Wilcox County
Basket
Weaving
Retirement has been good for Jill as it has
allowed her more time to practice the basket making skills that she learned
from BBTCAC weaver Betty Bain, who was/is Jill’s inspiration. Jill said “Betty
Bain! She has incredible talent and is so willing to share her skills with
me…and One day I will probably teach when I become more advanced.” For one that
is somewhat new to the craft, she is a student that is far more talented beyond
the length of time that she has been making baskets.
Other talented members of her family are:
her Mother, who was a signature member of the Georgia Watercolor Society, two
sisters that are creative, as well as her granddaughter Emily. Emily works
alongside Jill, who, according to Jill, is bold with her creations and recently
made a five gallon bucket basket for her father’s birthday.
Jill’s weaving material is reed which she
buys from internet sites. She works from patterns that have varying degrees of
difficulty. Completion usually takes from three to eight hours, depending on
the difficulty of the pattern and size of the basket. Her first “studio” was in
her kitchen but has moved to a small shop area adjacent to her home. “I try to
weave two to three hours a week.”