,i PRISCILLA JUNIORS' ^ BASKETRY ^ BOOK y^ ALesson Book for Children Published by A ITULUIIMICU. UU y\ \ The Priscilla Publishing Co. Boston,Mass. \ J.[}i::i) \i^^i LjciLaA"^ cxU vLJ i J J. Ly K L©SS©KS ff( ChiHren Grades Price, IS cents PUBLISHED BY THE PRISCILLA PUBLISHIMG BROAD STREET, BOSTON, Copyright, 1914, by The Priscilla PubUshing Company Trade Mark Reg. U. S. Patent Office Entered at Stationers' Hall, London All rights reserved Child at Work on Raffia OCT 22 1914 ^£i- r?^o. iacsiiclirj for ClhiHr^ 'HEX tlie fascinating art of Basketry took such a hold on our Arts and Crafts people some few years ago, it was taken up entirely by seniors. Now, basketry is listed in the busy work and manual training" courses in most of our public schools. It is the aim of this little book to present work that can be done by juniors, and it will therefore l)e divided into grades corresponding to those in the schools. Mdergarten A SIMPLE things in raffia are about all that can be attempted here, and the easiest of these is a sewing card with the design done in colored raffia. The original of the illustration was made by a child fi\e years old. It was done in red and green raffia, without any help from the teacher. It is suggested that the teacher make her own cards, as the holes in the ordinary sewing cards are a trifle too close for raffia. Plain, medium-weight cardboard is used, and it is ruled off, and the holes made at regular inter- vals with an awl or other sharp instru- ment. A\'ith these simple little cards and a few strands of bright-colored raffia, children can work out many pretty designs, a n d not only keep Sewing Card their little fingers b u s y, but also culti- \"ate their im- agination a t the same time. Next comes knotting or tv- ing with raffia, and on the fol- owing page is shown a bag \\' h i c h the children can easily make, and will also find useful. Kindergarten Bag Bags like the one shown five years old without much A circle of cardboard four is cut, containing a one-inch cardboard circle is wrapped finished twehx threads of r, Basket above can be made by children help from the teacher. and one-half inches in diameter hole in the middle. Then this closely A\'ith rafiia, and when affia are tied on with the knot at the outer edge of the circle. Each two threads are then tied tog'ether in a plain knot about one inch from where the rafiia is tied on, or one inch from the base. The next two are tied, and so on around the circle. Then another row one inch above that is tied until we have four rows, when each two threads of rafifia are tied tightly together, thus forming a loop somewhat smaller than the other meshes. Tliese loops take the place (^f a casing, and a few strands of twisted rafiia are drawn through each way, like a drawing'-striiig', and lied, to carry the bag by. The bag may or may not be Hned. The hning, of course, would have to be put in by the teacher, and could be an ordi- nary bag, about eight inches deep, with a four and one-half- inch circular bottom, and tacked in around the top and bottom. First Firimairj tN this grade Kindergarten work can. of ccuirse, be repeated, and then braiding- may be taught. This latter is not so easy for little fingers as it sounds. It has been gener- ally conceded by teachers of the work that weaving is learned more quickly and neatly than braiding'. For this reason braiding should be persevered in throughout the year, and toward the close of the term many little articles Doll's Hat may be made from braided raffia, such as hats, mats, bags, etc., the work being started at the centre and each braid sewed to the last with a fine thread of split raffia. A few such articles are here illustrated. Purse. The little purse is made of smoothly l)raide(l raffia sewed around to form a small mat. An- (^ther mat is made the same size, then the two are sewed together half way around the circumfer- ence, and a braided handle is sewed to the sides. Purse Second Primary Woven Raffia Mat. A circle four inches in diameter is drawn on stra\\--board, antl the edges nicked Hke the teeth in a comb, making an uneven number of nicks. String this loom with raffia, as shoAvn in the illustration, by making a tiny hole in the centre and wrapping from there around each tooth. llolh sides arc alike, and the raffia is fastened bv tying in a small knot after carrying around the last time. Xow thread a nee- dle with raffia and ])lace l)ack of one of the loom threads, in front of the next, and on around, going over, under, etc., as in wea\-- ing. Put in a narrow strijx^ of color for variety, and when the raffia gives out tie on a new strand, cover- ing the knot the next time around. Do both sides ex- actly alike, cut off the teeth and buttonhole t h e e d g e. g o i n g through both straw- board and raffia. To make the fringed mat, make and string a straw-board loom as above, but Aveave one side onlv. Then cut the raffia loose at the centre on the side which is not woven, buttonhole and make a spider-Aveb in the centre as follows : Thread a needle with raffia, putting a knot in the end. Catch through any place near the inner circle and take a stitch across the hole, then across the other way. and across diagonally. Weave