Baskets with Mary Brown

by | Aug 15, 2022

The July and August exhibit at the Guild House features basketry by CHH member Mary Brown.

Mary first learned to weave baskets in 1994 in a small basket shop in Oak Ridge, Texas. She continued to weave at the shop with her friends at every Wednesday until the shop closed almost a decade later. The napkin basket she made in her first lesson still sits on her kitchen table.

With almost 30 years of experience, Mary’s baskets are incredible! She loves experimenting with shape, color, and non traditional weaving materials. Twining is her favorite weaving technique, and she enjoys doing braided borders on her baskets.

Bright and colorful, this basket is a show-stopper!

Mary’s love of baskets led to another hobby, basketing collecting. Over the last 25 years, she has accumulated a collection of more than 75 miniature baskets, many acquired at basket events around the U.S. You can see several of these miniature baskets as part of her display.

A few of Mary’s collected baskets.

Basket weaving is one of the oldest known crafts. It precedes pottery and even woven cloth. Basket weaving is part of the heritage of nearly every people group in the world. Some baskets were woven so tightly that they could hold water!

Mary has been teaching since 2000 and is teaching a Market Basket class at CHH in September. Click here to sign up.

Stop by the Guild House to see this exhibit in person. Guild House is open Thursday – Saturday 10:00 a.m. – 3:00 p.m. Mary’s exhibit can be viewed through August 20, 2022.