Explore the art of basketry in this idea-filled book for weavers at all levels. Over 300 how-to photographs, guidance on using a fascinating selection of woven styles, and 15 original new patterns combine to offer much more than traditional, historical weaving. Learn the basics, materials, dyes, tools, and techniques; then practice, using all or parts of the book to create your own award-winning designs. Traditional baskets are updated with new techniques, while contemporary patterns employ flat, flat oval, and round reed in plaids, twills, spiral, braids, arrows, diamonds, twining, waling, handle wraps, rim borders, and more. A gallery section features the inspiring artwork of experts who are bringing unique ideas to twenty-first-century woven art. This book will serve as a practical guide and an essential reference for every basket weaver.

Baskets made of baleen, the fibrous substance found in the mouths of plankton-eating whales--a malleable and durable material that once had commercial uses equivalent to those of plastics today--were first created by Alaska Natives in the early years of the twentieth century. Because they were made for the tourist trade, they were initially disdained by scholars and collectors, but today they have joined other art forms as a highly prized symbol of native identity. Baskets of exquisite workmanship, often topped with fanciful ivory carvings, have been created for almost a century, contributing significantly to the livelihood of their makers in the Arctic villages of Barrow, Point Hope, Wainwright, and Point Lay, Alaska.

Baleen Basketry of the North Alaskan Eskimo, originally published in 1983, was the first book on this unusual basket form. In this completely redesigned edition, it remains the most informative work on baleen baskets, covering their history, characteristics, and construction, as well as profiling their makers. Illustrations of the basketmakers at work and line drawings showing the methods of construction are a charming addition to this book, which belongs in the library of all those with an interest in the art of basketry and in Alaskan Native arts in general.

- Step-by-step instructions complete with detailed color photographs - Includes a chapter on dyeing reed at home - 4 basic basket projects for the beginning weaver The art of basket making is described in detail for the beginning or experienced weaver. Complete with a chapter on tools and materials to get started, this easy-to-use guide explains and illustrates how to weave reed, incorporate premade handles, finish basket rims, and a host of other basket-making techniques. It also contains a chapter on dyeing reed, a simple and cost-effective way to obtain desired colors and results. Complete instructions for making a Flared Bun Basket, Small Market Basket, Napkin Basket, and Easter Basket teach necessary skills.

Weave 32 basic designs by hand from natural materials--and adapt them for hundreds more designs. Complete instructions with over 600 close-up illustrations of each step. "Practical answers...imaginative asides."--"Craft Connection."

Baskets can be used to create handy storage units or thoughtful gifts. 14 different shaped baskets made using Dk-, medium- (holding 2 strands together) and Super Bulky-weight yarns. Colorful Chevrons includes 2 size baskets - one with handles and one without; Hanging Around is a clever basket that can be hung on a peg, Textured Perfections is a beautiful textured basket, Stylish Storage is a set of 3 nesting baskets, Owl on Guard is a fun basket that looks like an owl, Woven Wonders is a set of 2 size woven baskets, Lacy Elegance includes 3 size baskets and Go Team is a basket that can be made in your favorite team colors

Baskets made by the people of the mid-Columbia River are among the finest examples of Indian textile art in North America, and they are included in the collections of most major museums. The traditional designs and techniques of construction reveal a great artistic heritage that links modern basketmakers to their ancestors. Yet baskets are also everyday objects of a utilitarian nature that reveal much about mid-Columbia culture---a flat twined bag has greatest value when it is plump with dried roots, a coiled basket when full of huckleberries.

In Columbia River Basketry, Mary Schlick writes about the weavers who at the time of European contact lived along the Columbia River from just above its confluence with the Yakima River westward to the vicinity of present-day Portland, Oregon, and Indian groups living along the river. She presents the baskets in the context of the lives of the people who created and used them. She also writes about the descendants of the early basket weavers, to whom basketry skills have been passed and from whom she herself learned to make baskets. Schlick blends mythology, personal reminiscences, materials, and basketry techniques.

Written with deep understanding and appreciation of the artists and their work, Columbia River Basketry will be an inspirational sourcebook for basket weavers and other craftspeople. It will also serve as an invaluable reference for scholars, curators, and collectors in identifying, dating, and interpreting examples of Columbia River basketry.

For beginners, nature lovers, and expert weavers alike, these pages teach how to create baskets using natural materials found in the woods and fields. One of craft pioneer Osma Tod's most popular books, this guide was first published in 1933 and is still in print thanks to its timeless information and its clear instructions. Tod explains a wide variety of weaving techniques step by step, offering precise diagrams to follow, and her charming way of inspiring respect for natural materials helps make this book one of a kind. The chapters explain gathering and preparing both round and flat natural materials like leaves, roots, reeds, grasses, vines, shoots, willow, pine needles, bark, splints, and more. Instructions for making borders, lids, handles, and fasteners give many options. Projects include a cedar-bark basket for kindling, cat-tail mats, a vine birdhouse, a pedestal fruit basket of coralberry runners, sturdy bark work baskets, and dozens more.

To make the springtime gift boxes in this book, tear out a page, color the beautiful black-and-white designs of birds, blossoms, and bunnies, and then fold Get creative with your color scheme or use traditional colors from nature. Either way, this fantastic book of easy-to-assemble boxes will ensure your Easter gifts are truly special.

This work covers all of the basic techniques: preparation of the reed, splicing, introduction of color, shaping, finishing, and more. It also includes descriptions of a great variety of weaves--Lazy Squaw, Mariposa, Taos, Shilo, and others--each accompanied by specific instructions. With over 100 illustrations, this book is an excellent resource for crafters and those interested in Native American Culture.

Since it first publication in 1901, this pioneering study by George Wharton James, once a leading collector and authority, has become a valuable source book for American Indian basketry. From Poma mush baskets to Paiute dicing trays, Indian Basketry traces the origin, development, and fundamental principles of Indian basket designs for the major tribal units in Southwestern United States and Pacific Coast, with occasional comments on the basket weaving of a number of other North American tribes.
Author of several books on the Southwest, George James has used his extensive experience in the field to compile indispensable information (much gathered directly through interviews with Indian basketmakers) covering nearly every aspect of Indian basketry: esthetics, designs, dyes, and coloration, weaving and stitching techniques (including the bamtush and dah-lah methods), basket types, tribal variation, and functional considerations, offering clear instructions for those who may be interested in reproducing these ancient American crafts. James also includes a description of various native weaving materials such as pine root, bark, sumac, willow, twigs, fern stalks, grass and palm fronds, with suggestions regarding the ways in which the Indians wove shells, feathers, beads, leather, and pine needles into their basket designs.
The book is a valuable aid for the artist, designer, and craftsman, or even for the beginner, who may wish to re-create authentic and often extinct basket forms and decorative motifs. It is also most useful to the collector, cultural historians, ethnologist, scholar, or buff, who desires to know more about specific aspects of Indian basketry, or about Indian arts in general. As an important contribution to the historiography of American Indian culture, this may be one of the most practical Indian basketry books that you could own.