BASKETRY
BASKETRY
INTRODUCTORY REMARKS
The art of basket-making is a primitive one, and so simple that it
appears to have been known among the rudest people and in very early
ages.
When Moses was found by Pharaoh's daughter, he was lying in a basket
which had been woven by his mother.
Later, when the Israelites were returning to the Promised Land, they
were commanded to offer unto the Lord "the first of all the fruits of
the earth" in a basket, as soon as Canaan became their possession. The
baskets of the rich, of these ancient Israelites were made of gold and
silver, and so valuable were they that when a gift was sent in one of
them the basket was always returned.
The ancient Britons were remarkably expert in the manufacture of
baskets, which were so beautifully made that they were highly prized by
the Romans.
Our own American Indians were, and still are, such adepts in the art of
basket-making that, for beauty and artistic effect, their baskets are
excelled by none.
The perfection attained in this art by the uncivilized is marvelous.
Adapting the materials about them to their use, they produce
masterpieces which the civilized man beholds in wonder and amazement.
Though handed down to us through many ages, this ancient occupation has
never lost its fascination. The adult and the child of to-day are as
eager to learn its secrets as were those dwellers on the banks of the
Nile, hundreds of years ago.
As a plastic art it lies between paper construction and clay modeling
on one side, and wood and iron work on the other.
A keen interest in the art may be awakened by arousing in the child a
desire for a basket for some practical purpose. In the autumn, the
collecting of seeds for next spring's planting, the gathering of nuts,
the need for something in which to take the lunch to school, or,
perhaps, a wish to make a pleasing gift for the coming Christmas, will
immediately suggest its utility.
[Illustration: NORTH CAROLINA PINE]
Of what shall the basket be made? Children enjoy those things most
which they feel that they have exerted themselves to obtain; and the
greater the effort involved, the greater the educational value. Every
child should be trained to keep his eyes open and to adapt to his use
the things he sees about him. Materials for baskets may be obtained in
just this way. City children may take a trip to the country and gather
the long grasses found in swamps and low places. Perhaps in the garden
at home there is a clump of yucca; when the fall comes and the bloom is
gone the leaves or blades may be cut, dried and stripped, and
transformed into an attractive basket or tray. Again, the husks which
are stripped from the corn cooked for dinner may be torn into narrow
ribbons and dried for use. Corn husks make a beautiful basket, for the
different shades of green change, after the husks have dried, to as
many shades of brown, which blend most artistically when worked up. The
little children of the South may gather the long needles that fall from
the southern pine, and combine them with raffia or twine to construct a
basket. Country children have a most adaptable and convenient commodity
in the tough, flexible willows found on the banks of almost every
stream.
The material most commonly used and easiest to begin with, however, is
reed, which is pliable, and readily handled and moulded into simple
forms by even small children. It is available when other materials are
not to be had, for it may be purchased with the school supplies.
Reed is the core or central part of the climbing calamus, a species of
palm found in the jungles of Borneo and adjacent South Sea islands. The
outside of the raw calamus is smooth and is made into commercial cane
used for chairs. The shavings, made by the machine which separates the
cane from the core or inner reed, are utilized for mats, polishing
material, and stuffing for mattresses and furniture. Thus every part of
the raw material is brought into use.
Originally the calamus grew in a limited area and was difficult to
obtain. Only the natives could gather it, as the white man contracted
the jungle fever as soon as he subjected himself to the climate in
which it grew. But within the last fifty or seventy-five years
enterprising men have begun the cultivation of the rattan palm, and
have met with so much success that now there are a number of factories
in the United States making the reed and rattan of commerce, while
Germany and Belgium export to us the best reed that is used.
[Illustration: REED BASKETS]
The teacher should never begin the use of any new material for
construction without having made the child familiar with its history;
nor should a finished article be laid aside until the pupil has given
the teacher a description of how it is made, and of what it is made. If
this method is carried out the child will show a greater appreciation
of what he is doing, will value the finished article more highly, and
will place a premium on the raw material.
Overlook the pupils in their work, but grant them the privilege of
adjusting size and shape, and of selecting material for the
requirements of the design they have in mind. By achieving what he can
for himself, the pupil attains a realization of his own power, and the
logic of size, shape, material, etc., is awakened.
REED CONSTRUCTION
In construction, the first thing to teach a child is how to handle the
material. To do this, use small quantities and attempt only simple
articles. Reed is the simplest thing to begin with, and the easiest of
all basket-work models is the napkin ring. Soak all the reed and dry it
with a cloth before using.
