Here are some snapshots from my sixth wonderful basketry workshops with JoAnn Kelly Catsos we had here in St. Louis October, 2012. JoAnn taught two incredible baskets, both woven of brown ash (or black ash which it is also known by) which she and her husband Steve prepare themselves. We started the first three days with an incredible quadrafoil lidded knife basket and then finished the last day with a cute miniature backpack.

Quadrafoil Lidded Knife Basket
and
Berkshire Backpack

October 18-21, 2012

JoAnn Kelly Catsos shows the class the first basket we will be making.

This is one of my favorites, the quadrafoil lidded knife basket.

We start by laying out the base.

Anne adds uprights until all are woven in.

JoAnn shows Lynanne and Martha Kay how to check the fit of their bases to the molds.

The bases need to fit perfectsly.

After the uprights are dampened and folded up the base is pinned to the mold.

The uprights are banded to the mold to dry.

JoAnn checks Jane's progress as the weaving begins.

Wanda weaves around the corner.

Lynanne, Barb and Cindy weave intently.

Lynn checks her spacing as she weaves around the corner.

The weaving in progressing up the sides of the mold.

Before long Anne has her basket off the mold and is leveling the weaving.

My basket is leveled and off the mold.

Cindy begins folding down her uprights.

The uprights are folded and clipped to dry.

JoAnn and Jane discuss handle placement.

I have the rims clipped to my basket.

We then use mini cable ties to secure our rims.

Lashing begins.

Wanda lashes her basket.

JoAnn shows Anne how to finish off the lashing.

Day one is complete and the bodies of the baskets are complete.

The next morning we jump into making our lids.

JoAnn demonstrates how the uprights will be laid out.

Lynanne gets the start of her first lid assembled.

Lynn works on her lid.

To aid in assembling the "base" for the lids, JoAnn has us tape our pieces to a sample layout.

Barb starts on her second lid.

I have both of my lid "bases" woven and evenly, but loosely, spaced.

Now it is time to "shrink" the lids.

Both lids are "shrunk" to pefect squares.

JoAnn demonstrates how the lids will be woven.

JoAnn checks Jane's progress.

With each row of weaving the uprights are spaced out more and more.

Finally the uprights are evenly spaced and the end of the lid is rounding.

Barb works on her lid.

Lynn works on her lid.

Leanne, all the way from Norway, works on her lid.

Lynanne carefully packs each row as she goes.

Cindy works on her second matching lid.

I check to see how my lids are fitting.

The last tail of the weavers is tappered.

The uprights are timmed.

JoAnn demonstrates weaving in the "false" rim.

The lids are finished with a sawtooth rim.

The lashing continues around the edge.

Lynanne works on rimming her lid.

One lid lashed and the next one is began.

After drying the tails of the uprights are carefuly trimmed.

The lids are woven and ready to be attached.

Anne carefully drills tiny holes in the stretcher bar.

Cindy drills holes in her stretcher bar so she can attach her lids to her basket.

Jane and Lynn show off their completed baskets.

Ann proudly displays her basket.

Wanda, Martha Kay and Cindy are still smiling after three days of work.

As always JoAnn taught a fantasic and successful class.

JoAnn helps Tina start her special basket.

Tina lays out the twill base of her Snowflake bowl.

She slowly shrinks the base, making sure all of the spacing is perfectly even.

JoAnn inspects as Tina pins her base to the mold.

She begins weaving with the contrasting white weavers.

The next day she continues weaving to the top of the mold.

Tina has to borrow extra mini clips to hold all of her uprights down.

She cradles her basket as she admires the lovely twill pattern.

Tina proudly displays her beautifully completed Snowflake bowl.

For the last day of class Tina works on a small lidded sewing basket.

She lashes the lid.

And finishes up the hand shaping on the base the basket.

Grayson is ever so helpful with a loose string.

Pearl has found a friend and makes herself comfortable in Cindy's lap.

Grayson is bored with us.

JoAnn introduces the next class, the miniature Berkshire back pack.

JoAnn inspects Debs base.

JoAnn helps Catherine with her spacing.

Sharon weaves all of her uprights into her base.

JoAnn explains how the base will attach to the mold.

Cindy watches as JoAnn demonstrates tapering the uprights.

My uprights are tappered and banded to the mold to dry.

JoAnn demonstrates the start of the weaving.

Jane begins weaving her basket.

Wanda works on her basket.

JoAnn demonstrates to Deb and Catherine how to splice in a new weaver.

JoAnn checks out Catherine's progress.

I am almost woven to the top of my mold.

Everyone is just about there.

The last row of weaving is tappered to level the basket.

JoAnn explains how to take apart the three piece puzzle mold.

The uprights are folded over and clipped to dry.

Mini cable times are inserted first to aid in fitting the rims.

Mini skates/skids are added to the bottom of the basket, just like a full-sized pack.

I fit tiny leather straps to my back pack.

Grayson would love to play with the straps on my back pack.

Jane, Leanne and Lynn proudly display their handly work.

I am all smiles holding my lidded knife and Berkshire back pack.

Wanda, Tina and Cindy show off thier cute little back packs.

My lidded knife looks huge next to my Berkshire pack and miniature knife basket.