Weaving Appalachian - Style Baskets
by Linda Spiker - Staff writer, Bland Messenger
published February 5, 1998

Helen Tickle of Grahams Forge, Virginia dreamed of the day she could retire and do things she wanted to do. Now that day is here and she delights in weaving her Appalachian-style baskets, making award-winning quilts and engaging in a dozen other hobbies.

Almost nine years ago, she saw an Appalachian-style basket made by Heath Semones of Wytheville Virginia and decided she would like to try the craft. Semones taught her some steps in weaving and showed Elmer, Helen's husband, how to select white oak trunks, cut them into lengths then quarters, cut out the dark core and split them into strips to make handles and rims for the baskets. Elmer clamps the strips around a five-gallon bucket for drying and shaping.

Since then, Helen and Elmer have made approximately 75-100 baskets in various sizes and shapes - from tiny decorative baskets to large hearth baskets. They have woven and shaped bread baskets, shallow herb baskets, egg gathering baskets and key baskets that hang on the wall.

Elmer has woven a few baskets but the majority of the creations are made by Helen using Elmer's handles and rims. She has sold a few but said she will never make a business out of it for fear of losing the joy of weaving.

Helen's baskets are now at home in 12 states from Washington and California on the west coast to Maryland and South Carolina on the east coast.

Helen has mastered the art of soaking the weavers and splints in water to make them supple. She designs her own basket styles. She places a heavy flat iron inside the baskets while they are wet to make them level on the bottom, dips them in a walnut stain for color and hangs them on a dogwood tree to dry.

Helen never made two baskets alike. They are all of different sizes, styles, shapes or materials.

After Hurricane Hugo struck in 1989, the Tickles went to Darlington, South Carolina to check on Helen's sister and while there they found a Dutchman's Pipe vine which had been uprooted. Helen brought it back to Virginia and used it as a handle for a planter basket.

Most of her baskets are either used in her home or given away to family members and friends.

When Helen is not making baskets, she is involved in other crafts which include collecting commemorative stamps, dolls, ("the ugly ones that need lots of loving") and antique fruit jars. She does vegetable and flower gardening and genealogy, and spends pretty days searching for wildflowers in the mountains of Southwest Virginia and in her own backyard.

Another hobby she enjoys is photography. She shoots mountain scenery and wildflowers and shares photos of outings and events with family members and friends. Once a week, Helen, her sister and niece spend a " Ladies Day Out." They go shopping, search for wildflowers, go out to eat or go to a movie.

Helen is retired after 37 years in the garment industry. Elmer is retired after 38 years as an independent dealer for an oil company.

The Tickles traveled for a while, but since the traffic has gotten so bad, they have begun to stay home more. They spend hours in the mountains sharing a picnic lunch on a log, enjoying nature's beauty and taking pictures.

"I've learned where the Lady Slippers, Virginia Bluebells and Jack-in-the-Pulpits grow," said Helen.

The Tickle's have two children, Jimmie and Sandra, and six grandchildren.