Baskets: A Book for Makers and Collectors

If you don't already have the wonderful, but now out of print book, 'Baskets: A Book for Makers and Collectors' (1999), it is also available under its 2010 reprint title of `Basket Inspiration: For Makers & Collectors'. Basket Inspiration for Makers & Collectors The author, Billie Ruth Sudduth, master teacher, weaver, and collector, is also a widely acclaimed basketmaker whose works are in many public and private collections. She lives in the Penland area of Mitchell County, in the North Carolina mountains. In this book, Billie Ruth, gives thoughtful, step-by-step, basket-making instruction, and you are taught the fundamentals, and complete projects, for plaited ribbed, twined, and braided construction, twill weaving, and surface embellishment. The 144-page book, containing 250 full colour photographs, is made up of twelve chapters full of techniques, seven distinctive projects, and the works of over ninety-five contemporary basketmakers. On Billy Ruth's own Website, she writes the following comments about the reprinted book: "'Basket Inspiration for Makers & Collectors' (Schiffer Publishing) A reprint of the original Baskets for Makers and Collectors with an additional 36 new images. This book has beautiful images of the most significant baskets I have made over the past 27 years. The inspiring work of 95 other basket makers is also included, along with several step-by-step instructions for making your own handwoven baskets."

This book has color photographs of baskets to weave and collect and step-by-step instructions and demonstration photos.

To anyone embarking on the learning of the art of basket weaving, this book is a must have. As someone new to basket making, I wanted to make sure that I knew the various terms and techniques and exactly what they meant. This book fulfilled that desire for me. Since purchasing it about two months ago, I have made a number of baskets and cannot count the number of times that I referred to it for direction. Both the text and photographs of the various techniques leave very little to desire. In the last paragraph of the introduction, Ms. Sudduth notes that she hopes that one will discover the excitement and the extraordinary possibilities of baskets. That hope has been fulfilled. I thank her for sharing her incredible knowledge of this art.

Ms. Sudduth is a critically acclaimed basket artist and some of her work is displayed in the Smithsonian Institute. Her work is excellent and her teaching skills are perfection! This (hardback) book is 144 pages of serious instruction with many beautiful color photos of baskets from very talented basket artists around the world. Not only will she have you making a wonderful variety of baskets from the start... she includes several tips to help make your work easier (esp. how to correct mistakes and get rid of that dreaded "hairy" look).Inside you will learn (and also see colorful pictures of): Commercially available materials, found and collected materials, tools and equipment needed, preparation of materials, and storage. All of the weaving terms are well defined to be easily understood, and broken into sub-catagories of weaving variations, bases, ribs and random weaves. You will learn the basic techniques of start and stop weaving, continuous weaving, how to upset your stakes at the beginning and then how to bend and tuck them in at the end. How to add new weavers, carving and attaching a rim. All about adding rim and base fillers. Ms. Sudduth also teaches you everything you need to know about dyes from the equipment needed, safety precautions, the difference between natural, chemical, and fiber reactive dyes... plus how to store them.The book continues on to teach you stop and start plaiting, continuous plaiting, twined construction, start and stop twill, continuous twill, and ribbed construction; How to add surface embellishments such as curls, painting, stenciling, whitewashing, and adding other attachments.The remainder of the book discusses (but not instructs) the non-woven forms of construction: coiled, knotted, stitch, wrapped, and cast and mold. The back has a list of suggested reading, suppliers, Basket Association and Guilds, Craft Schools offering classes, metric conversion tables, plus the names of all the contributing artists.A very complete book, easy to understand, that not only teaches you - but will continue to inspire your creativety time and time again.

Billie Ruth Sudduth's book is a masterpiece. The color photographs (and the baskets themselves) are amazing. She showcases some marvelous pieces made with both traditional and unusual materials. She explains every aspect of the craft remarkably well, in easy to understand fashion.Even a beginner could weave a basket using her instructions. I was pleasantly surprised that she included so many of her basket patterns for baskets that are on display at the Smithsonian. Now, I will be able to weave a piece of art with her easy instructions.