Melinda West | West Gardens Basketry

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

Spring is Here!

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  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...]

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