Earth Baskets
Eco Friendly Hand Crafted Coiled Baskets
By: Marsha Knox of
Pandula Arts
Creations
pandulaarts@yahoo.com
http://pandulaartscreations.blogspot.com
My
Earth Baskets are Eco friendly, unique baskets made entirely of responsibly
harvested, and sustainable, hand-picked materials from
the native Florida forest. They are not
“woven” in the traditional sense; they are coiled, (more of a
sewing technique than the over and under of weaving). They are made in the likeness of the Native
American Techniques, as well as other indigenous cultures.
Coiling
involves working in a spiral while making individual stitches and feeding new
material into the ‘coil’ that you are sewing. The new coil is ‘stitched’ or fastened to the
one directly underneath it. Your
stitches must be tight enough to make a firm basket, but not so tight as to
break your materials. As you stitch the
coil it would run out, so you must also feed new material into the coil to
continue along. Sometimes the coil, or
foundation material, is allowed to show and sometimes it is covered
completely. Some folks even use a
‘gauge’ to help make sure the coils remain a consistent size. There are always new materials to try to use
as your ‘thread’ and even your coiling material, so each individual must find
what works best for them and is available in their immediate environment.
No
one knows exactly where or when baskets were first developed; we only know that
they were very necessary in early cultures for carrying water, food and
supplies. Each indigenous culture
developed their own techniques suited to the available natural materials and
their own personal needs. This made for
very identifiable work in each area of the world.
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And then we have the page for how to care for your basket...
Earth
Basket
Care
Instructions
I
construct all of my baskets not just to be decorative, but also to be used and
enjoyed on a daily basis. And even
though they are made of tough forest materials, they do require some thought as
to their care.
Your
basket can be used as a ring and/or coin holder, to hold napkins or washcloths,
and even as a place for you or your spouse to keep track of where you have left
your keys. They are also perfect to hold
business cards or cell phones on your desk or dresser. Enjoy and use them as you would any basket.
Please
never put your basket in the dishwasher or the microwave to protect the
stitching. I use a lot of rugged materials
that have been dried in the dark so as to preserve their natural colors. Please don’t put your basket in direct
sunlight if you like these tones, as the sun may change the coloring. Do keep in mind that the coloring may change over
the years due to drying and exposure.
If
you do need to wash your basket, use mild dish soap and a soft brush or cloth,
rinse thoroughly and put in a well-ventilated space to dry. There is no need to seal or wax the basket to
keep its beautiful tones and handmade appearance. Mother Nature has done that for us.
With
some easy care your basket will live a full lifetime with you and still look
beautiful.
Thank
You!
Marsha
Knox
Proprietor
Pandula
Arts Creations
386-538-0524
And then we have the newest basket...
Oh yes and one move thing, my friend KraftyMax has featured me on her blog today. Click on her name and it will take you to the blog so that you can read how wonderful I am. lololol
Also I am in the process of doing a piece of wall art for my friend Dana in Georgia. It will be for her birthday (and already it is coming out beautifully) and I am just dying to show you. Buuutttttt...if I want it to be a surprise when she gets it then you guys will have to wait right along with her. Dana I hope you are in LOTS of suspense. lol
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