Melinda West | West Gardens Basketry

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

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August 26-27 – Weaving Nature-Plant Fiber Projects Blending Culture, Science & Art

July 29, 2017 By Melinda

Dividing the inner and outer bark layers

Each year for the past fifteen, I've had the privilege of spending two intensive weeks teaching the craft of weaving with plant fibers, to young people with wildly diverse backgrounds, between the ages of 8 and 14.  As an Artist in Residence at IslandWood, an environmental education campus on Bainbridge Island, just a ferry ride across the water … [Read more...]

Filed Under: News, Upcoming, Weaving Nature, Workshops Tagged With: Artist in the Woods Residency, Bainbridge Artisan Resource Network, BARN, cattail, iris, IslandWood, Project for kids, publication, Science & Art, Seasonal Round, Traditional Ecological Knowlede, vines, Weaving Naure - Plant Fiber Projects Blending Culture, Western red cedar, workshop

Weaving Rattles

June 5, 2012 By Melinda

Woven Rattle

  Make a joyful sound with a rhythm instrument you create yourself using a variety of Pacific Northwest materials, such as driftwood, inner bark, ivy and other vines, roots, grasses and leaves. … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Weaving Nature, Workshops Tagged With: catered to age level, class, driftwood, ear anatomy, grasses, instrument, leaves, Music, NW plant materials, Physics of Sound, rattle, rhythm, Rhythms in Nature, sculptural, shaker, Small Plant Fiber Projects, vines, workshop

Cedar Limb Bread Tray

May 31, 2012 By Melinda

Cedar Limb Bread Tray

  Construct a ribbed tray using split cedar limbs and roots, and assorted barks, leaves and vines.  Students prepare their own weaving materials while learning about Pacific Northwest Weaving Cultures. … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Weaving with Cedar, Workshops Tagged With: bark, bread tray, culture, grasses, limbs, NW materials, preparation of cedar bark, preparing cedar roots, ribbed weaving construction, roots, splitting cedar limbs, tray, vines, Weaving With Western Red Cedar

Weaving From the Garden – Wall

May 31, 2012 By Melinda

Ribbed Wall Baskets

  The Ribbed Wall Basket is one of my favorites.  It can be made in any size to serve special storage or display functions in the home.  These baskets bring the warmth and wonder of nature inside, and make perfect unique Northwest gifts.  Students learn to select and transform plant materials from Pacific Northwest landscapes and gardens … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Weaving from the Wild, Workshops Tagged With: branches, cordage-making, curing materials, decor, drying materials, function, gathering materials, grasses, inner cedar bark, leaves, mellowing materials, NW plant materials, preparing plant materials, ribbed, survey of materials, utility, vines, wall basket, Weaving From the Wild and Garden Landscapes

Weaving From the Garden – Harvest

May 29, 2012 By Melinda

Harvest Basket

  This Harvest Basket is a Pacific Northwest version of a traditional ribbed gathering basket. In our little organic garden, I'm still using one of the first Harvest Baskets I made over 25 years ago, on a daily basis. I've refurbished it once, and it will likely last another 25 years. In this class students learn how to select and transform … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Weaving from the Wild, Workshops Tagged With: branches, class, decor, function, garden, grasses, inner cedar bark, leaves, ribbed, ribbed construction, students, utility, vines, Weaving From the Wild and Garden Landscapes, workshops

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About Melinda

Thirty 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. The experience of weaving with the materials at hand while being together with my sons on a beautiful Pacific Northwest shoreline, kindled a passion for creating art from natural plant materials. I thank my family, my community, and all my teachers for cultivating this gift in me.
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