Mel's Own Place

Today was basket weaving day!  We held it at my parent's backyard on the patio since it was such a nice day.  It was overcast which kept it from being too warm.

• I'm Mel - My profile, tags, interviews, awards and the like
• Quilts - Find my favorite quilt shops, fabrics, designers, projects I'm working on, projects I've completed, favorite quilt places on the web
• My Tutorials / Patterns - Not much there now, but I hope to share tutorials and patterns for making fun item
• On Line Faves - My favorite places to visit online. Blogs of friends, websites I like to shop, websites that entertain and inspire.
• Baskets - My general basket weaving info, pictures of the baskets I've made, websites for ordering supplies and links for free patterns
• Reading / Books - Blogs or websites about reading and books that I like to visit, my book reviews, a list of books I would like to read, what I'm reading now, a list of my favorite independant book shops
• Swaps / Giveaways - I love swaps! See what swaps I'm involved in and the results. I have been lucky to win several giveaways from other blogs. Here I list the links I like to enter for a chance to win fun stuff! If I don't win, I would like you to!

Items in these files have been previously posts on my blog, but I have gathered them in their respective files so all relevant info is together.

An issue of my most favorite quilting magazine, Quilter's Home by Mark Lipinski An issue of Better Homes and Garden's Quilts and Gifts Some of my favorite notions; Star thread, Purple Thang, Thread Heaven, and Quick Quarter An awsome hard cover clutch

Oh, I have lots of fun stuff to show you!

My friend Tessa was interviewed and posted her answers on her blog. Then she asked if there was anyone that wanted to be interviewed by her and I said "Why not?" She asked me the following questions: 1. What is one of your goals for the new year?

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Now, are any of you willing to be interviewed by ME?

Follow these instructions:

1. Leave me a comment saying, "Interview me."

2. I will respond by emailing you five questions. I get to pick the questions.

3. You will update your blog with the answers to the questions.

4. You will include this explanation and an offer to interview someone else in the same post.

5. When others comment asking to be interviewed, you will ask them five questions.

Glad you asked! I was so excited to get a gift certificate from my sis-in-law (we draw names) to Spoonflower! One can upload a design and they print it on fabric! So you can be a fabric designer! I can't wait to try it and I hope I don't get too addicted! I got subscriptions to McCall's Quilting, Fons & Porter quilting magazines. A gift certificate to Arnie's (where I get my basket weaving supplies!) Gift card to my FAV place to eat; Texas Roadhouse The coolest necklace sets from an Etsy shop I happened upon called Polarity . I told my hubby about the sewing one I wanted and my sister heard me talking about how cool it was and called the designer to have a quilting set made up for me too! I thought it was soooo cool that Cat, the owner, would make a special order set for no extra charge! I also got iPod speakers, clothes, some craft books such as how to bind books, and a trendy sewing book! I got so much creative stuff that my head is spinning trying to figure out where to begin! I think I'm going to have a fun and creative 2009!

OK, I'll post what I can for now, my computer has never been so enaccessable and it's driving me crazy!! My final for class is trapped in there somewhere and so are some pictures I wanted to share with you, but until my hubby can fix it, this post will have to do. My birthday was Sunday and I was able to sew for three whole days!! (I can't show you what I've been sewing . . . it's for Christmas!) My hubby and son let me be all alone for most of the weekend! Don't get me wrong, I LOVE them dearly, but I was in heaven with all the time to myself! I had to go buy a new iron and board cover and counted them as a couple of my presents! Only a quilter would be excited to get an iron for a birthday present! Oh, and don't worry, I won't iron ANYTHING but quilting fabric with it! Sunday we went to my parent's house for a yummy Lasagna dinner!! My mom makes the best lasagna - really, I promise! We had my very favorite thing in the whole world for desert, CHOCOLATE CAKE!! Nothing fancy, just CHOCOLATE CAKE! OK, ok, there were 35 candles on the cake, I decided not to be shy or embarrassed about the number because every one of them account for many wonderful times in my life! My parents gave me a 2 year subscription to a quilting magazine and a digital scrapbook program; Memory Mixer. I've been eyeing the program for a few months now and can't wait to fiddle with it! My sister (no blog) gave me some yummy truffles and some darling 'spoke weights' for basket weaving. As you lay out your spokes (reed) for creating a base for your basket, you need something to hold them down. I've been using small pieces of wood, but these are SOOO CUTE! and I think they will work much better! *I wish my computer would let me in to post a picture!!* As a tradition, we lit the candles, yes REAL candles on my parent's Christmas tree. Our family comes from Germany/Switzerland so as homage to our ancestors who put candles on their trees, we have them on our tree as well. I really can't explain how beautiful it is to see the tree lit with only the candles. We only light them on special occasions, my birthday, my dad's birthday, Christmas eve and Christmas day. My dad puts on Johnny Mathis singing Silent Night and it is so peaceful and calming! Here are some of my favorite ornaments on the tree: I made this tree skirt a few years ago. It's a Thimbleberries pattern and fabric. I liked the pattern because of it's square shape. My friend Jen (no blog) left this charming package for me to find on my porch. I love Willow figurines, they seem to be able to portray relationships so well. Marta (no blog) who is the owner of the shop I quilt at, gave me a beautiful assortment of Kaufman fat quarters and a Thimbleberries book; My Best. She also took me to the movie; Four Christmases. I'm not usually one for cheesy Christmas themed movies, but this one was truly funny! Another fun Christmas time movie in my opinion is Holiday with Kate Winslet and Cameron Diaz - Jack Black too! My sister-in-law, Lori has been a super help to me this week!! She has had Urban over to play with her son, Scotty twice this week! This has allowed me lots of time to sew and work on my final! I'm a lucky gal to have such great friends and family!! Tomorrow is basket weaving day, I'll try to remember to take pictures and upload them from a healthier computer than mine has been!

I learned to weave in 2001 when my friend Cheryl taught a few of us. Cheryl had been a marine's wife and lived on several army bases. On one of the bases, North Carolina I think, she met with other wives once a week to basket weave.

Being in Utah, there are no basket weaving suppliers here, so we order online.

I meet with 5 other friends once a month to basket weave: Cheryl, Kathy, Marianne, Geri, and Lori. We have loads of fun weaving, chatting, eating and singing! We have a ball!

I use the powder Rit dye heated on the stove top, then when the right color is achieved, take it out and quickly put it in a sink of cold water mixed with some vinegar.You want a good quality of reed (rattan) which means that it isn’t too ‘hairy’. ‘Hanks’ or coils of reed are around $5 to $7. These hanks will do many baskets depending on the size you are making. There aren’t any quality shops here in Utah, so I get my supplies from http://www.basketpatterns.com/ in Michigan. On the left side bar, click on Reed. They also have a collection of wonderful patterns, accessories and endless fun basket stuff!I’m glad to share basket weaving with you!Contact me if you would like the free pattern and/or a page on Basket Weaving lingo.

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Great Basket Links



Basket Patterns - Patterns, quality supplies
NC Basket Works - (AKA Susanne Moore) Patterns, quality supplies, free online patterns
The Country Seat - Supplies, free online patterns
Simply Nantucket Baskets - Supplies and molds for making Nantucket baskets
Basket Makers Catalog - Supplies, free online patterns
KMC Baskets - Patterns, weaving supplies, baskets for purchase, free online patterns
Woven Designs - Patterns, free online patters, supplies for weaving