I jumped at the chance and took many, many sessions of classes, long after the friends had had enough of it. Required fields are marked *. They take water from the soil and carbon dioxide from the air to make their own food sugar! For other varieties, position the crown of the plant 1/2 to 1 in. Some have sharp points on the edges like a holly, and some are deeply lobed like an oak tree. Passion Flower (Passiflora spp) Not for a robust basket but fine winter prunings with tendrils can be used. A blog about weaving, dyeing, knitting, spinning, sewing, and the related fiber arts. Just beware of too much nitrogen, which can lead to rot. weaving leaves 2.jpg. If the moon is ever in the correct phase, I will take tackle that final frontier! cd"M)i-R!p\'XjaJ9_>KEOd%&qe } e4ZVIi |Kh>FGI vIzvRD..FyIW/I|swdRdn335t_2A#[E$ZmA;o|~Y vA8GMBczN'#?&q&>4L2[S{ \KAFA^/MH pbL$O*^. Dear Frances, I have been utterly absorbed by this posting and know, right now, that I shall never be able to construct such intricate pieces of garden art which you refer to as a basket. November 2016 The thing!?! They were soaked and braided per the instructions above, then made into a basket as a two part wedding gift for offspring Semi, with some money plant, Lunaria annua thrown in for good financial feng shui. You can leave those braids to hang for years before using them. Paper Weaving. Leaves can be preserved by soaking cut stems in solution of glycerine (1 glycerine: 2 water) for 4-5 days. We also eat leaves. The ring and stakes are grape vine, or the stakes might be honeysuckle, not sure. without thinking. A creative way to keep foliage hydrated for a cool, water filled summer design. February 2016 Making baskets from gardening materials is very interesting and something that even she has never thought of. You have to have stamina to do all that braiding and then your artistic eye to actually put it together. Wild vines may be particularly useful too, as they have a natural bendiness. Wonderful post! The iris leaves can be cut in the fall before they wither and die. Hi DL, thanks so much. They reveal that caterpillars made the chewing damage at the edge of the leaves. Take string or yarn and tie the stick to the cardboard. Hi Meemsnyc, thanks and welcome. Knitting Category. I hope you enjoy the process of weaving the iris leaves into ropes to use in basketmaking, or any other idea you might have for them. Hi Teresa, thanks. In her spare time she gardens, hunts and gathers wild foods, with the ultimate goal of living without a refrigerator. November 2021 It was made a long time ago. !. Gauge. Weaving with iris leaves. To create an open ended weave: Place a few blades of grass in a parallel horizontal position. The show was cancelled right after we staged the designs due to COVID-19 concerns. Addendum: The broom is very pretty. In 2002 we found some seeds for Sorghum vulgare, broomcorn, while on a trip to Colonial Williamsburg, Virginia. Cut into thin strips. After the blue weaving is iris leaf braid then the remainder is woven with braid made from smartweed which was everywhere in our garden. Mailing Address: 360 Donna Lane Fairview, NC 28730. Every plant is different to work with. WOW, looks like something I could do. Or you can use the iris braids in whatever way your brain leads. It's High Time for Tea: from craft to art, taking a delicious floral journey with weaving techniques, Floral Trends Design Group Opening Demonstration: 2010, How to avoid your wedding treasures from becoming after the event trash, Magic Flying Floral Carpet Ride -Collaborative Workshop, Have yourself a Merry Cellulose Fibre Christmas: Snow Globe. They will stay in the bucket while you work. 0000005673 00000 n Craft. Before you begin, find a comfy chair outdoors that can get wet. Straw Weaving. You wouldnt want it to fall apart after putting so much effort into it. Now when I clean up I can do something constructive with the remains. Thanks for the post! It, Partial thread-by-thread draft for 8-shaft Turned Taquete Scarf (interlacement view), Turned Taquete Variation by Mary Bentley 4 shafts, echo 4, More Echo and Iris style techniques on 4 shafts. deep, depending on the type of bulb. Take the end blade from the horizontal pieces and weave it over and under across the horizontal blades of iris leaves. Frances, Pingback: Tweets that mention How To Make Iris Weavers For Basketmaking Fairegarden -- Topsy.com. The flat leaves of cattail and long strips of cedar bark can be folded or plaiteda technique that is also used for making mats. Check your material regularly to make sure that they are still in good condition. When you need inspiration for a design