Coiled Baskets

A coiled basket using brown tones and darker contrasting thread

At our first meeting this year in January, we braved the cold to revisit coiled baskets. Many of us were out the first time the group made them. You take narrow strips of cloth and wrap it around cotton clothesline to cover it. Then you use a glue stick to attach it. You set the sewing machine on zig zag and begin sewing your coil together. When the base is the desired size, you begin holding it up to make the sides. You have to hold it up and sew at the same time. You continue wrapping and sewing until your basket is the size you want, and then you finish off. It is supposed to look primitive. The more strings the better.