Chameo Couture: Woven Rattan Handbags

A local bag brand name was inspired by Chameleon (chameleon; reptiles that can change color according to their surroundings, ed.), CHAMEO, has come to design collections that uniquely Indonesian rattan bag. Chameo actually founded in 2007, a typical design woven handbags are created by husband and wife, Lim Juliana Lim Masulin and is superior because the material it uses. If normally a lot of people complain about the quality and rattan handbag models that tend to ordinary and fragile (fragile and vulnerable rattan will weather), woven rattan handbags made by Chameo different. Husband-wife seems to understand well the problems that used them as the main ingredient of his product design bags. Therefore, they agreed to create a synthetic rattan material made from HDPE recyclable plastic that is believed more durable and lightweight.Uniquely, the bags that the average Chameo made from rattan material is formed in such a way become a very fashionable bag, suitable for use in various occasions. Synthetic rattan combined with quality materials, such as Batik Cirebon, exotic Thai silk, Sunbrella outdoor fabric, to Italian leather.Chameo woven bags ranged from 50 U.S. $ - 180 U.S. $ (or approximately USD 490,000 to USD 1,790,000). You can buy the collection in the town square Chameo Grand Indonesia, Pasaraya Grande and Metro Dept. Store Jakarta. We should be elated because the bag of local products, it is also selling well overseas. Chameo inspired by the words Chameleon want the same philosophy as the chameleon of the products their bags, which can be accepted by anyone and can be used on every occasion. (PFA / photos: courtesy of Chameo Couture)

from :  http://www.lovelytoday.com/trend/2010/05/31/2129/chameo-couture-woven-rattan-handbags

DIY AND CHAIR COLLECTION

Design it yourself.

Here is a paradise for designer and to make furniture with natural material. Rattan, bamboo, willow and straw are natural material that do not require heavy equipment. No expensive investment to start a business line. All material involved are enviroment friendly. You do not need to deal with chemical you are not familiar with. All you need is your creativity.

To help you start a project, to get familiar with the material involved, we have organized a starter DIY furniture kit as picture attached.
DIY do-it-yourself rattan furniture (RSC-1, RSC-2)
These furniture kits are ideal for the hobbist.
All the material you need is included.  We have done the difficult work, and leave the finishing work for you so you can express your creativity easily.

• The components parts are prepared (poles has been shaped, cut & half-polished, webbing has been mounted).
  
  
• They are made to fit for surely good assembly (each chair frame has been tested assembled and the knock-down before packing.)
  
  
• All components (binding cane, screws, seat and back frames, etc.) are included, except painting (flammable) material .
  
  
• Each set is individually packed and enclosed in a self-contained box to reduce retail transport cost, and shelf-space.  Wholesale buyers’ logo and printing art work can be affixed to the boxes.

Modern wicker furniture can be hand woven with rattan core (reed, wicker) or Willow. No need for power machine tools. Simple high quality rattan make producing DIY furniture easy and stylish.

Rocking Chair can be supplied in completely knocked down (K/D) , OR you can be supplied with rattan material and a simple hand tool for bending that you can build the chair from scratch. All material come in a compact size boxes/bales for economical s

hipping/handling.

 from :  http://www.1234ok.com/diy.htm

seeking a Sepak Takraw ball

The boys of Baguio Gold expressed interest in a Sepak Takraw ball and net a week ago. So when Dom and I were in Baguio City, we diverted to Tiong San Harrison Department Store to ride the escalators up to the fifth-floor sporting goods department and see our acquaintance, Jonalee.

I barely knew how to pronounce the name of the game Sepak Takraw although Ricardo had told me and wrote it for me a week earlier. And I wasn’t sure what a ball looked like. I thought that it was smaller than a volleyball and woven of strips of leather or reeds.

Dominic and I had gone to the mall to look for a uninterruptible power supply (UPS) and a transformer, so while there, I also asked for a Sepak Takraw ball in sporting goods stores and an athletic apparel/shoes/accessories store which had dozens of basketballs prominently displayed.

The sales persons in each store initially didn’t understand what I was asking for (as usual). And when they did hear me and comprehend “Sepak Takraw ball,” they each said, “don’t have” or “no, sir” with a wave of a hand. I thought that Rick and Nick had said that Sepak was the nation’s signature sport, and alongside basketball, the most popular. So why couldn’t I find a ball in a sporting goods store in a big, modern, indoor shopping mall? I didn’t ask in every sports store there. I gave up in favor of comparison shopping UPSs and voltage step-down (220-110) transformers.

