2013 Calendar

Our 2013 calendar is up - http://www.countryseat.com/countryseatcalendar.html - check the calendar for class dates, vacation closings, hours, etc.
Please remember we will only be open on select Saturdays in 2013 so please check the calendar before making a trip to the shop!

New Drilled Base

There's a new drilled base just in time for holiday decorating - http://catalog.countryseat.com/treeshapeddrilledbase.aspx .
A drilled tree that can be coiled around or use round reed spokes.

If you've never worked with drilled bases, check out our free pattern for the basics - http://countryseat.com/pdfpatdrilledbasefp.pdf .

Christmas Table Basket Pattern

http://catalog.countryseat.com/christmastablebasketpattern-byrains.aspx - Quick and easy basket for the holidays.

Natural Walnut Stain

Q: How do I make a stain from walnut hulls?

A: Making walnut stain is really very easy.

If you have a place to work and don't have to worry about splashing the stain, boiling is the fastest way to get a good, dark stain.

Place the walnuts into a pair of pantyhose, tie a knot at the top of the leg. Fill each leg if you like. Or put them into a cheesecloth bag or some type of bag that will let the water reach the nuts but not let the dirt, etc. into the stain water.

There is no need to remove the skins (unless you want to eat the nuts or cut them into slices for coiling, etc.).

Place a leg or two into an enamel pot of boiling water. Boil until you get the intensity of color you desire. You may have to add more water. This may take a little while, don't forget you have the pot on the burner! Once you have a color you like, hang the pantyhose outside to drip & dry. Remember - walnut stain will stain anything and is a permanent stain.

There is no need to add a mordant to walnuts.

Pour the stain into a bucket with a lid (plastic buckets that hold cat litter work great) and use until gone. Occasionally, dip a strainer in to catch the hairs & dirt that comes off the basket. Store in a cool place such as a basement or garage. My boiled stain never gets moldy as long as the lid is kept tightly on the container between uses.

The walnuts in the pantyhose can be reused at least several times. Just make sure they dry out completely after boiling or they will get moldy.

There are other slower ways to make a walnut stain: letting them soak in water, adding ammonia, keeping them outside in garbage cans filled with water, etc. If you do the slow soak, you may want to add several bags of walnuts to get a good color faster.

Paper Catalog now pdf Online

Wahoo! Our paper catalog is now online as a pdf file, the link is found on our Newsletter page - http://www.countryseat.com/newsletter.htm.


Due to the currently, constanly changing prices we cannot have a paper catalog printed at this time. It will be out of date as soon as it is printed. Prices changes will be made to the pdf catalog as they happen and the date will change on the cover so you will know if you have the latest version or not. If you have any questions, drop us an e-mail: weaving@countryseat.com . Hope you enjoy it!

PA Weaving Odyssey Convention

If you are going to Odyssey (or live in the Gettysburg area), remember that I will bring specials orders to convention. You can place an order through our online catalog http://catalog.countryseat.com/ - just type "Odyssey pickup" in the comment section during checkout, call or send an order via e-mail - weaving@countryseat.com.

New Classes Posted

http://www.countryseat.com/basketclasses.htm#angie
Fall classes are posted. Come learn some new skills!

Only a few spaces are left in Maggie Silva's Nantucket classes in September. Don't wait or you'll miss out!
http://www.countryseat.com/basketclasses.htm#nant

All classes can be "purchased" through our online catalog.
http://catalog.countryseat.com/classes.aspx

August 18th Class

http://www.countryseat.com/basketclasses.htm#angie

August 18th class will offer the Tote Shopper OR Knotless Netting on gourds, your choice!

Major Price Increases

Please Note: Due to rising inflation, manufacturing and shipping costs around the world, the cost of materials and products is rising, often with no warning and with every new order. We never increase our prices unless our supplier increases their product pricing. Some price increases we can absorb, some we can not. Prices are subject to change without notice. New prices will be noted in the monthly newsletters. The on-line catalog is always current. Thank you for understanding.


We are sorry to say that we are suspending our quantity discounts for reeds and pre-woven cane until further notice. At this time we are not always able to get the materials that we have on order. There is a limited availabilty of some raw materials and we do not know when out of stock supplies will be shipped. Hopefully things will return to normal soon.

Random Weave Class this Sat

Don't miss out on your chance to learn Random Weave - http://www.countryseat.com/basketclasses.htm#angie - this Saturday, June 16th from 9-1.

New Patterns

4 new patterns by Anne Bowers' - http://catalog.countryseat.com/search.aspx?find=bowers - make a nesting set of Ribbed Hearth baskets, each with a different braided handle.

Great New Classes!

Our 2012 classes are posted!
http://www.countryseat.com/basketclasses.htm
There's something for everyone!

Article - Jan Hopkins

http://www.valleyfiberlife.com/imported-data/orange-peels-and-torsos-with-jan-hopkins.html
Learn more about the unique weaver Jan Hopkins.