1 Napkin Ring No. I
_Problem_--To construct a napkin ring of reed.
_Material_--No. 2 reed, 7 feet.
Take one end of the reed and form a loop two inches in diameter, and
wind the reed three times to form the ring. Hold it in the left hand.
Pass the loose end over the curve and through the circle. Pull it taut
enough to make it lie in a natural curve. Repeat this movement--over
and over, round and round--allowing the strands always to follow the
valley between the two former laps. When the foundation is covered,
clip the end where it finishes up, press it into place in the groove,
drop a little glue over the point at which it is pressed in, and bind
the ring with a string to hold the end in position. When the glue has
dried, remove the string.
[Illustration: No. I No. II
REED NAPKIN RINGS]
When the napkin ring has been made, the child has learned the principle
involved in constructing a basket handle.
2 Napkin Ring No. II
_Problem_--To construct a napkin ring of No. 5 reed. (See
page 75.)
_Material_--No. 5 reed, 2-1/2 feet.
In using No. 5 reed, form the loop two inches in diameter, but have the
ring of only one thickness, and proceed as in ring No. 1. This will
make a napkin ring of different appearance because the windings are
fewer and the reed thicker.
3 Mat
_Problem_--To construct a simple mat of reed.
_Material_--No. 4 reed: eight spokes, 9 inches long; one
spoke, 6 inches long. Weavers of No. 2 reed.
[Illustration: Figure 1 Figure 2
TO START A REED MAT OR SIMPLE BASKET]
Place together, at right angles, two groups of four spokes of No. 4
reed. To the under group add the six-inch spoke of No. 4 reed (Figure
1). Hold the spokes firmly in the left hand. Take the No. 2 weaver and
insert it under the thumb. Wind the weaver diagonally over the crossing
point in both directions (Figure 2). Then wind the weaver over and
under alternate groups of spokes, three times around. Hold both spokes
and weaver firmly in place with the left hand. Separate into single
spokes now and continue weaving until your mat is four inches in
diameter. Fasten the end of the weaver by tucking it down beside a
rib. The projecting ribs are trimmed to an even length and pointed.
Take any given spoke, as No. 1, bend it to the left in front of No. 2
and insert it on the right side of No. 3. No. 2 is now taken and
carried to the left over No. 3 and inserted to the right of No. 4.
Proceed thus until all the spokes are inserted, when the mat is
finished. The scallops should form a semicircle.
[Illustration: REED MAT]
For a larger mat, take ten spokes, sixteen inches long, of No. 4 reed,
and one spoke nine inches long of the same. Use No. 1 reed for the
weaver and proceed as in making the smaller mat.
To add a new weaver, place the end about two spokes back of where the
former weaver ended and parallel with it.
4 Hamper Basket
_Problem_--To construct a simple reed basket.
_Material_--No. 4 reed: eight spokes 16 inches long; one
spoke 9 inches long. Weavers of No. 1 reed.
Begin the basket exactly as the mat was begun. Weave until the bottom
is three inches, or three and a half inches in diameter. Then bend the
spokes at right angles with the base, drawing the weaver tight so as to
hold the spokes in position and keep them separated at an equal
distance. Continue weaving until the basket is three inches high, or
until about one and a half inches of spokes is left for the border.
Finish the edge by turning down the spokes as in the edge of the mat,
or bend them down flat with the edge of the basket. Take any spoke, as
No. 1, bring from right to left over No. 2, then No. 2 over No. 3, and
so on until the ends of all the spokes are turned to the inside of the
basket. Keep both basket and weaver well dampened while weaving. After
the basket is finished press it into shape while still damp. When it is
thoroughly dry trim off the ends of the spokes which appear too long on
the inside of the basket, leaving them just long enough to be held in
place by the curved spoke under which each passes. This makes a
beautiful hamper basket.
[Illustration: HAMPER BASKET]
A handle may be added to this little basket, but it is not advisable to
encourage a child to add a handle until he has made his third basket or
has shown in some way proficiency in what has been taught so far.
_To add a handle._ Take a length of reed, of the same number as the
spokes, for the handle bow. For a small-sized basket take ten inches.
