Sunday, November 8, 2009
Share A Basket Sunday - Special Guest Weaver Cathy
Saturday, November 7, 2009
Inspired at Home and Facebook and a Favor Please

Do you know about Aleene's Tacky Glue? It's been on the market some time now and it is some good glue.
Do you remember the television show Aleene's Creative Living? I think it was on around the time I was in college or shortly thereafter. Aleene would have her daughter's Candace, Heidi and Tiffany on the show. I used to watch every episode.
Photo from Inspired at Home Tiffany Windsor, Aleene's daughter, has a website and a podcast called Inspired at Home.
Tiffany has contacted me and wants me to be on a LIVE Facebook show to speak about my design process with dying the reed that I did HERE and basket weaving.
Here is the favor I'm asking of you. I have been reluctant to start a Facebook account, I don't have a MySpace account. Other than blogging, I'm not on social websites. Well....I did open a Facebook account and would like to invite you to be my FRIEND. Please. I don't want to do this live chat and not have any friends! When you are on Facebook you can search for me through my e-mail address. It is basketmaster_nancy@yahoo.com I'll be your friend too.
The live chat is Nov. 16th at 10:00 ET. You can read more about it at Inspired at Home. I will be using my webcam and there will be other craft designers on the show as well. Save the date!
A little about the Inspired at Home podcast. You can subscribe to it through iTunes. I enjoy listening to it each week and it comes out on Sundays. Oh, you can also listen to it live on your computer, but I download it and listen to it later in the week. It is a 90 minute show. Tiffany has her sisters Candace and Heidi on the show as well as her mother Aleene. It has been interesting to listen to Aleene speak about her history in the crafting world. She also has other regulars and one or two guests each week. The talk about crafts, herbal living, crafting and decorating trends among other things. It is a fun 90 minute show.
So save the date and please be my Facebook Friend.
Have a wonderful weekend and one quick update with Emily. The MRI came back just fine. Praise God for that! Emily is still in pain though and she has had extensive blood work done this week that we are waiting on the results. She will be seeing a rheumatologist in the near future. We continue to appreciate your good thoughts and prayers with this while we figure out what is going on.
Hugs and blessings to you all,
Nancy
Friday, November 6, 2009
Feature a Friend Friday - Sue Morello with Sheldon Farm Baskets

Thursday, November 5, 2009
Basket Weaving Video - Mini Muffin Basket - Twining the top
Ooooo....It's just after Halloween and I have my scary face on! ; - )
In this video we twine the top to prepare for our braided rim.
Don't forget to post your projects for the week HERE. We want to know what you are working on!
Happy Weaving,
Nancy
Wednesday, November 4, 2009
What We're Working On Wednesdays and MckLinky
This gives us an opportunity to share with one another what we are creating. I am not limiting this to just basket weaving. It is open for you to share any craft or kitchen culinary creation or even any home decor project you have been working on this past week. It is intended to spark ideas with one another and to help us get to know others all around the blog world. We bloggers all want to know you are out there and to say hello to you! So please don't be shy and jump right on in. So What are you working on this week? I've posted my link!
Here's how:
1. Go to the specific blog post on your blog and click on the title of just that post. Then at the top of the page where it has the e-mail address that starts http://www/......... Just copy and paste that into MckLinky. This will take us directly to your blog post (not your blog home page) and we won't have to search through your blog to find the basket you want to show us. MckLinky is also going to ask you how you want to title your link.
2. Please mention and link to my blog on your blog. This is such a great way for others to know we are blogging and encourage your blogging friends to hop over here and participate. We all like to meet new friends! You may copy the picture above and paste it in your post or on your sidebar if you desire.
3. Remember this is a family friendly site. Any links to anything inappropriate will be deleted.
4. This list will close in one week.
I hope you all jump right in.
Nancy
What I'm Working On Wednesdays - Woven Santa Boot
Tuesday, November 3, 2009
Party Favor Basket Pattern, FaveCrafts Feature, and getting ready for Christmas
Start planning now what baskets you will be weaving for those on your list and what you will be putting in those baskets. Keep your eyes open for things you will be needing that are on sale now. Do you need more reed or handles. Again, think about that now before your supply runs out. What are you doing now to get ready for the holidays? I'm starting my notebook with my lists!
Have a wonderful day.
Nancy
Monday, November 2, 2009
Basket Weaving Video - Mini Muffin Basket - Weaving the Sides
In today's video I will be weaving up the sides of the basket.
Remember those clothespins are your extra hands so use plenty of them for the first couple of rows. Also remember to keep each row packed down tightly.
Hope you are weaving along with me!
Blessings,
Nancy
Sunday, November 1, 2009
Who Let The Blogs Out?

