From Sheri’s Studio….

 Happy New Year! Let me continue by giving you greetings of the New Year as Just Patterns Magazine celebrates its 15^th Anniversary. Deb Blair started this great Basket Magazine in the Spring of 1991, so this Issue marks a milestone. I decided to pack this Issue offering more great projects and promoting the Art of Basketry which has always been my goal!

 My “Garlic Basket” features an exercise in round reed. A very utilitarian basket that will hold your cloves of garlic and can be hung on the wall, pantry door knob or hook. The air circulates freely around the cloves which keeps them fresh for a longer time. Also, this can be hung in the bathroom to hold bars of soap. Weave this one in natural grapevine material to hold a bird’s nest as a welcome greeting when hung by the back door.

 My “Springtime Market” is a great lesson in twill, color, and shaping. The dyed bow and woven reed flowers are attached to accent the side of this colorful basket with a wooden notched handle. This one is a favorite catch all/carry all basket; great for grab and go projects like scarf knitting.

 My “May Day” basket is a welcome addition to Spring. Starting out with a wooden drilled base, the entire basket is woven with round reed including the handle. Add a glass vase to the center to hold a Spring bouquet of fresh flowers or create a silk arrangement of Spring blooms.

 “Spring Whimsy” is curvy, airy with a floral flair; the vine and leaf-wrapped iron handle compliment this basket perfectly. Nancy Lascelle, New Hampshire Basketmaker, designed the original version of this basket. Maurine Joy has updated it with her custom made handle, oval wooden base and colorful, curvy overlays.

Maurine Joy’s “Bread Basket” features a functional basket with stoneware pottery handles crafted in Maine in an assortment of colors and themes. Your selection choice of handles will grace the ends of this handy basket-great basket for a loaf of bread or a nice size for keeping things organized on your desk or in the bathroom.

 Enjoy the color photos of two of my Baskets-“Love Me” and “Small Easter”. The baskets are viewed here, but the patterns are on my Website www.justpatterns.com Feel free to print these out and the others featured there for your own personal use. I have had a good response to including “Bonus” patterns on my Site and with this Anniversary Issue wanted to include 2 more of them.

 “Bountiful Treasure” by Jennifer Baum is a large, strong utilitarian basket which starts out with a grooved wooden base and woven in natural and dyed reed in an arrow weave. The lid is optional, but starts out with a wooden base which can be solid or a fretwork piece; it is woven to a perfect fit.

 Jennifer Baum’s “Simple Easter Basket” is a festive basket which uses colorful dyed reed and a fabric covered accent row making this the perfect, easy to weave Easter basket. The wrapped handle adds more colors as a great first Easter basket or use as a centerpiece for your Holiday gatherings.

 The wonderful addition to any Easter Basket is Nancy Carlson’s “Easter Eggs”. A Styrofoam egg is used as a mold for the perfect shape which is woven entirely in round reed. Ribbon is woven through adding color to accent the solid egg or one that opens.

 Enjoy this Issue full of weaving projects for any level of weaver. Also, enjoy the longer days and the brighter colors of Spring. I will be busy adding the final touches to my daughter, Sarah’s wedding on the last weekend of April!