Insert one end down through the weaving beside one of the spokes. Bend
the bow into the shape you wish for the handle and insert the other end
of the bow beside a spoke on the opposite side of the basket, being
careful that the two spaces between the two ends of the handle are
equal. The handle should be about as high above the border as the
border is above the bottom of the basket. The width of the handle
should be a little less than the width of the basket at the top.
You are now ready to cover the handle. Take a long weaver; push one end
of it through the wale under the second row. Hold the end in place and
wrap the weaver about the handle bow, keeping the spaces about equal,
and drawing taut enough to be graceful, until it reaches the opposite
side. Then draw the weaver through the wale and under the second row
and up on that side; next wind about the handle bow again, back to the
starting-point. Push the weaver through the wale, under the second row
and out again, and once more wind across the handle bow. Repeat this
operation from side to side until the handle bow is covered. Keep each
row of winder close to the preceding one and parallel to it. When the
bow is covered, tuck the end of the weaver through the wale and under
the second row and clip the end, leaving it just long enough to stay in
place. The handle bow needs to be damp enough to be flexible, but
unless the winding weaver is well soaked it will crack and make
trouble.
5 Basket Tray
_Problem_--To construct a reed basket or tray, having an
even number of spokes, and using same number reed for both
spokes and weaver.
_Material_--Sixteen spokes, each 11 inches long, of No. 3 or
No. 4 reed. Weaver of reed of same number as spokes.
Separate the spokes into groups of four. Place set No. 1 on and at
right angles to set No. 2. Sets 3 and 4 are laid diagonally across sets
1 and 2.
[Illustration: HOW TO BEGIN THE BASKET TRAY]
Hold the spokes firmly, attach the weaver and go in and out four times
round, over and under the same set of spokes each time. At the end of
the fourth round, pass the weaver over two sets of spokes and weave
four rows. Next separate the spokes into sets of two and weave one row;
now each time that the weaver comes to starting-point in the circle,
pass it over two sets of spokes instead of one, and then weave the next
round. When you have been around seven times using double spokes, bend
the spokes up for sides and weave two more rows over double spokes.
Then separate into single spokes and weave six rows, remembering each
time to pass the weaver at the end of a new round over two spokes
instead of one, so as to have them properly alternated. Trim the ends
of the spokes to an equal length and start the border by bending any
given spoke to the right and inside the tray, holding it in place.
Continue with each succeeding one until all the spokes have been bent
into position. These spokes being bent so closely and consecutively
over each other, form a coil resembling the handle of a basket. The
points of the spokes are pushed under the coil, through from the inside
to the outside of the basket. Keep a vessel of water at hand and wet
the material constantly as you weave. When the tray is finished, press
it into shape and set aside to dry. When it is well dried, clip off the
projecting ends.
[Illustration: REED BASKET TRAY]
6 Basket with Handle
_Problem_--To construct a basket using an uneven number of
spokes, spokes and weaver the same number reed; and to add a
handle.
_Material_--No. 3 reed: eight stakes, each 20 inches long;
one stake 11 inches long. Weavers of No. 3 reed.
Make two groups of four each of the twenty-inch stakes. Place one set
at right angles across the other, and beside the under set insert the
eleven-inch spoke. Hold the spokes firmly between the thumb and the
forefinger of the left hand, and with the weaver in the right hand
place the starting end under the edge of the upper set; bring it
around and over set No. 1, under No. 2, over No. 3, under No. 4, and
repeat this operation four times. Now separate the spokes into groups
of eight twos and one single, and weave four rounds. Next cut seventeen
eleven-inch stakes and push one in beside each stake already used.
Divide them into seventeen pairs. Weave round and round until you have
a base three and one-half inches in diameter. Being sure that the
weaver is damp and pliable, with fingers, or "pliers," bend up the
stakes close to the weaving, at right angles with the base, and
continue weaving until the basket is four inches deep. Then trim the
stakes, if necessary, to uniform length and bend them over to form the
border. Take any stake, as No. 1, and work from right to left. Bend
down No. 1, pass under No. 2 and over No. 3. Then take No. 2, pass
under No. 3 and over No. 4. Continue until every pair of stakes has
been turned down and worked into the border. All ends must come inside
the basket; after it is dry, trim them off. You will find that in
working with the wet reed your basket may seem not to have the proper
shape. Soak it well and you will be able to mould as you wish it. Add a
handle.
[Illustration: REED BASKET WITH HANDLE]
This basket is made almost exactly like the little hamper basket
previously described, except that in this one, we use double stakes,
while in that one, single stakes were used; the sides of this one are
vertical, those of that one slightly curved.