NaBloPoMo
Nancy
Saturday, October 31, 2009
Happy Halloween - A Witch Basket - and Instant Messaging
I made this witch basket years ago at a basket guild meeting. I wish I had a better photo of it but I have given this basket away. The rim is interesting as it is a "rolled border". I sewed the arms and the hat came from the doll department at a craft store. It is not my design. This pattern is titled "Hagetha" and the author is Wanda Grahm.I also wanted to say, last night on my computer, a small window popped up with the first name of someone asking if they wanted to be my friend for IM'ing. I'm not into instant messaging so I declined, but then the computer said it would block all messages from this person. I didn't want to block e-mails from this person, I just didn't want to become involved with IM. I didn't recognize this person immediately. Then thought it might be a blog reader. I don't want to offend anyone here and I'm sorry if it was one of you I blocked. Blocking was not my intent. It just seemed to happen when I declined receiving that person's IM's.
Hope you all understand.
Happy Halloween,
Nancy
Friday, October 30, 2009
Lidded Yarn Basket
I've been about to bust wanting to show you these baskets and have been waiting patiently for them to officially go on sale before showing the pictures.
I tested a couple other patterns out for Julie and I will be showing those to you very soon.
Happy Weaving!
Nancy
Thursday, October 29, 2009
Mini Muffin Basket - Tucking in the fillers and finishing the base
Hi Friends,
In this video we will finish the base. That will include tucking in the fillers, twining a keeper row and upsetting the stakes.
Happy Weaving,
Nancy
Tuesday, October 27, 2009
Tulip One-Step Tie-Dye Product Review and an Offer for You
And with it, I made these!

Now, do you really think I could dye just fabric with it? I feel I would be quite amiss to dye anything other than reed. (If I were reading YOUR blogs, I'd want to know how it preformed on reed.)
So the experimentation on reed begins.
I mixed up the first color according to the directions, color plus 4 oz of water (1/2 cup). I dipped the end of some reed in it and it took the color instantly. The directions said that the color could be lightened by adding more water. I decided to go to one cup of water. The reed still took the color almost instantly and with the same intensity as the first dip test. I decided to stick with one cup of water for each package of color.



One more thing...FaveCrafts has asked me to be a regular guest blogger and contributor on their site. I will be posting monthly as well as offering weaving patterns over there. The first pattern will be these sweet party favor baskets. I'll let you know when the pattern is available.
Oh and still one more thing...FaveCrafts is offering a free eBook from Tulip. You can download it HERE.

And because you are wonderful readers of mine, should you like to purchase the kit, you may go to ILoveToCreate.com and enter the code "fave1009" for free shipping at the checkout. Please note that this offer expires 11/30/09.
For those of you who have been too timid to try dying your own reed, this is a good way to try dying just a small bit at a time. It really was just one-step.
Happy Weaving,
Nancy
Monday, October 26, 2009
Saturday, October 24, 2009
Market Basket with Swing Handle and Yesterday's Class
The bottom photo shows a big poster that the library had made advertising the class. I got two of the posters when I left. How cool is that?!
Have a blessed Sunday and Happy Weaving,
Nancy
Around the House Saturday

