Melinda West | West Gardens Basketry

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

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Making Red Osier Dogwood Pouches

May 13, 2013 By Melinda

Pure Delight

My four year old granddaughter, Calla, is gearing up on this morning to help gather fresh Red Osier Dogwood branches to bring to her brother's class for a project we'll make.   Calla and her dad, Spence, team up while thinning out branches and trunks of the Swamp Dogwood from this overgrown riparian area along a stream on property we … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Students, Weaving Nature, Workshops Tagged With: 1st-2nd graders, Folded Bark Pouches, Gordon Elementary Options Program, Kindergarten, Kingston WA, Red Osier Dogwood, Spencer West, spring, Swamp Dogwood, West Timbercraft, West Woods Working

Old Kitchen – New Counters

February 14, 2013 By Melinda

2013, Jan 30, Kitchen Counters

We've lived in this nearly a century-old house for thirty-three years and finally have had a chance to upgrade our kitchen.  We didn't want to change the character of it, but wanted to improve its function.  Built in 1918, with very little counter space available, it sported the original 4" deep cast iron sink , perfect for splashing water all over … [Read more...]

Filed Under: News Tagged With: artisans, Cement Counter, Jeff West, Mile Koivu, Spencer West, West Timber Craft, Wood Counter

The Faering is Launched

December 6, 2012 By Melinda

2012 Nov 25, faering on Puget Sound

In 2009-2010 our eldest son, Spencer West, had the privilege of working with a team of excellent wood carvers who were gathered at Duane and Betty Pasco's to carve the Raven Canoe.  This canoe was being created for a Canoe family to be paddled on the Canoe Journey to Neah Bay.  The first of these canoe journeys, in recent times, was held in 1989 at … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Community, News Tagged With: ancient, Betty Pasco, canoe, community, Duane Pasco, faering, four oar boat, gokstad viking boat, grateful, Mt Rainier, Mt Tahoma, Raven canoe, Salish Sea, Spencer West, viking

My Studio is a Place of Joy

May 31, 2012 By Melinda

My Studio

Yes, it can also be a place of creative chaos when I bump into materials hanging off the walls and knock down piles of bark drying in the corners as I reach for a tool.  But mostly, it is a place I feel so much love and creative energy. I think the love comes from the fact that my wonderful husband and sons, along with many dear friends, built this … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Artwork, News Tagged With: community, family, new work, space to make art, Spencer West, spring, stick shed, storage, studio, timberframe, WestTimberCraft.com

Gathering Cedar Bark

April 25, 2011 By Melinda

Here's my crew! Asha and Calla are in charge. The owners of this property have decided they need to remove these two Western Red Cedar trees. Passiko and Dean waited to get them cut down, until the sap was up, so that we could gather the inner bark. We've all made our personal apologies to these beautiful cedars for what we are about to … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Plants and Places Tagged With: Asha, Calla, gathering cedar bark, grandchildren, grateful, Passiko and Dean, Spencer West, Western red cedar

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Recent Posts

  • Spring – It’s on the Way
  • Water Is Life – A Song Worth Hearing
  • Suquamish Elder Ed Carriere is a 2023 National Heritage Fellow
  • Our Sacred Obligation – A Story Worth Spreading
  • Basketry Program at BARN-Bainbridge Artisans Resource Network

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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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