in and out a couple of times with the needle of raffia, thus filling up the centre hole. Take from the loom and tie each two strands together on the edge. Then tie the edge full of raffia and cut short for fringe. The little mats can do dutv Loom Mat for bag bottoms. There is room for only a few illustra- tions, but the children can make many other simple articles. Doll Parasol. Make a base like the fringed mat, omitting" the fringe and but- tonholing the edge instead. Cut a piece of reed five inch- es long and sharpen one end to a point. The reed must be as thick as the hole in the centre of the mat. Push the pointed end through the hole, making a handle for • the parasol. Color the handle with dye or water-colors to match the raffia top. Pincushion. Take smoothly braided raffia and sew to- gether as though starting a doll's hat. When a circle two inches in diameter has been sewn together, turn up an edge, making it two rows around. Sew in a pincushion, stuffed with wool or wheat liran, to exactly fit this tiny basket. Holder for Ball of Cord, l^ake a long strand of raffia and loop the m i (1 d 1 e around the finger, and in this loop tie scx'cn other strands. Take any two pieces and tie together in a hard knot about one inch from where the raffia is tied on. W^hen the row is completed tie two more rows each one inch from the last. Slip in a ball of cord and tie the loose ends of raffia with a smart bow of ribbon. Fringed Mat For illustrations, see page 9 EY the time this grade is reached the children have had some little experience with rafifia, and will be able to do pretty good work. Page 9 contains a number of articles here described, and all of which can be made by Third Grade pupils. Number i. Knotted Bag. Cut a strip of bristol-board 2x 12 inches. Sew the two shorter edges together and wrap with rafifia. Tie twelve strands of rafifia around this in knots equal distances apart and knot the loose ends, two pieces together all the way around, as we did the kindergarten bag on page 4; the closer the knots the finer will be the mesh. A\'hen four rows have been tied, draw all loose ends together for fringe and tie with a ribbon. A ribbon handle is also attached. Number 2. Napkin Ring. Nine small brass rings are used for this attracti\e and simple napkin-ring. Each ring is but- tonholed with fine rafifia. and ribbon woven in and out to hold them together. The ribl^on is fastened in a short bow. Number 3. Penwiper. Weave a mat on a four-inch loom. Cut from the loom and buttonhole the edge. Cut a couple of pieces of chamois or flannel the size of the mat, scallop the edges with the scissors and fasten to the mat by sewing through the middle with rafifia, which is tied in a bow on top of the mat. Number 4. Needlebook. Cut a three and one-half inch circle of bristol-board, cut a small hole in the middle, wrap smoothly wdth rafifia and make a spider-web across the middle. Make another circle exactly like it. Cut several small pieces of flannel with scalloped edges the size of the circles and fasten all together by placing the flannel between the two mats and sewing all the edges together for a little way. Directly oppo- site this fastening sew a small piece of ribl)on or rafifia to each circle : thus the booklet may be tied shut Avhen not in use. Number 5. Scissors Guard. A small brass ring is button- holed with raffia, and in this ring are tied six broad strands of rafifia. Pin the ring to the knee, and wdth a needle threaded with rafifia weave under and over until about four inches have been woven. Fasten the thread and dividing the origijial six Third Grade Work 9 strands into two groups of three strands each, fashion each i^roup into a braid and finish with a tassel, or simply tie the scissors on without a tassel. Number 6. Pinball. A cardboard circle two inches in diameter is pierced in the middle and wound with raffia. An- other circle the same size is made and the tW'O placed together and the edges buttonholed, the stitches being as close together as possible. Stick the rim full of fancy headed pins and hang up by a small loop of raffia fastened to the edge. Number 7. Match Scratcher. Take a sheet of cardboard or straw-board three by fi\e inches and prepare a small loom. Across the top, equal distances apart, punch an uneven number of holes. Repeat at the bottom. I'lace a stick or stout wire across the top and bottom (through the end holes) to keep the raffia from pulling when the weaving is begun. String this loom with raffia through the holes from top to bottom. Now^ thread a needle with raffia, and beginning at the upper right-hand corner weave under and over until the loom is full. Buttonhole the edges and cut from the loom. Now cut sandpaper the size of the oblong mat and sew to the mat all around the edges. At the middle of the top fasten a loop of raffia to hang by. With a little thought these mats can be put to many uses. For instance, the loom ma}^ be square and a pillow-top made on it. In that case thick fringe should be tied all around the edges. Number 8. Another Match Scratcher. From smooth bristol- Ixiard of some pretty cob^r cut a five-pointed star on a six- inch diameter. Draw any pretty design, punch holes with a large