problem study a Traditional Craft- you will be amazed! Julie Thompson-Adolf is a Master Gardener and author. To store remove leaves, tie into coils small enough to fit into a container for soaking later. Depending on the region, available resources and needs, they take different shapes and forms, each unique to a culture or peoples artistic embellishment. Cut or pull the leaves from the base of each plant. It would be good if you were trapped in a tall tower like Rapunzel: instead of using your hair you could make an excape rope out of Irises. April 2018 Pictured here, this melon basket is primarily made from two types of material: the strong, grassy leaves of ornamental Siberian Iris and the straight, flexible branches of the red-osier dogwood shrub. We Do not cut the central shoot form the flax plant when harvesting. This is a great "space-keeper" design. 0000005920 00000 n dried for you. Siberian, Bearded, and Japanese irises typically are hardy in USDA zones 3-9; Iris reticulata and Dutch iris are hardy in zones 5-9; and Louisiana iris prefers zones 6-9. >> My gardeners hat is off to you for continuing this ancient tradition! You can also cut long flat leaves such as iris or gladiolus and weave the leaves themselves! All I could think while reading this post was Like I dont already have enough to do! Now is the time! Weave a connected panel to frame a single orchid. Simply lovely! Daffodil sap in particular can be irritating to the skin, so be careful as you harvest. Beargrass and reeds have also long been used for this. I suggest you take a course with some friends at a shop that sells the materials. Some may come away naturally while others will need to be cut. When a friend cut one in half as a joke, plaits and I were never reacquainted. This is fantastic. Create a free website or blog at WordPress.com. Keep the bases of the leaves together in bundles. I harvest these materials from my garden, areas that are being cleared, or often the land of clients when I am working on commissioned pieces. ! as I found myself becoming inspired by the idea of harvesting iris leaves (Oh, I have LOTS of irises) and braiding them. Julia Prinselaar holds a degree in journalism from Concordia University (Montreal), and works for an environmental stewardship organization in Thunder Bay. Here is the finished product, about six feet in length. Place the blades of grass or palm leaves on a flat working surface and start the basic weaving pattern Weave in another blade of grass or palm. honeysuckle must be boiled and then allowed sit for a day or two. Guess Id need to go out in the woods and find some twigs though or something to use with the braiding. Somerset, England. You can leave space between the strips or tighten them up close together. Wipe the leaf clean and cut the hard stem away. It has always fascinated me how intricate they can behow useful they areand how much we take them for granted. get in the way of flexible stems and much of the plant material has already There are many other weaving patterns but I find this to be the most versatile I have never been able to braid hair let alone iris leaves. 0000016607 00000 n I tweeted the post for you cause it was so good.~~Dee, Oh thank you Dee, you are the sweetest thing! Frances. The leaves were stripped off the plants as part of the broom making process and seemed too wonderful to toss into the compost. "Plaid" and "braid" are synonyms, and where you are from will most likely dictate whether you use plait (British) or braid (American or Celtic). <> November 2017 Nothing I have tried (yet) but seen some recent posts on Facebook. Cut any extra length. As long as the plant bends easily and is not too green, it techniques, combined with fresh, contemporary designs. This foliage, in my opinion, is the best for weaving. However, most irises show their famous flowers in the early summer, while some also bloom for a second time in the late summer. xref The diamond-shaped Gods Eye pattern also stabilizes the ribs and supports the frame. Your email address will not be published. Murrells Inlet, SC 29576, Off US Highway 17 Bypass, between Murrells Inlet and Pawleys Island onSouth Carolina's Hammock Coast843-235-6000GOOGLE DIRECTIONS. Thank you for the images. Turn the leaves diagonally and fold the outer left leaf over and under the right leaves. Frances, Your baskets are amazing. The Green Man/Leaf Man faces live well in my garden now. Frances. Hair is the most wonderful medium for braiding. Thanks Meredith. My daughter has a book on this topic: Baskets from Natures Bounty She made me a basket from multiflora rose branches. Bend the next end piece from the same side