The Weaving Process

The process of weaving a basket starts right at the source, in the beauty of the BC forest.

Harvesting and Preparation

I no longer harvest bark from healthy live trees in the forest. Instead, I have been able to work with my community to find appropriate trees that are either identified as danger trees or have been selected to be felled for other uses. This allows me to remove all of the bark from the tree, resulting in more material without effecting the healthy forest.

Once the bark has been separated from the rough outer bark, it is cut into pieces, dyed if required, and bundled ready for use. Stored in cool dry conditions, weaving material can last for years before being used.

The Materials

Western Red Cedar grows along the coast of BC at lower elevations, while Yellow Cedar is found at higher elevations.  The bark, branches and roots are strong and flexible, making the materials versatile and easy to work with.
 

The Working

Weaving times vary, depending on the size of the material, the piece being made, and the difficulty of the pattern.  More than half the time used to make a woven piece goes into preparing the raw material.  Cedar, once dampened, is responsive to bending and twisting, and must remain moist while being worked.