Reblogged
Cherokee double wall basket (purse)
Commercial round & flat reed, metal accents, macrame cord, butternut squash stem button - 9 hours
It has been 3 years since I have started taking on basket weaving as a serious craft. I've never been one to practice or study, nor do I like to, but when you enjoy something it's never really practice. This shape continues to be the most fun to weave.
Wedding basket, date unknown
Louisa Soap, Cherokee National Treasure Courtesy of the Louisa Soap Private Collection
Wedding baskets, like this one made from honeysuckle and dyed with walnut and bloodroot, are woven with two openings and used in a traditional wedding ceremony. When the bride and groom come together, the bride puts bread in one side and the groom puts meat in the other. This symbolizes their commitment to caring for their new family.
Honeysuckle baskets
Honeysuckle is one of the traditional materials that can be foraged to make Cherokee basketry.
The larger honeysuckle basket was woven by Louisa's sister, Mary Foreman, who was recognized as a Cherokee National Treasure for basketry in 1990. Together, they learned how to weave baskets and make beaded jewelry.
The miniature honeysuckle baskets were woven by Louisa Soap
Cherokee double wall basket, flat reed, half oval, gauge 0 & 3 round reed, all commercial.
I wanted something kind of wintery but would remind me more of plants than weather. I took inspiration from Lisa Baker's piece here, I'm not entirely sure if that is braided reed on the basket in the link but it gave me an idea to try out myself.
ᏏᏊ ᎠᏂ ᏔᎷᏣ ᎪᏢᏅ - Siwu ani taluj gohlvnv
See-woo ahɁnee tah-looj goh-hluh-nuh (like the u in fun)
"I made another strawberry basket recently"
Commission order - Strawberry basket purse, commercial round & flat reed, suede, macrame cord, antler button.
None of my baskets are going to look the exact same which is going to make specific piece orders interesting like this one. I expect to get more orders so I'm keen to see how I can make something different but still the same. If you would like to order one feel free to message me.
Buckbrush basket, date unknown, Maxine Stick, Cherokee National Treasure
While rivercane grew in the Cherokee Reservation, it wasn't abundant. Cherokee weavers quickly learned to create baskets from round reed made from the buckbrush runners they encountered in the new territory. This lidded basket was woven from buckbrush and decorated with bloodroot and black walnut dyes.
Cherokee National Collection, Tahlequah, Oklahoma
ᏥᏔᎦ ᏔᎷᏣ - tsitag taluja - Jee-tahg Tah-loo-jah - Chicken Basket
Cherokee double wall basket (purse)
Recently I have been down to nothing with reeds, mostly leftovers from other projects and due to tariffs and other factors I've been having to wait longer to get supplies. I should have a restocking in a few days and in the meantime I played "reed chicken", most of the inside is plain flat reed while the outside was spent on what dyed reed I have that fit.