This next week I will show you how I did this and what I created with it!
Today is my class at our local library. I'll let you know tomorrow how it goes. I have a full class with 12 students!
On to other things....Emily, our little 14 year old cake decorator has been having some serious shoulder and back pain. It has been a real mystery as to why this pain is occurring. It started back in July when she took a bus trip to church camp. There was no injury that would have caused this pain. Since that time it has been steadily getting worse. We first tried home remedies, then to the doctor for prescription pain medication and muscle relaxants, no results. Then on to physical therapy, the pain continued to get worse with no relief. X-rays have been taken and do not show anything. It is now to the point where she has trouble getting out of bed and even doing her schoolwork. Thank goodness for online homeschooling that she has been doing this past year. She can do an assignment and then rest for a while before doing the next assignment. This next week she will be going in for an MRI. I'm praying this will reveal the cause of her pain and that it will be easily fixed. We will still have to wait for an additional week before we will receive the results of the MRI. Waiting is hard and to see my child in pain is hard for this old mommy. Blogging and creative outlets have helped me keep my mind busy and not continually focused on what she is dealing with. If the MRI fails to show us anything, I don't know where to turn with this. So please keep sending uplifting thoughts and prayers her way. She's feeling very discouraged right now. I hope within a couple of weeks I'll have some good news to report.Have a wonderful weekend and let me know what creative things you've been up to this week.
Love,
Nancy
Friday, October 23, 2009
Feature a Friend Friday - John from John Toft Basketry


