Pine Needle Baskets

Pine Needle Baskets by Lynn & Sue Van Couvering

1) Blue basket with pine cone handle, V stitch. 5 1/2" dia. x 5 1/2 high, $65. Scroll down to see many more baskets. This site was designed as a showcase and catalog of baskets and their prices. Baskets may be ordered by the numbers to the left of each description.

2) Squat blue basket with pine cone handle, V stitch. 6 1/4" dia. x 5 3/4" high, $70. More lidded baskets below.

3) Antler Handle Basket, spiral wheat stitch with contrasting band of needles with caps around center. Approximately 7" dia. x 7" high, $100. The size of each basket you order will vary slightly, depending on the size of the antler used.

4) Another antler basket with split V, or spiral wheat stitch. The accent coils around the center are needles with caps left on, stitched in black to provide contrast. The center/bottom of the basket (not visible) as a slice of mistletoe burl from the branch of a blackgum or tupelo tree. Approx. 14" dia. x 13" high, $250. Scroll down for more anter baskets.

This view shows bottom of a typical antler basket. The center is a slice of antler, and the pattern is created using the spiral wheat stitch.

5) Bowl with inverted pine cone handle, V stitch. 7" dia. x 5" high, $70.

6) Small basket with pine cone handle, V stitch. 5" dia. x 4 3/4" high, $40.

7) "Big Red", pine cone lid, V stitch, needles dyed red, comes out a beautiful mahogany color. 6 1/2 " dia. x 7 1/2" high, $120.

8) Two bowls with black walnut slice centers. a.] Large, 6" dia. x 3" high, $50. b. ] Small, 4" dia. x 2 1/2" high, $25.

9) Lovely round basket with inverted pine cone handle lid and V stitch. The lid fits snugly onto the basket and is held in place by an inner coil. 9" dia. x 5 1/2" high, $130.

10) Spike-lidded basket. The handle is made from the budding tip of a Longleaf Pine branch, trimmed and left by tree trimmers. Unique and very tricky to make. 7" dia. x 7 1/4 high, $75.00

11) Fat Lady in a Short Skirt. The dangling blue howlite nuggets swing and click together when the basket is held. The basket invites handling; you can't resist setting the dangles in motion. A basket like this can be made in any size, with any kind of bead or semi-precious stone nugget available. Examples are turquoise, tiger-eye, garnet, lapis, serpentine, hematite, etc. E-mail Lynn to see what's available, and watch this site for further examples as they are completed. Price will depend on size and value of dangles. This one is 5 1/2" dia. x 2 1/4" high, and will cost $55.00

12) Duckfeathers. Small bowl embellished with Mallard duck feathers. 4 3/4" dia. x 2" high, $55. Also available with white goose, guinea, or pheasant feathers, any size, e mail for price. (All feathers are from domestic birds; we can not use the feathers of any wild birds due to the strict regulations of many states, though you may give us feathers to use on your basket.)

14) This whimsical rattler is stitched with black raffia. The forked tongue is red raffia, and the eyes and rattle are turquoise. The rattle really rattles! Also available with "cat's eye" beads (looks like tiger-eye). No two baskets will be alike. This one is about 12" dia. x 3" high, $150.00

15) Black Beauty. Longleaf needles are dyed black to create this dramatic piece, which has hematite beads individually sewn on to give a studded look reminiscent of a suit of armor. 6" dia. x 4" high. $150.00

16) Small antler basket with blue accent needles around center. Approximately 6" dia. x 3 1/2" high, excluding antler. $65.00

17) Small antler basket with an accent feature of red needle caps. Approximately 7" dia. x 4" high, excluding antler. $70.00

18) This vessel has several rows of blue needles accenting the "hips", and a cork made from the polished burl of an elk antler. Approximately 7" dia. x 8" high, $100.00

20) The handle on the lid is an inverted pine cone, and the stitches used are the fern stitch and the wheat stitch. Basket measures approximately 6" dia. x 5" high, $95.00.

21) Turquoise Dangle; This basket is stitched with raffia using the wheat stitch and the fern stitch. The dangles are turquoise, and are suspended on nearly invisible monofiliment. They roll and make a shaking, clattering sound when the basket is handled. This is an "interactive basket"; one that will get picked up and handled. 7" dia. x 6" high, $120.

22) Hedgehog Basket: This effect is created by special dyeing and stitching methods. The spines spiral in one direction, while the stitches spiral in another. This one is made using purple dye, black sinew for the chain stitching, and an antler slice center. 5" dia. x 3" high, $65.

22) Build your own basket! Don't see the exact basket you were looking for? You can customize your basket by asking for specific sizes, shapes, threads, centers, accents, etc. Pick and choose from the baskets shown above, and let us know what you'd like. We will do our best to accomodate you. For an idea of what the cost will be, start with the Basic Bowl above, which is done in a spiral wheat stitch, unadorned, and refer to the prices below. Most changes other than size will not result in a price change, but please feel free to e mail for specifics and details on what is available. 4" dia. x 2 1/2" high = $55 5" dia. x 3" high = $65 6" dia. x 4" high = $80 7" dia. x 5" high = $95 8" dia. x 5" high = $125 9" dia. x 6" high = $250

Coming soon! pictures of the various beautiful basket centers available, including: maple burl, manzanita, antler, pine knot, lightening-shot pine knot, mistletoe/tupelo burl, redwood burl, black walnut.

All baskets shown here are hand made by Lynn and Sue Van Couvering at Moonbug Studio in Southern Oregon. They are coiled with the needles of the Ponderosa, Southern Longleaf, Torrey Pine and/or other types of pineneedles, using coiled basketry techniques similar to those long practiced by tribal people. Each unique, carefully stitched basket or vessel takes hours to make, and is a gallery-quality work of art! Most have natural accents, such as antlers, pine cones, feathers, semi-precious stones, and/or black walnut slice centers. No two are alike, and each is signed by the artist. You may order baskets using your credit card, check, or money order via Paypal directly from the artists via e mail at lynnvc@gate.net . Some will be in stock, and some will have to be custom made for you when you order, so please allow time when placing a large order, or if your order is to be a gift. Thank you! Lynn & Sue

Link to Lynn's portrait site! This site is a work in progress and may be updated someday. Please check back for new images from time to time. Last updated on 09/20/2008. For more information, contact Lynn Van Couvering, lynnvc@gate.net