Here are some snapshots from the wonderful basketry workshops with Eric Talor we had here in St. Louis May 19-22, 2011. Eric offered four classes in his Cottage Series of baskets. I have wanted to host a class with Eric for year, so was very excited and I wasn't let down in the least.

Cottage Carrier

The Cottage Carrier.

Eric and I pose with a selection of his beautiful baskets.

Eric's incredible baskets.

Eric has a handy system for beveling staves.

The staves are beveled and sanded.

After all the prep work we are ready to begin.

Eric gives a demo on inserting the first four staves.

The staves are inserted in four equal quadrants.

Sandy and Pat get started on their first basket.

Anne adjusts the staves in her first two quadrants.

The staves are inserted, alternating wide and narrow.

With all the staves inserted they are left to dry to the mold.

Eric demonstrates starting the weaving.

Eric shows Sandy, Pat and Jane how to start the second weaver for the chase weave.

The weaving continues with the two weavers chasing each other around and around.

Cindy and Kate settle into weaving.

The weaving goes pretty fast.

Beverly is already about a third of the way.

Lynn and Mary weave away.

Kate and Pat do the same.

As does Anne.

The room gets quite as everyone concentrates on weaving.

But before long Lynn is half-way up the mold.

Mary is just about to the top.

Beverly is about finished with her weaving too.

Eric checks out Jane's work.

I have my weaving all done!

Carol trims her staves level.

Cindy trims her staves as well.

Basket levels, staves trimmed and removed from the mold.

Sandy oils her rims and handle.

Carol drills pilot holes for the rim pins.

Eric helps set the first four rim pins.

The pins are peened over on the inside of the rim.

Pat pins every wide stave.

Jane proudly displays her completed Cottage Carrier.

10th Anniversary Cottage Mail

The 10th Anniversary Cottage Mail.

Lynn bevels her staves as Annette starts laying out her base.

Lynanne, inserts her staves.

Wanda finishes up her first quandrant.

Only one more quadrant to go.

Beverly finishes inserting her staves.

Before I know it I am over half-way up the mold.

Lynn and Annette are about to the top of the mold.

Jane is almost done with her weaving.

The baskets are dried before packing.

Beverly finishes her weaving as Michelle packs her basket.

Eric helps Annette insert her rims.

Eric clamps the rims before pinning.

Anne sands her handle before oiling.

Michelle proudly shows off her newly completed baskets.

Cottage Smalls Carrier

Cotage Smalls.

Eric shows the class the little basket we will be weaving.

Eric explains the layout of the base.

John inserts the last of his staves under the rubber band.

The staves are banded to dry.

Eric demonstrates starting the weaving.

John carefully weaves the the first row of weaving with the rubber band still on the basket.

Martha Kay weaves a way on her little basket.

The weaving starts to take shape.

Lynanne works on her basket.

Lynn weaves on hers too.

And before we know it the baskets are woven to the top.

Pat drills her pilot holes.

Lynanne drills her rim as well.

The pins look dangerous!

The pins are clipped and peened over.

The handle is ready to be installed.

My finished Cottage Smalls.

Cottage Tool Tote

The Cottage Tool Tote.

Cindy begins laying out her base.

Mary inserts her first staves.

Wanda evenly spaces her staves.

Jane works on a special project, a French bread basket.

Kate almost has all of her staves in.

All the staves are inserted into my tool tote.

Sandy starts weaving her basket.

Kate is half way up her mold.

Jane has half of he very long basket woven.

Pat has her basket leveled and the staves trimmed.

Jane trims off her staves.

Eric assembles the divider and handle.

Jane oils her rims.

Eric fits the rims.

Mary drills her rim.

Cindy installs her rim pins.

Jane's French bread basket rimmed and ready for handles.

Cottage Towering Tote

My Special Project

Inserting the staves into my Towering Tote.

After a couple of rows the basket is banded and left for the night.

My basket and the sample.

I weave on my special project between working on my other baskets.

This is a tall basket!

I am almost to the top of the mold.

After leveling the staves the basket is dried and packed.

My completed set of 5 baskets.