Through The Lens: Basket Weavers Guild

The art of basket weaving has been around since nearly the beginning of time.  No one really knows when it started because the baskets do no survive forever because they are usually made from some sort of perishable material.  According to Wikipedia some have been carbon dated to 10,000 to 12,000 years ago. Weaving is a simple process... over, under, around and through.

I wanted to find someone who weaves baskets for a story and found the DFW Basket Weavers Guild.  Yes, there is a guild for that and they are today's Through the Lens story.

There are about 20 women in the guild who get together at least once a month to weave baskets and show off their work.  Some are in it for a hobby and some are in it to sell but everyone of them told me it was a way to relax and take their mind off the worlds problems.  When they all get together, they say it's better than therapy.

It was very interesting to watch as each had their own project and every basket was different.  One lady told me baskets are like people they are all different.  They are different shapes and sizes, different colors, and some have more character than others.  She said even if each of the women worked on the same design every basket would turn out different. They had some very unique baskets. Some are functional and some are art.

One thing they told me about the hobby was that it is very inexpensive to start.  You only need some reeds or other material to make the basket and a few other items that most people already have at home.  They will even teach you how to make a basket on your first visit.

The DFW Weavers Guild meets once a month from September to May at the First United Methodist Church in Colleyville.  To find out more you can go to www.weavemealone.com.