Wednesday Wonder- Wheat Weaving

I had no idea that when I went to research this weeks Wednesday Wonder that I would be opening a window in to a wild world of wheat weavers and associations. Weally, I mean Weally??? ;-D

Osburn Butterfly, © 1998 Marje Shook, Photo by Marje Shook 

I found the picture above on the National Association of Wheat Weavers site, I did say National Association. This is a big deal, at least it appears to be. The are having 

The 2012 NAWW Convention
"DREAM OF WHEAT"
Portland, Oregon
April 11th - 15th

Their website is here: http://nawwstraw.org/

They have a gallery here: http://nawwstraw.org/index.php/gallery

It is kind of hard to believe this is wheat straw.

History

"Even for the earliest civilizations success of a harvest has always been critical to survival. In the ancient mythology of many cultures there are tales of harvest celebrations and by the 1500s in Great Britain there are accounts of sheaves being decorated to represent the spirit of the harvest. By the late 1800s the making of harvest tokens seems to have been quite widespread throughout Europe." From the history page at the National site History
http://nawwstraw.org/index.php/about-straw-art

These are buttons. Photo by Karen Bell and Nan Rohan

Colorful punched shapes of marquetry are appliqued onto wood in pleasing designs and then lacquered for protection. I love these.

Dale Scoot owns a little company called "Wheatweaving company" and will teach classes, sells kits, and has free projects up there and links for buying wheat too.

http://www.wheatweaving.com/

The gallery is on the home page. 

Here is a beginning project for weaving a heart called a Mordiford from Dale's site:

http://www.wheatweaving.com/project1.html 

"Wheat is the symbol of goodness, prosperity, and life itself, and wheat weaving is a fine craft that has been practiced throughout the world for centuries." from Rocky Rothschiller's site

Rocky Rothschiller is quite adept at Wheatweaving and also incorporates yucca, suede, and feathers.
Amazing and contemporary.

Rocky's Corazon with Feathers 21"x 18" from his site "Wheat Weavers"

http://www.wheatweavers.com/

Even Illinois has an Association of Wheat Weavers http://www.illinoiswheatweavers.org/index.html

Amazon even has a book on Wheatweaving and Strawcraft http://www.amazon.com/Book-Wheat-Weaving-Straw-Craft/dp/157990078X

There is so much more and I feel that this is a very good sampling to peruse of Wheat weaving.
I also found out that this is a very old traditional medium that has become a non-traditional medium.
I am thrilled that is being kept alive by the associations above that I have listed. It is beautiful, natural, and steeped with meaning.