The demand for the people baskets was so great that we had 12 of them going at once, each totally different. The most people who worked on one basket was ten and the least was five. Many people worked on nearly all of them. Many of them said they would like to try the technique with their groups back at home. It was very successful and nearly everyone spoke to the pleasure of working with others and learning new processes. I say "give it a try"!

My holiday adaptation of the people basket was started with a stamped leather oval, and was split stitched with green, red, and white sinew.

The store is very small, and packed with merchandise, so I just wandered the floor with the basket and a few pine needles in hand and schmoozed (I don't think that is really a word, so spelling doesn't count, right?) with the customers as I coiled. The possibility of winning the basket was a great incentive for them to try at least one stitch, and I must admit that the majority did exactly that. However, there were also those that worked on it for 15 -30 minutes and didn't want to give it up. Those truly inspired said they would never look at a pine needle the same way and expressed a desire to take classes.

By the end of the weekend the "People Basket" was a holiday tray coiled by 30-40 pairs of hands. Naturally, I forgot to take a count of the number of entries after the first day! The winner, a Polish pottery collector, took only one stitch, but was as pleased as could be.

My hands AND my feet were pretty sore by Sunday, but I had a really great time. I'm sure there are still pine needles tucked away among the merchandise, as I could never remember where I left them! Sadly, the owner is closing the shop doors at the end of January. I'm so glad I had this opportunity to introduce the art of pine needle coiling!

Kay Harradine's Adaptation

We had a large rib basket frame and lots of various weaving material. We encouraged folks to weave on the basket and sold raffle tickets to weavers and non-participants to replenish monies in our guild's Jean Leik Memorial Fund, which is used for children's activities and educational projects, usually to pay for materials if not otherwise covered. We raised forty dollars and there was a small eager crowd at ticket picking time.

I will ask if you will allow a rib basket orphan to live on your page!!! Here is a photo of the happy winner, Gloria Lumbert, with the communal rib basket that was woven with help from the passersby. She was very pleased, and lucky thing, she likes the autumn colors we used.

We had other hands-on activities as well - dream catchers, random weave ivy balls to hold bits of nesting material for birds, miniature traditional cattail sewn mats, cordage making. We asked for a donation of a dollar from each participant and sold $1 raffle tickets for this basket. I think our booth was a hit - we received many compliments and have been asked back again for next year.

People Basket with Kids

This is how I do People Baskets with kids. I have run up to three baskets at once in this way, sometimes they only have about 4 or 5 rows of coiling, but the kids love them.

I have noticed that kids really like the colorful baskets, so now when I plan one for children, I use CD's for centers. I glue two CDs together, shiny sides out, using E-6000, and clamping. When dry, I drill them about 3/8" intervals with the dremel. The CD is plastic, and is easy to drill, though it slips! After that, I color one side of the cd with Sharpie Permanent markers, trying to expand upon any colorful markings in the center of the CD. I have found the kids really respond to geometrics or waves of color. On the other side, I write the name of the festival, "The People Basket" and the date. I try to write everything on the center portion, so it will not be covered with pine needles. The colored side, I color all the way to the edge. Then I paint on a water-based sealer (like Delta) to put a "finish" on the marker. When that is dry, I follow with a spray sealer. If this is not done, there often are many scratches on the finished product.

I start the pine needles on the cd, usually using the brightest sinew I have. They really seem to like the orange and yellow, which is waxier than the other sinews, and that works great. I coil about two rows, making sure I plan which way the basket will "go". The patterned side is the inside, and I make sure the beginning row cushions the bottom of the cd, to help prevent scratches. If I am running more than one basket, I try to make sure they are all different stitches, and different shapes. One basket will be flat, one have gently sloping sides, another be a bowl. I use the separate stitch, the split stitch, and sometimes the Wheat stitch. I also usually have one basket with fascicles left on and another feeding pine needles to the inside of the coil. This allows a child who is really interested to coil on all the baskets and learn something different on each one.

A sign lets the kids know they need to ask their adult before they participate, and I usually ask the kids if they want to coil on the basket, and then direct the rest of my explanation to the adult with them. We use blunt tapestry needles. I do not allow the child to add or end binder, unless they are really showing a great aptitude, then I start it and let them finish the act. We focus on single stitches, and some kids only want to put in one. Others want to do a whole bunch, and "see" the pattern. Sometimes I have to place the stitch for them each time, and just let them pull the binder through. Short lengths of binder are better.

In between kids, I pick up a basket and coil on it. This attracts the kids, and helps the basket progress. Sometimes I will let a child backstitch, and they are often very proud to have "finished" the basket that everyone else worked on. Kids like to write their own name down. Parents need to make sure the phone number is accurate. It helps to actually tape the list for each basket to the table, so it does not get moved, and to label the top of the list with the primary color of the basket if more than one is being coiled. It also helps to run a highlighter of the same color as the binder down the page. Then even if the cut slips get mixed up, they can be sorted again. I reassure the parents I do not keep the address lists after drawing, and I usually allow the a child to help cut up the list, and draw a name.

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