A mile away, in Tiong San department store, which three weeks ago suffered a nine-hour fire on floors 6-8 (stockrooms/warehouses) Dom and I rode up to the fifth floor and began poking about in the small sporting goods/mobility aids department. Dom checked prices of wheelchairs while I looked for Sepak Takraw balls. Wire bins held basketballs, soccer balls and volleyballs of various sizes, as in Wal-mart stores in U.S. But I sure didn’t see anything that looked to be woven of rattan. I asked another customer, and he graciously directed me to a small shelf stacked with small cubic boxes holding the balls.

They Sepak balls were all hard plastic vaguely resembling pale woven reeds. I asked the gentleman about them, and he told me that “synthetic” is the new standard and that rattan is out of fashion. It’s not as durable. I looked at the balls of two makes and three prices, from Malaysia and Thailand and chose one. I didn’t see any difference between the balls, and I couldn’t read the foreign language(s) on the boxes. Later, I think that the three (or more types) of balls for sale were different weights. I only saw three different prices, but there may have been six different weights for men and women.

Only after Dominic and I found the Sepak Takraw nets did fifth-floor saleslady Jonalee show up, so she didn’t help us choose merchandise today. She carried the merchandise four meters to the sales counter so that the sale would count toward her monthly sales quota, and after the cashier had registered the sale and I presented a credit card, Jonalee took the register tape, my card and the bagged merchandise down, down, down to the second floor, ground level so that a cashier with a credit card-processing machine could charge the sale to the card issuer.

Following Jonalee down the stairs to ground floor is no problem; we wanted to go down (then exit) anyway. The pain is that TiongSan adds two percent to the sale total to cover it’s credit card-processing fee. And AmEx and Wachovia (Visa) add two percent to every transaction. Wachovia calls it “international service fee” and American Express says that it adds two percent to the foreign currency exchange rate. Let’s say that a dollar is worth 41 pesos. If I charge the purchase of a ball priced at 410 pesos, AmEx records the transaction not at $10 but $10.20.

If I use a card in Tiong San department store, Tiong San first registers the sale in the pertinent department at the item’s sticker price (including VAT) plus a 2% convenience fee to cover its fee from Visa, MC or AmEx. Then we go to the first floor so that a cashier can swipe my card through the scanner. I receipt for $10.20 from that merchant. Later Wachovia or AmEx records a purchase of $10.40 because it also wants 2%. Big deal, right? How about when I buy a big-ticket item?

If I go to an ATM in the beginning of May to withdraw cash to pay for rent, water and electricity to our landlord, pay half of the phone/DSL bill and spend cash everywhere else ( jeepneys, taxis, grocery stores, aid to the poor, drug stores, Ace Hardware, restaurants, vegetable stands, collection basket in church), a withdrawal of P20,000 will not cost me $487.80, but rather $497.56, a difference of ten dollars. Oh, well. †