* * * * *
In passing from the reed basket, the next step would be the raffia and
then the combination of reed and raffia, which is worked out in all
forms of Indian basketry. The most common stitch is known as the "lazy
squaw," and is made by winding the raffia round the reed one, two, or
three times, as space is desired; and then the needle is taken through
the row below to make the stitch. Each stitch is a repetition of the
one before and the mat, tray or basket grows with the effort. There are
innumerable opportunities for design in Indian basketry, and it is here
that the work of an artist may be realized and recognized.
RAFFIA CONSTRUCTION
We may correlate and combine raffia with reed in construction. The two
materials may be worked together to great advantage and interest to the
child. For instance, when a napkin ring has been made of reed let the
child next construct one of raffia, and then compare the finished
article as to the material vised, the beauty, the flexibility, the
durability, and the nativity of each.
As in the case of reed, so with raffia before constructing with it,
pass a piece to each child and give the life history of the plant.
Madagascar may be a name only to the small child, but the very
vagueness of his knowledge concerning it may cause him to realize the
distance of the island from us and appreciate that this simple material
with which he is working has traveled thousands of miles to bring him a
story and an occupation.
Raffia, a native of the South Sea Islands and of Madagascar, is the
inner bark of the raphia palm, pulled off, torn into narrow strips,
dried in the sun, and bound into bunches, which are plaited together
and stored ready for use or shipping.
We receive the raffia in its natural state, but many colors may easily
be had by dyeing. In _Practical Basket Making_, by George Wharton
James, some valuable suggestions on dyeing are given; but the small
quantity of raffia a teacher will need may be dyed with very little
trouble with the "Easy Dyes" manufactured by the American Color
Company. Follow directions and the results will be most satisfactory.
Be very careful to have the dyes strong enough, as raffia absorbs an
enormous amount of coloring. All raffia should be washed before dyeing;
it should be well dried before being put into the dye pot, since it
takes the color better when dry.
If you have pupils old enough, or a class on which you can rely,
nothing will delight them more than to do their own dyeing. A
fourth-grade class in one of the Baltimore schools has successfully
dyed all the raffia, cord, cotton, and textiles used in their
classroom. The child dearly loves color; the possibility of having
different shades to work with will arouse an intense interest in
procuring these colors. It will be unusual if the pupils do not handle
with care the materials and the dye pot.
In adapting a commodity to circumstances in this way, the broader
knowledge of how the colors in clothing are obtained will develop and
there will be created in the child a new idea of life and of man's
work.
The natural color of the raffia is much improved by washing; therefore,
before using it loosen it and soak it in clean water so that all dust
and dirt may be removed and the strips or strings straightened out;
then hang it in the air until thoroughly dry.
Before offering any models of the combined reed and raffia, we shall
give a few of raffia alone, as we did of the reed.
7 Plaited Rope
_Problem_--To teach different ways in which the plaited rope
of raffia may be applied.
_Material_--Raffia.
Begin the use of raffia by teaching the child the three-strand plait,
adding a new thread from time to time, until a long rope is made. Next
teach how to coil this rope into a mat, a purse, a basket, or a hat.
In plaiting, keep the raffia damp and use strands of equal size.
Dampness adds gloss and smoothness to the finished article.
[Illustration: THREE-STRAND PLAIT]
In the construction of articles of plaited raffia an opportunity opens
up to bring the child's inventive ingenuity into play. Get him to think
of something he might make, and to construct it roughly of paper. With
his model as a guide for shape and size, he can easily reproduce it in
raffia. The first pattern may be crude, but each repetition will
produce a better one, and interest will lend enchantment, until both
pattern and reproduction will be most creditable.
8 Plaited Mat
_Problem_--To construct a mat of plaited raffia rope.
_Material_--Raffia.
[Illustration: MAT OF PLAITED BRAID]
The starting-point in all these designs is the little round coil,
called the button.
To make a mat, first plait a rope several feet long. To form the button
hold the end of the rope between thumb and forefinger, and begin to
roll the rope just as a watch spring is coiled. With a needle and fine
thread of raffia, make the button firm; then keep on coiling around
the button and, as each row is added, tack it to the preceding row by
pushing the needle in and out at right angles with the braid, so that
the stitch may be invisible. When finished the mat should be about four
inches in diameter. The object of winding the plait sideways is to give
the mat firmness and thickness.