Keeping Round Reed Weaving Tight

If you are having trouble keeping your round reed weaving (esp. the 4 & 5 double-rod or 2-ply weaving: O2U2 & O3U2) under control, try these tips:

Pull any slack out of the weaver with every "stitch" you make. I consider a "stitch" the motion that one weaver makes as it goes in front of and behind of a spoke. I give a small tug on the weaver as I go in front of a spoke/s and then lay it behind a spoke/s. Don't pull hard enough to affect the shape (unless you are making the shape move into a smaller diameter [and you should also be pushing inward on the spokes] and then you must also be compressing the rows! See below.) just enough to pull out any slack. You should feel a little give and then the weaver comes to a stop. Stop when you feel the stop.

Make sure the spokes are damp to wet and grasp several in one hand. Position your other hand with the fingers in between the spokes, against the weaving. Pull up with the spoke hand and push down with your fingers. I compress the rows about every 2-3 "stitches" (the complete motion that one weaver makes before picking up the next weaver). I always do a 4 or 5 rod wale in RR, O2U2 or O3U2 patterns, which are harder to compress than a O2U1 pattern. This is why I stress that the spokes need to be wet or damp. I keep them damp all the way through anyway becuase of the different nature of the beast.

Adding Wire Handles

If you're not sure what to do with or how to attach wire handles, vist our FAQ's page for more info: http://www.countryseat.com/faq2.htm#wire .

http://catalog.countryseat.com/11mhminirabbitwithheartwire.aspx - Our Feb sale wire #11mh is a cute rabbit with a heart in his belly. Perfect for Easter and when he's sold out he's gone for good! Get them while they last.

Weave your own tool basket.

Here are 2 great tool baskets to store and sort your tools at home:
Divided Flatware Carrier:
http://catalog.countryseat.com/dividedflatwarebasketpattern-mcelroy.aspx

Worker's Companion:
http://catalog.countryseat.com/workerscompanionpatternthe-bymcelroy.aspx

Keep in mind that when traveling with tools it is ALWAYS a good idea to keep them enclosed in something. If you are ever in an accident, the last thing you want are knives and scissors flying through the air!

Traveling Tool Storage

I wanted something that would hold all my tool (including lots of extra tools for students). I love the tackle boxes from hardware stores. I have 2 larger ones, one for all my beads and one for waxed linen. They are cheaper at a hardware store then at a crafts store and the same thing just in more "manly" colors. :o)

The craft stores sell them in pinks and purples while mine are blue/gray and maroon/gray (which I like better anyway).

How much reed is needed?

Not sure how much reed you will need for a project? Check out our FAQ's Page:

http://www.countryseat.com/faq.htm#howreed

Stumpy's Tree

500 Baskets Book

Now sold out!
500 Baskets is out of print and sellers on Amazon have this book listed for over $100. It's a facinating and inspiring gallery of work.
(No patterns, just finished work.)

SOFTCOVER (all in color)


Embracing a breathtaking range of new techniques, styles, and materials, beautiful basketry offers more options than ever before. And these 500 exquisite artisan pieces will open eyes to the varied and wonderful possibilities. These baskets, made by top creators from around the world - including Ed Rossbach, Michaels Davis, Lillian Elliot, Gyongy Laky, Patti Lechman, and Mary Giles - as well as the best emerging newcomers, range from exquisitely functional to purely decorative, from classical to ultramodern. In addition to traditional twill, rattan, and reed, the artists have incorporated more unusual objects, such as plastic, paper, thread, and metal wire - even seeds, fish scales, and newspaper. Basketmakers, collectors, students, and anyone who loves beautiful items will delight in these masterworks.

This is a gallery photo book, for inspiration and enjoyment only - there are NO weaving instructions or explanations.

420 pages.

The joy and trials of being Stumpy...

How I spent my Tuesday morning...
Another page in the saga that is Stumpy's life:
Raise your hand if you've ever played Marco Polo with your cat only to finally look up and find him 25 feet or so up a tree with a trunk who's branches don't even start until at least 15 feet off the ground. Was the big, bad cat running scared or was he chasing the new stray that's on the ground laughing behind a bush? Either way his hips aren't the best and he's stuck in a V of branches (a V on it's side and he's sitting facing into the V, not sure how to get around safely) and probably has been there most of the night. So you call your brother for backup and get the ladder. You keep talking to him to stay put, you're on the way, climb the ladder to the first set of branches and climb the tree from there, coax him onto your arm so you can swing him down onto your chest. Now what? Zip him into your coat (he must be grateful because he'd never put up with that in normal circumstances) and think that both of you had better loose a few pounds if you are ever going to try this again.
Now at least he's secure and you can use one arm to climb down the tree. Your grateful that your brother is there to move the ladder higher into the tree because you have a ladder phobia and you didn't put it up high enough into the tree when you climbed up (rather climb a tree any day than a ladder).
So now you are both back safely on the ground and wishing you had thought to get your camera to document the resuce of your big, bad cat and trying not to laugh at him while he can hear you.

Great Cats

http://roadrunnerthecat.com/ -
Roadrunner the Cat

What an awesome cat!
She might give Stumpy a run for his money...