A compact guide to reed and raffia basketry
Basket Making by T. Vernette Morse introduces basket construction through short explanations and an extensive sequence of working drawings. Published in Chicago by the Art Craft Institute in 1902, it is the first book of the How To Do It series. Its title page advertises 106 working designs, and the pages combine basic construction methods, variations in weave and border, raffia techniques and photographs of finished baskets.
The preface places the handbook within the Institute’s teaching work. Morse explains that requests for lessons by mail prompted its publication and that the book condenses material intended to help students work through the difficulties of basket making. That origin is reflected in the format: a small amount of introductory instruction leads into numbered figures that readers must study alongside the descriptions. It is a concise teaching reference with many examples to compare.
Materials and a first basket
The opening section identifies the main materials, including round and split reed, rush, splints and raffia. It also mentions other fibers that can be used in basketry. A brief tools list keeps the work approachable, with cutting tools, needles, a measure and a knitting needle for separating closely woven material. The text then establishes the distinction between the stronger structural spokes and the more flexible weavers worked between them.
Morse introduces over-and-under weaving, double weaving, pairing and the three-strand twist. These terms become the vocabulary for the later figures. The first instructions address estimating the length of the spokes, preparing reed so that it bends readily, crossing and securing the center, and adding an extra spoke for the weave. A small round basket provides a concrete example of the progression from a flat bottom to upright sides and a finished rim.
Attention to even spacing and a flat base runs through these early lessons. The book explains that the position of the spokes and the handling of the weaver influence whether the sides remain upright or flare outward. This connection between simple movements and the eventual shape of the basket is one of its useful teaching features. Readers are encouraged to observe structure as they work, rather than regard the pattern as decoration alone.
Working designs, borders and handles
The second part explains the numbered working designs. Crossed foundations, extra spokes and larger bases are followed by variations in the sides, methods of splicing weavers and ways to turn the spokes into borders. Pairing and the triple twist appear in different structural roles. The text also discusses knots suitable for handles or lid lifts and shows how their ends can be secured within the woven work.
Further designs introduce splints, grouped spokes, lattice arrangements and changes of color. Some figures emphasize a closely covered surface; others leave deliberate openings between the members. Instructions describe reinforcing parts of a splint basket and using wrapped or contrasting weavers to vary its appearance. These examples make the handbook useful as a collection of construction details that can be compared and adapted after the fundamentals are understood.
Raffia work and finished examples
The third part turns to raffia designs, beginning with coiled work. It explains wrapping a core and joining successive rounds, then develops variations in the connecting stitches and the placement of color. Other designs combine reed and raffia, using the reed for a framework and raffia for binding or covering it. The range includes closely woven effects, open work and a form of woven covering for bottles.
The final part describes the half-tone illustrations of completed work. Morse points out combinations of base, rim, color and surface pattern, including coiled forms and raffia worked over reed. These photographs let readers connect the enlarged technical drawings with complete baskets. The relationship between an individual stitch and the proportion of an entire object becomes easier to judge when the two kinds of illustration are used together.
Practical relevance and audience
This book suits readers beginning traditional basketry, craft teachers looking for visual examples, and makers interested in the relationship between flexible fibers and a supporting framework. For a household craft shelf, its value lies in showing how simple materials can become useful containers with different shapes, strengths and finishes. The compact descriptions reward patient study of the illustrations and some hands-on experimentation.
The book reflects an early twentieth-century teaching style, with closely packed figure references rather than modern step-by-step photographs. It works well as a short introduction and a design reference, especially for someone prepared to practice a basic basket before attempting the more elaborate borders and patterned surfaces.
Book details
- Title: Basket Making
- Author: T. Vernette Morse
- Series: How To Do It, Book Number One
- Publisher: Art Craft Institute, Chicago
- Publication and copyright: 1902; no numbered edition stated
- Illustrations: 106 working designs advertised on the title page, plus photographs of basket groups
- Language: English
- Format: PDF, 43 digital pages, 1,758,168 bytes