from : http://tenpesos.com/2008/04/sepak-takraw-in-baguio-gold/

All you wanted to know about Basket Reed and more

Basket Reed -

• There are between 550 and 600 species of rattan, which can be found in rainforest areas from South China to Australia and Fiji to West Africa and Madagascar. Basket reed is produced from the core of this thorny palm (mostly genera Calamus, Daemonorops or Plectomia) which grows like a vine into the forest canopy. Rattan for commercial use is harvested mostly in the jungles of South East Asia and Indonesia. Native peoples travel into the rainforests, sometimes whole families for months at a time, to pull as many of the wild vines down from the forest canopy as they can. Much of the vine is left behind, tangled in the tree tops, the roots are left to grow again. The vines can be smaller in diameter near the roots and larger in diameter near the ends. Once rattan has developed, they do not increase in diameter as they age, they only increase in length. Some species of vines can grow to a few hundred feet.
• The rattan is cut into long pieces, approximately 20 feet or more, tied into manageable bundles and carried or dragged out of the forest.
• The rattan poles are now debarked and boiled in a mixture of kerosene and diesel fuel to prevent blue staining and kill any bugs or borers. The residue from the boiling must now be cleaned off and the poles are left standing or laying in the sun to dry.
• Bundles are made with mixed sizes, shipped to factories where they are graded by the type and size and of the rattan. The poles are now washed in water and very labor intensively cleaned using sand and a cloth. The joints, where the rings of thorns were removed, are scraped and the poles are closely sized. They are now ready to make chair cane and round core reeds.
• These same steps are used to process thick rattan cores and species that are used for the flat and flat oval reeds. Less care is taken with the outside bark since it is not usable and the thorough washing step is eliminated.
• The thick sizes of certain species of rattan suitable for flats and flat ovals are put through a machine that takes off the outer bark. Depending on the size of the core, the factories may polish the core in a sanding machine. Then flat ovals are cut from the outside, this is why sometimes the oval part is smooth and shiny. The rest of the core is sized and cut into flat reeds from 3/8" to 1" wide . Simple machines such as the one shown are used to cut the larger sizes of flat reed. Smaller machines are used for the sizes under 3/8".
• The flat strands are inspected for defects, graded by color (select quality and premium reeds are naturally whitish/eggshell in color. Second color reeds may have naturally occurring streaks of grey, black, rust or even purplish color running through the lengths.) and the tips are clipped to get rid of dark ends.
• The reed is weighed into one pound hanks, tied, coiled and hairs are clipped off the edges. All containers of reed go through a mandatory fumigation with methyl bromide (this is the same insecticide that is used on all produce that enters this country) before shipment to the US. Methyl bromide is considered food safe and is regulated by the EPA.
  Approximately 100 pounds of raw rattan may only yield 20 pounds of 1st quality flat reeds.

to the top of the page Processing Prewoven Cane
Prewoven Cane (or Press Cane, Cane Webbing, Loom Cane, Mat Cane, Sheet Cane) is woven on a loom in factories overseas. The strands of cane that run the entire length of the roll must be glued together so that they mesure more than 50 feet in length (a full roll of prewoven cane is 50ft.). These long strands are rolled onto bobbins and form the warp. Shorter cane strands are woven for the weft. No loom can weave a diagonal strand so the diagonals are woven into place one at a time after the horizontal and vertical grid is removed from the loom.

Due to the fact that the pieces of cane must be glued together in places, there may sometimes be weak or broken spots. To repair these weak spots: Cut pieces of cane from the edge of the mat. Soak both the mat and the short pieces of cane. Using a tweezers and/or flat tipped awl, lift the pieces of cane on the mat and slide the repair piece into place, overlapping as much as possible to add strength.
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PA Antler Laws
This article was written by Linda Clifton and appeared in the March 1998 issue of the Central PA Basket Weavers Guild newsletter. It is reprinted with permission. Your state laws may be different.


Are Antler Baskets Illegal?
A recent conversation at a guild meeting brought up the issue of selling and ownership of deer antlers in Pennsylvania. In order to clarify what is and is not allowed in PA with antlers, I talked with a representative of the PA Game Commission and this is what I learned in that conversation.
According to Title 34 of the Pennsylvania Code antlers (any inedible part) of a lawfully taken game animal may be sold by the hunter who took the game within 90 days of the close of the season in which the wildlife was taken.
What effect does this have on the making and selling of antler baskets?

• You may buy an antler from a hunter in accordance with the above law.
• You cannot sell an antler in any form (basket or otherwise) unless you are the hunter as specified above.
  
• You may make an antler basket and keep it for yourself or GIVE it to someone.
  
• You may use antlers lawfully taken in another state, but you may NOT SELL them no matter where they come from.

If you would like to read the Pennsylvania Code which addresses this issue and the penalties for violations, see 34PaCSA section 2312.
These laws also apply to shed and found antlers.
Visit the web site for the North American Shed Hunters Club to see a state by state list of antler laws and the addresses for the agencies in each US state and Canada. - Please continue to check this site, it is now under construction and may not have the information listed.
to the top of the page Use of Wildlife in Arts and Crafts: An Overview of Federal Laws and Regulations
Please visit this site, US Fish & Wildlife Service - Office of Law Enforcement, to learn more about what animal parts are legal to use in your baskets. Some laws will vary from state to state, so it's always best to check with the Game Service in your state or the state you wish to sell your basket or gourd in.
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Seagrass
Seagrass or "salt-water-grass" grows on the riverbanks in estuary areas. The grass that we use in our baskets is not a true seagrass that grows on the ocean floor, but a grass that grows on land.
The leaves of the grass can grow to be approximately 10 feet. They are at least somewhat tended by the farmers that harvest the materials.
Twisted seagrass starts with the strands which are 3 to 4 foot in length, the bottom of the grass "needle" is used for the larger sizes and the tips are used for the thinner, more delicate sizes. They are twisted and braided by hand using simple tools. Sizes vary due to each individual's skill and thickness of the grasses.
Many years ago in Asian countries, the salt-water-grass blades (which is a full needle leaf sliced in half) were used to bundle and tie up groceries (which were sometimes wrapped in old newspapers) for customers who carried all their daily groceries purchased in the open market. Meat, poultry and beef were tied with the blades, even live struggling chickens were tied with thick blades around the wings. If a housewife would buy 10 things, she would carry each item tied with a blade of grass, dangling at her side. Most of the time, items were not even wrapped. Imagine a live/dead fish dangling at the end of a seagrass blade hanging from your waist.

