Melinda West | West Gardens Basketry

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

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New Work

July 6, 2014 By Melinda

fig Bark Scroll Inside

Trying to keep life simple, true, and uncluttered! How does one do that!? Perhaps I'll experiment with that idea in my work? Fig Bark, sweetgrass cordage, Curly Willow. … [Read more...]

Filed Under: News Tagged With: brown turkey fig bark, fig bark, folded bark pouch, new work, scroll, simple, summer, uncluttered

Spring is Here!

April 16, 2012 By Melinda

My grand-daughter Calla helps me gather cedar

  The Salmonberry blossoms tell me that the sap is up in the Western red cedar trees nearby. If I am very lucky, and someone knows how precious this resource is to a cedar bark weaver, I might just be able to gather a special piece of bark like this one. In this case, Christine, of Ollala, was kind enough to postpone cutting down a … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Plants and Places Tagged With: Canoe Bailer Style Vessels, folded bark pouch, salmonberry, sap rising, spring, tree sap, Western red cedar

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Recent Posts

  • Hazelnut In Spring
  • Food For Thought – No Reconciliation Can Come Without Truth
  • Weaving Project With Periscope Woodcraft
  • Food Along the Trail – Big Leaf Maple Flower Fritters
  • Weaving Nature Workshop Fall 2022 at BARN

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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

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