed shoes and sandals, purse straps, you name it.
One more basket use
Putting shaker tape straps on your tote basket?
You can glue the straps on or glue the ends together. Insta-cure actually
gets hot when you set it with Insta-set. There must be a chemical reaction but those
pieces of shaker tape are not going to come apart!
How to keep your Insta-Cure
from drying out
1. Do not store Insta-Cure and Insta-Set
together. They react right through the bottles even if they are sealed tight.
2. Keep Insta-Cure in the refrigerator.
3. When you are finished using Insta-Cure, tap the bottle on the table gently a couple of
times to shake the glue out of the tip.
4. Keep the outside of the tip clean so that the cap doesn't get all clogged up with glue
and prevent a good seal. The best way we've found to do this is prevention... rub
vaseline on the tip before each use. When you're done you can wipe the tip clean
before putting the cap back on.
Do you have any other tips for
using glue? Please email me at basket@easttroybasketry.com
4/11/07 SHAPING TIPS from Eileen:
Your most important tools for
shaping are your eyes. I teach hundreds of students and many just weave away and
rarely really look at their basket. Hold your basket up every row or two to be sure
that you are getting the shape you desire. Periodically look at your basket from a
distance away to get a better look at it.
Look at your spokes. Be
sure that they are going in the direction you want your basket to go. If your spokes
are going in and you want the basket to be getting larger, pull the spokes through your
fingers in an outward motion so that they bend outward. If you want the basket to go
in and the spokes are curving outward, pull them through your fingers so that they curve
inward. In this way you won't have to fight the spokes to get them to go where you
want them to go. If the basket is already going in the wrong direction you may need
to "unweave" back to where the shape is still going OK.
Watch the spacing between
your spokes. This is the real key to where the shape happens. As you weave
around each spoke, place it where you want it to be. Make sure there is equal
spacing between each spoke all the way around the basket.
If you are right handed, your
left hand does the shaping while your right hand simply does the weaving. Pay
attention to what your left hand is doing or have another weaver watch you as you weave.
Are you actually pulling out with your fingers when you want to be going in?
Are you resting your left hand on the basket and actually pushing it in when you want to
be going out? It's amazing how unaware we are of what our non dominant hand is
doing.
If you weave too tight:
Are you actually pushing in without realizing it? Yes, we want to pack the
basket tight but not by pushing in on it. If you are weaving on your lap, are you
pushing down on the basket? When weaving an oval basket I never rest the ends on my
lap. I spread my knees apart and put the basket between my knees. When I do
the long sides it sits on my lap.
Weaving too tight or unable
to pack the rows down when spokes are close together? Be sure that the weavers are
bending around the spokes. Never weave several spokes and then pack down. This
causes the weaver to be straight and forces the spokes to move to accommodate the weaver.
Only weave one spoke at a time and pack as you weave. Use your left index finger to
hold the weaver slack in front of the spoke while going behind the next one. This
forces the weaver to do the bending.
Thick, inflexible weavers:
Save inflexible reed for spokes or for a part of the basket that is going straight
up or where the spokes are farther apart. A stiff weaver, if not properly controlled
as described above, will force your spokes to go inward.
How about pulling on the
weavers to make the basket go in? Never do this with flat or flat oval reed.
When weaving with round reed you can do this but be sure you are concentrating on your
spoke placement and keeping them even.
Keep your spokes wet.
Wet spokes go where you want them to go much easier than dry ones.
What about using clothes
pins? Be sure you look to see what the clothes pins are doing. If you're
clipping two spokes together, are the clothes pins causing those spokes to get too close
together? This is a common mistake on corners when making square, rectangular or cathead
baskets.
Hoops can be a great help on
round and oval baskets. Use the hoop as a guide by clipping it to the inside of the
spokes in several places to push them out or on the outside to push them in.
Sometimes when creating a shapely vase, I may use several sizes of hoops.
Molds can be used for the
entire basket or for just part of it. Anything can be a mold. Plastic
containers, bowls, waste baskets, cardboard boxes... just about anything. Maybe you
want to use it just to get the bottom of the basket to curve up in a certain way and then
take the mold out and shape the rest by hand. If you want to put a "neck"
on a basket, can you find a bottle or piece of plastic pipe just the right size, maybe an
oatmeal box! Use your imagination.
Lopsided or uneven baskets
are the result of uneven tension or uneven spacing between your spokes. You can help
to control this by measuring around the top of your basket periodically. Measure
each quarter by clothes pinning the tape measure to the center of the center spoke on one
side and measuring to the center of the center spoke on the next side. Measure all 4
quarters and see how they compare. If you are way off you may want to unweave a bit
but if the difference is not real significant and the basket doesn't look lopsided you can
work on the offending corner or corners by adjusting your spokes and working on them as
you weave.
Did I miss anything? If
anyone has anything to add to this list of shaping tips, please email Eileen at basket@easttroybasketry.com or call me on
our toll free # 1-888-424-9866.
8/22/06 TIP: When I stain a basket I push a shepherd's hook into the ground
and hang my basket on it so that I can spray all around the basket without holding
it. Then I can also leave it there to dry.
....... Geri Parenti
8/22/06 TIP: When scarfing dyed or smoked rims, scarf the flat
side on both ends so it won't show if you don't get a perfect fit.
8/4/06 Round Reed Club changes to "Open Weave Night", no
longer just round reed.
Beginning in September,
everyone is invited to work on any unfinished project at our twice monthly open weave.
We've decided that the most enjoyable part of our evenings together is the social
element and for many of us it's easier to chat while rimming a basket rather than
concentrating on a complicated pattern. It's also a great way to get back at those
baskets that have been sitting in the closet waiting for attention.
This is not a class. There is no instructor but we do help one another.
(Actually this is my play night and you are all invited to come and play along with me.)
When: The 1st and 3rd Wednesday evenings of the month from 5 - 9 p.m. at ETB
please call 642-3732 or 1-888-424-9866 to make sure there's room for you. We
only have seating for 12. Bring your own supplies. You can use our tools.
No charge.
7/20/06
Tip: Dye spots on your basket If you've already woven your basket and it
has spots of dye where it shouldn't be you can take a Q-tip dipped in bleach and carefully
touch it to the spots. You don't have to rub. Just wait a few seconds for the
dye to disappear. Don't touch the dyed reed or that will bleach out too. The
best cure is prevention.
TIP: Preventing bleeding If your water turns color when you are soaking your
dyed reed then the dye will probably bleed onto your basket too. Here are a few
things you can do.
1. Add a tsp. of Retayne (available at ETB) to your soak water and let the reed soak
for 20 min.
2. Pull dyed reed through a towel to remove excess dye.
3. Pack as you go. If you weave several rows and then pack your basket you are
sure to leave dye spots no matter what you do.
4. Don't weave too wet. It is never necessary to rewet the parts of the basket
that are already woven. Only wet the reed you are weaving with and the unwoven part
of the spokes.
5. Don't weave in a puddle of water.
6. Check your hands. If your hands are colorful it will smear on your basket.
7. Be sure your table is clean. If you cut dyed reed on the table it will
leave dye dust that will stain your basket.
**All East Troy Basketry dyed reed has already been soaked for 30 minutes in Retayne
before we dry it and sell it.
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