Handmade Products from Maine at Common Ground

Posted on | October 6, 2010 | 9 Comments

One more quick post about the Common Ground Fair. I finally got all my photos and business cards organized and thought a would share a few of my favorites. Above a gorgeous display of baskets from Maine Indian Basket Weavers Alliance’s table showcasing basketry made from ash and sweetgrass. Gorgeous, right?

I’m a wool blanket fanatic. I first met Nan at the Portland Flower show in 2009. She creates gorgeous seacolor yarns she makes into blankets, sweaters, hats, and mittens. The wool blankets are beautiful and the stripes are in the most amazing variegated colors.
getwool.com

Woven baskets from Moose River Handcrafts from Jackman, Maine are beautiful and affordable. I had my eye on the potato basket made from brown ash in the middle. I was this close to buying it but decided to wait till my house renovation moves along a little further. I really like that the baskets are offered with leather or wood handles.
mooseriverhandcrafts.com

I saw the most amazing hand turned wood bowls I have ever seen by David Lancaster. I didn’t take the greatest shot of the bowls because there was so many people in the booth – sorry. His bowls are outstanding and heirloom quality. Adding to my must-get list once my kitchen is done.
heirloombowls.com

I scored some yarn from Bartlett Yarns for the afghan I’ve been brainstorming. I really wanted wool in natural colors. Bartlett’s yarns were beautiful and reasonably priced. I got all the yarn needed for project (not all yarn is shown) for around $90 —which sounds expensive but the most affordable option I found when pricing out natural bulky wool.
bartlettyarns.com

DSC 4041 Handmade Products from Maine at Common Ground

woven baskets from Maine Handmade Products from Maine at Common Ground

DSC 4111 Handmade Products from Maine at Common Ground

DSC 4144 Handmade Products from Maine at Common Ground

Category: accessories, maine, textiles

Comments

9 Responses to “Handmade Products from Maine at Common Ground”

Laura F.
October 6th, 2010 @ 11:13 am
Oh, those blankets just look wonderful. I can practically feel them!
0 likes
erin, reading my tea leaves
October 6th, 2010 @ 11:19 am
oh my goodness. so sad i wasn’t there. such great finds, katy!
0 likes
Morag
October 6th, 2010 @ 12:02 pm
Thanks! I’ve been wanting a real potato basket like the ones we used as kids in the County. They used to string them up in front of the hardware and field stores every fall. The farmers would buy new ones every year for us picking crews. It was a real little ceremony to choose your basket the first day of harvest. It had to be just the right size, not too big, not to small, and of course every year you could choose a larger one as you grew and could lift a heavier basket to empty it into the barrel.
0 likes
Barbara
October 7th, 2010 @ 2:33 pm
Those bowls make me so HAPPY! Putting them all over our own butcher block full of fruits or veggies or crafts or or or…
Wooden bowls are my weakness.
Sigh
B
0 likes
Dar
October 9th, 2010 @ 10:22 pm
Katie,
I would like to buy a wool blanket this winter, and am trying to decide between one by Nan Kennedy and MacAusland. Which is softer? Heavier? You have seen them both in person, so I am hoping you can give me some direction. I’ve purchased a linen/cotton blanket from Brahms Mount and like the quality.
Thx,
D
0 likes
Katy Elliott
October 10th, 2010 @ 10:05 am
Both are beautiful. Nan Kennedy’s might be slightly heavier. Both are super soft. Tough decision. I already have three from MacAusland. Love Nan’s too but I don’t really need another one at the moment. But believe me I am tempted!!
0 likes
Regina
October 13th, 2010 @ 10:28 am
The bowls and yarn (all of it really) is amazing!
0 likes
alan
November 18th, 2010 @ 1:35 pm
i once asked this blog what the difference was between wool blankets that showed the threads vs. the ones that were all fuzzy. didn’t get a answer that i know of, but that’s ok. last week i found out from pendleton.com that the answer is napping! i like the unnapped blankets… they look more vintage, would you say?
0 likes
Katy Elliott
November 18th, 2010 @ 1:38 pm
Sorry Alan if I didn’t get back to you. I get hundreds of e-mails and comments everyday. Some inevitably fall through the cracks.

I like both. Thanks for sharing.
0 likes