DIY: Lavender Wall Basket
(Page 3 of 3)
February/March 1994
By Linda G. Lugenbill
Twine around the four original bundles for a total of four rows. (To keep track, count the number of raffia strokes that have stacked up vertically on a bundle.)
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Next, split each of the original bundles in half. Make four rows of twining around these eight groups of ten stems each, working each new row of twining close to the row below it. As the weaving continues, gently open the wall of the container by pulling the lavender stem bundles apart and outward.
As the raffia ends run out or become shredded or flimsy, tie a new length to the old end with a square knot behind a warp where it won’t show.
Split each bundle in half again, making sixteen bundles of five stems each, and twine four more rows, allowing about 1/2 inch between rows. The basket should be significantly flared by now. Let the rows of twining freely follow the contours of the warps. Feel free to allow the rows of weaving to undulate. Work the last row of twining next to the previous row for stability.
If the length of the lavender stalks permits, twine a few more rows while splitting the bundles into groups of two or three stems. Don’t twine too close to the top of the stalks; the charm of this basket is that it emphasizes the elegant grace of the lavender rather than concealing it.
5. Final Touches
To end, tie a square knot with the two raffia ends behind a warp where it won’t be conspicuous.
Decorating the front of the basket, which may be flattened slightly or left conical, is up to you. I like to add a dried rose, some baby’s-breath, and perhaps a few bits of lavender, binding them with a few wraps of raffia secured with a square knot. With a long length of soaked raffia, tie the arrangement to the front of the basket with a square knot, then tie the long ends in a bow.
Form a small loop of raffia, tie it around one of the rows of twining on the back to hang your basket, and you’re done. The only problem—if it is a problem—with this project is that it’s hard to make just one! Enjoy the process and the product.
Linda G. Lugenbill of Colorado Springs is nationally known as a basketmaker and teacher of the craft. She has worked extensively as a guest researcher in the basket collection at the Denver Museum of Natural History.
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