darning-needle and Avork the design in a contrasting color of raffia. Cut a star of sandpaper the same size and sew^ to the back through every point. Hang by a loop of raffia tied through one of the points of the star. Hair Receiver (not illustrated). -Make a base as described in the kindergarten bag on page 4. A narrow strip of card- board as many inches long as the base is inches in circumfer- ence, has the edges sewn together and is wound Ayith raffia for the sides. Make a spider-web over the hole in the base, thus filling up the centre hole, and sew the sides and base together wn'th raffia. Make another base like the first, leaving a larger hole in the middle and not making a spider-web across this hole. Sew to the sides all around the edge, making a hair-receiver. ID For illustrations, see page 13 Number i. Baby's Moccasin. Cut from cardboard a small slipper sole. A good plan is to set a baby shoe down on the cardboard and draw around it. Punch twenty-two holes around the sole equal distances apart and not too near the edge. Draw raffia through the holes and tie the knots, not on the edge, but on the inside of the sole — say directly over the hole through which it is drawn. If the sole is now pinned to the knee the work will pro- gress much better. Take any strand of raffia and tie to the next in a small hard knot almost one-half inch from the edge of the sole. When the raffia has been tied all around begin a new row, making the mesh slightly larger at the toe and heel. The first row may be tied with the raffia out flat, but the others must be upstanding, in order to shape the slipper. AMien two or three rows have been tied, turn the sole up- side down and pin to the knee and, using a long strand of raffia, or one of the loose ends, if long enough, tie all of the strands to it. Draw the raffia rather closely over the toe and heel. Cut off fringes, and through the little casing just made run a strand of raffia, which is tied around the ankle tn hold the moccasin in place. An industrious child can thus fit out her (li)ll Avith numberless ])airs of slippers. Number 2. Handkerchief Bag. In a small brass ring twent\-one strands of raffia are tied at the middle of each strand. Take the left-hand piece of one couplet and the right- hand piece of the one next to it and tie together about an inch from the ring. Tie all around, and three-quarters inch above make another row. When fi\e rows ha^•e been tied, finish, as we did the moccasin, by tying every strand to a long- strand of raffia. Tie two or three times to make sure of a tight knot. The bag has a lining with a casing and draw-string of silk cord. In tying the rows of knots each row must be tied a tinv bit nearer the last one to give the bag shape. Number 3. Another Bag. Start just like the bag above. When two rows have been tied take each three groups of two and tie in a knot and then braid for two inches. 1liis makes seven braids. Fasten each braid by tying tight with fine II raffia, or by tying in a tight knot, and cut off the fringes. Line with a plain lining of silk or sateen. The braids should come to the bottom of the casing and be tacked fast. Number 4. Square Mesh Bag. On a ruler tie a strand of raffia (the middle of the strand) around every inch mark, leaving every two ends to hang down. Begin at the left, and letting the first strand hang, tie each two together in a row of knots. Tie six rows each time, leaving one strand to hang free at each end. Slip from the ruler and tie the loose strands. Before taking from the ruler, each row will have a knot less than the row above, hut when fiuishetl the bag will be square. Line the bag and use the row (^f loops that held the raffia to the ruler for a casing through which the draw- string goes. Finish bag at the bottom with fringe made by tying raffia in the last mesh. Number 5. Blotting Pad. Cut from cardboard an oblong three by six inches. With a knife make a slit two inches long directly in the middle, running lengthwise of the oblong. Thread a needle ^^■ith raffia and wind smoothly from the slit around the edges of the cardboard. Draw lines from each corner to the slit, and when winding and the corner is reached, sew the raffia into the line, and when the corner is nicely turned begin to wrap again. Cut several pieces of blotting-paper the size of the oblong and tie all together at the centre of the six-inch side with a bit of raffia. Number 6. Handkerchief Holder. A sijuare of cardboard four by four inches is made just like the blotter (No. 5 on this ]:)age), except that there is no slit. A second square the same size is then made exactly like it. The two pieces arc laid together and held together by a band of elastic which has been slipped into a piece of ribl)on shirred at each side and tied on top in a bow. Tlandkerchicfs are slipped between the two squares. Number 7. Valentine. From straw-board cut a heart four inches long and cut a small heart out of the centre. Wrap smoothly with deep red raffia, catching through with the needle' at the outer edge, and paste a small picture o\-er the heart-sha])ed hole in the centre. Buttonhole the outer edge to give a neat finish. Paste a piece of stiff paper cut in heart- shape over the entire back