I started my craft back in the 1980’s when I was an employee of the Ohio Historical Society at Ohio Village in Columbus. When the broom maker quit, I went to our boss and suggested that he let me take over the shop. I quickly learned to make brooms and also took some basket weaving lessons -- and the rest, as they say, is history.
Eventually, I gave up making brooms because they just didn’t inspire me the way basket weaving did. It was a lot of trial and error and on-the-job training, but I’ve honed my skills over the years and today I make a variety of baskets for many practical and decorative purposes.
When our beloved Ohio Village closed suddenly in the early 1990s, I was deeply in love with basket weaving and longed to find a new outlet to continue my craft as a profession. I began showing my baskets at several art shows every year and have made basket weaving my life's work. I thoroughly enjoy meeting people and sharing my love for this ancient craft..
All my baskets are made of reed, a product of the Rattan plant. This is the same plant that gives us the familiar caning material used in chair seats. I personally weave every basket by hand, without the use of any forms or molds,soaking the reeds in water to make them soft and pliable for hand weaving. Basket weaving is a labor of love for me, and I put as much care and attention into the last one I made as I did with my first!
I've began showing my baskets on the web in the sincere desire to share basket weaving with more basket lovers. This is a great deal of fun for me, and I’m always finding new patterns and styles that I want to try. I hope you enjoy this website as much as I do and that you’ll return often to see my latest creations |
