Primitive Archer

Main Discussion Area => Around the Campfire => Topic started by: Olanigw (Pekane) on February 25, 2014, 12:30:00 pm

Title: Traditional abenaki fancy baskets
Post by: Olanigw (Pekane) on February 25, 2014, 12:30:00 pm
Got a grant to apprentice under master basketmaker Jeanne Brink.

First a bookmark.  Started with these to learn the basics.
(https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-ppMnNUAkRq8/Uu_2L1LGu-I/AAAAAAAABgo/-cEqppUOsg8/w439-h585-no/20131206_201737.jpg)

Next candy baskets
(https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-ZIRWwL9JCQc/Uwy9Q1JFUjI/AAAAAAAABqc/xaImiwMejl0/w958-h576-no/20140224_194624.jpg)

Square baskets are easier to start

(https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-bL95JOKmscY/Uwy9Q7_XxuI/AAAAAAAABqc/4tXi4tbSVGQ/w958-h576-no/20140224_194716.jpg)

And the styles I've made so far:

(https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-T3E4uz4zquQ/Uwy9Q6IfBSI/AAAAAAAABqc/eMB5487gW1s/w958-h576-no/20140224_194521.jpg)

I'm looking forward to a lot more practice when I can source some ash splint.  Anyone have some brown ash logs they want to part with?  Assuming we can adhere to quaranteen guidelines.

Title: Re: Traditional abenaki fancy baskets
Post by: Ozzy on February 25, 2014, 01:02:50 pm
Very cool that's what I need for gathering egg  ;)
Title: Re: Traditional abenaki fancy baskets
Post by: Buffalogobbler on February 25, 2014, 02:52:51 pm
Yeah, they are cool!
Post more pics as you go along and learn more.

Kevin
Title: Re: Traditional abenaki fancy baskets
Post by: Mohawk13 on February 25, 2014, 03:08:06 pm
Nice work. Next time You see her, as Ms. Brink if she has ever met Shirley Sealth...She is a friend and a Master Basket Maker of the Squaxim People of Northwestern Washington. She is all the Great Great Grand daughter of Chief Seattle...
Title: Re: Traditional abenaki fancy baskets
Post by: Olanigw (Pekane) on February 25, 2014, 04:16:14 pm
Nice work. Next time You see her, as Ms. Brink if she has ever met Shirley Sealth...She is a friend and a Master Basket Maker of the Squaxim People of Northwestern Washington. She is all the Great Great Grand daughter of Chief Seattle...
I'll have to ask her!
Title: Re: Traditional abenaki fancy baskets
Post by: Pat B on February 25, 2014, 04:36:01 pm
Nice baskets. What are the materials?
Title: Re: Traditional abenaki fancy baskets
Post by: Olanigw (Pekane) on February 25, 2014, 05:00:06 pm
Nice baskets. What are the materials?

The splints are pounded from brown ash (fraxinus nigra) and the sweetgrass (Hierochloe odorata is an aromatic grass that grows across the northeast.  The smallest splints used for weavers can be less than 1/16" wide.
Title: Re: Traditional abenaki fancy baskets
Post by: mullet on February 25, 2014, 09:14:04 pm
Those are very cool, wish I had the patience. The wife brought back some really nice Sweet grass baskets from South Carolina made by the Gullahs.
Title: Re: Traditional abenaki fancy baskets
Post by: Crogacht on February 26, 2014, 01:24:39 am
Awesome :)
Title: Re: Traditional abenaki fancy baskets
Post by: chamookman on February 26, 2014, 04:39:38 am
Cool ! Thanks for posting - Bob.
Title: Re: Traditional abenaki fancy baskets
Post by: Bone pile on February 26, 2014, 09:05:28 am
Very nice, do you have to steam the wood to bend it ? I wish I could get my hands on some sweet grass. I guess I'll have to stick with pine needles
Bone pile
Title: Re: Traditional abenaki fancy baskets
Post by: Olanigw (Pekane) on February 26, 2014, 09:41:28 am
Very nice, do you have to steam the wood to bend it ? I wish I could get my hands on some sweet grass. I guess I'll have to stick with pine needles
Bone pile
Pile, the splints are half the thickness of one growth ring, and are very flexible, especially when they're this tiny.  We moisten them to keep it from breaking as we work with it.
Title: Re: Traditional abenaki fancy baskets
Post by: YosemiteBen on February 26, 2014, 12:43:43 pm
very nice work. My wife used to weave a lot - then several C-spine surgeries and a rotator cuff surgery - not so much any more....
Title: Re: Traditional abenaki fancy baskets
Post by: nclonghunter on February 26, 2014, 04:50:50 pm
Quivers?
Title: Re: Traditional abenaki fancy baskets
Post by: Olanigw (Pekane) on February 27, 2014, 09:36:12 am
Quivers?
Eventually.
Title: Re: Traditional abenaki fancy baskets
Post by: Olanigw (Pekane) on April 12, 2014, 02:50:14 pm
Bringing this back to the top.  We've made a lot of progress last month, but had setbacks too.