to hold the picture in place. Number 8. Doll's Hammock. Cut a stiff cardboard loom 12 Fourth Grade Work six by nine inches. Place so that the six-inch end is hori- zontal, and three-quarters of an inch down draw a straight line across the loom. Find the middle of this line and one- half inch above it make a dot. Now draw a curved line from end to end above the straight line, passing through the dot. Repeat on the other end. On both curved lines make dots, twenty-three on each line, equal distances apart, and punch holes in the dots. Draw intersecting lines from corner to corner of the loom, and in the angles thus formed above and below sew two small brass rings. Thread a needle with raffia and fasten in the upper ring, letting' an end hang out. Take up to the first hole in the upper right corner, A. down across the back to the corresponding lower hole, A\ up to the lower ring, fasten, back down to the second hole in the bottom and up to the second hole in the top. Do this until all the holes are filled, not crossing the raffia from ring to ring, but each time it goes through a ring it goes back to the row of holes on the same side, then across the back to the opposite row. If the raffia gives out, tie on a new strand and proceed as before. Fasten both ends by weaving in and out a few times close to the rings. Start the weaving close to one of the rings. Fasten the raffia in a knot around the first strand in the loom and weave under and over. A\'hen the raffia gives out tie on a new piece and cover the knot with the weaving. AVhen the top of the loom is reached fasten the raffia and, beginning at the other ring, weave from that to the bot- tom. Then weave on the other side, the back of the loom, being careful not to pull the weaving, or the hammock will go in tow^ards the centre. A good way to avoid this is to weave from one end to the middle. Weave closely but not tightly. When about seven rows have been woven from each end, weave four or five rows with a con- trasting color to form a stripe. Take from the loom by break- ing the loom on the curved lines of holes and buttonhole each ring with raffia. Finish by tying a row of fringe on each side just below where the hammock is curved. Diagram of Loom for Doll's Hammock 14 REED AND RAFFIA STITCH WORK IN this grade the children are ready to begin with reed work in connection with their raffia, and while this work is, of course, more difficult, it is intensely interesting, and the possi- bilities for developing baskets, trays, etc., are limitless. On the next page are several examples of the simpler forms of reed and raffia work, and these arc fo]]n,i;- piece of rather heavy reed, soak well and bend each end up to form a loop. Fasten securely with raffia by starting at one loop, wrapping around the foundation to the next loop. Then wra]) smoothly or buttonhole the entire handle, including the loops. Fasten handle to basket by stitching the loops firmly to opposite sides. A bundle of raffia also makes a good foundation for a handle, as it may be bent into almost any shape without breaking. The details of a basket — start, finish, handle, etc., are of much importance, and there- fore, it is well to have the raffia smooth and the stitches even. If the raffia is split into strands of uniform width the work, while a little slower, will be much more eff^ective. Also the finer the reed used for the foundation the prettier and more dainty will be the basket. Detail of Reed and Raffia Plate Plate of Reed and Raffia. A plain base is stitched in the following manner: Start a row or two, as we did the very first raffia basket, then wrap the raffia several times towards the person and stitch up through the preceding row. Now wrap once more towards the person, and this time bring the thread between the rows and over the stitch that holds them together from left to right, then immediately wrap under again and continue as before. This leaves an open space 19 between the rows which are held together by tiny knots (see detail on page 19). The work is alike on both sides. Be sure each time a slitch is taken that the needle goes between two knots. A basket done in this stitch will work up faster on account of the open pattern. W hen this base is sufficiently large, turn up for the sides, but instead of keep- ing the rows straight, slant them out, so that the basket will be almost flat like a ])late. Turn upside down and stitch on the base two rows for a foot (de- scribed in No. 4). The exact number of rows for this plate can scarcely be given, as the sizes of reed vary greatly, but a plate or saucer of the right Detail of Basket, No. i size would be a good copy. Two stitches that make attractive baskets are shown on this page. Detail No. i is described first. Wrap the end of the reed for a little way, then doul)le it around and wrap this tiny loop together, so as to have something to stitch to. Now for the next row, take the raffia un- der the reed, then over, under again, and take the stitch from the bottom u|). This makes the stitches pretty close, but it also makes a very firm basket. Detail No. 2. .Start as in Detail No. i and take the first stitch u]^ through the centre. Now Avlnd around once or twice and stitch