to the top of the page Dyed Paper Twist
Dyeing your own paper rush (craft twist)

• Dyeing Kraft Brown fiber rush is a very simple procedure. Cut the length of paper you need. Short lengths from 4 -6 yards work the easiest. Untwist the fiber rush for solid colors or dye it twisted to create variegated colors.
  
• In an enamel pot, boil 2-4 cups of water and add your choice of dye until you obtain the desired shade. Use approximately one-fourth of a package of dye for 4 cups of water. Soak the paper for approximately 5 - 15 minutes. Some colors will take longer than others. Test the color by using small cuttings of the paper rush. Two things will determine the intensity of color - the proportion of dye to water and the length of time the rush is soaked. The paper will dry quicker if the water is kept hot while dyeing. The burner can be left on low.
  
• Once the paper reaches the desired color, remove it from the water and hang to dry. Clothes hangers work very well for drying.
  
• If you are dyeing the untwisted rush, it can be untwisted either while wet or dry. Also, remember that the colors will look darker when wet.
  
• Besides being less expensive than store bought dyed rush, dyeing your own will allow you to have colors other than are commercially available.
  
• Don't be afraid to experiment, many dyes may be mixed to produce new colors.

Fiber rush is available in 3 sizes and 2 colors, try some today.
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Check out the VW Beetle and motorcycle woven in rattan! The Bicycle is made from bamboo.

Casket made from willow.


Baboo Bicycle:

Did You Know - that bicycles can be made from Bamboo? Visit the American Bamboo Society's web site to read this fascinating article by Steen Heinsen ~ Bamboo Bicycle Article. Here is an exerpt: "I am riding a bamboo bicycle ... Usually it takes quite a bit to make the roughies turn their heads - but this bamboo bicycle does the trick. It is beautiful, light and fast - and it is nice to touch...several people come over to touch the frame and to check out how the bike is made. "Where have you got that from?" they ask, here in the Paradise of Bicycles, the almost car-free town in the middle of Copenhagen... So where have I got it from? Flavio Deslandes is the man behind the development of a bicycle made of bamboo... My bicycles are made of grass, he says...Flavio makes me see things differently: Bamboo is a resource of immense potential. And it is strong too. What makes it possible to build bicycles from bamboo, is that it is stronger than steel when strained in the longitudinal direction, 17% to be exact..."

Visit the ABA web site to read the entire article and learn more of the wonders of Bamboo.

to the top of the page The Country Seat, Inc.
Basketry & Chair Seating Supplies
1013 Old Philly Pike
Kempton, Pennsylvania 19529-9321 USA
Phone: 610-756-6124
e-mail: weaving@countryseat.com
Fax: 610-756-0088 web site: www.countryseat.com
Free catalog upon request. Please e-mail us at weaving@countryseat.com with your name and postal address. Catalog #30 is the current print catalog, please keep the Country Seat Courier newsletters as they contain all of our new products and any changes to the print catalog. New products are added to the on-line catalog as they arrive. If you have placed an order, a catalog and newsletters will be sent with the order.


from : http://www.countryseat.com/basketryreed.htm

BALI RATTAN FURNITURE and WOVEN DECOR PRODUCTS

BALI RATTAN FURNITURE and WOVEN DECOR PRODUCTS:

Balinese rattan furniture is available in traditional and contemporary styles. Rattan furniture is constructed with a cane or wooden frame ( Teak or Mahogany ) and secured with screws. Our new range of synthetic UV resistant polymer material is woven over an anodized aluminum frame for use in all weather conditions. Rattan furniture may be woven in rattan peel, wicker, water hyacinth, Banana leaf, sea grass or combinations of all of the above. We welcome your requests for rattan and woven products not listed in our catalog.

