As part of my basketry technique learning process, I committed to sponsor a fighter for Brennan & Caoilfhionn’s Ducal Challenges (Sept. 28, 2024). This provided motivation and a deadline while allowing the freedom to try out techniques without worrying about where the finished item is going to live in my house.
Since this is a recap of work that occurred over the course of 2 months of grieving, I’m not going to write up every step. However, if you have questions about anything pictured below, please feel free to ask!
New things I learned or tried for the first time with this project:
- Plaiting with a twill pattern
- Making a flat piece first and folding it before weaving the sides around to make a flat pouch
- Making a tiny test basket first using the same materials
- Calculating how many strips of willow bark I would need and how long they had to be
- Harvesting and preparing willow bark in August, specifically for this project, after doing the math above
- Attaching rings for a strap
- Making everything in the basket portion out of willow bark, including the binding around the top rim, with the exception of the sweetgrass cord decorating the top edge and the metal D-rings to hold a strap
- Making a finishing wax/oil blend to provide some protection and add a touch more flexibility to the basket
- Plaiting a thin band of willow bark (for a strap, but it did not work well because it could not bear weight at a sharp bend)
- Basic interlinked sprang (for a strap, but it did not work well because it twisted in a spiral and when it got wet it was obvious the twine was treated with something petroleum based and stinky)
Paper version to figure out the plaiting and tiny test version to test materials:
After some math, cutting and peeling willow branches and preparing the yard-long, half-inch wide strips. Sorry I didn’t get photos of the harvest, but in my defense it was HOT at the time:
Weaving the base and executing the fold:
Securing and finishing the top edge and shaping while the bark dries:
Mixing, testing, and curing the finish:
The first 2 attempts at making a usable strap failed (see list of stuff I learned above). After weaving a third and final strap out of cotton using a beltstrap loom (aka 2 sticks) and a small rigid heddle, I have a fully assembled and usable item ready for the table. AND it was finished two weeks before the event. Hell yeah!
Smash the Shell 