Northeast Basketmakers Guild

Many thanks to the team of people who worked so diligently to organize the Northeast Basketmakers Guild's 2009 Gathering. They did a great job and pulled off another successful basketry event. This kind of event takes a huge amount of planning and the work put in by the entire team was evident. In particular, thanks go to Michele Graham and Carol Welch who were co-chairs of the conference. The three day event was packed with activities and as always there was just too much to take in completely.

I was so busy taking classes, manning my table at the marketplace and catching up with old friends that I didn't take as many photos as I thought I would, but here are a few that I hope will help capture a sense of the fun.

Rene works on a Nantucket Lightship basket purse in a workshop taught by Ann Lima.

Mary Jo is working on a Black ash miniature fishing creel in a class taught by Jo Ann Kelly Catsos.

This is a shot of the body of the mini fishing creel.

This basket maker is working on the body of a Black ash woodsplint cracker basket in another of Jo Ann's workshops.

Here Dianne Stanton explains the layout sequence of the hourglass shaped spokes in a double bottomed, cross spoke round basket base.

Eric Taylor instructing a student in his signature style that melds Black ash woodsplint weavers in a basket with a solid wood base, handle and rim.

Joyce works on an elm bark and Black ash basket in Alice Ogden's class.

Hopefully you will be able to participate in a basketry conference sometime soon. They are great fun, but be warned....they can be so filled with great stuff they can make you dizzy.