The History of Pine Needle Basketry
The art of Pine Needle Basketry goes back before the Civil War.
It is believed that Pine Needle basket probably existed for as
long as Pine Trees and humans have shared the earth.
It has been documented that the first Pine Needle Basket maker
was Mrs. Mary Jane McAfee from Georgia.
The first book was written by her and published in 1911, the
name of the book is " the Pine Needle Basket Book" this book was written by Mary Jane McAfee originator of Pine Needle Basketry.
One of the stories that is written in this book is the one of
the Pine Needle hat made for her father.
This was durting the Civil War and materials were scarce, and
she tried to make a hat first by using Bulrushes, but found out that the hat proved to be to heavy to be worn with comfort.
While still searching for some native product for which to make
the hat light enough to be worn with ease, she happened to see a limb of a long leaf pine in a wagon load of pine straw in
which the farm help were covering the potato beds.
Mrs McAfee conceived the idea that these long slender needles
might be so treated as to render them sufficiently tough to be woven into hats while still retaining their pliability.
Mary Jane succeeded , after some experimentation in accomplishing
this.
The last spool of Coats thread was used to make this hat, and
for all of the others "Homespun cotten thread" was employed.
The Pine Needle Hat of which her father loved to tell about was
the first product of her new found art.
Mary Jane McAfee was hugely instrumental in the growth and the
spreading the Art of the Pine Needle Basketry.