as the first piece and weave across. You dont have to do it all at one sitting. Above is a free form basket using the iris braid as weavers, along with other materials. Follow these basic steps to propagate iris plants: Learn tips for creating your most beautiful home and garden ever. Used as an occasional ornamental in gardens and perhaps a symbol for something else (https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/shortcuts/2017/may/31/pampas-grass-secret-symbol-swingers-turn-off-sales-plummeting ! Of course, I never actually took a course, which may have something to do with my lack of success. Northern Wilds is a monthly magazine that celebrates the lifestyle of Lake Superiors North Shore, the BWCAW and northwestern Ontario with news, events, features, columns and outstanding photography. You want it as long as possible so there are fewer joinings, always a weak point in a basket and the idea is for it to be strong. How many of you eat lettuce, collards, mustard greens, spinach and chard? Fold one in half, add the other and begin braiding the three pieces, the one folded making two. Very crafty. Do as I say, not as I do.). Accept Read More. Some of my other favorites include daffodil (usually harvested in the spring after blooming, giving the plant a few weeks to rest and begin to wilt.) Weaving baskets is making a comeback into fashion! Weaving with iris leaves (You can make it as large as you want). #3. Twining using iris leaves. Leave the leaves for an hour in the sun to soften- but no more as this will cause the leaves to roll up or become brittle. They can be spread out on a clean, dry surface in a shady area with plenty of air movement. I can see references to pampas grass as a decoration or mulch and leaves for weaving. Its beautiful. I have a lifetime supply, never need to plant them again! November 2021 x\Y$;rx|l7xWK~x7$KXb%GVYUWwzak"#"~AH\}WbWax_44=t%f/w2_vCThY]rJCB`sqvN!]PCj#+v~^+! They command hundreds of dollars per basket. Discard damaged leaves. However, do not be tempted to remove the foliage before then, as the greenery is still performing photosynthesis, providing the plant with energy necessary for next years blooms. Weaving with leaves! Beargrass Iris flowers have around 300 varieties in the Iris genus. Weaving Iris sibirica leaves. March 2016 Having selected the largest iris leaves to harvest will pay off now as every leaf you pull from the bucket is of consistent size and strength, hopefully, but the weak ones sometimes sneak into the bundle. Green color gone, but still strong and intact is the best time to use the iris leaves. I became interested in baskets in the mid 1980s. Leaves are the plants food factory. Its one I set up several years ago and havent gone back to until recently. One of the stands featured baskets made from landscape materials, some made with pine needles. Palm leaf Hopper-flies (grasshoppers and butterflies), A plait, a braid or a French knot grass collar, Tradition and Technique, Technique and Tradition, "On the second day of Christmas, my true love gave to me two turtle doves". That is so cool, I bet they sweep stuff very well, and look pretty to boot! Hi Hands, thanks. Weave around the stamens of a lily to create a daffodil like inside. Daily General Admission Tickets for 7 consecutive days, 1931 Brookgreen Drive Plants were also used to weave mats for sitting and sleeping on. 0000006529 00000 n Just because I'm talking about day lily and iris foliage doesn't mean you can't use other foliage available in the garden. The painstaking intricacy of most baskets cannot be replicated by machine, so it is truly a marvel of our age to witness global commerce at work here. Some floral fashion inspiration: weave a pretty clutch purse. Love your imitation, it was very helpful. Will let you know if I find them again. Frances. stream and eastern 0000005631 00000 n Cut a piece of cardboard and carefully lay your weaving on top and glue it to the cardboard. August 2015 They werent quite as expensive back then, but still pricey. Hours. Awesome! Thanks for your comments about the site. I have one very large basket that took a year to make, working on it when the mood struck. Some plants are better to use while fresh and Fold the first strip down at a 90 degree angle. 