Step-by-step photographs demonstrate the techniques of plain weaving, twining, and coiling and detailed instructions for specific projects lead to stylish, colorful baskets

Techniques include weaving, twining, coiling, braiding, and stitching of natural materials.

Everyone will become a nature lover by creating baskets and other projects with things found in the woods, parks, and fields.

In almost every country in the world, there is a tradition of basketmaking, using plants that are indigenous to that particular area. But today, the plastic bag and cardboard box have replaced the basket's role of years gone by. However, there is something quite irresistible about the smell and the tactile appeal of a country hedgerow basket which is not only home-made but is sometimes even home-grown. This book aims to revive interest in the traditinal and useful craft of basketmaking. Susie Vaughan offers a fascinating, step-by-step description of how to make a delightful selection of strong, natural-looking and colourful baskets, mostly using materials which have been gathered from hedgerows, woods and gardens. Firstly, she covers the few tools required, then goes on to give a detailed, illustrated description of materials which can either be gathered from the annual prunings of a wide selection of bushes, or those which are farmed and can be bought from specialist suppliers. Her detailed step-by-step description of making a basket is accompanied by numerous diagrams and full-colour photographs to help explain the finer points of detail. She then explores variations in design, both of the shape of the basket and the alternative weaving patterns that can be employed to make the finished work that much more special. Finally, a superb gallery of photographs of finished baskets is included to provide you with ideas and motivation to go on to more adventurous projects.

"With the inborn wisdom that has guided them for so long through so many obstacles, Hopi men and women perpetuate their proven rituals, strongly encouraging those who attempt to neglect or disrespect their obligations to uphold them. One of these obligations is to respect the flora and fauna of our planet. The Hopi closeness to the Earth is represented in all the arts of all three mesas, whether in clay or natural fibers. What clay is to a potter's hands, natural fibers are to a basket weaver."--from the Introduction Rising dramatically from the desert floor, Arizona's windswept mesas have been home to the Hopis for hundreds of years. A people known for protecting their privacy, these Native Americans also have a long and less known tradition of weaving baskets and plaques. Generations of Hopi weavers have passed down knowledge of techniques and materials from the plant world around them, from mother to daughter, granddaughter, or niece. This book is filled with photographs and detailed descriptions of their beautiful baskets--the one art, above all others, that creates the strongest social bonds in Hopi life. In these pages, weavers open their lives to the outside world as a means of sharing an art form especially demanding of time and talent. The reader learns how plant materials are gathered in canyons and creek bottoms, close to home and far away. The long, painstaking process of preparation and dying is followed step by step. Then, using techniques of coiled, plaited, or wicker basketry, the weaving begins. Underlying the stories of baskets and their weavers is a rare glimpse of what is called "the Hopi Way," a life philosophy that has strengthened and sustained the Hopi people through centuries of change. Many other glimpses of the Hopi world are also shared by author and photographer Helga Teiwes, who was warmly invited into the homes of her collaborators. Their permission and the permission of the Cultural Preservation Office of the Hopi Tribe gave her access to people and information seldom available to outsiders. Teiwes was also granted access to some of the ceremonial observances where baskets are preeminent. Woven in brilliant reds, greens, and yellows as well as black and white, Hopi weavings, then, not only are an arresting art form but also are highly symbolic of what is most important in Hopi life. In the women's basket dance, for example, woven plaques commemorate and honor the Earth and the perpetuation of life. Other plaques play a role in the complicated web of Hopi social obligation and reciprocity. Living in a landscape of almost surreal form and color, Hopi weavers are carrying on one of the oldest arts traditions in the world. Their stories in Hopi Basket Weaving will appeal to collectors, artists and craftspeople, and anyone with an interest in Native American studies, especially Native American arts. For the traveler or general reader, the book is an invitation to enter a little-known world and to learn more about an art form steeped in meaning and stunning in its beauty.

A complete guide to making wicker, splint, coiled, and twined baskets from commercial and natural materials. Includes information on making dyes.