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The Country Seat, Inc. 1013 Old Philly Pike, Kempton PA 19529
610-756-6124 - weaving@countryseat.com - www.countryseat.com

The Country Seat Courier
Frbruary 2012 Volume 16 , Issue 2

Next Vacation Closing: CLOSED Saturday March 10th - Monday, March 19th

Follow us on Facebook - Country Seat Facebook Page

Monday Hours are Noon - 5 PM

February Specials -

Click here to see the Specials.

February Newsletter
Click here to read the pdf version of the February 2012 Country Seat Courier

2011B NEW ITEMS Newsletter
Click here to read the pdf version of the 2011B More New Items Country Seat Courier

New free pattern: "Mini Oval Herb Basket"

2011 NEW ITEMS Newsletter
Click here to read the pdf version of the 2011 New Items Country Seat Courier

2010 NEW ITEMS Newsletter
Click here to read the pdf version of the 2010 New Items Country Seat Courier

January Newsletter
Click here to read the pdf version of the January 2012 Country Seat Courier

December Newsletter
Click here to read the pdf version of the December 2011 Country Seat Courier

November Newsletter
Click here to read the pdf version of the November 2011 Country Seat Courier

October Newsletter
Click here to read the pdf version of the October 2011 Country Seat Courier

September Newsletter
Click here to read the pdf version of the September 2011 Country Seat Courier

August Newsletter
Click here to read the pdf version of the August 2011 Country Seat Courier
July Newsletter
Click here to read the pdf version of the July 2011 Country Seat Courier

2012-13 Special Hours & Vacation Dates

Please plan your orders and visits to our store around these dates. Our secure online catalog is always open. Thank you for understanding!

    Country Seat Calendar - The full year at a glance.

  • CLOSED Saturday March 10th - Monday, March 19th
  • CLOSED Monday May 28th - Happy Memorial Day
  • CLOSED Wednesday June 6th - Saturday, June 9th
  • CLOSED Wednesday July 4th - Happy Independence Day
  • CLOSED Monday September 3rd - Happy Labor Day
  • CLOSED Saturday September 8th - Monday, September 17th
  • CLOSED Wednesday, October 24th - Saturday, October 27th
  • CLOSED Thursday November 22nd - Happy Thanksgiving
  • CLOSED Monday & Tuesday December 24th & 25th - Merry Christmas
  • CLOSED Monday December 31st & Tuesday January 1st - Happy New Year

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3/24/11 PLEASE NOTE: There has been a price increase on all Shaker tape due to the dramatic rise in cotton prices. All Shaker tape prices increased on April 15th.
New pricing is:
1" -       $1.20 per yard
         $70.50 for full 75 yard roll
5/8" -    $.80 per yard
         $45.00 for full 75 yard roll
SHAKER TAPE DISCOUNT:
6 or more full rolls of 1" $63.45 each
6 or more full rolls of 5/8" $40.50 each
Rolls may be all of one color or mixed colors but must be all the same width.

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Wanamaker's General Store
carries everything from groceries, bulk foods, yummy homemade deli sandwiches to live bait & hunting licenses. Enjoy freshly brewed coffee while you browse locally made crafts & handmade wooden toys.
Hours are: 7-7 weekdays & Saturday 8-6.
Only 15 minutes away, on Route 143, it's worth the trip to visit this historic country general store. Visit www.wanamakersgeneralstore.com/
Look for the handmade Wanamakers Shopping & Gift Baskets!