RATTAN DINING FURNITURE SETS are both modern and traditional in design, Bali rattan furniture is crafted from organic materials including old style wicker weaves and more contemporary utilizing metal frames and combinations of Banana Leaf, sea grass and water hyacinth or a mixture of all of these materials.

Formal and casual RATTAN CHAIRS complete the rattan dining settings. Use with our range of rattan dining tables or select tables from our teak furniture catalog.

BALI RATTAN LOUNGE SUITES including Corner suites, traditional four piece ensembles and unique Bali Rattan Furniture settings

Purchase RATTAN ARMCHAIRS as complete furniture sets or as single units to accompany the range of Rattan lounge furniture.

RATTAN SOFAS are available in two and three seater combinations or may be mixed and matched with the same design of rattan armchairs.

RATTAN STOOLS and Ottomans will complete your Bali rattan furniture ensemble.
Each Lounge setting is matched with corresponding RATTAN TABLES and are supplied with beveled glass tops

KNOCKDOWN BALI RATTAN FURNITURE is made with a tubular steel frame and woven with Banana leaf, rattan, sea grass or water hyacinth, The modular furniture design is ideal for maximizing space in shipping containers.

WIGGLY RATTAN FURNITURE This unique rattan weave is a Bali classic.

SYNTHETIC RATTAN FURNITURE
All weather outdoor woven furniture. Synthetic Rattan Furniture in stylish colors and unique designs. UV resistant, color fast fiber woven over anodized welded aluminum frames.

RATTAN DECOR. Accessories, Rattan decor and home-wares including woven mirror frames, lamps, lampshades and rattan vases.

Our featured rattan furniture designs can be woven from a variety of materials please review the  FURNITURE WEAVE AND MATERIAL EXAMPLES .

BALI WOVEN FURNITURE Banana Leaf Furniture, Water Hyacinth furniture and Seagrass furniture and products made from combinations of these materials.

from : http://www.exbali.com/bali_furniture/bali-rattan/index.htm

Indoor or Undercover Furniture

NATURES COLLECTION: Is the combination of natural inflection and the sophisticated traditional craftsmanship and the creative reflection of the highest quality design. Everything begins with our material  that comes directly from nature. The environmental protection and our contented customers are all the guidance for our work. 
SEAGRASS: Belongs to the family of marine herbs that grow their entire life cycle under water. The plants have ribbon like leaves and prominent creeping rhizomes, perfect for making Seagrass furniture, the grass is firmly hand twisted and extremely tightly woven and tends to have a smooth finish.
WATER HYACINTH: Turn a problem into a opportunity! The Water Hyacinth is a prolific floating plant characterized by fragrant lavender flowers and shiny green leaves. But it is considered a big environmental problem all over the world. The plant cover entire lakes and rivers - this has a dramatic impact on water flow, blocks sunlight from reaching native aquatic plants, often leading to death of fish. The plant doubles it's surface within two weeks and has no natural enemies. It is freely available and again the perfect material for our furniture! By using this material to make modern designer furniture, we are also doing something good for the planet.
RATTAN: Has an economic value can help protect our forests, by providing an alternative to loggers who forgo timber logging and harvest rattan canes instead. Rattan is much easier to harvest, requires simpler tools and is much easier to transport. It also grows much faster than most tropical wood. This makes it a potential tool in forest maintenance, since it provides a profitable crop that depends on rather than replaces trees.

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from  : http://www.wickerwarehouse.com.au/indoor-furniture-products.php?id=26 

Wicker Weave

er Weave Wicker Weave is the most common weave used in fully woven Rattan Furniture.

Wicker Weave is woven from Rattan Core strands.

Rattan Core strands are made by pushing a Rattan Pole through a cutting dye which produces long, thin, flexible strands that are then handcrafted into full furniture pieces or into decorative panels.

This type of tight weave is dense, giving it strength and durability.
Once woven, the furniture is then sealed and sanded to a smooth finish and then stained and lacquered to the desired colour.

MAINTENANCE: Regular dusting with a soft damp cloth or vacuuming with a brush attachment is recommended to maintain your Rattan / Wicker Furniture. Any spill on the frame should be wiped off immediately with a damp cloth or sponge and a mild detergent.

from   :  http://www.agio.com.au/garrymasters/index.php?section=97