May Your Life Be Like A Basket...Useful...Bountiful...Beautiful...

Basketmaster's Weavings is about my passions, much of which revolves around basket weaving. I weave with reed and I love teaching others to weave. Many of the patterns and styles that I show in the blog are geared to the beginning weaver, or even the brand new weaver. If you have been thinking about wanting to learn to weave, then this blog is for you. Throughout the blog and videos I take you step by step through each and every process of weaving. I want you to be successful in weaving the very first time you try. For the intermediate and advanced weaver, my wish is that you take ideas that I show, mix them up a bit, and incorporate them into your own beautiful creations.

Happy Weaving and Baskets of Blessings to all my visitors,

Nancy

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Monday, December 29, 2008

January 2009 Newsletter--Valentine Basket Class


Basketmaster’s Weavings
January 2009 Newsletter, Issue 3

Dear Friends,

Happy New Year!!! I hope each of you had a wonderful Christmas and that you are perhaps still getting to enjoy a few days off until January and enjoying having the children home for their Christmas break. We made gingerbread houses, cookies and too many candies. Most importantly we got to spend a beautiful Christmas Eve with family and at a church service in the Phoenix area with Mike’s parents. Surprisingly it was unseasonably cold for Phoenix at this time of the year.

Are you planning your New Year’s Resolutions or goals? My goal or resolution this year is, “Keep ahead of the game.” It is similar to the scout motto, “Be Prepared.” I want to keep ahead of the game in all areas of my life with everything from basket weaving to menu planning, to planning for holidays, vacations, and school activities. I don’t like having my day planned out and discover at the last minute that I need an ingredient from the store to make the evening meal or that my children need something at the last minute to finish a project that is ‘due tomorrow’. I know I won’t achieve this 100% of the time, but this is something I am striving towards. The ultimate goal from doing this is to help promote “Peace In Our Home.”

So, in preparation for Valentine’s Day, the January kit of the month is a round Valentine basket. This is a great basket to fill with cookies or chocolates to give to your special Valentine. The curls on the front are made from reed and we will be making those in class as well. Your color choices will be pink or red. When signing up for class this month, be sure to indicate if you want a pink or red basket. The picture above is in red. This is a beginner basket so no weaving experience is necessary. Cost of the class is $25 and this includes all weaving material needed to weave one basket. Additional kits are $10 and again you have your choice of pink or red colors.

As always, I’m not someone who likes to send attachments with my e-mails so please look at my blog to view the picture of this basket. The link to my blog is below. Just click on it.
January Class Schedule and Kit of the Month

The approximate finished size is 8” in diameter and 4” high.
Class Dates and Times
Saturday, January 3, 9:30 am– 1:00 pm
Friday, January 9, 6:00 pm – 9:30 pm
Friday, January 16, 9:00 am – 12:30 pm
Thursday, January 22, 9:00 am – 12:30 pm

Again, I provide all the weaving material. What you need to bring are the following:
Tape measure
Dish pan or large bucket to hold water
Old kitchen scissors
Old bath towel
A dozen or so spring type clothespins
A small flat blade screw driver
A great attitude and a smile on your face ;- )
Please wear old clothing to class

Class size is limited. Please call or e-mail me early so I may reserve your spot. Reservations are taken on a first come first serve basis. I will form a waiting list as needed. At this time, all classes are held in my home in Cabezon, 5 minutes west of St. Thomas Aquinas church. I will send all students specific directions.

Question of the month:
Nancy, You weave with a material called Reed. What is it and where does it come from?
Answer: Reed is in the bamboo family. It is grown in tropical rain forests in coils on the ground. I have read where it can grow up to three feet in one day! It is harvested and stripped of its bark. The bark is called Cane and cane may be a more familiar product to you as it is used in making seats for stools and in other items. The inner portion of the plant is reed. Once the cane is stripped from the outside it is processed into different sizes and shapes that we use in weaving.

Please always remember, that if I’ve failed to mention something in this newsletter that you have a question about, just call or send me an e-mail and I’ll get right back to you with an answer. As I told you last month, I love weaving and I look forward to sharing my joy and enthusiasm of it with you. Here is my contact information:

e-mail: basketmaster_nancy@yahoo.com
blog: http://basketmasterweavings.blogspot.com/

Again, Happy New Year and I hope some of your resolutions this year are to spend some time relaxing, learning and being productive. All of which can be accomplished with basket weaving!

Baskets of Blessings!

Nancy

1 comment:

magnoliasntea said...

Adorable basket!
What I wouldn't give to take that class. There's no way around it, one of us is going to have to move! ;)


Grab a cup of coffee and take time to enjoy some posts from the past

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