He sells his baskets through Etsy and his Etsy shop can be found HERE. It showcases his beautiful woven baskets as well as kits and even greeting cards with woven embellishments.
You really need to visit his shop to see all his wonderful work.
Thursday, October 22, 2009
Introduction to Weaving my Mini Muffin Basket
Dear Friends,
We will begin weaving a new basket shortly. It is my "Mini Muffin Basket."
Get you weaving supplies ready. You will need the following:
- 5/8" flat reed
- 3/8" flat reed
- 1/4" flat reed
- #3 round reed
That's it! Only four sizes needed for this sweet basket.
As always, if you would like to view any of my baskets, you can visit my YouTube channel at
http://www.youtube.com/user/basketmasternancy
Blessings,
Nancy
Wednesday, October 21, 2009
Woven Angel - A Happy Mail Day - Deen Homestead Basketry
Julie has her patterns for sale on her website HERE. They will be for sale soon at Basketpatterns.com I'll keep you posted when those go live. The patterns I've tested and woven were the "Recipe Box Basket", the "Yarn Dispenser Basket" and the "Santa Boot". I'll be posting pictures of those soon. All three are very unique and clever baskets and were a lot of fun to weave. Julie is a very thorough pattern writer and there are lots of photos in the pattern making it easy to follow.
Thank you again Julie for both the angel and the opportunity to weave your patterns.
Blessings,
Nancy
ps. If anyone has patterns they would like tested before publishing, just send me an e-mail. I promise to give only constructive comments.
Tuesday, October 20, 2009
Tip Technique Tuesday - Starting and Stopping with a Project
If it is a large project, one stage you can do is read through your pattern, gather your supplies and cut your stakes. Of course you can stop at this point. I like to have all my supplies gathered together because it is frustrating to have to get up and down because I've forgotten something.
Is your basket being woven in all natural reed? If so, and if there are no wooden parts then you can stop at most any time during your project and just resoak it when you are ready to begin again.
If you have wooden parts on your basket such as a wooden base or a wooden handle, you shouldn't even dip those in water. Some wooden handles are held together with glue and the water could affect the stick-um power of the glue. Some handles are steamed into their shape and water could cause them to relax and straighten back out. Of course they may get slightly damp from using wet reed and that cannot be helped, I'm just saying don't dip them in water. So that said, when you start weaving, it is best to weave up to the top of your basket and get your stakes cut and tucked. You can always put the rim on during your next basket weaving session.
I hope this gives you some suggestions when to pause your weaving should you need to . Of course, in all instances, it is ideal to go from beginning to the finished project in one session.
Happy Weaving,
Nancy
Sunday, October 18, 2009
Share a Basket Sunday - Halloween Basket with Spindle Handle
I wove this fun little Halloween basket using a 5" spindle handle. I think the handle adds so much and gives it a primitive country look. The embellishments are resin figurines that are just glued to the sides of the basket.On the inside of the basket you will see the fillers are finished off in a "Crow's feet" or "Chicken feet" method for a fun look.
I think the little raffia bow is the finishing touch!
Baskets of Blessings,
Nancy
Saturday, October 17, 2009
Halloween Candy - Candy Corn Cookie Bark and Candied Apples
The kids and I continue to cook. They love to work in the kitchen and are old enough to do candy making safely. The kids liked the candied apples best but my favorite was the Candy Corn Cookie Bark. (I'm not kidding, the Candy Corn Cookie Bark is seriously yummy!) For the candied apples, I just used the recipe from Joy of Cooking.Enjoy!
Nancy
Candy Corn Cookie Bark
Recipe adapted from Your Home Based Mom
Ingredients:
One package of Oreos broken but not crushed. Keep in large chunks.
3 cups pretzels, broken into pieces.
2 lb. white chocolate, almond bark
2 cups candy corn
Colored sprinkles
Directions:
Melt almond bark over low heat in a large saucepan.
Add Oreos, pretzels and 1 cup candy corn to the almond bark and mix, coating well.
Cover a large cookie sheet with wax paper.
Pour almond bark mixture onto cookie sheet.
Sprinkle remaining candy corn and colored sprinkles over the almond bark while it is still wet. Tap the sprinkled candy corn lightly into the almond bark mixture but let it stay on the top for decoration.
Place cookie tray into refrigerator until set and firm. Remove and gently break bark into small pieces. Store in air tight container.
Friday, October 16, 2009
Free Basket Weaving Pattern - Tea Cups
Photo courtesy of Deen Homestead BasketryThursday, October 15, 2009
Halloween Smores in a Jar
Look what the kids and I made! I actually saw this the first time at Easter with those little marshmallow bunny peep candies. What a great gift to give. Be sure when you give it to put it in a holiday basket filled with paper raffia or lined with a holiday napkin. Also, have patience and take your time when getting those little ghosts to stand upright in their place. They want to fall over. Enjoy!Nancy
ps. What do you think of my photography skills here? I'm trying some of those fancy close-up shots and I have a frame around my picture. I'm learning! (thanks Anne for your Power Point help) These were suggestions from the book I told you about the other day Blogging For Bliss by Tara Frey.
Halloween Smores In A Jar
Ingredients:
1 quart mason jar
1 sleeve graham crackers
1 package holiday marshmallow peeps
one bag of holiday M&Ms candies
1/3 cup of brown sugar
Directions:
1. Crush 1 sleeve graham crackers to crumbs.
2. Layer 2/3 of the graham cracker crumbs in a 1 qt jar. Pack down the crumbs a bit.