Took a gamble and spent $400 on splint.  All of it fit in a USPS large flat rate box.  Very disheartening.  What was in there looks to be machine processed, aka sanded not split and shaved.  End result is a product with grain runoffs as well as too much stiffness.  We're still looking for a reasonable supplier.
On the other hand, if we can make good baskets with marginal material (and we are), using the good stuff will be easier later on.
More pics to come!
Title: Re: Traditional abenaki fancy baskets
Post by: Olanigw (Pekane) on April 22, 2014, 10:41:52 am
Worked up a couple round baskets to make lids for this month.

Every round basket has a star in the bottom.
(https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-QW_Y8ZNPkKs/U05_w6JVDII/AAAAAAAAB10/L8NA2xc1vjg/w352-h585-no/20140416_090342.jpg)

Tried some new patterns.  I'm determined to balance historical reproductions with less traditional designs.
(https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-10HZRpWD5FU/U06Z4LITlWI/AAAAAAAAB2s/xH2NFJ1N1iw/w352-h585-no/20140416_105519.jpg)

(https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-_V0ijpODnd4/U06ZrQE2dBI/AAAAAAAAB2g/lbwag3Lpu8w/w958-h576-no/20140416_105357.jpg)
Title: Re: Traditional abenaki fancy baskets
Post by: Pappy on April 22, 2014, 11:44:59 am
Man that is some very nice work. Beautiful stuff. :)
 Pappy
Title: Re: Traditional abenaki fancy baskets
Post by: JW_Halverson on April 22, 2014, 09:48:50 pm
Why is it that the simplest things all have a natural elegance and beauty to them?  Looking forward to seeing more of your work!
Title: Re: Traditional abenaki fancy baskets
Post by: Danzn Bar on April 22, 2014, 09:54:54 pm
Why is it that the simplest things all have a natural elegance and beauty to them?  Looking forward to seeing more of your work!


Jdub
You do have a way with words,  wish I had your talent,

Olanigw,  what JW said! and very nice work  :)
DBar
Title: Re: Traditional abenaki fancy baskets
Post by: Bone pile on April 23, 2014, 08:16:04 am
Some nice baskets your crafting.Like the look your coming up with.
Title: Re: Traditional abenaki fancy baskets
Post by: Olanigw (Pekane) on April 24, 2014, 01:43:50 pm
Man that is some very nice work. Beautiful stuff. :)
 Pappy
Thanks Pappy!

Why is it that the simplest things all have a natural elegance and beauty to them?  Looking forward to seeing more of your work!
I strive for understated excellence.  Simple elegence.  I need to learn the embellishments as part of the apprenticeship but I’m just as happy making a plain, no frills container with perfect proportion and execution (I’m a long ways from that)

Thanks DBar!

Some nice baskets your crafting.Like the look your coming up with.
Thank you!  Seeing your pine needle basket gave me the kick in the pants I needed to update this thread.
Title: Re: Traditional abenaki fancy baskets
Post by: Olanigw (Pekane) on January 20, 2015, 10:46:31 am
PROGRESS!!

We found a supplier that sells unprocessed splint for $1/foot.  Compared to the $3/foot crap that we were working with before, this is a miracle.  We have to split it and shave it, but that gets us twice the material and brings the total cost to about 50cents per foot!

We also have some black ash logs waiting for the spring thaw when we can pound them out.

(https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-Vj2Aimi3qLU/VLt1zbj96NI/AAAAAAAADiQ/J3SP5w88pQ8/w702-h527-no/20150117_103559.jpg)

Only need to make a few more "gauges" to split splints to the correct width for a complete set.
Title: Re: Traditional abenaki fancy baskets
Post by: Chippintuff on January 20, 2015, 02:30:23 pm
Your baskets are very fine. Anybody would be proud to have them and to display them.

WA
Title: Re: Traditional abenaki fancy baskets
Post by: Bone pile on January 21, 2015, 09:15:59 am
good score looking forward to more baskets! Still hope to meet up with you the next time we go to Vermont.
Roger
Title: Re: Traditional abenaki fancy baskets
Post by: Marc St Louis on January 21, 2015, 09:40:54 am
Very nice work.  We have a lot of Black Ash on out property here, I cut a lot of it for firewood, but the shipping cost would by prohibitive.  Much of my bloodline is Abenaki
Title: Re: Traditional abenaki fancy baskets
Post by: ThinkingOutLoud on January 31, 2015, 04:58:57 pm
Your work is beautiful!
Title: Re: Traditional abenaki fancy baskets
Post by: Knoll on January 31, 2015, 07:56:53 pm
None of our school's football players made such beautiful baskets.   ::)

That's some outstanding work!!