Womb woven baskets are handmade baskets woven using natural fibers and dyes from the plains of the Texas panhandle. Woven within the womb of prayer, the name “womb woven” describes the space of contemplative receptivity and intercessory prayer, within which each basket is made.
Making the Baskets
Each basket is made entirely by hand from start to finish. I use a variety of natural fibers and dyes to create designs inspired by Georgia sweetgrass baskets and Armenian needlelace. After all materials are collected and prepared, one basket requires at least twenty hours of creativity time to make and I enjoy playing with new ideas, shapes, and patterns with each little piece of artwork. I am continually fascinated and filled with wonder at the many ways something so simple, and apparently useless, can be given new life when they are drawn and woven together into a cooperative unity which results in something truly beautiful. Much of my prayer while working is centered around this reality of new life and the time and work is offered for those whom the Lord knows are in greatest need. I hope you enjoy them and that they add a spark of beauty in your home! God bless!
-Catherine Guilbeau
wombwovenbasketry@gmail.com
Step 1
Various types of plants are gathered from the local area during the late summer and early fall.
Step 2
The fibers of each plant are separated and prepared for weaving. Sometimes this means soaking them in water or pulling the fiber from the stalk, or simply laying them out to dry before storing in the shed for the coming months.
Step 3
Dying materials (black walnuts) are gathered and some fibers are darkened to add color contrast to the baskets.
Step 4
Most fibers are then twined into a piece of string or, for some plants, simply wrapped around the center core of the coil basket.
Step 5
The fibers are then woven using the coil method and various patterns woven in as you move from the center bottom to the widest rim.
Step 6
The basket is run through a small flame to burn off the extra frays and loose fibers.
Step 7
A coat of sealant is applied to keep moisture out, and the basket is left out until it is dried.
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When you have entered the land the Lord your God is giving you as an inheritance and have taken possession of it and settled in it, take some of the firstfruits of all that you produce from the soil of the land the Lord your God is giving you and put them in a basket. Then go to the place the Lord your God will choose as a dwelling for his Name 3 and say to the priest in office at the time, “I declare today to the Lord your God that I have come to the land the Lord swore to our ancestors to give us.” The priest shall take the basket from your hands and set it down in front of the altar of the Lord your God.
Deuteronomy 26:1-4