Basket Weave Problem...help Needed

[leatheroo]

I am making a back rest for a trike and i am doing basket weave to join the back and front together. I was going fine until i got to the corner!!! I know with other lacing styles that you go into the corner hole 2 or three times, but this doesnt work with basket weave. I have spent all afternoon on this and it still looks like a dogs breakfast.

Does anyone have any diagrams on how to do this? I have bruce grants encyclopedia, but i cant find a solution in it.

Any help would be very much appreciated.

Cheers

caroline

[bex DK]

Do you mean this kind of lacing?

If so, you're already doing each hole twice. The corners here were slightly rounded, so it wasn't a sharp point. Then one hole right in the corner. I think I ended up with 4 strands through the corner hole and 3 to each side. Something like that. It is tricky because you need to count the strands closely and get under and over the right ones. I dunno if others consider my job very good, but I didn't find it that impossible, just a little tricky at first. It helped that my lace was quite thin and the holes were small round ones as opposed to slits. I also used a stylus to stretch the holes a bit when it got tight in the corners.

Forgot to mention, I think this is described in the lacing and stitching book. My copy isn't accessible at the moment, but maybe someone else has a copy and can give more precise advice.

[leatheroo]

yes, that is what i am trying to do...just cant work it out!!???

[bex DK]

Been gone al weekend. Just got home. Will try to dig book out tomorrow and see if that can hlep me explain it better. HAd hoped someone else would reply in mean time.

[leatheroo]

thanks bex....i have been emailed a couple of pdf's with the solution.

cheers

[Timd]

Can you share, Caroline? I've been waiting for an answer myself. Every corner I do is different, and has a few cuss words attached to it.

[DCKNIVES]

I agree, I have had the same problem, bunchs up in the corner, never looks good to me.Dave

[leatheroo]

I have to admit, i couldnt follow the pdf that i was sent...maybe i was having a dumb day..anyway i sort of worked it out, but it still wasnt as good looking as i would like. Tim and DC i will send it to you and maybe it will help!!

[bex DK]

The book I use is "Lacing & Stitching for Leathercraft: 10 Different Lacing & Stitching Techniques"

I do find it quite useful with both good illustrations and explanations.

p 16-17

No pictures with corners, so nothing it is worth having me scan.

It says

"Note: When lacing around corners lace through the corner slit four times and through the slits on either side three times each." Now you want to remember that normally you do 2 in each hole, so that is one extra on the two sides and 2 extra (a whole extra stitch) in the middle.

What I remember was tricky was getting the right over and under patterns in the corner. I used the stylus to help loosen a path up sometimes. Other than that, I pretty much just did it and ended up with what you see in the picture. I don't remember huge amounts of stress beyond the fun of getting that many strings through the holes. But there I also used the stylus, putting the tip through before I tried with the needle, so the hole was big enough. My hands aren't as strong as most, so I also had a pair of pliers handy for pulling the needles.

Also the tips of the corners were rounded off. I can imagine dealing with a sharp point could be tricky, because it would want to come out between the laces.

Otherwise post some pics of what you've got and maybe I can help figure out better what is going wrong?

It might be, if I remember correctly, that if you do one extra in the corners when you are going through the holes the first time, that the rest works itself out because of the patterns. It's been a little while and my memory isn't very good either.

[leatheroo]

thanks bex, that sounds about what i ended up doing, but i think i went into the 3 holes 3 times and not 4 in the corner....and the corners were rounded off, so no pointy bits. When i get some time i think i will practice a bit more and try to get it so i am happy with it and post a tutorial.

cheers