ash strips for basket making

In New England, baskets were made by the Native American tribes, which included the Penobscot, Maliseet, Pennacook, Abenaki, and Algonquin. Oak splints. I have two white oak baskets that have been woven--the strips tend to splinter where you need to bend them up. The basketmaker then needs to get the strips the correct width for the basket. at the mobile-friendly online store. Ash splints. In the photo below you can see that the inner bark with it’s outer bark shell is the darker, orangeish brown layer on the outside. It’s really easy and rewarding. The strongest baskets in New England are made from strips of wood processed from brown ash trees. baskets are exceptionally reasonable considering the amount of work involved in making them. All coils contain 40 feet except 2" and 3" width material which have 20 feet/coil. wooden molds, and a Used mainly as accent pieces in baskets, the thin 1/2" and 5/8" are especially good for making curls. You will be left with a solid wood log that is ready to be pounded for splint making. I got mine at a flea market and sharpened it on a grinding wheel to get the edge back. Black Ash Basket Making. It was on a job that involved him cutting down a few small trees where I found my first logs to harvest bark from. Once you have identified a stand of black ash trees you will have to select one for use. Once larger industries starting taking over and people started to move into the cities, the basket makers started creating and selling fancy baskets with elaborate designs and coloured strips. Chinese bamboo weaving, Taiwanese bamboo weaving, Japanese bamboo weaving and Korean bamboo weaving go back centuries. Or if a tree is damaged at the top, dyeing, or interfering with the growth of other, stronger trees. threading her weaver in Large baskets were for heavy produce-potatoes, apples, squash, etc-and of course, laundry. 99. Next I embarked on the journey of pounding ash splints. Basket Strips - Maple. Next I’ll do a nicer, more refined basket to see how it will hold up in that setting. Wool Days program. If you have trouble getting splints when you pound the log, maybe try the soaking method first. He soaks the logs in a pond over the winter before pounding them. They were even used as a type of measurement. Black ash basket weaving is important to Church's culture. Ash trees are fairly fast growing so a grove of them will eventually provide materials for a plethora of baskets. Today, the skills and basket styles of New Hampshire reflect this shared heritage. White ash is a tree that can provide not one, but two, materials: the inner bark and splints (which come from the solid wood section). You could also use a knife, but it will take much longer. Thanks so much for that suggestion– I am definitely going to try it with my last log. Obviously Black Ash is the holy grail of ash trees, but it is uncommon so I was happy to have the white ash. Newt Washburn. The material is bamboo strips. Three sizes of ash baskets made by Sometimes the coil consists of 11 strips that are 44" long. The best time to cut a tree is in the Spring when the sap is rising, but cutting can take place at other times in the year. They don’t have black ash there, only white. and recalls from his childhood, 19 Pillsbury Street - 1st Floor, Concord, NH 03301. You have to cut the tree down to use its bark so I am primarily looking for trees that are being cut down anyway for other reasons. She came to realize she was the only ash basket-weaver making baskets in her band and among just a hand full in all of the northern Chippewa/Ojibwe in Wisconsin. Although I processed already harvested bark and learned to weave with it down south, actually finding, cutting down, and harvesting the bark from the trees is a new adventure! Sometimes, she'll run those same strips through again and end up with four strips about four to five feet long. You could do a smaller or wider strip as well I think. I went just a little bit into the fleshy white inner bark to insure that no remnants of tough, outer bark remained. *FREE* shipping on qualifying offers. of completion at the Your descriptions of gathering and preparing various materials are wonderfully clear. It’s the splints that black ash trees are famous for. Email to friends Share on Facebook - opens in a new window or tab Share on Twitter - opens in a new window or tab Share on Pinterest - opens in a new window or tab Ash Tree. The first step is to use a draw knife to remove the outer layer of flaky bark. When baskets were used for day-to-day living, they were made in many sizes and for many purposes. To use them for weaving just rehydrate them in hot water for up to an hour depending on how thick they are. I’ll update with my progress soon as well as do a post on white ash splint making. In the near 17 years that April has spent weaving, selling, teaching and researching black ash basketry, she has gained much insight into what makes a really good splint basket. The wood strips from the Ash trees are exceptional for … I wasn’t sure how deep to cut when removing the outer bark, but decided to be liberal about it. Authentic