11 0 obj Remove this in the spring. % I usually add the pointed end of the leaf to the existing piece, then you will have a double thickness for the more narrow part of the leaf. plants from which to choose or you can grow your own natural basket materials. Or try anything you have on hand! They each had their favorite plant for this purpose and their own artistic style of making them. June 2015. . Your instructions are so tempting to try, but then Id hang the braids to dry and probably never get around to learning how to weave a basket. August 2013 Suggested yarn Anzula Dreamy. My article and grass wedding basket design. Hosta leaves wont work, for instance. When this blade reaches its last full length of the weave, bend it over at the end, catching the end horizontal blade, and weave over the next horizontal blade and tuck it under the next horizontal piece. Even an expert braider would have trouble finding iris leaves in a tall tower I would think, unless there was a nice penthouse garden on top! We make brooms from dry coconut leaves. I hope your iris are ready, or nearly so. Thanks, Matt, for sharing your info. Hi! Discard any damaged, dirty or mouldy leaves. Leaves are very important to the plant and to people as well. This basket is messy, always leaving debris wherever it is resting. Weaving Textiles. Be sure to harvest some of the thinner leaves too, just in case you need to make a more narrow weaving strand. Good luck to you both! Draft is posted. (2011), A history of all of the faire gardens and a couple of choice tidbits about me. It is so empowering to be able to make something so functional, especially using garden stuff. endobj harvest it green because it is easier to work with or you may need to dry your August 2016 Even after more than twenty years, the basket is still strong and solid. Wreaths, swags, please let me know if you have other ideas! The first thing youll Id never thought to braid Iris leaves. Sivia Harding Knit Design. Rich, well-draining soil is best for iris plants. Common pests include iris borers. Fall weather brings the changing of colors and seasons. Create a free website or blog at WordPress.com. The City Council has some growing spectacularly on a large roundabout, but it started spreading into the surrounding countryside and was removed afterward. Hi Marsha, thanks. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); Basketry materials from the garden or growing wild. I have one larger sweetgrass basket from Charleston, and a few small ones, bought in 1988 when we first moved to TN and went on a trip there. That grass they use is the muhly grass, BTW. For their safety and the safety of our animal collection,pets are not allowed, nor can they be left in vehicles inside Brookgreen. At least there they wouldnt take up valuable veggie garden space. It looked intimate and fun and very bonding but it sure aint me, lol. weaving materials, but you will have a variety of textures and tones available Toxic Look-alike: Yellow-Flag Iris (Iris pseudacorus) - Leaves fan out from base instead of coming together in one stalk - Leaves contain a hard central rib . The time is right, now is when to look for iris leaves at the peak of perfection for making braids to be used now or later for basket weaving. Hi Nancy. No one human group can be credited for their invention, but baskets and containers were valuable items born out of necessity and universally used to gather, carry and store essentials. 2023 Gardening Know How, Future US LLC, Full 7th Floor, 130 West 42nd Street, New York, NY 10036. Hoops and ribs can be gathered several weeks before weaving; the branches are coiled or bent, then bound with yarn to dry slowly and hold shape. 9 Top Types of Iris for the Flower Garden, How to Grow & Care for African Iris (Dietes iridioides), How to Divide and Transplant Bearded Iris, How to Grow and Care for Virginia Bluebells, How to Plant, Grow, and Care for Tulip Flowers, How to Plant, Grow and Care for Agapanthus, 32 Deer-Resistant Perennials and Herbs to Plant Outside, Late spring, early summer, and late summer, Varying shades of purple, blue, white, yellow. Some varieties can tolerate partial shade, but too much shade will prevent them from flowering. Most iris varieties do best in full sun. Bearded iris plants have soft hairs along their falls, resembling a beard. throughout the year for flexibility. Weaving with iris leaves | Basket weaving patterns, Basket weaving, Basket weaving diy Explore Art Fiber Art Weaving 1679 Weaving with iris leaves Published on 13 June 2021 much nita 1.6k followers Follow Resoak dried iris leaves Basket Weaving Patterns Basket Weaving Diy Diy Weaving Diy Basket Weaving Projects Diy Crafts For Home Decor below the the soil line. startxref October 2015 Keep all the butt ends together and the tip ends together. April 2016 white oaks were the predominant basket materials. May 2016 They will start to disintegrate and be unusable with too much soaking. Kenzan and Flax Drag the leaf down and through the nails. Hide an egg inside a interwoven nest for a dainty Easter decoration design. Because some varieties bloom twice, once early in the season and once later in the season, these varieties will appreciate another dose of fertilizer before their second bloom. That is about the right length to use of any material to weave a basket. Once the foliage is trimmed back for the winter, be sure to cover the rhizomes with something to help protect them, such as sand or mulch. <> I teach 4k, and I am trying to get enough under my belt so I can do a beginner class. should work well for weaving. Frances. I was obsessed. 