Melinda West | West Gardens Basketry

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

Plants Have Fibers – And Other Good Lessons

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Thank you for looking at this blog. I haven’t been writing much this past year, for various reasons, but I hope to share more with you in the coming months. Last year was dedicated to working on some projects I’d started, but never seemed to have the time to finish, like the Suquamish-Indianola Storytelling Project. I learned that sometimes … [Read more...]

Gratitudes For the Cedar Exhibit at Heronswood

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I am overwhelmed with gratitude for every person here. Hannah Jones who made this exhibit so beautiful & Deb Sweet who helped build the weaving programs at BARN. Dan Hinkley, one of the original Heronswood Founders, who now offers his guidance and expertise as the Port Gamble S’Klallam Foundation breathes life back into the … [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