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Dear Readers,
I would like to bring an issue to your attention in the hopes that no one is deceived.
There are many basketry e-books available on-line, and while some of them may have good, new content written by a basketweaver, some e-books have content that has been copied word for word, directly from basketry websites. It is copied without permission and pasted into the new format with no alterations and put forth for sale. This type of e-book is a violation of copyright law and a rip-off since this information is available free to anyone who searches the web.
Susi Nuss found an e-book on-line & brought it to our attention because the cover of the book looked "a bit too familiar" (it was the back-ground of our website). The basket illustration on the cover was also copied directly from our website. We purchased a copy of this e-book to verify that the content was indeed from our site. Along with content copied & pasted from our site, content was copied from Susi's site as well as GH Production's website. Susi then searched & documented much more content copied word for word from various basketry websites.
This "author" claims to have received permission to reprint and/or that all of the content in her book is in the public domain. This is not true. None, of the above mentioned, gave her permission to reproduce their information for resale & profit. This is a direct violation of copyright law. Just because we post information on our websites for the public to read and learn from does not put it in the public domain for anyone else to reprint for profit. We contacted the self-publishing website that was selling this e-book. They promptly removed it & refunded our money.
There were many patterns included in this e-book, which may lure buyers. However most, if not all of the patterns seem to be or are known to be free patterns available on-line. To charge money for this information is also ethically wrong.
Watch for CDroms that are a collection of books that are in the public domain (will have book dates up to the early 1930's). While there is no violation of copyright law, the copyright on these books has expired and they are in the public domain, you do not need to pay for them. You may find these books already on-line, ready to download for free (see below for more information on finding these expired copyright books).
Some e-books are sold under the same title by different "authors". Watch for these web pages, advertising these "best- ever" basketry e-books. They read like a TV infomercial, telling you how much money there is to be made by making baskets (apparently there are many basketweavers out there who "make $5,000 or more a month just making baskets"), how children would rather gather materials and weave than do most anything else, how simple it is if only you buy THIS particular book, how wonderful THIS e-book is, how you'll never need another book if you buy THIS book, etc., etc.
Some of these e-books are mostly text and/or one picture taking up an entire page and are devoted to defining terms & text describing the different styles of baskets (such as a picnic basket & a potato basket). All of this is information that my be gleaned by basic internet searches.
All a weaver needs to do to find many, many free patterns is search on "free basket patterns" or other such terms. Anyone looking for any type of basketry information should start on Susi Nuss's website - www.basketmakers.com.
She has pulled together & linked an incredible amount of weaving information. One particular page of interest - www.basketmakers.com/ topics/publications/etexts.htm - is a resource page of pdf files for basketry books that are in the public domain. You can view and or download these old books.
Many suppliers also have Tips & FAQ's pages on their websites.
Please be aware that even in the basketry world, if it sounds too good to be true, it probably is!
We all love weaving & some of us even try to make a living at it. Some of us design, write & sell patterns. This may supplement our hobby or pay the bills. We may spend many hours working on our websites, writing content & text.
When unscrupulous people copy our work, it cuts into our profit, maybe preventing us from making a living doing what we love. This is why we have copyright laws, but the internet is hard to regulate & oversee. Not only are the original authors hurt but the buyer as well since they are wasting their money & unwittingly letting the ethically challenged profit from their theft.
Let's keep an eye out for each other.
Wishing everyone a basketry filled, safe & happy year!
Angie

Distressed Reed
Limited Quantities
Reed may not be up to normal standards. Usually extra trimming is all that's needed. This is a good choice for scout and church groups on a fixed budget.

3/16" Oval Core
(hairy & some brittle pieces) $4.50
regularly $6.35 each
This is the only size currently available. Please disregard all previous lists

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Weavings

We have a section on our website, a page devoted to your work. The page is up, now we need you to fill it!
http://www.countryseat.com/weavings.htm

Send us pictures (via e-mail is best - small file size please) and we'll post them along with the title, description or short paragraph of your choice. Please be sure to send pictures no more than 500 pixels. Our dial up service can't handle large files.


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Shaping a Basket
Visit our FAQ page for a great article written by Judy Olney - a master at the art of hand shaping baskets and author of patterns such as Denty Baskets.

Willow Toad Hall
Set against a mountain backdrop at the Santa Barbara Botanical Garden, a two-story domed structure woven out of willow branches rises beyond a wildflower meadow. In 2005 Patrick Dougherty spent three weeks creating a two story domed 'house', complete with a tower & maze of pathways. Dougherty used willows to twist & weave a structure that is continually described as 'magical' & inspires the imagination of adults & children alike. Living Willow Structure

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It's a Bear made from Pine Needles!
Richard Carpenter is the creator of these fantastic, almost life-size pine needle bears. He creates a form in the shape of the bear or cub and then weaves pine needles through the form. Richard is also a button carver which led him to carve the nose, claws and eyes for each bear. The bears are very life-like and the pine needles create realistic looking fur.

To see more of Richard's work, visit:
Mountain Magic Website
Pine needle bear pine needle bear pine needle bear


Fiber Rush
The quality of rush changes often over time. Years ago rush could be dipped & re-dipped into hot water with no problem. Right now, the fiber rush often shreds when it gets wet. I still weave the seat with wet rush. It just takes more care & time (& sometimes extra material). Wrap 15-20 times around your hand-to-elbow. DIP the rush quickly into warm/hot water, blot with a towel & begin your seat. Or you may want to try & weave loosely for several rounds & then sponge the rush just at the corners or give it a misting of water. It's extremely difficult to get a good-looking seat when the rush is worked completely dry.
The trick right now is to wet it just enough to weave good corners, but not enough to make it shred & rip.

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Free print catalog upon request. Please e-mail us at weaving@countryseat.com with your name and postal address. Catalog #31 is the current print catalog and will be sent with your first order. Please keep the Country Seat Courier newsletters as they contain new products and any changes to the print catalog. New products are added to the on-line catalog as they arrive. If you have placed an order and do not already have them, catalog #31 and newsletters will be sent with the order to keep you up to date.

The Country Seat, Inc.
Basketry, Gourd Weaving & Chair Seating Supplies
1013 Old Philly Pike
Kempton, Pennsylvania 19529-9321 USA
Phone: 610-756-6124
e-mail: weaving@countryseat.com
Fax: 610-756-0088
web site: www.countryseat.com

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