3. Arrange 8 to 12 marshmallow holiday peeps standing up, facing out around the inside of the jar. Press them up against the glass, but don't squash them.
4. Carefully spoon remaining cracker crumbs in the center of the jar to support the peeps, pressing down to keep it snug.
5. On top of this pour 1-1/4 cup M&M's in holiday colors.
7. Spoon 1/3 cup brown sugar into center of M&M's, gently pressing with a spoon. If you have any room left over, fill the jar to the top with M&Ms.
Cooking directions:
1. Empty the jar contents into a bowl.
Snip the peeps into bits with kitchen shears or cut up with a knife.
Return the peep bits to the mixture. Mix well.
2. Melt 1/2 cup butter; add 1 teaspoon vanilla. Pour this over the dry ingredients, mixing well. Pat into a greased 8" or 9" square pan. Bake at 350 degrees F for 15 minutes. Cool and cut into bars.
Wednesday, October 14, 2009
Blogger Blogspot Question - Bloggers Can You Help Me
Tuesday, October 13, 2009
Tip Technique Tuesday - Designing Your Own Basket
On Sunday, I showed you some casserole carriers that I wove around a Corning Ware dish. I've had e-mails asking how to do this and how I design my own baskets.From time to time I like to weave a basket to contain something specific like this Corning Ware dish. I've also woven around plastic containers of various sizes. These plastic containers basically become a liner for the basket. This way, I can put food or plants in my baskets and I don't have to worry about my baskets becoming damaged or wet.
The way I start designing the basket is I know what purpose I want to use the basket for.
If I want to weave it around something like this dish in the picture, I measure around it. Look closely at the photo. My tape measure extends two inches on each side of the basket. I would cut my stakes for this basket 17". This gives me room to cut and tuck and I won't run short when I get to the top. So basically, measure the three sides (side, bottom, side) and add 4 inches. If it is a large basket, I would add 6" or an extra 3" to each side. Make sense?
Then I almost always use 1/2" flat or 5/8" flat for my stakes or spokes. I weave typically with thinner reed than my spokes so 3/8", 1/4" or 11/64" flat or flat oval or round reed, anything that is thinner or more flexible than my stakes. If I use fillers for my base, I often use 3/8" or 1/2" flat. To know the number of stakes to cut, you're just going to have to do the math on your particular project. It depends on what size stakes you are using and the spacing you choose between each stake.
As I weave up the sides, my creativity just guides me. I just have a finished height in mind. For my rim row, I weave 1/8" narrower reed than what I'm going to use for my rim. for example, if my rim is 1/2" flat/oval, I would weave my top rim row 3/8" flat.
Have you ever been at a store and saw a basket you really liked and thought you could weave it at home with a higher quality look and in colors that matched your decor? Just keep your tape measure in your purse and measure around the basket like I did in the photo. Take a few notes as to what sizes of materials they used and the finished dimensions of the basket. Then you can go home and weave it with better quality products, better reed, better handles etc.
Be sure to post a comment or send me an e-mail if you have further questions about this. I hope it gets you started on designing your own baskets. As always, be sure to let me know when you finish a basket and post me a link to its photo.
Happy Weaving,
Nancy
Monday, October 12, 2009
Blogging For Bliss by Tara Frey
Have you gotten a chance to curl up on the sofa and read for fun?This is my new favorite book and I've been devouring it. I love reading blogs. I think what I like so much about reading blogs is that they remind me of reading a magazine and I love reading magazines. Magazines have short articles of interest and that is just what blogs are about, short articles of interest. I really enjoy blogging and I've been trying to get better at it. Have you noticed I've been playing around lately with the look of my blog? I've been looking at blogs and trying to decipher what it is about some that just draw me in. That is what I want for my blog. I want to draw you in. I want to be a better writer. I want to be a better photographer. Goodness, some of the photos on blogs make me feel like I am right there. If it is food I just want to reach into my computer and taste it. If it is fabric I just want to touch it.
Blogging For Bliss by Tara Frey is scrumptious. I'm not kidding. She uses examples from over 50 blogs that are amazing in one form or another. She starts out with the very basics covering starting up a blog and takes you step by step through the process. She covers photography, HTML codes, banners and sidebars, search engine optimization and more and more and more! The 50 plus blogs that she mentions are like an interview with each one. Each blog interview talks about blogging and gives some tips and advice. Tara blogs over at http://www.tarafrey.com/ and you can get her book on Amazon.
Have a wonderful day,
Nancy
Sunday, October 11, 2009
Share a Basket Sunday - Woven Casserole Baskets

As the weather cools off I wanted to show you a couple of casserole carriers I wove. Both baskets have handles made from the stakes. The one on the left has a 7/8" strip of reed in the middle of the weaving which I painted. The basket on the right has filler from #6 round reed rather than seagrass. I took the round reed up from where it is sandwiched between the rims and incorporated it into the handle wrapping for a sturdy handle. As I wove these both, I kept putting in the Corning Ware dish into the basket to make sure it would fit. It is a handy way to serve a hot dish at the table.
Have a Blessed Sunday,
Nancy
Saturday, October 10, 2009
Albuquerque Balloon Fiesta Special Shapes Day
Hugs and Blessings,
Nancy
























The regular balloons took off before and after the special shapes.



