Melinda West | West Gardens Basketry

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

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Weaving Nature Workshop Fall 2022 at BARN

April 13, 2022 By Melinda

Hello – Are you still there? My blogs have been sparse these past several years. My explanation is simple. The late Upper Skagit Elder, Vi Hilbert, many times said that her elders told her: “If you’re talking, you’re not listening!” Let’s just say I’ve been doing my best to be listening, and reading, and listening, and reflecting, and listening.

I thought my workshop teaching days were over, but some dedicated volunteers from the Fiber Art Studio at Bainbridge Artisans Resource Network (BARN), have drawn me out again to share some plant gathering, preparation, storage and use tips gleaned from the decades I’ve been practicing this art form. This September, over two consecutive Saturdays, rather than me providing students with the many materials I’ve gathered – Students will be invited to a place where they can gather a sampling of materials in the morning, then travel to the beautiful Fiber Art Studio at BARN to prepare all of the parts for weaving a Small Ribbed Gift Basket, to be constructed one week later.

Ribbed Baskets by Melinda West
Ribbed Baskets by Melinda West

This basket is a variation of one made in the first Basketry class I ever took in 1985, which was an Appalachian Egg Basket made using dyed rattan. The class was offered by Gwen Baughman through the North Kitsap Parks Department. It was so much fun to make and Gwen was an excellent teacher. Gwen, along with another dear friend, Karen Mittet and me, became our own ‘wild gathering research group’ endearingly referring to ourselves as “The Three Basketeers”. The ribbed construction style I learned long ago from Gwen, traveled to Appalachia along with colonists and settlers from Europe where it is a traditional type of basketry construction. Ribbed baskets became one of my favorite types of functional baskets for use in our garden. The smaller versions make a perfect gift. Here is a link to more information and registration:

https://bainbridgebarn.wildapricot.org/event-4736455

Filed Under: Community, My Teachers, News, Upcoming, Weaving Nature, Workshops Tagged With: Appalachian Egg Basket, Bainbridge Artisan Resource Network, BARN, BARN workshops, branch work, gathering, Skagit elder Vi Hilbert, Weaving From The Wild, Weaving Nature

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Recent Posts

  • Weaving Project With Periscope Woodcraft
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  • 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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