Melinda West | West Gardens Basketry

Growing, gathering, and weaving with plant fibers from the Pacific Northwest

Images of Recent Work

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I haven't been attending to my blog, resumé updates, or reporting about teaching gigs lately, but I hope to catch up this during winter season. Warm wishes to all and Happy Weaving! Inner cedar bark coild on Hazelnut limb, stone, handmade cedar bark paper, cedar button.   Cedar bark coil on a Beaver chewed stick with handmade … [Read more...]

About Melinda

Forty years ago, while sitting on the beach playing with my young children, I made my first basket out of a pile of willow trimmings someone had tossed there. It looked wildly made like a crazy bird’s nest. While being together with my two sons on a beautiful Pacific Northwest shoreline, this simple experience of crafting with the natural materials at hand kindled a passion for creating forms using plant fibers. I thank my family, my community, and all my teachers for cultivating this gift in me.
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Melinda West and basket, Indianola WA