Threads 92: Pine needle baskets and their history

Here are some photos of me collecting pine needles on my recent trip to BC. A mature Ponderosa Pine in British Columbia

Coiled baskets have a strong history in America. In the 1700s when slaves were brought from West Africa to tend to rice fields they brought with them the knowledge and tradition of creating coiled baskets. Known as Seagrass or Sweetgrass baskets, these baskets were originally made with bulrush or other sea grasses and were used for utilitarian purposes in the rice fields. After slavery was abolished, the tradition of creating coiled baskets carried on in the smaller, more decorative pieces that women made for use as sewing and trinket baskets and to sell to tourists. Sweetgrass was used extensively along with pine needles to create pieces that had a two tone color; the deep brown of the needles and the lighter beige of the sweetgrass. 

In the 1920s when tourists went to Florida, or went for the winter, they started Pineneedle basketry and it became very popular. Instead of Sweetgrass they used Rafia. Over the coming years, this tradition moved Northwoods, and particularly to the western states where the ponderosa pine is very dominant.

Here, in our local area we can use some of local pineneedles from pine needles, they are shorter but they work just as well. The Ponderosa pine tree can be found in the Arboretum in Ottawa. This is where I have collected mine over the years, the best time is early spring before the groundsman have swept up all the branches blown down over the winter. The pine needles can be found strewn on the ground.

Pin needles will keep for years if they are kept dry. They lose their colour when kept in the sun.

Selecting individual set of needles from a branch

A single pine needle from a Ponderosa Pine

Groups of pine needles ready for making into a coiled basket