Recent additions to the collection
Bannock baskets in the Madeira style
Go to many museums on mainland Scotland, and there are always one or two examples of these ubiquitous baskets, often, but not always, made in the Madeira style described by Liz Balfour in our blog (Oct 2015). They are usually
[read more...]Museums in the East region
Arbroath Signal Tower Museum Leith Customs House Museum, Edinburgh Scottish Fisheries Museum, Anstruther
[read more...]An Eriskay creel
Eriskay is a small island off the tip of South Uist, Outer Hebrides. Lise Bech and Kate Sankey made two creels reconstructed from an original Eriskay creel. This creel was a 20 stake creel and had a simple mouthwale start as
[read more...]
Author Archives: Dawn Susan
Hens and handbags. Some Skye basket history.
This design of basket appears to have been used for many centuries. There is some evidence that it originated here in Scotland. Scots emigrants to the Appalachian Mountains of Virginia took the design with them, adapting it to the locally available …Continue reading “Hens and handbags. Some Skye basket history.”
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Making oak swills
Those of us lucky enough to get a place on the oak swill course in Arbroath in October were in for a treat. It involved new tools, techniques and materials to most of us. It was a fascinating insight into …Continue reading “Making oak swills”
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Bringing the old baskets to the people
As part of the Scottish Basketmakers Circle 25th anniversary celebrations, basketmakers all around Scotland held events for ‘Encircle Scotland’ day on 22 June 2013. My contribution to this day was to give a talk on the baskets of the Hebrides …Continue reading “Bringing the old baskets to the people”
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Creels of Lewis. A comparison of techniques and materials
Westside creels (Shawbost, Barvas, Tolsta Chaolais) Donald Macarthur of Shawbost taught me creel making and his creels are based on his father’s methods. See earlier post on Back/Pony Creels in this section of ‘How to make’ . Malcolm Macarthur was …Continue reading “Creels of Lewis. A comparison of techniques and materials”
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A trip to Ness. The Comunn Eachdriaidh Nis collection
This collection is housed in the Old School of Dell in the district of Ness, Isle of Lewis. Ness includes many villages or ‘townships’. I visited this collection last week and it has only recently moved to this building. Apparently …Continue reading “A trip to Ness. The Comunn Eachdriaidh Nis collection”
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Comunn Eachdraidh Siabost/Westside Historical Society Collection, Isle of Lewis
This week I drove up to Shawbost to see the collection of the Comunn Eachdraidh Siabost. This is currently housed in the Shawbost Community Centre but may well be moving. I was lucky to be able to talk with a …Continue reading “Comunn Eachdraidh Siabost/Westside Historical Society Collection, Isle of Lewis”
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Cane Golf Ball
This golf ball was made by a prisoner of war in Edinburgh during the Second World War. We dont know where this prisoner was from originally or his occupation. Was he a basketmaker? Because of a shortage of rubber there was …Continue reading “Cane Golf Ball”
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A visit to Comann Eachdraidh Uig/ Uig Historical Society Museum, Isle of Lewis
Uig Historical Society has a great museum based in the Community Centre at Timsgarry, Lewis. It is run by volunteers and has items collected and donated by local people over the years. I visited in June 2013 and it was …Continue reading “A visit to Comann Eachdraidh Uig/ Uig Historical Society Museum, Isle of Lewis”
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Marram Grass Roots as Pot Scrubbers
This pot scrubber is in the Uig Historical Society Museum, Isle of Lewis. It was made by taking the roots where the sand had been blown off them on the dunes, and then rubbing them together to from a …Continue reading “Marram Grass Roots as Pot Scrubbers”
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Making a Mudag
Funny how life sometimes gives us second chances. I was asked by the Highland Folk Museum to make them a mudag a few years ago. I thought it unlikely I would make another but then about a month ago …Continue reading “Making a Mudag”
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