Black Ash Baskets Basket weaving is an old traditional art that has been carried on through ... peeled off in long strips. The measurements of the finished pack are approx. She belongs to the Match-E-Be-Nash-She-Wish Band of Pottawatomi Indians. His baskets are gorgeous. For example, if a stand of basswood are growing really close together and need to be thinned. The Black Ash tree has a ring-porous quality that allows it to be pounded into splints for use in basketry. Used in split-ash basketry. She then strips the layers, each representing one annual growth ring, off the log. 2002 Canterbury Shaker Village Alice Ogden looses a strip of bark and peels it off the log and then pulls apart the splint lengthwise to create a thinner strip. The wider pieces are suitable for stenciling and painting on. 7" x 14" x 17" high. For more information on ash baskets, go to a search engine, like Google or Bing, and type in ash baskets. Good condition, no crushing. When looking for a tree you want a completely straight and branchless section of trunk. If strip length is important to you, please mention it when ordering. Pounding, Shaving and Weaving Alice makes her baskets from high quality, New Hampshire black ash logs, which are supplied by her husband, a skilled professional logger. When European settlers came to New England in the mid 1600s and 1700s, they brought their own basketry traditions. FREE Shipping on orders over $25 shipped by Amazon. Apprentice Elizabeth Charlebois Our Ash, Maple, Cherry, and Walnut strips come in a coil that contains 40 feet, usually that is 8 strips that are 5 feet long (or 60"), 1/2 coil is 4 strips or 20 feet, and 1/4 coil is 2 strips or 10 feet. Good condition, no crushing. Your email address will not be published. I have a more detailed post about harvesting inner bark here. Functional and durable baskets can be made from strips of wood from many types of trees. Luckily I have an arborist for a boyfriend so finding trees becomes a little easier! Supple strips of black ash for weaving and dense strong hickory for handles and rims make up each basket. They’re best made in the spring when the sap’s rising, so earlier this year I took a trip to the woods near Bath for a few days to make one. […] it away because the splints are more desirable. After learning how to use bark in basketry during my internship in Asheville this winter my big project for this year became incorporating bark into my repertoire of natural materials. starts her basket by They used a variety of local materials including birch bark, the spit wood of ash trees, and sweetgrass. And just to see if it could be done I wove this quick little twined basket using the ash bark for both stakes and weavers. First you need to pound steadily along the log to loosen the growth rings, which will separate into nice even layers called splints. I wasn’t sure at first if white ash could be used as a substitute for black and didn’t find much literature on google to answer my question. Once again it took a lot of digging around […], Your email address will not be published. displayed with her weaving materials, basket shapes in various stages Hi Kit! I’ve done a lot of reading and research about working with bark and all winter I’ve been w… Trees have a couple different layers to them when you look at the cut section. After learning how to use bark in basketry during my internship in Asheville this winter my big project for this year became incorporating bark into my repertoire of natural materials. The weavers can create a standard over-one under-one pattern, or any variety of decorative patterns. Trust me, you will wish that process was as easy as removing the inner bark! Mini Splint is recommended for miniature baskets up to 3 inches. The Mine were about 8 inches in diameter and about 4 feet long. Making an Ash Pack Basket For ages I’ve been wanting to make a pack, or back, basket from wood splints. Either way I wanted to experiment. Once the entire tree has been cleaned of outer bark it is time to peel strips of inner bark off. All strips are approximately 1/42" in thickness. Satin finish. Posted on November 1, 2018 by cknight. This splint is NOT recommended for use on chair seats. It seems like that would allow it to separate much more easily. Use the Small Splint for baskets up … It weighs in at 3 pounds. Black Ash Baskets: Tips, Tools, & Techniques for Learning the Craft [Kline, Jonathan] on Amazon.com. In this post I’ll focus on my efforts with the inner bark. First you need to pound steadily along the log to loosen the growth rings, which will separate into nice even layers called splints. Sweetser family tradition I’ve done a lot of reading and research about working with bark and all winter I’ve been waiting for the leaves on the trees to unfurl and keeping an eye out for individual trees that might be candidates for using. $11.99 $ 11. Otherwise if I have to take a tree down from the forest my top priority is finding an individual tree whose removal will benefit, not hurt, the forest as a whole. This instructable will be in three parts: Feet, Basket, and … Then you can work your knife into the