9 Purse
_Problem_--To construct a purse or bag of plaited raffia
rope. (See page 87.)
_Material_--Raffia.
To make a purse, plait enough rope to make two mats three and a half
inches in diameter. To construct these mats first make the button. Work
this time with the braid flat. Sew by holding the inner edge of the
plait just under the outer edge of the preceding row. When both mats
are finished, place them flat against each other, and overseam or
buttonhole the edges together for about two-thirds of the
circumference. Plait a rope, seven inches long, for a handle. Tie a
knot in each end, and ravel the ends of raffia to form a tassel. Attach
this handle to the purse at each side, where the opening begins. Girls
especially delight in this little purse or bag.
10 Plaited Basket
_Problem_--To sew braid together to form ONE angle. (See
page 88.)
_Material_--Raffia.
_Dimensions_--Bottom three inches in diameter; sides two
inches high; handle six inches long and two braids wide.
Using three threads of raffia, plait a rope several feet long. Proceed
just as with purse, and sew until you have a mat three inches in
diameter. Now place the braid at right angles with the base, and sew
round and round to form the sides. When these are two inches high
fasten the braid; and, without cutting it, carry it to the opposite
side to form the handle. Fasten it there and bring it back again, to
make the handle two braids wide. Either overseam these together to make
a broad handle, or leave them separated to form a double handle.
An easy way to obtain a more uniform shape in constructing this basket
is to have a smooth tumbler or a tin box, and, as you work, fit the
material to the form. When it is finished, dampen it and let it remain
on the form until it dries.
[Illustration: PURSE OR BAG OF PLAITED RAFFIA--(For description see
page 86.)]
[Illustration: BASKET OF PLAITED RAFFIA--(For description see page
86.)]
11 Hat of Plaited Rope
_Problem_--To sew the braid together to form two angles.
_Material_--Raffia.
[Illustration: HAT OF PLAITED RAFFIA]
First plait the raffia together until you have a very long braid. Take
the starting end, make the button, and sew round and round, as in
making the purse. When the top of the crown is as large as you wish it,
turn the braid at right angles and form the sides. When, in your
judgment, the crown is high enough, make a second right angle to form
the brim, which may be wide or narrow as taste dictates. Use a blunt
needle (Smith's tapestry, No. 18).
12 Napkin Ring
_Problem_--To construct a raffia napkin ring.
_Material_--Raffia. A piece of tag-board 1-1/2 or 2 inches
wide and 6 inches long. Quarter-inch ribbon or strip of
paper, or raffia of a contrasting color.
There is mentioned a raffia napkin ring in comparison with the one of
reed.
Take the strip of tag-board, fasten the ends together and wrap with
raffia until the board is covered.
It may be ornamented with a narrow strip of ribbon, paper or colored
raffia woven around the center. If ribbon or raffia is used tie the
ends in a bow. If paper is used the ends must be glued.
13 Indian Basket
_Problem_--To teach construction with twisted raffia rope.
(See page 91.)
_Material_--Two contrasting colors of raffia.
First think of what shape and size you would like a basket; then
roughly sketch a design, in order that an idea of shape, size, and
proportion may be had. Keep the design before you and work as closely
from it as possible.
Take three thick strands of raffia and twist them into a rope. In
starting have the threads unequal in length, as it is much neater to
add one new thread at a time than two or three. Keep the rope of the
same thickness throughout, and as each thread is used up, insert
another overlapping the old one two or three inches. Around this rope,
and twisted in the same way, wrap a contrasting color of raffia, aiming
to have the spaces equal and using threads of the same size. Having
twisted and wound four or five inches start the basket by forming a
button, then, holding the button firmly with the left hand, coil the
rope round and round and sew it. Use the sharp-pointed needle and join
the coils in such a way that the threads will coincide with the twist.
When the basket is finished, the opening at the top should be either
greater or less in diameter than the base. Make a lid exactly as the
base is made, and have it just a shade wider than the opening so that
it will be supported. The ring with which to lift the lid is made by
wrapping raffia three or four times over the finger, and then
buttonholing it over. Sew the ring to the middle of the lid and attach
the lid to the basket.
[Illustration: INDIAN BASKETS]
The model here given is made of white raffia twisted with red. Diameter
of base, 4 inches; height, 2-1/2 inches; opening at top, 3-1/2 inches;
diameter of lid, 3-3/4 inches.
[Illustration: INDIAN BASKET--(For description see pages 89 and 90.)]