12 0 obj Most baskets are constructed using three basic techniques: the stitched method of coiling and the plaiting and twining methods of weaving. Baskets were one of the first vessels used by cultures around the world. 0000000015 00000 n Glad you like the site. I dont know how sturdy they would be for use as stakes for garden structures (https://cpb-us-e1.wpmucdn.com/blogs.cornell.edu/dist/f/575/files/2016/03/newlogoDigArt-Basket-Weaving-2kfur7s-17h15s4-1hs96h1-27dij9n-1wili3t.pdf) cedar, 0000006732 00000 n Frances. Getting the first couple of inches done is the hardest part. Braided Iris germanica, tall bearded iris leaves Above is a free form basket using the iris braid as weavers, along with other materials. I used to watch my daughter and her friends braid one anothers hair prior to softball tournaments.They would color it too, of course. Do you remember the thing? Jul 16, 2022 - This Pin was created by much nita on Pinterest. Weaving with iris leaves. Nice site! You will know when it is time to divide when you have fewer blooms or there are rhizomes popping out of the ground. It just needs to be kept dry. Perhaps it is as well that I maintain my focus because due to GGW and Saxon Holt I have decided to convert the front yard into meadow/prairie garden. People needed something to hold their stuff! I own several varieties of iris: pseudacorus, siberian and spuria. Thanks Rob. Different species of irises require slightly different methods of and timing for planting. Some are long and thin, and some are short and oval. January 2017 And out of Iris leaves. December 2016 PtiI zR^Jm)O":gOz0y9!m1SXfzIG>o$_j V3ifM@_i!I~$Yi:b:,EAy6(^8gq/eL1q6So;'di+.^Jj%LR+ nc]$Z' |=-!F+\5RF!$l^#dj5HUdF`IRF;"$KC"G\ E&V,Fd!8^4 Hi Ginny, thanks for visiting. I was hoping someone might be inspired to give this a try, using iris leaves or whatever is available. Nancy, Hi Nancy, thanks and welcome! 0 January 2016 Before long, I had some extremely ugly, spiny looking string forming. Hugely resourceful. Touch device . Small leaves like corn leaves and philodendron leaf bracts can be stored in cardboard boxes. Plants usually have green leaves that contain chlorophyll, which traps energy from the sun. Christine de Beer - effortless floral craftsman, To weave is to interlace bands or strands or strips of material at right angles to build up a patterned mat, surface or sculptural form. It is best to pick only what you are going to use at one sitting and work straight through, with rest periods for sore, aging hands of course. After a long winter it is always fun to use the first spring bulb flowers! You would love basketmaking if you can do the glass work, manual dexterity needed for both. I am detailed oriented and the basket making class was a perfect fit for me. Have you managed to try anything? Luxuriously filled design filled with flowers filled with grass. However, over the years I've found that I harvest day lily foliage in two primary ways: collected during the growing season and cut at the end of the season. 9 0 obj This will also give you a place to tie your string for hanging. We did sell some of our baskets, gave many as gifts and still have several. Place the Kenzan (pin cushion) on the edge of your working surface. When the teacher told us that, it was the opening sentence to the first class, it shed a new light on the entire process. endobj The making of them is so much fun, or even just the braiding of the leaves for other crafts. Split each strip into 4 strips leaving the last 10cm uncut. and even trees from which to harvest materials as well. She has 30+ years of experience with year-round organic gardening; seed starting and saving; growing heirloom plants, perennials, and annuals; and sustainable and urban farming. Do you love sugar? Sigh~~, Hi Lisa, thanks so much, you are too sweet. September 2020 For other varieties, position the crown of the plant 1/2 to 1 in. The short answer is: insert each new strip of leaf at almost 90 degrees to the forming single, make sure it has been twisted between at least two other strips, and then move on.