Shell baskets

My most recent shell basket:

It is made of waxed linen, yellow and red cedar bark, and beargrass.

 

Clamshell Rattles-1 1/2" to 4 " across

 

Abalone Shell Baskets

  

Cedar bark, wire, waxed linen and NW sedge

Abalone shell button, about 3" across, with knotless netting

Dyed lauhala leaves, yellow and red cedar, beargrass, and waxed linen.  About  8" wide

Quote of the day:  “Finish each day and be done with it. You have done what you could. Some blunders and absurdities no doubt crept in; forget them as soon as you can. Tomorrow is a new day. You shall begin it serenely and with too high a spirit to be encumbered with your old nonsense.”   Ralph Waldo Emerson

Weaving a handbag with dyed lauhala:

I counted six stakes inward from the corner, and started diagonal plaiting.

6 rows woven

dyed lauhala

Repeat at each corner.

Weaving above the twined corners to make the sides.

View of the front.  The large triangle in the middle was woven when I did the plaited square.  Now I have to fill in the gaps on each side.

Filling in the gap (between the middle triangle and the side).

To end the front, I make sure all of the front weavers are on top, facing one direction.  The ones in front are folded down, and plaited back in as far as possible.  This really strengthens the front panel.

I plait them over and under the originals, all the way around the side and to the back.

Then you tuck in the weavers that were in back.  The front part has 3 thicknesses of lauhala.

I continued up the back portion, and then did this finish on the front flap.

Almost done!  I hope to make a lining this summer.  I dyed the leather handle to match it, and the bone tube bead, also.