Indigenous Basket Weaving

This weekend I participated with lots of others in a terrific workshop at Port Adelaide, Ipiri Weaving, in which we learnt basket weaving, the coil method, using native grasses such as spinifex, and raffia, and using beads made from native seeds and nuts as decorations.  Three Anangu women from the APY Lands shared their knowledge with us, through Better World Arts.  While I was there, I looked into the Better World Arts shop next door, and bought a great little book called "Art, History, Place", a good primer for people like me who are woefully ignorant about the indigenous art in their own country.  I have put a couple of links in this paragraph for those who want to find out a bit more who I am talking about.

©Christine Linton
The basket I made at the workshop (beware the blue dye - my hands still bear traces!)  Inside are some painted gumnut beads, and some quondong seeds made into beads.  The seeds on the border are Ininti seeds which is a native tree that grows in the Western Desert of Central Australia, which is part of the APY Lands.

The basket I made at home - notice the improvement once I knew what I was doing!  

©Christine Linton

I noticed when making the second basket at home that the bunch of native grass is drying out and more likely to crack but still overall fine to use.  I vaguely remember from school putting long strands of some basketmaking fibre (willow?  too long ago) into water to soften and I can always try that if it gets too dry before I have used it all up.