edge to get started and peel the entire strip off like peeling a banana! A few years ago I was in Nova Scotia, visiting a Micmac basket maker. Black ash trees grow in isolated pockets of cool, wet ground throughout the northeastern U.S. and southeastern Canada. Some ash baskets were made as pack baskets and some even served as baby cradles. and out of the spokes. Thanks. Alternating it with the ash makes for a prettier, sturdier basket. Harvesting Bark From Downed Trees for Baskets: Over the last few months I have been learning how to harvest inner bark from various types of trees that grow where I live (in upstate New York). It is very clear that keeping the basketmaking tradition alive is much more of a priority than making money for Butch. Preparing wood strips for making an ash basket is a lot of work. You can then coil up your pieces of inner bark and let them dry. These layers can be split again to get the thickness desired for a particular size and type of basket. He has taught classes and made several presentation about making brown ash baskets. JavaScript must be enabled for some features to display properly. Required fields are marked *, 2020 Summer Basketry Intensive / Weekend Workshop. I tried to do some research on using the inner bark of ash for basketry but couldn’t find any examples. Seems to work up there. Up until the 1940s, cash was hard to come by so skilled basket makers often traded or bartered their work with local stores for staples like flour, sugar, and coffee. All baskets are BJ Crawford's original designs; photography and printing are done at Earth Guild. Pre-soaked sweet grass can be used to achieve a finer and tighter weave. Therefore, most basket makers get their logs by themselves or from independent loggers. You may try the steam method. What you will be using will be very thick. To stencil or paint on, for accent, or for curls. Because the wood is soft and splits, it is not much use for furniture making or building, but it is uniquely suited for basket making. Brown ash is s finicky tree, usually growing in swampy areas and in small numbers. Bamboo is the prime material for making all sorts of baskets, since it is the main material that is available and suitable for basketry. Your sample should show thick, mature growth rings. Sometimes materials like sweet grass or ash died different colors are used to vary the color and fragrance of the basket. Newt Washburn carries on the Black Ash Baskets: Tips, Tools, & Techniques for Learning the Craft Use this ash splint to create beautiful baskets! Hi Katie, On the outside is the rough, gray, outer bark. And if none of those conditions are met I’m looking for a tree that is abundant, not rare, in any given area. Basket making has been a traditional craft of the Akwesasne Mohawk Nation for generations. Enable JavaScript by changing your browser options, and then try again. After you have soaked them you can cut them into thinner strips or split them. Splints will be for next time! Jeanne Brink's delicate Most commonly ash trees are cut down for the process of basket making so make sure that you select a very mature tree by taking a core sample. I bought a pretty good sized one with a leather strap intended for collecting. Continue peeling strips off until you have gotten all the inner bark off the log. Basket Weaving Tools: … Over time, basket making traditions intermingled. It is just under 1/16th of an inch. Packages of hand-painted strips of 140 LB cotton rag paper, with Cat-Head Basket Instructions. Strips from an oak tree that are cut and thinned to be used as stakes and weavers. Ash Splints from The Basket Maker's Catalog. Examples are oak, hickory, Willow; and all will make baskets. all winter-either that or go hungry!". ash and sweet grass baskets Finding trees may be the most daunting part. (In New Hampshire, the trees are called brown ash and in other regions of New England they are called black ash.) Then moving inwards you have a layer of inner bark, which is softer and pliable. She strips the black ash logs of their bark, then pounds the logs to loosen the layers of wood. PH Pandahall 1 pc Natural Wooden Basket Bottom, 7.8 Inch Circle Blank Crochet Basket Wood Base for DIY Basket Weaving Supplies Craft Making Home Decoration, Burlywood. Sizes and Types of Cherry, Black Walnut and Maple Basket Strips can … Well, I am using it and it is working wonderfully. : ), This year I have had the opportunity to launch a class that has been a…, Have you ever marveled at the rich color of the dark blue water that is…, A few weeks ago at a Women's Creative Collective meet-up, Nancy Denicolo lead an activity…. For some families, like the Sweetsers of Northern New Hampshire, the making of baskets was a family enterprise and every member had a job to do. Basket weaving tool terms. Many basket makers carve their own handles from the center of the ash log, after all the usable layers have been pounded off. How to Weave a Bark Basket at the 2017 Mentorship Series, Fox magic and a sneak peek at the upcoming Art Foray, Bark Processing of Four Northeastern Trees |.

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