Art of Basket Weaving

Friday, 23 April 2010 21:57

Her hands move gracefully as over a small woven circle. The circle is about the size of a quarter but it is slowly growing with each new piece of straw that is sewn into it. Her hands are steady and precise. This small circle is in the first stages of becoming a work of art created by basket weaver Michelle Ramon.

"I started making baskets after watching my grandmother," said Ramon, who gave a small demonstration during the O'Odham Tash celebration in Casa Grande. "I started making baskets the traditional way."

Traditional baskets are made out of devil's claw and yucca, two plants that are found in the Arizona desert. Devil's Claws give the basket the black strips, while Yucca supplies the white.

"Traditional baskets are black and white, but they can be dyed different colors," said Ramon. "There some things that are green, and my sister has found red material that doesn't need to be dyed."

In addition to Yucca and Devil's Claw, Ramon uses bear grass, raffia and sweet grass. She has even seen Elders using pine needles and yarn to create baskets.

"You can virtually use anything to make baskets," said Ramon. "I find most of my material in the desert near waterways. It grows widely enough that you can find it easily enough."

Once the raw materials are collected they are soaked in water for hours until they are bendable. Devil's claw takes the longest to prep. It has to soak into water until the strands break into four. Then they have to be cut again into strands until they are bendable again. Raffia is the easiest to prep because it takes the least amount of time to soak, according to Ramon.

"It takes a long time to get devil's claw usable, but it is my favorite thing to use," said Ramon.

Ramon can make baskets with different patterns and usages. She can create baskets with different animals, patterns and the man in the maze. They also have many different uses. Some of her creations are made into jewelry, berry holders and hats.

"I sometimes grafted out what I am going to create or have at least some idea of what I want it to look like," said Ramon. "I can make whatever I want."

Ramon sells her baskets by word of mouth and they cost $70 to $300 depending on the time it takes her to create the basket. Smaller baskets can take two weeks if she works on it for five hours a day. Her biggest basket took her almost two months and she worked on it for eight hours a day.

"Someone will see my baskets and want it," said Ramon. "Then someone will see that basket and want me to make it. And then another person will see that one and want it."

Currently, Ramon's nine-year-old daughter is starting to weave baskets.

"She told me that she wanted to make baskets and I told her she was too young," said Ramon. "But she thought  it was so cool that she has made five baskets already. Someday she'll be an artist."

Written by Allana Erickson You are reading Art of Basket Weaving articles