14 Grass Basket or Tray
_Problem_--To teach how to construct a basket of grass, pine
needles, or corn husks.
_Material_--Narrow-blade marsh or sweet grass. Raffia for
sewing.
Make a design in pencil, ink, or colored crayon.
Here the adaptability of material gathered about the home is
illustrated. The tall, fine marsh grasses may be collected, spread out
for three or four days where they will dry, and then utilized. You will
find that almost every blade of this grass varies in color. The root
end may be brown, while toward the tip the leaf shades into a light
green, or white, or vice versa; this blending, when the grass is
bunched, is most artistic.
Bunch a sufficient number of blades to make a coil a half or
three-quarters of an inch in diameter. Do not twist. Never allow the
coil to lessen in size. Keep adding fresh strands by slipping the root
ends of the new blades up between those already in the coil. When we
begin to sew we do not wrap the grasses as we wrapped the strands of
raffia, but simply use as a sewing thread raffia of a contrasting or
blending color. To form the button, wrap the threads three or four
times around the root ends of the bunch, fasten tightly, then coil to
form the center. Take the needle through the center and over the coil
as many times as you think necessary to make the button firm. These
stitches are the beginning of the spiral rays which radiate to the edge
of the basket. Take the stitches at equal distances from each other.
Handle the needle so as to pass from back to front, and always have the
new stitch pass through the stitch of the coil just below it from right
to left. When the coil has been wound around four or five times, the
stitches will be seen to interlock and form a spiral. Soon the spaces
will become too wide; then take an extra stitch in the center of each
space, thus adding another set of rays. Continue adding new sets of
rays as the spaces widen, until the basket is finished.
[Illustration: BEGINNING OF BASKET TRAY]
When the base has grown to the required size, turn up for sides and
continue sewing in the same way until the necessary depth is obtained.
To give a finish add enough grass to make a thick coil around the edge.
Colored hemp may be woven in with the grass either as a lining or so
inserted as to make a beautiful pattern. The value of the basket will
be enhanced by the use of sweetgrass, if this material is obtainable.
The model given is made of marsh grass, sewed with raffia of natural
color, and the design is made in pink hemp. Its base is five inches in
diameter; its depth one and one-fourth inches.
Corn husks may be used instead of grasses, and are unexcelled for
beauty and artistic effect. Use the inner husk from the ear when green;
though the husks will dry, the varied color will not be lost. When made
up with a contrasting color of green or golden brown raffia they are
most attractive. Grasses may be kept a long time; but before using them
soak them thoroughly, and let them dry out. This treatment will make
them so pliable that they may be handled as easily as though freshly
gathered. The long needles of the southern pine also are thus worked
up.
[Illustration: BASKET TRAY]
15 Basket of Splints and Raffia
_Problem_--To teach construction, using splints and raffia.
_Material_--Splints of ash or flat reed: eighteen splints,
each 1/4×12 inches; 3 splints, each 1/4×18 inches, for
binding of edge. Raffia of two or three colors.
_Dimensions_--Base, 4×4 inches. Depth, 2 inches. Sides, 2×4
inches.
Lay a set of nine splints flat on a surface. Take one of the remaining
nine and weave across for the first row. Add a second splint, weaving
in and out through alternate ones. Continue until all the nine splits
are woven in and the square base of the basket is formed. Have splints
sufficiently damp to be flexible; otherwise they may break. Bend up the
splints at right angles to the base for sides, thus making corners. Now
with the raffia weave in and out, interlace the thread at the corners,
and draw it tight enough to hold the splints in place. Introduce color
to suit taste.
[Illustration: BOTTOM OF SPLINT AND RAFFIA BASKET]
When the sides are finished, take an eighteen-inch splint and lay it
around on the inside of the basket close to the last row of raffia.
Hold it in place and turn the ends of the basket splints over it
inward. These end splints must be trimmed evenly and left just long
enough to bend over the splint running round on the inner side. Take
two more eighteen-inch splints; having placed one inside the edge and
the other outside the edge of the basket, with a needle and a long
thread of raffia whip over and over. Bring the needle through each
opening between the splints until you have gone around the four sides.
This makes a suitable border and completes the basket.
[Illustration: BASKET OF SPLINTS AND RAFFIA]
The model given here has ten rows of natural color, ten rows of green,
six rows of brown, ten of green and ten of natural color, which
combination makes it two inches deep.
COMBINED REED AND RAFFIA
_Problem_--To teach how reed and raffia may be combined in
construction.
The models suggested here are very simple and can be made by the
younger children of the lower grades. These have been held to
purposely, for the child needs first to learn how both to use his
fingers and to handle a needle; and afterward he must have much
practice before he can take up the more difficult stitch in the Indian
basketry.
In beginning the combined reed and raffia work, the first thing I
should make is a miniature umbrella.
[Illustration: UMBRELLA
(For description see opposite page.)]
16 Umbrella
_Material_--One 9-inch spoke of No. 4 reed for handle. Nine
4-inch spokes of No. 1 reed for ribs. Raffia for weaver.
Have the spokes thoroughly soaked and keep them wet. Also, have the
raffia damp. Place the four-inch spokes around the nine-inch spoke,
hold them firmly, and wrap tightly with the damp weaver four or five
times; then tie, but do not cut the weaver. Now stand this bunch of
spokes on end on a board or desk top, press the nine spokes out so as
to form a circle parallel with the surface of the desk, and with the
weaver work in and out among the spokes. The convex top of the umbrella
will soon form. To lengthen the weaver, tie on a new piece of raffia.
Continue weaving until within an inch of the ends of the ribs, or until
the umbrella is four or four and one-half inches across; then fasten by
tying the weaver to one of the ribs.
To form a ferrule, slide end No. 1 of the handle reed down until it
stands three-quarters of an inch above the outside of the umbrella.
Drop a little glue into the cavity to hold the reed in place. Now take
end No. 2 of the handle reed and curve it to form a ring or to appear
like the handle of a real umbrella. Tie it with raffia to keep it in
place and lay the umbrella aside to dry. When it is thoroughly dry,
clip the points of the ribs to equal lengths.
This little toy suggests the invention of primitive life or of an
uncivilized nation of which the pupil has some previous knowledge. It
is most attractive, and to have made it greatly pleases the child.
17 Miniature Chair No. I
_Material_--No. 4 reed: one piece 15 inches long; one piece
6 inches long; four pieces 10 inches long. Several lengths
of raffia.
Take three ten-inch lengths of reed and bend them so: [Illustration]
Fasten them together at the joints and wrap with the raffia for about
two inches to form the front legs. Next attach the fifteen-inch length
of reed, placing the ends together to form the back legs and allowing
the extra amount to extend above in a bow to form the back.
You now have the framework of back, seat, and legs. At the back, where
the bow extends above the line of the seat, place a five-inch piece of
very wet reed to the front of the bow and at the edge of the seat;
carry it around and lap it at the back and fasten to hold the back legs
together and shape the seat.
[Illustration: CHAIR No. I
Made of reed and raffia.]
This chair has a woven seat of raffia. Use a very long needle and carry
the raffia from one side of the seat to the other in close lines until
the space is covered one way. Then reverse the action and work from
front to back, weaving in and out among the cross threads exactly as
you do in darning. Be careful to keep the thread even, to prevent
sagging. When the seat is woven whip the edge all around with raffia
for a finish.
Next take the remaining ten-inch piece of reed, bend it to a four-inch
square and insert it between the legs one inch below the seat. Tie it
to each leg and wrap the intervening space with the raffia as you go
from leg to leg. This forms the brace which holds the legs in position.
For the back take a very long thread of raffia in your needle, make
seven cross threads and weave a spider's web, having the center fill
about one-fourth the space. When the web is finished, buttonhole around
the reed to fasten the spirals in position and to give a finish to the
frame of the back.
Lastly measure and trim off the legs to equal length. The back should
extend two and one-half inches above the seat, and the legs should be
two and one-fourth inches long.
18 Miniature Chair No. II
_Material_--No. 1 reed: six spokes, 10 inches long; one
spoke, 6 inches long. No. 4 reed: two 15-inch lengths; six
10-inch lengths and one 12-inch length. Several lengths of
raffia.
Weave two mats two inches in diameter in the following manner: Lay
three ten-inch spokes across three ten-inch spokes at right angles.
Place beside the under set the six-inch spoke. Take a piece of raffia,
not too thick, for a weaver, and beginning as you would begin a basket
or mat with a reed weaver, weave until the mat is two inches in
diameter. Do not cut either spokes or weaver. Have the reed well
soaked, that it may be very pliable and in no danger of breaking.
To construct the back, take a mat and a fifteen-inch length of reed,
bend the latter to a bow and place it back of the spokes at the edge of
the last row of weaving. Bend each spoke consecutively over this reed
and bring the end of the spoke through between the last row of weaving
and the reed. This forms a loop over the No. 4 reed. Thread the weaver
into a needle, and take it in and out where the No. 1 reed, or spoke,
crosses between the mat edge and the No. 4 reed in the form of a back
stitch. The first one fastened, continue in the same way until ten
spokes are bent over and tied down. Next take the twelve-inch length of
No. 4 reed, bend it to this shape: [Illustration] then fasten the three
remaining spokes to the two-inch space as you have done with the other
ten. Take the second fifteen-inch length of No. 4 reed, bend around
again and fasten by running a piece of raffia in and out and over
through each space between the loops. Lay it aside until the seat is
prepared.
[Illustration: CHAIR No. II
Made of reed and raffia.]
_Seat._ The mat is ready. Bend a ten-inch length of No. 4 reed into a
2-1/4-inch square. Set this around the mat, bend the spokes over it and
fasten as you did those of the back. Again take three ten-inch lengths
of No. 4 reed and bend so: [Illustration] Place these around three
sides of the prepared seat and fasten them by wrapping them over and
over with raffia, and the front and two sides of the chair are formed.
Adjust the back to the fourth side of the seat; fasten it by wrapping
it closely with raffia. Next bend to a form near the size of the seat a
piece of No. 4 reed. Place this around the legs, to form a brace, about
one inch below the seat in front and about three-fourths of an inch
below in the back. Let the joining point of the reed come at the back.
With a piece of raffia fasten this to one leg, then wrap the raffia
over and over along the brace until the next leg is reached, secure it
and pass on to the third, then to the fourth, when the entire brace
will be wrapped with raffia and the four legs held in place.
[Illustration: BACK OF CHAIR No. II]
Where the back is attached to the seat, you will have four No. 4 reeds
coming together to form the back legs. This would make them too thick
and clumsy and they would not be symmetrical with the front ones. To
prevent this, clip two of the reeds between the seat and the brace on
the legs. Cut out the ends of the one of the back first worked in, and
the ends of the one forming the back brace. There is left the outer
fifteen-inch spoke you put on and the one which came around from the
side of the seat. These two form the back leg on each side. Wrap
closely with raffia the intervening spaces between the seat and the
brace so as to leave no unsightly ends.
In bending the reed to fashion the legs it is impossible to have it all
the same length; adjust this by letting the unevenness come out at the
foot of the leg and when the chair is finished measure and cut off the
legs to the same length.
RULES FOR CANING CHAIRS
_First: Verticals._
Setting up: Begin at the center hole of the front, pass the cane up
through the hole from the underside and down through the corresponding
hole at the back, leaving about four inches to tie off; then up through
the next hole to the right, pass to the corresponding hole to the
front, continue to the right and then to the left, until all the holes
are filled except the corner ones.
_Second: Horizontals._
Begin at the center hole at the left, pass the cane up through the hole
and over all the verticals and down through the corresponding hole on
the right, filling all the holes toward the front and then toward the
back until all the holes are filled except the corner ones.
_Third: Verticals._
Begin at the center hole at the back, pass the cane up through the hole
at the front, then fill all the holes to the right and the left, except
the corner ones.
_Fourth: Weaving Horizontally._
Begin at the right-hand side, pass the cane over the upper vertical and
under the lower vertical, pulling the upper one to the right and
keeping the weaver to the back of the first horizontal: continue this
until you have two horizontals in each hole.
_Fifth: Diagonals Running from Left to Right._
Pass the cane up through the front left-hand corner, under the
verticals and over the horizontals, working toward the upper right-hand
corner; first the right, and then the left-hand side of the frame is
filled in this manner.
_Sixth: Diagonals Running from Right to Left._
Pass the cane up through the front right-hand corner and work toward
the back left-hand corner, passing the cane over the vertical and under
the horizontal pairs; continue in this way until the entire frame is
filled with these diagonals.
Tie all the ends securely on the under side of the frame.
_Bind Off._
Lay a piece of cane over the holes on the upper side of the frame. Take
a second long piece of cane as a weaver, pass it from the under side of
the frame up through a hole, over the cane, and down through the same
hole to the under side again. Carry it along to the next or second next
hole, pass up, over cane, and down in the same way. Continue this until
the entire frame is bound around.